Meeting the Amazing Philippine Eagles in Person

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Avatar for Momentswithmatti
2 years ago

In the year 2015, news about the death of a Philippine Eagle named Pamana circulated around the Philippines. Pamana is a Filipino word for legacy. She was three years old, released into the wild in honor of the Philippine Independence day but just a few weeks after, her tracker showed mortality mode, thus causing them to search for the eagle. Then she was found with a bullet hole in her chest, causing her death.

Philippine Monkey-Eating Eagle is the Philippines' national bird and is declared critically endangered. They are only endemic to the country and only around 400 pairs are left in the wild. The low number of eagles is alarming and if the government won't do anything about it, there's a high probability that the future generation won't be able to see these magnificent birds.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation aims to preserve and save our national living treasures for the Filipino and the entire world. Our future generation deserves to see these birds and be awed by just merely their presence. Thus, it was also my personal goal to see them up close and personal. The Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City is the best place to go.

So, when I booked a ticket to Davao City, visiting the Philippine Eagle Center was my top priority. And so, it was the very first place that we came to during our first day in Davao City.

Introducing the Mightly Philippine Eagle

Fierce eyes, attentive behaviors, and pretty feathers, are just some of the things that I could describe as our Philippine Eagle. I could only read them in textbooks back in my school days.

Our national bird is also our national heritage, one good reason why we as Filipinos have the responsibility of caring for and protecting this territorial bird.

Previously called Philippine Monkey Eating Eagle, obviously, the reason why called such is its behavior of eating flying lemurs and monkeys in the wild. A mature Eagle can grow to three feet with a wingspan of around seven feet, this is twice bigger as its body and is the broadest in the entire world. It has a distinctly extensive arched beak and long crown feathers which make it beautiful. Additionally, it is the only blue-eyed bird in the world, with eyes that can see eight times the distance as that of humans. Isn't it beautiful? I find it very rare thus giving us more reason to be a help in preserving its species as well as conserving forests as one Eagle requires around seven thousand hectares of full-grown low land forest.

Each Eagle is loyal to only one mate, a pair can only produce one egg in two years, and the pair has to wait for another two years when the offspring is already ready on its own to live before they could produce another one.

Preserving the Philippine Eagle for the Future Generation

The Philippine Eagle as how it is mostly called is very vulnerable to human misconduct, poaching, and hunting but most especially, the destruction of forests and mountains too which is also caused by human beings.

The Eagles have the tendency to fly to open space for food, with a great tendency of exposure to humans, just like Pamana, hunters use air guns to kill them for reasons that we don't know. It is heartbreaking to know that there are people who consider this fun, it is definitely not and PEF or the Philippine Eagle Foundation has been doing their best to inform and educate the people around the localities as well as hire guards to the forests around where these Eagles mostly are seen.

The preservation of Philippine Eagles can't be done by one group alone, it has to be a collective effort thus, the adoption of these Eagles came in hand.

By adopting one, the adoptive person or company advances the research, rescue, education, and other action efforts to save and protect the Philippine Eagles. An estimated amount of Php 150,000 is being provided by the adoptor to the Philippine Eagle Center in order to take care of the specific Eagle. Each adoptor can also choose the name of the Eagle.

MVP Eagle adopted by PLDT 

The adoption wall

One of the many personalities who adopted an Eagle is Lance Gokongwei, the president and chief executive officer of Cebu Pacific, one of the airlines in the country. He named the EagleMindanao from one of the three island groups in the Philippines. Here's his statement during the adoption:

“The Philippine eagle is a significant part of our country’s thriving ecosystem. We encourage everyone to help preserve this national icon until they can fly freely, without threat in their natural habitats."

I do hope that there will be more companies who'd extend help and effort in adopting the Eagles of PEC. Aside from adoption, the center is also raising funds in order to create an additional aviary and bigger cages for those mature ones most especially for breeding.

With the experience of seeing the great Philippine Eagle, it awakens the patriotism both within me and my husband to help and promote the preservation and conservation of the Philippine Eagle, they are not just another endangered animal to keep but they signify the traits of the Filipino people, its beauty, bravery and freedom expressed in its features and distinct behaviors.

Please do help in spreading information to keep our national treasure available for generations to come.

Learn more about how to adopt and donate to the Philippine Eagles: Philippine Eagles Foundation

If you want to visit the Philippine Eagle Center, check this blog: Philippine Eagle Center Tour

Thanks for reading! Check out my previous articles here:

xoxo,

momentswithmatti

Mother | Boholana | Cebu | Philippines | Travel | Photography Enthusiast | Calligraphy | Art | Crypto Noob

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2 years ago

Comments

Wow. Aside from your talent in writing, you also have a blatant skill in photography. Or wait, was it you who took those photos? They are gorgeous. It's good for you to meet the Philippine Eagle face-to-face even if you're not from here, while, I haven't even seen it my entire despite of being here in Davao in my whole life. Haha. Anyway. I'm hoping that those fierce and beautiful birds won't go extinct. I also hope that people will be knowledgeable enough in order to remove their ignorance and stop them from killing it.

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2 years ago

I really like the feathers on her head, it makes her look interesting, pretty. what a nice ride.

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2 years ago

i sure do too! thanks for checking this article!

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2 years ago

Oh , how i love the 7th photo from above.He seems really attentive and telling you his ready for the shot. Amazing how they practiced monogamy and family planning, hahaha! kidding aside now ko lang nalaman na every two years lang sila naglelay ng egg making sure the new one are capable of taking care of themselves muna, galing! And how they prefer loyal to one mate. I like the smile of the chinita woman too. ☺️

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2 years ago

love the 7th photo from above.He seems really attentive and telling you his ready for the shot. Amazing how they practiced monogamy and family planning, hahaha! kidding aside now ko lang nalaman na every t

it's like applicable din sa tao no? oh how much we can learn from nature and animals! hahaha

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2 years ago

How I wish maka visit din ako dyan ate to witness the beauty of the Philippine Eagles. 😍

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2 years ago

i hope you can sis.. in the near future!

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2 years ago

Gusto ko makakita ng ganyan ma'am jean. Kailan ako makikita ng ganyan na totoo maam jean. Parang sa photos lang ako nakakita ng ganyan.

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2 years ago

if gusto pwedeng pwede talaga sis.. for sure support si hubby mo nyan sis!

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2 years ago

Bet ko ding makita nyan ate in person pero masyadong malayo po yung Davao. Maybe soon.

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2 years ago

soon sis.. just set your goal ..mabibisita mo din yan sila..

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2 years ago

Ang gandang experience yan sis. Lalo na ng mga bata

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2 years ago

salamat sis... i guess wala ata kaming kasamang bata hehe

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2 years ago

Haha nindot ma experience sa mga bata sis

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2 years ago