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Sarihay in Focus: “PH Birds Caught Between Discovery, Extinction” by Monch Mikko E. Misagal

Posted on May 7, 2015

(Fourth in an eleven-part series.)

The Philippines, one of the 17 “megadiverse” countries of the world, is in an interesting and alarming position, according to an article written by Monch Mikko E. Misagal and published by the Manila Bulletin on August 27, 2014.

The Philippines is blessed to have a diversity of birds — among the highest in the world, local environmental officials say with pride. But the country is unfortunate, too, to be touted by these same scientists as a “biodiversity hotspot” because of threats of extinction to a high number of species amid the discovery of new ones.

So begins the piece entitled, “PH birds caught between discovery, extinction”, which earned Best Feature Story honors from FPE’s first Sarihay Media Awards.

A yellowish white-eye, an endemic bird species of the Philippines. (Godfrey C. Jakosalem, via Manila Bulletin.)

According to the piece, the number of recorded and identified bird species in the country has significantly increased from 572 in 2000 to 604 as of 2012. The article quotes Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim as attributing the notable increase in identified species numbers to continuing research efforts on bird species in the country. Lim, however, also qualified that data confirms declining population numbers among Philippine birds.

Citing a Haribon Foundation publication (The State of Philippine Birds), the article pointed out that among the various bird species in the Philippines, 17 are critically endangered, 14 are endangered, and 53 are vulnerable. That there is a significant number of threatened species speaks volumes about the overall health of Philippine ecosystems.

“Birds serve as a good indicator of our forests’ state, and help in expanding them,” said Lim, highlighting the critical ecological role of birds.

Habitat loss due to unsustainable natural resource extraction was mentioned as the primary cause for the alarming state of bird decline. Massive deforestation has displaced many species, leading to their eventual demise.

“Many of these species, such as eagles, hornbills, and woodpeckers, depend on trees for food, or on nesting sites. They don’t just nest on any trees, and they can live only under specific types of trees,” [Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. Field Operations Director Lisa Paguntalan] said. A pair of Philippine eagles, she added, require around 7,000 hectares of forest land to survive.

“Mining and energy production, residential, commercial and industrial development, agriculture, hunting, and ecosystem modification” were also cited as major threats to the survival of birds in the wild.

Despite the otherwise bleak outlook for Philippine bird species, however, the article pointed out that efforts are being pursued in order to curb the massive decline.

DENR-BMB, for one, leverages on the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) law or Republic Act 7586 (1992) to establish important, government-protected bird and biodiversity areas. The government also has Republic Act 9147, or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act”, which severely penalizes persons engaging in killing endangered wildlife species.

Furthermore, the article acknowledged the importance of indigenous peoples as de facto guardians and safe-keepers of the country’s rich natural wildlife and resources. The Foundation for the Philippine Environment likewise supports and promotes the proactive involvement of indigenous peoples and their communities in the preservation of wildlife and plant species in their natural setting towards the pursuit of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development goals.

The article concludes with a statement from the DENR-BMB director, emphasizing that every Filipino has a stake in the protection and conservation of Philippine bird species.

“We are a high-biodiversity country, that some of our unique bird species have been part of our natural heritage. If they disappear, part of us will actually disappear along with them,” Lim said.

The full article is accessible through this link.

(Article thumbnail courtesy of Klaus Nigge and Haribon Foundation, via Manila Bulletin.)

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The Sarihay Media Awards was launched last February 2014 in recognition of the important role of the media in promoting awareness and better understanding of environmental and sustainable development issues among policymakers, decision makers, and the public. The campaign served as both acknowledgement and reward to those who deliver outstanding and responsible reportage of environmental news. The term "Sarihay" comes from the Filipino phrase, "Samu't Saring Buhay", which aptly describes biodiversity.