There’s hope for the country’s threatened birds

(Last of 4 parts)

Despite the threats and problems being faced by the wildlife sector, the book of Lawrence Heaney and Jacinto Regalado Jr. still gave hope for our birds and other wildlife resources.

“The future of biological diversity and human society are tightly intertwined in the Philippines. Massive extinction and economic instability and decline are both almost certain outcomes without the rain forests that provide habitat for a stunning array of plants and animals. These forests provide clean water and protection from floods, drought and erosion. Given the tiny amounts of forest that remain in most places in the nation, it is clear that the moment of crisis and decision is now upon us.”

It warned: “The greatest treasure of the Philippine rain forest, the one most worthy of protecting and guarding jealously, is the forest itself. There is still time to assure a prosperous future for most of the people of the Philippines and most of the remarkable fauna that is their natural heritage, and to prevent irreparable environmental damage — but there is not much time, and it is slipping away.”

Heaney is associate curator and head of the Division of Mammals at the Field Museum at the University of Chicago. He has conducted field research and training programs in the Philippines since 1981, and published papers on the biological diversity and conservation of the Philippine fauna.

Regalado is research associate in the Department of Botany at the Field Museum and in the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois in Chicago. 

Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau assistant director Nelson Devanadera added there are efforts to address the alarming scenario for our wildlife, especially the birds. “There are creations of both government-organized and non-government groups that give information on bird species.”

He cited the creation of the Philippine Raptors Conservation Program to raise awareness, conserve and protect the species through information campaigns.

There are Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) administrative orders (97-723 and 2000-366) that created 11 Regional Eagle Watch Teams in identified Philippine Eagle habitats.

Even with the alarming state of the Philippine birds, the DENR still expressed optimism that the number of new discoveries of wildlife species in the country could further increase.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said, “Conservation International noted the ‘Philippines has among the highest rates of discovery in the world with 16 new species of mammals discovered in the last 10 years.’” Conservation International is a non-government organization working at conserving the earth’s living heritage and global biodiversity. It provides scientific support that links human welfare with biodiversity conservation.

“Because our old growth and primary forests have shrunk, the species that inhabit them have become concentrated in more compact biogeographic pockets and corridors — key protected areas — increasing the prospects for their discovery. Although we have embarked on the large-scale restoration of our forest cover, using mostly indigenous species of trees, the new forests may take some time to grow to maturity and be accepted by these species as new habitats,” Paje stressed.

He said the “new discoveries of endemic species should provide strong impetus to accelerate biodiversity conservation efforts in the face of multiple threats such as illegal logging, illegal trading in wildlife, the introduction of exotic invasive species, and climate change.”

As PAWB noted, “The rate and wealth of endemic species discovery in the Philippines brings possibilities of discovering more in the wild. This is both exciting and challenging for conservationists and the Philippines as a whole. According to the IUCN or International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Philippines continues to face biodiversity crisis unparalled in magnitude. But while the country demonstrates serious problems in wildlife conservation, it also offers some of the most positive solutions.”