MANILA, Philippines — The Singaporean government honored President Rodrigo Duterte by naming an orchid after him.
The orchid was named Dendrobium Rodrigo Roa Duterte — a hybrid of Dendrobium Sonia Beauty and Dendrobium Urmila Nandey — following a tradition in Singapore to name orchids after visiting heads of state. It has violet-red colored petals and was described to be a “compact, robust and vigorous hybrid.”
Duterte personally saw the orchid named after him during a visit to Singapore’s National Orchid Garden.
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Aside from Duterte, former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was also honored with an orchid renamed by the Singaporean government during her visit in 2001. She personally picked the red orchid “Rattanakosin” with scientific name Arachnis ishbel and was renamed Aranthera Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The Singaporean government names orchids after visiting heads to honor them. They previously named orchids after United States President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. — Rosette Adel