“Unity in Action: Achieving success together”

The year 2023 commemorates the 25th year since the Philippine Eagle Week was promulgated via Presidential Decree No. 615; this week rekindles our commitment to protect and conserve a national treasure, a Filipino nation’s gift to humankind, the Great Philippine eagle. Brought about by the unrelenting destruction of its habitat, it struggles to survive and calls out to every Filipino to stop illegal hunting and the destruction of the remaining vestiges of its forest habitats. Twenty-five years later, we find ourselves still marveling at a creature as amazing and symbolic of what a fierce and loyal protector stands for. Embodying a national symbol such as the Philippine eagle signifies strength, obstinacy and greatness.

As an apex predator, the proud and mighty Philippine eagle continues to soar amidst the threats it is facing that are caused by humans- loss of habitats and indiscriminate hunting are major causes of its destruction. Equally important is the identity of the eagle as an umbrella species, for its commanding presence in the forests tells us that our forests are self-sustaining and rich in biodiversity. Discovering wild Philippine eagle populations in the past years offer opportunities for preserving the remaining forest habitats using the iconic national bird also as the flagship species. Truly a source of pride and distinction for the community and its people.

Together, we stand as strong individuals determined to work together, for our success is also the Philippine eagle’s success. There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we strive and work together. When we conserve and protect their forest habitats, we conserve future generations of Philippine eagles and their territories to allow new generations to thrive and co-exist with other threatened wildlife. The habitats conserved locally and protected by communities significantly contribute to environmental stability and security of human well-being, in the looming threats of climate change.
As the Philippine eagle struggles, so do we, but this will get easy when we unite and set aside our differences. Our alliances have forged stronger ties among partners in protecting the species and when we divide these tasks, we multiply our victories. The continuing conservation efforts to ensure their viability and to further propagate the species is our utmost concern. By conserving our national patrimony and strengthening our advocacies, we are able to improve and harmonize conservation efforts to put forward strategies and to curb the direct and indirect threats to Philippine eagle populations with relevant conservation actions concerning law enforcement, management of captive and wild populations, research and conservation education.

One person’s struggle is also our struggle and when one triumphs, we too find ourselves in similar situations. Whether each of us plays a small or a big role, when we work together, we achieve our objectives and reap the benefits of our partnerships. We press on to achieve more successes in attaining our objectives, which is to save the Philippine eagle from the brink of extinction.

Needless to say, our partnerships with local communities, NGOs, and academe remain deeply rooted. Focusing our efforts on the other side of the spectrum, we now call on our citizens, our compatriots to embark on this journey with us. As the saying goes, “we don’t win until everybody crosses the line” and the line is not far from sight. We urge the citizenry to be one with us, to face head on to further our commitment in ensuring that our national bird will be around for years to come. We enjoin each one of you to become part of our crusade, to heed the call and work towards the conservation and protection of one of the country’s greatest living heritage, the majestic yet critically endangered Philippine eagle.