Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has underscored the importance of building public awareness about the interdependence between the human population and a sustainable environment to ensure the survival of our communities, in his latest call for multisectoral support to help save the endangered Philippine eagle.

Dominguez made this appeal in a speech read for him by Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin​ as he cited the invaluable assistance of a diverse group of individuals and organizations in helping the public appreciate and become aware of the need to protect the Philippine eagle, the country’s national bird that is now threatened with extinction.

The former chairman of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Dominguez said the challenge to raise public awareness about the efforts to conserve the Philippine eagle, which he described as “a national icon,” “is immense” and the resources required to ensure the bird’s survival needs constant replenishment.

The PEF, established in 1987, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to promote, and work for, the survival of the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), which is also known as the monkey-eating eagle and is considered one of the world’s largest and rarest eagles.

According to the PEF, the Philippine Eagle “is the top predator of the Philippine tropical rainforest” and “plays an important role in keeping the ecosystem in balance and provides an umbrella of protection to all other life forms in its territory.”

Dominguez said the effort to save the Philippine eagle is also an effort to conserve the environment by encouraging sustainable practices and developing a culture that helps nurture it.

“In sum, this is ultimately about us; about our capacity to be kind to the natural world; about our empathy for the world we should care for as stewards,”

Dominguez said in his speech that was ​read at the Philippine Eagle Ball of the PEF held at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila.

Dominguez hails from Davao City, the home of the Philippine Eagle Center, which is an 8.4-hectare sanctuary located in the foothills of Mt. Apo. The Center operates as a conservation breeding facility for the Philippine Eagle and other birds of prey.

“The survival of the Philippine eagle will also mean the survival of our communities. We need to build a new awareness of the symbiosis between the human community and a sustainable environment. We need to build a new culture that is more mindful of the natural order and the other species that thrive in that order,” Dominguez said.

Also present at the event were Edgar Chua, who chairs the Makati Business Club ​and is the current chairman of the PEF board of trustees; ​US Ambassador to the Philippines​ Sung Kim; ​Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president of the National Museum of Natural History; and Museum ​Director Jeremy Barns​. ​

In his speech, Dominguez commended the partnership of the Lab of Ornithology of Cornell University with PEF in producing a short film created by six-time Emmy-awarded cinematographer Neil Rettig about the eagle.

Rettig spent several months deep in Mindanao’s tropical forests to document the bird and its habitat and eventually came out with a film that Dominguez said “perfectly captures both the nobility of the eagle and the many challenges to its survival.”

Dominguez also highlighted the contributions made by John Herrera, a Filipino designer based in London, in helping raise global awareness about the Philippine eagle. Herrera was honored with Britain’s Top Designer Award for 2017 when he featured the Philippine eagle in his “Agila” fashion collection in London last year.

“I look forward to receiving more offers of support from concerned groups and individuals. Every small thing counts. There are not very many eagles left, even as the Foundation tries its very best to help the bird reproduce in captivity,” Dominguez said.

Ironically, while the Philippine eagle “symbolizes strength, courage, grace and heritage” as described by Dominguez, its population is now critically endangered mainly because of deforestation and poaching.

“Through the many years I have been associated with the Foundation, I realized that saving the Philippine eagle is a challenge that goes beyond preventing poaching and assisting in the reproduction of the species,” Dominguez said.

Besides safeguarding the eagle’s habitat, the PEF also helps in forest management and the protection of watershed areas, conducts capacity building activities to involve local governments in its conservation efforts, and organizes livelihood projects for indigenous communities.

-oOo-