Press Release
February 6, 2009

REVILLA PUSHES PROTECTION OF BIRD SPECIES

Ibon-Ebon Festival, Candaba, Pampanga- Senator Bong Revilla today called on concerned government agencies to launch a nationwide information campaign in every barangay on the protection of all bird species found in the country.

"Very few Filipinos know the amazing number of bird species found in the Philippines and the crucial role of birds in our ecosystem. Educating them will ensure that this wildlife treasure of ours will last forever," said Revilla, as he proposed that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to spearhead the information drive with the coordination of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Tourism (DOT).

This was the statement issued by Revilla during the opening of the 2nd Ibon-Ebon Festival in Candaba, Pampanga where he engaged in the astonishing bird-watching activity in the Candaba swamp, sanctuary of various migratory bird species from October to February.

According to the senator, there should be an extensive public awareness drive to protect both resident and migratory birds in the country as part of the government efforts to protect its wildlife resources.

Based on the report of the non-government organization Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), the Philippine archipelago has an astounding mix of more than 593 species of resident and migratory birds, of which more than 30% (181) of the species are endemic.

The lawmaker stressed the ecological role of birds as plant pollinators just like bees and as spreader of seeds through the fruit seeds that they eat and dispose along with their waste. "Birds are also our natural early indicators of the health of ecosystems. Their disappearance from an area normally signals the deteriorating health of the entire ecosystem," he explained.

Revilla also pointed out the report of WBCP that the list of non-endemic birds seen inside the Philippine natural territory continues to increase each year as more people regularly birdwatch and more foreign tours visit the islands. "Just recently, two new rare fowls were among the migratory birds spotted at the Candaba wetlands.The Black-Faced Spoon Bill, said to have been last spotted in 1914 in Manila Bay and the Pied Avocet which was last spotted in 1991 in Puerto Princesa. These birds are both critically endangered so their sightings brought us hope for their survival," he said.

The lawmaker lauded the efforts of DENR and NGOs, particularly the WBCP, for the protection of the country's wildlife resources. "It would be better if a serious awareness dissemination campaign will be conducted directly in our 41,882 barangays nationwide," he added.

Last year, Revilla pressed for the protection and rehabilitation of mangrove forests nationwide, in a bid to boost job creation in the country through eco-tourism.

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