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Marubeni helps Philippine eagles soar back to the skies



MARUBENI ENERGY SERVICES CORPORATION (MESC), a Japanese conglomerate that operates and maintains the Mindanao 1 Geothermal Partnership in Mt. Apo, has concretized its support for the Philippine Eagle Foundation in a partnership aimed to reintroduce Philippine eagles back to their natural habitat. Named “Back to the Wild,” the project aims to continue research on breeding Philippine eagles in captivity and test how effective current release techniques are for Philippine eagles. Successful in some threatened animals, like the Mauritius Kestrel, Golden Eagles, and Peregrine Falcon, releases as a management intervention is new for Philippine eagles. Test releases are crucial to boost the diminishing eagle population in the wild. Releases also serve as a venue for research on eagle behavior in its natural habitat, and to know the cause in the event that the birds die in the wild. In 2004, MESC was among the companies who made possible the release of Philippine Eagle Kabayan in the forests of Mt. Apo. Kabayan was the first captive-bred Philippine eagle in history released to the wild. The project, however, met an unexpected end when the eagle was found dead because of electrocution. The recent killing of Philippine Eagle Kagsabua, which was released in the foothills of Mt. Kitanglad is also one of the grim realities that have threatened the persistence of our country's national heritage. Though suffering from a drawback in its first experimental release and the untimely death of Kagsabua, the PEF has not changed its objective in seeing these eagles thrive in the wild in the future. The PEF continues to stand with its mission of saving this great species from extinction, thanks to the individuals and corporations like MESC who rally behind the Foundation's goal to augment eagle population in the wild. “Marubeni's support has fueled our efforts in restoring a healthy population of this critically endangered species,” said Dennis Salvador, PEF executive director. He added that MESC has been instrumental in achieving milestones in the public education, research and conservation breeding programs of the Foundation. Aside from eagle reintroduction, MESC has helped the PEF in conducting research on forest fragmentation in 2004. The results of the research served as seed to the Gaynawaan Project, an effort that sought the rehabilitation of the Arakan Valley Conservation Area (AVCA). The project won a grant in the World Bank Development Innovations Marketplace, which resulted to partnerships with upland communities in creating forest corridors, and large forest areas that are more viable and capable of supporting Philippine Eagle populations and other wildlife. Marubeni Philippines Corporation, the implementing company of MESC, started its business operations in the country in 1909. As it celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2009, it continues to stand with the principle that there can be no true development without giving back to the society you are in. “As committed long-term partners, we have together shown that corporate social responsibility really works,” Salvador concluded. ■