DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, PARTICIPANTS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, COLLEAGUES IN CONSERVATION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FRIENDS, GOOD AFTERNOON.

TODAY, ON THE OCCASION ON THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE WEEK, WE GATHER TO UNVEIL THE TAXIDERMIED REMAINS OF GEOTHERMICA, ONE OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLES LOANED TO WILDLIFE RESERVES SINGAPORE OR THE MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP. THIS UNVEILING IS A SYMBOLIC ACT TO CELEBRATE A LEGACY AND COMMEMORATE AN EAGLE’S LIFE THAT HAS LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR HEARTS. THIS EVENT ALSO SERVES TO RECOGNIZE THE BIODIVERSITY THAT THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE REPRESENTS, EACH SPECIES PLAYING A UNIQUE ROLE IN THE INTRICATE TAPESTRY OF LIFE. YET, THIS PRECIOUS BIODIVERSITY IS UNDER THREAT AS NEVER BEFORE, MUCH LIKE OUR NATIONAL BIRD. HUMAN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS HABITAT LOSS, POLLUTION, ILLEGAL HUNTING AND CLIMATE CHANGE ARE DRIVING OUR SPECIES AT RISK OF EXTINCTION, POSING NEGATIVE IMPACT TO ECOSYSTEMS AND JEOPARDIZING OUR VERY FOUNDATION. BUT AMIDST THESE CHALLENGES, THERE IS HOPE.

THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS THE CROWN JEWEL OF OUR BIODIVERSITY. A TRUE ICON OF RESILIENCE AND STRENGTH SYMBOLIZING HOPE DESPITE THE CHALLENGES IT HAS FACED THROUGHOUT HISTORY WITH ITS FOREST HABITAT DECIMATED DOWN TO TWENTY PERCENT (20%). ITS EXISTENCE SERVES AS A BEACON OF INSPIRATION AND A TESTAMENT OF OUR PERSEVERANCE TO PROTECT AN ICONIC AND KEY STONE SPECIES IN WHICH ITS PRESENCE MEANS THE PRESENCE OF A VIABLE FOREST HABITAT FOR ALL OF US, PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE ALIKE.

FOR A FOREST DEPENDENT SPECIES, THE SURVIVAL AND PERPETUATION OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS INTRINSICALLY LINKED TO THE EXTENT OF FORESTS ECOSYSTEM AVAILABLE THROUGH OUT ITS NATURAL RANGE IN LUZON, SAMAR, LEYTE AND MINDANAO. OUR DIRECTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF THE SPECIES IS THUS CLEAR AND THAT IS TO PLACE UNDER PROTECTION THE REMAINING EAGLE FOREST HABITATS, EXPAND FORESTS AND CREATE WILDLIFE CORRIDORS TO REGAIN HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.

AS THE AGENCY ENTRUSTED TO LEAD THIS ENDEAVOUR, THE DENR IS GRATEFUL TO ALL CONSERVATION PARTNERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THE DEPARTMENT’S PROGRAM ON THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS WHICH NOW COVERS THE REMAINING MAJOR FOREST HABITATS OF OUR NATIONAL BIRD. THESE INCLUDES THE NORTHERN SIERRA MADRE NATURAL PARK, AURORA MEMORIAL NATIONAL PARK, SAMAR ISLAND NATURAL PARK, MT. APO NATURAL PARK, MT. HAMIGUITAN RANGE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, MT. KITANGLAD NATURAL PARK, AND PASONANCA NATURAL PARK, TO NAME SOME. IN ADDITION, THE DENR SEEKS TO RECOGNIZE AND REINFORCE OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA-BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES (OR OECM) AS A WHOLE OF SOCIETY APPROACH FOR ACCELERATED EXPANSION OF CONSERVATION AREAS. THESE INVOLVE VARIOUS MODALITIES ON ECOSYSTEM GOVERNANCE SUCH AS CRITICAL HABITATS UNDER THE WILDLIFE ACT, LOCAL CONSERVATION AREAS BY THE LGUS, INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AREAS OR ICCA, AND OTHER MANAGED ECOSYSTEMS BY PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO BIODIVERSITY. MILESTONES HAS ALREADY BEEN ACHIEVED ON OECM THAT SUBSUMED HABITATS FOR PHILIPPINE EAGLE. WHILE THE EXPANSION OF FOREST HABITATS IS A LONG TERM VISION, WE ARE EMBRACING THE TARGETS SET UNDER THE KUNMING-MONTREAL GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK (KMGBF) OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY WHICH OUTLINES GLOBAL COMMITMENTS TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION. THIS INCLUDES TRANSFORMATIVE INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE ’30X30 TARGET,’ AIMING TO CONSERVE THIRTY PERCENT (30%) OF THE EARTH’S LAND AND WATER AS WELL AS RESTORATION OF THIRTY PERCENT (30%) OF DEGRADED ECOSYSTEMS BY 2030. WHILE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRANSLATING THESE TARGETS INTO THE PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN, THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE BEING AN UMBRELLA SPECIES CAN SERVE AS A RALLYING POINT TO PRIORITIZE AREAS THAT WOULD BENEFIT WILDLIFE SPECIES IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS PROTECT AND EXPAND FOREST ECOSYSTEMS.

FURTHER, GIVEN THE LOW POPULATION OF OUR PHILIPPINE EAGLE ESTIMATED AT THREE HUNDRED NINETYTWO (392) PAIRS, EVERY INDIVIDUAL COUNTS. THUS, PREVENTING ILLEGAL HUNTING AND RESCUE OF CAPTIVE EAGLE ARE CRITICAL INTERVENTIONS. COLLECTIVE EFFORTS IN ALL FRONTS, FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, PRIVATE SECTOR, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS A MUST TO CURB ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES TAKEN AGAINST OUR NATIONAL BIRD, INCLUDING IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO EFFECT POSITIVE SOCIETY BEHAVIOR TOWARDS OUR WILDLIFE AS WELL AS ADDRESS OTHER SOCIO-ECONOMIC CAUSES OF WILDLIFE PERSECUTION.

THE DENR, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, PRIVATE AND BUSINESS SECTOR, OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND DONOR PARTNERS, IS UNWAVERING IN ITS COMMITMENT TO CONSERVE THIS ICONIC SPECIES. AS PART OF THIS DEDICATION, WE HAVE ALLOCATED AN AUGMENTATION FUND FOR 2024 TO UPSCALE CONSERVATION EFFORTS FOR PRIORITY THREATENED SPECIES, INCLUDING THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE.

IN OUR EFFORTS TO ENGAGE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN THE CONSERVATION OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE, THE FATE OF GEOTHERMICA (GEO), A 20-YEAR-OLD MALE PHILIPPINE EAGLE IS NOT IN VAIN. STEMMING FROM A WILDLIFE DIPLOMACY WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE, GEOTERMICA HAS FACILITATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR POSSIBLE EAGLE RELEASES, PROVIDED CAPABILITY BUILDING THROUGH STAFF EXCHANGES IN MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH, AND PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR IN-COUNTRY CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION, BEING THE DENR’S PRIMARY NGO PARTNER DEDICATED TO EAGLE CONSERVATION.

AS WE UNVEIL GEO’S TAXIDERMY, LET IT REMIND US OF THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE’S SAGA AND ITS CONTINUED SURVIVAL AGAINST THE FORCES IT CONFRONTS. MAY GEO’S UNVEILING INSPIRE US ALL TO CARRY FORWARD OUR PASSION AND COMMITMENT TO SAVE THESE PRECIOUS BIRDS AND THEIR HABITATS. THIS UNVEILING STANDS AS A CALL TO ACTION, URGING US TO PURSUE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THESE BIRDS AND OUR COMMUNITIES. WHETHER BY PROTECTING WILDLIFE HABITATS, REDUCING OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT, SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, OR ADVOCATING FOR STRONGER CONSERVATION POLICIES, WE CAN ALL CONTRIBUTE TO PRESERVING OUR NATIONAL BIRD AND BIODIVERSITY.

LET US REMEMBER THAT WE ARE NOT JUST CONSERVING SPECIES, WE ARE SAFEGUARDING OUR VERY OWN LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. WITH OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS, WE CAN BUILD A LEGACY OF BIODIVERSITY, ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

AS WE JOIN THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IN THE OBSERVANCE OF THE PHILIPPINE WEEK, I COMMEND EACH AND EVERYONE’S DEDICATION TO THIS VITAL CAUSE.

THANK YOU AND HAPPY PHILIPPINE EAGLE WEEK TO ONE AND ALL.