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The Philippine Eagle

Posted on Wednesday, 30 July 2014



The Philippine Eagle
By Apolinario Villalobos

The Philippine Eagle that we know today was actually, known before as “monkey-eating eagle”, a misnomer because, the bird does not only live on monkeys but other creatures of the forest, as well.

The former management of Philippine Airlines has been a big help in boosting the effort of foreign researchers to put to light one of the country’s rarest birds, thereby preventing its relegation into extinction. It took foreign naturalists steely will power to drum up attention to the plight of the to-be-extinct rare bird, before some local agencies were woken up. Foremost of these groups based in the country was the Haribon Society, a birdwatching organization  founded by Alicia Busser in late ‘70s. The name refers to the Philippine Eagle, the “hari ng ibon” (king of the birds), compressed into “haribon”, and their logo, that of the eagle’s face. The members were expatriates living in the Philippines, who took time in visiting forested areas to record different endemic bird species. A Filipino member was Ed Buensuceso, supervisor of PAL Tours and Promotions’ Research and Development Unit.

During the last week of January 1978, Ed Buensuceso told me prepare for a trek up Mt. Apo, but this time, for another purpose. I found out later that it had got to do with the filming of the breeding of the Philippine Eagle by FREE (Film Research of Endangered Environment, Ltd.) on one of the slopes of Mt. Apo. FREE was composed of four adventurous and young Americans, namely, Robert Kennedy, Wolfgang Salb, Neil Rettig and Alan Degen. The project was funded by the National Geographic. A telex about the death of the eaglet which was being monitored prompted Ed to hasten to the site with me to chronicle the event.

As planned, I went ahead to notify the local forestry in Davao of our intention. The following day, Ed and Wolfgang arrived from Manila. We immediately left for the filming site on a jeep that the FREE team rented for the duration of their project. Wolfgang handled the wheel expertly that even the rocky dirt road did not slow him a bit. We swayed to the crazy motion of the seemingly fragile machine which was actually designed for such kind of terrain.

We reached Baracatan after an hour of being juggled inside the jeep. I was dizzy but as soon as we got down several feet from the cabin of Ron Kruppa, I forgot how tired I was.  Ron was a volunteer naturalist who supervised the Parks and Wildlife Division of the Department of Natural Resources’ breeding program for the Philippine Eagle in Baracatan. The agency has been renamed, DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). He was taking care of the Philippine Eagle in captivity. At last, I have seen my first Philippine Eagle, up close!

The eagle’s eyes pierced mine with such hypnotizing effect that right at that moment, I realized why it’s given such respect that it deserve. Its piercing look sent a cold sensation down my spine. The tuft of fine feathers on its crest gave it a regal look. I would say, its beak could make anyone tremble, and its powerful claws add respectability to its appearance. Ron coaxed the bird to his leather-gloved left arm. In the process, it spread its wings much to our delight.

After lingering in the camp for about twenty minutes, we went back to the jeep and traced our way back to the junction that led to Matundo, which we reached at past four in the afternoon. We almost failed to find porters as it was already late. Two kind natives fortunately, gave in to our request. As soon as everything was settled regarding the fee and other conditions, we started our trek to the campsite.

It was not just an ordinary trek as I found out later. Precipitous and narrow trails cut from the rocky face of the mountain made us gasp for air, as we gained altitude. My legs became wobbly as Ed and I made several ascents and descents. Darkness enveloped us in a forest, about three kilometers from the camp. From time to time, we rested during which I found time to massage my aching legs. The long strides of Wolfgang brought him very much ahead of us to the camp.

Finally, after almost an hour of downhill trek and hike over plowed cornfield, we reached the camp, a wooden two-room structure where we found Wolfgang, Alan and Neil having an early evening chat. We joined them and after a shot of rum, I somewhat regained some of my strength.

Early the following morning, Wolfgang, Ed and I went to the “blind” or “Lookout”, a camouflaged platform built on the slope of the ravine among the bushes and ferns. It was so near the nest which was meticulously built on a branch of a big tree. I peeked through the high-powered telescope that brought the nest nearer and just imagined the eaglet that should have been there. The poor eaglet, we were told, was choked by a bone that caused its death. With the eaglet gone, we were hoping that its mother would still visit the nest.

We patiently waited, from time to time listening to bird calls coming from around the area. The wait gave Wolfgang the chance to relate to us how they patiently cleared and blazed trails, with only the hope of finding the nesting eagle, prodding them on.

At high noon, it came. Warning and distress calls of preys filled the ravine. Soon, we saw in just a very short moment the sleek figure of the bird dart by. It soared up, reduced to a mere dot against the blue sky. After that rare moment, I went back to the camp, leaving Ed and Wolfgang in the “blind”.

In the camp I played with “tariktik”, the team’s feathered mascot. It was such a tame hornbill that they let it explore every nook of the house. It was even privileged to scatter its droppings around which the team would patiently scoop up in the morning.

A couple of hours later, Ed and Wolfgang transferred the telescope near the camp. I was told that the eagle came back several times after I left them.

Based on the team’s journal, the first sighting was made on December 6, 1977, but while they were situated in a different location. Robert Kennedy, wrote in the journal, that on such day, he first heard the bird’s call and later on, it appeared with a brown prey, which he presumed to be a flying lemur. Later, it was joined by another that Robert suspected to be the mate. Both glided towards a big tree not far from where he was hidden. He saw that one of the eagles with the prey landed on a large epiphyte fern growing on the last main fork of the tree’s crown. He suspected it to be a nest. After patiently observing one of them, tearing off green sprigs with its bill and flying back to the suspected nest, he finally, concluded that he discovered the nest!

Robert added in the journal that Wolfgang has also observed the ongoing from where he was situated. He located the perch of Wolfgang who let out a Tarzan-like call.  He saw Wolfgang jumping up and down with excitement while pointing at the same branch that he was closely watching.

The December 7 entry of their journal contained information on how they finally confirmed their suspicion about the nest on the huge tree. They made another “blind” very near the nest so that they could make a closer observation. That was the “blind” that Ed and I found. Their binoculars caught a “white object” in the middle of the nest. In just a little while, the female eagle glided down into the nest and positioned herself as if to incubate. So that’s it, they found the nest with the egg!

The egg hatched on December 23, and since the normal incubation period of the egg was reportedly 60 days, the laying was suspected to be on October 24. Based on findings, the eagles usually initiate their breeding activities at the start of the rainy season. Both the male and female took turns in incubating the egg, with the latter, giving its bigger share at about 70% of the effort. The male hunted and brought food to the female but their feeding took place outside the nest. When the egg hatched, the female alone brooded over and fed the chick. The male continued hunting, and that time, brought the food directly to the nest. The recorded food brought to the nest were, monkeys, flying lemurs, flying squirrels, a rufous hornbill and several unidentified animals. The female fed the chick three to seven times a day.

Unfortunately, the eaglet got chocked by a bone, after just merely a month after it was hatched. The heart-breaking incident made the team decide to look for other sites where they could make another documentary on the eagle, hopefully, from their mating to the hatching of their egg. They decided to try the thick forests of Bislig, an industrial town of Surigao.

After so many years, the then, monkey-eating eagle, and now Philippine Eagle has become one of the symbols of the country. The Baracatan Breeding Station at Baracatan, Davao del Sur has flourished with the success of DENR’s breeding-in-captivity program for the rare bird. The station is along the trail that Mt. Apo climbers take if they want to start from the Davao side. The other starting points for the Mt. Apo climb, are Makilala and Kidapawan, both of North Cotabato province.

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Davao: Queen City of Mindanao

Posted on Saturday, 12 July 2014



Davao: Queen City of Mindanao
By Apolinario Villalobos

With a reputation as the biggest city in the world in terms of area, Davao , could mean the city or any of the three provinces, such as Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur. Davao embraces a total land area of 251,444 hectares, bounded on the north by Agusan, and on the west, by Bukidnon and Cotabato.

The original inhabitants of Davao were Mandayas, Mansakas and Manguangans who used to occupy the eastern coast facing the Pacific Ocean; the Manobos, Calagans, Tagacaolos and Bilaans  who lorded over the coast of Davao Gulf; the Bagobos who occupied the central plains and the Aetas who were spread in the vastness of the hinterlands. They are still around but occupy the lands assigned by the government to them in the peripheries of the city.

In 1848, Don Jose Uyanguren was dispatched to Davao to subdue the natives and establish a Spanish settlement. He was met with resistance by Datu Bago but who eventually bowed to the superiority of the invaders. This victory paved the way for the influx of Christianized Filipinos from Luzon and Visayas who settled themselves in Davao.

In December 20, 1899, the American vessel “Brutus” arrived under the command of Major Hunter Ligget which signaled the Americanization of the vast area. In 1903, the first group of Japanese composed of fourteen arrived. Later a bigger group led by K.H. Ohta, an entrepreneur arrived and founded the Ohta Development Company which initiated the exploitation of Davao’s agricultural potential. This was followed by the development of the Furukawa plantation, established by Furukawa Yoshizo and Saburo Akamine’s South Mindanao Company. These developments lured other Japanese entrepreneurs who flocked to Davao which made W.J. Anderson, an American writer to dub Davao as “Little Tokyo” during the time. Eventually, a Japanese embassy was established in Davao in 1920, followed by the establishment of the first Japanese primary school, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and hospitals that employed Filipino doctors. The development was unfortunately cut short with the break out of WWII in 1941.

Today Davao City, the capital of the province is reputed to be the most peaceful in the whole Phlippines, holding the record as the first city to prohibit smoking in public places and using of firecrackers to celebrate New Year’s eve. The frequent traveler will notice that only the flights to Davao have the announcement reminding visitors about the prohibited smoking in public places while in the city. The famous feisty mayor, Rod Duterte is dead serious in maintaining a peaceful and livable city in Mindanao which for long has earned a not-so-good reputation before. His daughter, Inday Duterte, continued this advocacy when she had the chance to hold the reins of the city. Today, Rod Duterte is back at the helms of the city, always with a reminder, even to the smugglers never to muddle the people’s city.

The symbol of Davao, ever since, is durian, an exotic fruit that though, with a pungent smell, tastes like “heaven” and is also considered to be very nutritious. Today, not only does durian stand for Davao, but other exotic fruits, too, such as mangosteen, marang, sweet pomelo, mangoes, lanzones, jackfruit and banana. Yes, banana!...which is among the top exports of Davao. Approaching the airport, one can view from his plane window, thousands of hectares of land planted to this potassium-laden fruit.

For the outdoor sports enthusiasts, Davao could be a haven. It is one of the gateways to Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the country at 10.311 feet above sea level. Mountaineers can trek up the mountain from the Davao side using the Sta. Cruz, trail that passes through the Baracatan Philippine Eagle Breeding Station, where birdwatching can be done, too. Submarine cliffs or drop offs profused with and coral gardens around Samal and Talicud islands  are waiting to be visited by dive enthusiasts.

A crocodile park has added allure to the city, which also prides in many orchid green houses. Prominent among the cross-bred and indigenous varieties of the local orchid growers is the waling-waling or vanda sandariana. The local waling-waling lent its distinct beauty and fragrance in the breeding of other varieties crossed with those from Thailand. This process has made the local variety sturdier that made it stand the warm climate of the region.

A curious landmark in the city is the city cathedral whose architecture is Muslim-inspired. The structure manifests the homogeneity of the Davaoeῆos despite their varied, albeit, rich culture. The cathedral stands at the crossroads of two busy avenues of the city, San Pedro and Claveria Streets, and shares the prominence of its location with the minuscule Rizal Park. A little farther away is Uyanguren the old commercial avenue of the city but still hums with day-long shopping activities. At Chavez St, a few steps away from the shops are lechon stalls where one can taste Davao’s own version of this oriental fare.  On the other side of Uyanguren, at Boulevard, there are stalls that serve grilled tuna, squid, and other deep-sea fish, as well as, coconut wine.  For easy shopping of handicrafts, the harried visitor can drop by the Aldevinco Shopping Center along Claveria St.

One nice thing about Davao is the presence of specialty restaurants even at unexpected corners. These quaint establishments offer regional dishes, as well as those of the Mediterranean and Europe. But the best way to taste the local cuisine is by taking time in dropping by “carenderias” along the highways, as local restaurants are called. For the more courageous, they can try those located inside the city market for the real exotic local dishes. They should try the local sashimi or “kinilaw”, raw fish marinated in vinegar or lime, soy sauce and other local spices that give it a piquant taste.

Samal, so appropriately named today as the Island Garden City of Samal, should never be missed by visitors of Davao. It can be reached by taking a ferry from the Sasa port. A must-visit is the Pearl Farm Resort and the stilt village of Babak. As mentioned earlier, the island drop offs and coral gardens can be explored for an exhilarating dives or snorkeling. The other side of the island faces Talicud where diving can likewise, be done.

The Kadayawan Festival of Davao is being held every third week of August. The name is derived from the word “madayaw”, a Visayan term which means, beautiful, superior, good, admirable, valuable. It also serves as some sort of a reunion of all Lumad communities of the province. They come down to the city and participate in the colorful cultural parade and other activities. Produce of the communities cram the festival venues, and are sold to the visitors at affordable prices. Of late, this festival has earned the city a significant space in the itinerary of local and foreign tourists. Those who are planning to witness the festival are advised to make early bookings for flight and hotel accommodations.

Signs that Davao is striving for the tourists’ attention are the five-star hotels that have proliferated around the city in just a short period of time. It is now considered as the “queen city of the south”, where conventions and seminars are regularly held.  Without question, this reference will stick, thanks to the amiable trait of the Davaoeῆos, and the determination of the mayor, Rod Duterte to maintain its “tranquility”. Add to that the feeling of security once the visitor has deplaned from the last flight that arrived from Manila, late in the night. Despite the distance of the airport to the downtown area, the courteous taxi driver immediately sets the mode of cordiality by giving the visitor a sense of comfort and security. If no prior arrangement has been made with a hotel, the taxi driver patiently drives around to look for an affordable and comfortable bed for the night, without hinting for a tip. I dare say that, because I experienced it myself.

Davao can be reached by taking regular PAL flights and other domestic airlines. Air-conditioned buses from Manila are also available, though, the travel requires crossing of channels on ferries. Another mode of transport is provided by the inter-island ships and roll on-roll off ferries (roros) that also maintain regular schedules.

The Department of Tourism has a field office at the Magsaysay Park where updated information on trips to Baracatan Philippine Eagle Breeding Station and treks up Mt. Apo can be had. They are also ready with information about an unguided tour of the city. The office can help in contacting local mountaineering clubs for their scheduled climbs of Mt. Apo.

The smile of the Davaoeῆos for those who first set foot in Davao silently convey….”maayong pag-abot sa Davao!”