What can we do to keep the Philippine eagle flying high?
On June 5, 2024, a new addition came to the halls of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Manila City. It was not a painting nor a sculpture, but a taxidermy mount of a Philippine eagle named Geothermica. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), the Energy Development Corporation, and Boeing Southeast gathered to witness the coming of the memento, which coincides with the celebration of Philippine Eagle Week.
Unlike other forest raptors, Geothermica was a pioneer and an international ambassador. He was one of the two Philippine eagles selected for the first international loan program under the Wildlife Loan Agreement between the Philippines and Singapore. The other one was his female partner, Sambisig. The two were sent to Jurong Bird Park in Singapore in June 2019 for a conservation breeding program. Sadly, in September 2023, Geothermica passed away at age 19 due to a severe lung infection.
“Today, we gathered here for Geothermica's taxidermy, symbolizing the Philippines and Singapore's partnership and commitment to preserving the critically endangered species, such as our Philippine eagle,” Edgar Chua, PEF chairman, said during his speech. “I would very much prefer that we are here to celebrate the release of a Philippine eagle to the wild. But instead, we are here to immortalize Geothermica's story, which is a reminder of our ecosystem's fragility.”
As the National Bird of the country, the Philippine eagle is something we see everywhere. We can see it as an art depicted on canvas and jeepneys and a representation of brands, schools, and government offices. Political leaders chose it to be their emblem. A costume inspired by the bird took home an award at Miss Universe 2019. Even Manila Bulletin’s mascot is a Philippine Eagle. More recently, it appeared as the new character on the 1,000 peso bill. With its brown feathers, shaggy crest, and intense blue-gray eyes, the bird is a sight to behold whether it is perched on a tree branch or soaring in the sky, making it the perfect muse for artists. While there are thousands of Philippine eagle depictions here in Manila, the same cannot be said when it comes to their number in the wild.
According to the DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau, an estimated 392 pairs of Philippine eagles are in the archipelago. This rate put the forest raptor on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s list of critically endangered species. Deforestation and illegal hunting are among the causes of the declining number of Philippine eagles in the wild. But hope is not lost for the beloved bird. Together with the government, the PEF, a non-profit organization, has been on a mission to save the Philippine eagle and its rainforest habitat.
In a conversation with the Manila Bulletin, PEF’s director for operations Dr. Jayson C. Ibañez gives us a glimpse of the conservation breeding programs they do at Philippine Eagle Center in Davao, the role of indigenous people in safeguarding the forests, and what can we do to keep the Philippine eagle flying high.
First off, there are 392 pairs of Philippine eagles in the country. Where are they located?
60 percent are in Mindanao, so more than 200 pairs. There are 120 pairs in Luzon. The rest are in Leyte and Samar. They require 6,800 to 7,000 hectares. They are very hard to find. They prefer remote forests. That's why it is hard for ordinary Filipinos to see them, except the indigenous people.
What is the role PEF’s indigenous partners play in the conservation program?
We have measured, estimatedly, two million hectares of suitable eagle habitats. 80 percent of that are within indigenous ancestral domains. If you want to conserve the eagles, you need to work with the indigenous communities. One, there's a conscious decision not to harm the Philippine eagle. If they found a nest, they help protect it. We train them and help them become forest guards.
We have at least 14 indigenous partners in Mindanao. The nice thing about indigenous people is that they know the forest like the back of their hand. It is their playground, they grew up there. They have this certain attachment to the land. If you harness that sort of moral responsibility to the land, help them become forest guards, and pay them fairly, it becomes a green job and that motivates them further to protect the eagles.
Just imagine, if we support the indigenous people, pay them, and make forest guarding a decent work, they would take care of the forest and species on everyone's behalf. When we are sleeping, we have warm bodies protecting the birds and the forest.
Since 1992, PEF has produced 29 eagles. How many have been released to the wild and survived?
We have produced 29 captive-bred eagles. We only have 17 surviving now in the facility. We released three captive-bred eagles. We released one in 2004. Unfortunately, that bird got electrocuted. We released two eagles between 2005 and 2010. One of the eagles was hunted, the other, we had to take it back because it was starting to hunt domestic animals. We’re worried people might shoot it.
We are not successful in releasing captive-bred birds. But we are very successful in releasing the rescued and rehabilitated birds because they can easily adapt.
In 2009, we released a rescued bird, a female Philippine Eagle named Kalabugao. After seven years, the released bird actually found a pair and laid an egg. We know that it is working. We are giving an eagle a second chance to live and breed in the wild.
Which type of conservation breeding does the foundation find to work best, the Natural Pairing or the Cooperative Artificial Insemination?
They are both useful. They are both standard techniques. In tandem, they can help our efforts. But, I think, the downside of Cooperative Artificial Insemination is that you have to make sure that the eagle being bred using artificial insemination is trained to think as an eagle.
If you do Natural Pairing, when the eaglet hatches, it will see its parents, a male and female eagle. It would imprint on the right species and it would become a proper eagle. If you release them in the wild, you will not have issues with them chasing people because they are wild in nature.
But for Artificial Insemination, you need to make sure that the eaglet, once it hatches, doesn't familiarize itself with people. If you are not careful, eaglets that are hatched using artificial insemination might think that they are human beings. In that sense, Natural Pairing has more edge.
How much does conservation breeding cost?
For a single eagle, you need at least half a million pesos to take care of it every year. We have this Adopt an Eagle program. Our captive-bred birds are up for adoption. If there is an individual corporation willing to adopt one bird, they would pay half a million pesos for its care. That pays for the veterinary, its medicines and vitamins, the salary of the caretaker, the facility and checkups, and the tests needed.
Do we need more laws to ensure the survival of Philippine eagles?
There is a particular law that we are trying to popularize right now or lobby for. It is called the National Bird Act. This is a soon-to-be-proposed law that gives more resources to Philippine Eagle conservation and engagement with the indigenous people.
But, in general, we think that the laws are already there. We have the Wildlife Resources Conservation Protection Act. We have the P.D. No. 705, which is about forestry laws. What we need to improve on is enforcement. I think that is generally true in the Philippines. We have so many laws but we are relatively lacking in terms of law enforcement. Maybe that is something that we should focus on. When people are shooting the eagles, they should be penalized. If there’s an illegal logging, there should be penalties.
Geothermica’s mount and the Philippine Eagle exhibit are on display at the Shell Philippines Centennial Courtyard in the NMNH until June 24, 2024. To know more about PEF’s works and donation programs, visit philippineeaglefoundation.org or @phileaglefn on Instagram.
