Our friends from Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation paid us a visit at the Philippine Eagle Center yesterday February 2, 2009 and together we launched PROJECT: KALUMBATA Education and Advocacy for the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle in Mt. Kitanglad, Bukidnon.
The project is our response to the unfortunate killing of Philippine Eagle Kagsabua about a month after it was released to Mt. Kitanglad. The male eagle’s death in the hands of a native hunter is a sad reminder that in spite of the community’s best intentions, there is still a need to intensify education and awareness on the value of our national bird among Mt. Kitanglad residents. Certainly, deeper and wide-scale information and education campaigns that reach grassroot communities must be implemented soon, in preparation for future releases, including that of Kalabugao who is slated to be released in 2009. Kagsabua’s release formed part of a series of experimental releases that seeks to test methods for Philippine Eagle translocations while at the same time learn more about how birds behave and survive in the wild. The release was well-publicized locally and nationally. Despite all efforts, local ignorance has not spared Kagsabua.
Hence, the Philippine Eagle Foundation partnered with Shell to ensure wildlife protection and conservation among communities, educators and the youth, in launching Project Kalumbata. The project has four components - educating the youth, educating the communities, ensuring social responsibility and sustaining balance and enforcement of the Wildlife Act - and will be implemented in 28 upland schools and communities around Mt. Kitanglad. It will run from February to August 2009. Apart from financial support, Shell has committed to encouraging volunteerism from their staff and dealers and partners in the implementation of the project.