Expedition in Gigaquit part of push to declare area as Critical Philippine Eagle Habitat
- Philippine Eagle Foundation
- Jun 14, 2024
- 1 min read
by Tristan Senarillos
In August 2020, the Philippine Eagle named "Balikatan" was rescued from the forested areas of Gigaquit, Surigao Del Norte, in the northern portions of the Mt. Hilong-hilong Key Biodiversity Area. Since then, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Tubod and the Local Government Unit (LGU) Gigaquit have worked together to: Regularly patrol the area to monitor the Philippine eagles, conduct community outreach campaigns to raise awareness about the plight of our national bird and its forest habitats. The presence of both adult and immature Philippine eagles have been successfully documented.
From June 2-9, 2024, we joined the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Tubod and Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO) Surigao City in their Biodiversity Assessment and Philippine Eagle Monitoring Activity. With the support of the Local Government Unit (LGU) Gigaquit and its Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), and their deputized forest guards - the Bantay Banwa, we gathered data that will support the declaration of the site as a Critical Habitat for Philippine Eagles and other threatened wildlife. This designation will help ensure the long-term protection of this important nesting site.
