Government, international groups act to prevent extinction of endangered species

The Philippine government and its instrumentalities, with help coming from international organizations, have been exerting serious efforts to preserve the country’s fauna and prevent the extinction of a number of endangered animal species.

At the forefront of these efforts is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which oversees several conservation programs in cooperation with local and international organizations.

As reported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the country has 1,084 species of terrestial vertebrates of which 45 percent are endemic. Of these, 86 species of birds are under various forms of threat, 45 species are either extinct or endangered and 40 of these are endemic, making the Philippines number one in terms of the number of threatened endemic species of birds.

The most threatened endemic mammal in the country is the tamaraw, while the most endemic threatened bird is the Philippine Eagle. It is estimated that both have a population of less than 200. Both are also in captive breeding for research study.

Threatened animals are endemic or native animals which are presumed extinct, endangered or vulnerable. They are in danger of extinction if (1) their number has been reduced to critical levels (2) their habitat has been reduced critically , or (3) they have not been sighted in the forest for the period critical to its life cycle.

Species decline because of habitat change. When a forested areas is reduced the animal population is broken into small groups and occupies only the remaining portion of the habitat. Thus, they become more vulnerable to predators and competition with other species, natural disasters and hunting activities.

Their decline is also caused by conversion of forest areas to grazing, and agriculture. Another reason is lack of baseline information about them, resulting in inadequate understanding and effective action towards their conservation. They become rare maybe because of the evolutionary processes or long-term environmental change, where extinction is a natural process.

Among the international organizations which the Philippines is a member of are the Conservation of the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Bonn Convention whose concerns are on the conservation and protection of migratory species, and Birdlife International, formerly the International Council for Bird Preservation.

The Philippine government has also undertaken the following initiatives: Sagip Wildlife program developed through concerted efforts of DENR, other government agencies and non-government sectors; and establishment of the Center for Philippine Raptors and the Philippine Raptors Conservation program of the DENR-Parks and Wildlife Bureau whose function is to serve as a rescue and rehabilitation center. for raptorial birds.

In terms of legislation, there is Republic Act 9147 approved on July 30,2001, also known as "Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act," which declares that it is a general policy of the state to conserve the country’s wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainability.