By Restituto A. Cayubit
Tacloban City – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office Eastern Visayas gathered more data about the Philippine Eagle and held a communication, education and public awareness (CEPA) campaign on the national bird.
Dr. Eugenia N. Bautista, chief of DENR’s regional Conservation and Development Division (CDD), told Manila Bulletin the agency monitored the known nests of the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) in Barangays San Vicente McArthurand Cagbana, Burauen in Leyte.
Bautista said the DENR team that did the monitoring also aims to conduct a survey information and dissemination campaign and public education awareness on the Philippine Eagle.
The Philippine Eagle is a giant forest raptor found only in the Philippines. It is considered one of the largest and most powerful eagles in the world. It is also one of the world’s rarest and among the most critically endangered birds.
Based on studies, the eagle is known to be geographically restricted to the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.
Bautista said that San Vicente and Cagbana provide the nearest access to the habitat of the Philippine Eagle in Leyte. It prefers to build its nest in the mountain range of Cardero, Catul-iran, Kaagohuan and Panlantawan.
The mountain range is one of the two sites in Leyte where there have been sightings of the Philippine Eagle.
The bird has also been seen in Silago Southern Leyte, Bautista said.