Restoring the Philippine eagle’s habitat

The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), with the help of Ayala-led Globe Telecom, is aiming to raise as much at P750 million through crowdfunding to restore key forest habitats of the endangered Philippine eagle.

At the same time, the ambitious program of the PEF will also help provide employment for the local indigenous communities that will take part and help in monitoring and protecting the restoration of key forest sites in various locations where the Philippine eagle breeds.

In a video briefing by Jayson Ibanez, director for operations at the PEF, he explained that the project is a long-term commitment of the PEF and Globe, as well as other partners, called “Planting for the future.”

The program aims to restore 1,200 hectares of degraded lands close to nine Philippine eagle nesting sites. The eagles, he explained, are very much dependent on forests.

Thus, to save the endangered species, he stressed the importance of ensuring their forest habitat to save the Philippine eagle from extinction.

But aside from saving the eagles, Ibanez also cited the benefit of the project for human society and for biodiversity, adopting a “holistic approach” that targets not only the eagles, but biodiversity as well.

“It’s practically a nature based solution to societal challenges such as climate change and poverty,” he said.

Among the major objectives is to plant three million trees. According to Ibanez, an initial pilot project would be started in Mindanao, and would be gradually scaled up to more nesting sites in other islands where the eagles are found.

The additional benefit of the project,  Ibanez pointed out, is creating a carbon sink, as the forest will be able to sequester carbon dioxide that has been a key factor in the current climate change that the world has been experiencing.

He said, based on “a ballpark estimate number, the 1200 hectares of new forests would sequester the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted by about 3500 cars.”

He pointed out that they are “in the process of developing the system, as well as our capacities, to really measure the actual carbon sequestration and carbon sync that our forest would potentially sequester.”

A sustainability component of the ambitious PEF/Globe project will be a tree adoption program wherein contributors/adopters will give P250 for each tree seedling.

Globe itself, he said, plans to adopt some of the trees.

Based on Ibanez’s computation, with the target of three million trees at P250 each, the program could possibly raise as much as P750 million through crowdfunding, utilizing Globe’s GCash facility.

He added that “this initiative would also generate at least 150 jobs for at least 150 families, and that’s the tangible benefit that our indigenous communities can gain from this project.”

Adding further that “they will provide the manpower for all the steps that are involved in forest restoration, from nursery establishment up to tree maintenance” after undergoing the proper training.

With that in mind, Ibanez said, the project “would maximize carbon sinks, and they’ll be paid fairly and justly for the clear service that they provide. So, apart from getting income, their capacities are also built for professional nursery care and reforestation. And eventually, we think that by earning these skills, they can then provide a steady supply of manpower, not just to future restoration efforts.”

He assured that the program is not like a one time project that after two years, the PEF and other partners would leave.

“Our commitment is to support the community and make sure that conservation really benefits them holistically in the sense that it also addresses the economic needs of the community, as well as their rituals and customs.”

The PEF, Ibanez elaborated is utilizing what they have called “our end to end method, meaning really ensuring that the full cycle of restoration is covered by resources... that there is manpower and people ensuring that these full process is covered. And this process includes, of course, nursery care, site preparation, and then planting.”

He acknowledged that “ this is the aspect of reforestation that’s very popular to a lot of people, but I think is one of the limitations or weaknesses.. .some, if not many reforestation projects, is the maintenance aspect, especially the first year of the life of a seedling planted in the wild.”

“Our promise is that there will be warm bodies, represented by our indigenous peoples who would take care of these trees and ensure that they survive the vulnerable stage of their life.”

He added that “we’ve seen events where you know the goal is to plant as many trees as possible, a million trees in just a few hours. I mean, that’s cute, but I think what is really, really important in restoration projects is making sure that they survive. And then even beyond their vulnerable stage, they get to be treated as trees.”

“Carbon sinks need to be maintained as well, so that’s the premium and the promise of this project,” he added.

Lastly, he cited the innovation they are adopting which will differentiate their project – enhancing transparency and implementing scientific data collection through the indigenous communities and trained youth who will take regular measurements of the tree seedlings, taking down the height of each tree height measurement, the diameter at breast height. These two measurements, he said, can then be used to estimate the carbon content absorbed by the seedlings.

Legal eagle

Former Sen. Rene Saguisag, one of our fierce freedom fighter, has passed away at 84. I met the then Senator during the first Senate under former president Corazon Aquino. The then Senate press corps quickly bonded with him as if he was one of us and not an esteemed member of the Senate.

That was how he was, an ordinary Filipino even if he clearly was not. One you could always talk to and in fact, boogie down with! He loved to dance, along with his wife, lawyer Dulce Saguisag. When she passed away, he was never the same. However, now I’m sure they’re dancing together again.

Another sad goodbye this week was for former Central Bank CORAO staff Delia Barcelon who used to help attend to the CB press corps. She passed away from cancer.