Preserving the country’s bountiful resources

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on June 5, is one of the events marked worldwide to increase awareness on the plight of the environment and to promote mass attention and action.

In the Philippines, Haribon Foundation is at the forefront, having had more than three decades of giving environmental issues the platform it deserves.

"Haribon has spearheaded significant efforts to help preserve the country’s bountiful resources," said Anabelle Plantilla, executive director of Haribon. Some of the concrete measures undertaken by Haribon include helping the local governments of Antique and Sablayan to develop forest management plans, reforesting mangrove areas in Masinloc, Zambales, stopping dynamite fishing in Pangasinan and Quezon provinces; stopping logging in Palawan; conducting research for the conservation of endangered species; and the ceaseless efforts to raise awareness about the need to save the environment from further degradation.

Haribon needs all the support it can generate. "We like to believe that Filipinos are not apathetic when it comes to the critical issues affecting the environment. Everything that we’re doing is after all, for our children and the future generation," said Anabelle. She cites that the country’s possession of the largest eagle in the world, heaviest bat in the world, smallest edible fish in the world, among other finds - has put the Philippines on the map of tropical countries with an abundant cache of natural treasures. More than statistics though, the amazing diversity of plants and animals translates to a valuable collection that offers immeasurable benefits to humankind.

To make this important information available to a wider number of people, Haribon opened last May 16 its Biodiversity Information Center.

"Now, Haribon’s wealth of information on Philippine biodiversity is available to researchers, visiting academe, students and anyone with an active sense of curiosity about the unique natural richness of the Philippines," said Anabelle.

The Biodiversity Conservation and Information Center aims to be the main center for biodiversity conservation information in the Philippines. There are further plans to link the BIC to the BICs of Haribon’s partner academic institutions, the four ACEs — Academic Centers of Excellence — De La Salle Dasmariñas, Camarines Sur State Agricultural College, Mindanao State University — Illigan Institute of Technology and Siliman University. Researchers can come to Haribon’s BIC and access information and materials that are available in the ACEs’ BIC’s.

Haribon’s BIC is open to the public from Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haribon members have free use of the facilities. Non-members are asked to give a donation of P50. Student donation is P25.

For inquiries, call the Haribon Biodiversity Hotline 433-3474 or log on to www.haribon.org.ph.