ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CONSERVATION, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

PHILIPPINE EAGLE WEEK, Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City, June 6, 2005

MAGANDANG GABI …. BAYAN!!!

ISANG MALAKING KARANGALAN PARA SA AKIN ANG MAIMBITAHAN AT PASINAYAAN ANG GANITONG OKASYON NA NAGLALAYONG ITAGUYOD ANG PAGPAPARAMI AT PAG-AALAGA SA ATING PAMBANSANG IBON – ANG PHILIPPINE EAGLE (PITHECOPHAGA JEFFERYI).

I HUMBLY GRACE THIS OCCASION FOR TWO REASONS: FIRST, TO FURTHER SHOW MY CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE PROTECTION AND PROPAGATION OF OUR PHILIPPINE EAGLE SPEARHEADED BY THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION.

SECOND, TO ENCOURAGE AND ENJOIN EVERYBODY PRESENT HERE TODAY TO LIFT A HELPING HAND AND MAKE THIS NOBLE CRUSADE A SUCCESS. THIS INVITATION IS REGARDLESS OF YOUR IDEOLOGY, SOCIAL STATUS, OR WHETHER YOU ARE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR FROM THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR, AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE AN ENVIRONMENTALIST OR A NATURE LOVER.

PERSONALLY, UPON RECEIPT OF THE INVITATION FROM THE FOUNDATION, I STILL HAVE TO THINK TWICE IF I HAVE TO ACCEPT IT, NOT BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN FLORA AND FAUNA BUT MERELY BECAUSE OF THE SAD PAST I HAVE HAD WITH “KABAYAN” – THE EAGLE NAMED AFTER ME. ON SECOND THOUGHT, HOW CAN I DECLINE SUCH AN INVITATION? CARING AND SPONSORING “KABAYAN” HAS BECOME A PART OF MY LIFE UNTIL IT ACCIDENTALLY PERISHED. KAYA NAMAN NANG MABALITAAN KO ANG MAPAIT NA SINAPIT NITO AY NADUROG AT NAHABAG ANG AKING PUSO.

SA KABILA NG PANGAYAYARING ITO, IPINAPANGAKO KO ANG TULOY-TULOY AT WALANG PUKNAT NA PAGSUPORTA KO SA MGA ADHIKAIN AT PROGRAMA NG PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION. NAWA’Y MARAMI PANG MGA PILANTROPONG TUMULONG SA INYONG MAGITING NA LAYUNIN.

TO GIVE A BRIEF BACKGROUND TO WOULD-BE MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE FOUNDATION AND ALSO TO FURTHER GIVE YOU ENCOURAGEMENT TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF OUR PHILIPPINE EAGLE, I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS I STARTED TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION.

MAMAMANGHA KAYO SA MGA DATOS NA AKING IPAPAHAYAG NA SIYA RING NAGUDYOK SA AKIN UPANG BUONG KATAPATAN NA TUMULONG SA KAPAKANAN NG ATING AGILA.

THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS ONE OF THE TWO LARGEST EAGLES IN THE WORLD AND IT HAS BEEN LISTED AS ONE OF THE RAREST BIRD IN THE WORLD AS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK "THE FIFTY RAREST BIRDS OF THE WORLD". ITS POPULATION IS NOW REMARKABLY DWINDLING DUE TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR RAINFORESTS WHICH SERVE AS THEIR HABITAT. WITH AN ESTIMATED POPULATION TODAY OF ONLY 100 TO 300, THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS NOW IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION. GUSTO NYO BA NA MAGLAHO ITO TULAD RIN NG IBANG MGA IBON?

KAMAKAILAN LANG AY NABASA KO SA ISANG REPORT NA ISINAGAWA NG BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL NA HUMIGIT KUMULANG SA 2,000 BIRD SPECIES ANG NGAYO’Y NANGANGANIB NA MAWALA O MALIPOL. THIS FIGURE IS MORE THAN 1/5 OF THE WORLD’S REMAINING 9,775 SPECIES. VERY ALARMING INDEED BUT WHAT IS MORE ALARMING AS CITED IN THE REPORT OF BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL IS THE FACT THAT HABITAT DESTRUCTION AND THE INTRODUCTION OF ALIEN PREDATORS ARE AMONG THE BIGGEST THREATS TO BIRD POPULATION. ITO RIN ANG NANGYAYARI SA ATING MGA KAPALIGIRAN NA TULUYANG NAKAKAPAGPAPABAWAS NG POPULASYON NG ATING PHILIPPINE EAGLE.

BUT WITH THE EFFORTS OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION, IT IS NOT FAR FETCHED TO SEE OUR EAGLES PROTECTED AND EVENTUALLY INCREASE IN NUMBERS. NOTABLE AMONG THE SUCCESSFUL STORIES OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS THE BIRTH OF SEVERAL EAGLETS AND THEIR GROWTH IN CAPTIVITY.

ANG ISA PANG BAGAY NA NAKAPAGPAMANGHA SA AKIN AY ANG KATOTOHANANG ANG PHILIPPINE EAGLE SA NGAYON AY SAGISAG NG BUONG KATAPANGAN NG MGA FILIPINO NA ILIGTAS AT PAGYAMANIN ANG MGA NATITIRANG RAIN FORESTS AT IBANG LIKAS YAMAN NG ATING BANSA PARA SA KAPAKANAN NG MGA SUSUNOD PANG HINERASYON.

TO PARAPHRASE THE FOUNDATION’S MISSION STATEMENT, “I BELIEVE THAT THE FATE OF THE VANISHING PHILIPPINE EAGLE, THE HEALTH OF OUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE QUALITY OF PHILIPPINE LIFE ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED. YOU AND I HAVE THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO PROMOTE THE SURVIVAL OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE, THE BIODIVERSITY IT REPRESENTS, AND THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF OUR FOREST RESOURCES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.”

LET US THEREFORE BE UNITED AND JOIN HANDS IN THIS WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR. MAKIBAKA AT MAKIISA TAYO SA LAHAT NG SEKTOR PARA SA ATING MAGANDANG KAPALIGIRAN AT KINABUKASAN.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO AT MAGANDANG GABI … BAYAN! MABUHAY ANG ATING PINAGMAMALAKING PHILIPPINE EAGLE AT MABUHAY RIN ANG BANSANG PILIPINAS!

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