From Czech Zoos to Safer Power Lines: DENR and PEF Strengthen International Partnerships to Save the Philippine Eagle

Building on a conservation breeding partnership, the Philippine delegation explores new ways to protect the country’s national bird through science, technology, and international cooperation.

What can the Czech Republic teach the Philippines about saving the Philippine Eagle?

The answer is already taking shape in Davao City, where a young Philippine Eagle named Bayani, meaning “hero,” was successfully bred through artificial insemination with help from Czech conservation experts.

Bayani’s breeding in 2026 was an important achievement for the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) and its Czech partners, particularly Liberec Zoo. It demonstrated how sharing scientific knowledge and improving breeding techniques can help save one of the world’s most endangered birds.

Building on this partnership, a joint delegation led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with PEF representatives travelled across the Czech Republic in October 2026 to explore new opportunities for wildlife conservation.

The delegation included DENR Undersecretary Atty. Ernesto D. Adobo Jr. and Biodiversity Management Bureau Wildlife Resources Division Chief Anson Tagtag, together with PEF Director for Operations Dr. Jayson Ibanez and veterinarian Dr. Danielle Pasion.

The mission followed an invitation from Liberec Zoo and was organized with the assistance of Ms. Markéta Pěčková of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Philippines. With support from the Czech Ministry of the Environment and Liberec, Olomouc, and Ostrava zoos, the programme connected the delegation with Czech experts in wildlife conservation, research, environmental management, and technology.

Strengthening International Partnerships for Philippine Eagle Conservation. Representatives from the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Liberec Zoo, and diplomatic missions come together during the Philippine delegation’s visit to the Czech Republic in October 2026 to strengthen cooperation in conservation breeding, scientific research, and biodiversity protection. [L-R]: Dr. David Nejedlo, Director of Liberec Zoo; Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF Director for Operations; Anson Tagtag, DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau; Philippine Ambassador Eduardo Meñez; Atty. Ernesto Adobo Jr., DENR Undersecretary; Markéta Pěčková, Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Philippines; Dr. Jan Hanel and Adéla Hemelíková of Liberec Zoo; and Dr. Danielle Pasion, PEF Veterinarian.

The visit was also supported through PROPED (Projects for the Promotion of Economic Diplomacy), a Czech government initiative that helps build international links with research institutions, organizations, and technology providers. This framework helped DENR and PEF explore new partnerships while strengthening their existing cooperation with Czech zoos.

The delegation during a tour at Liberec Zoo exchanged insights on wildlife care, conservation breeding and scientific collaboration.

A partnership already saving Philippine Eagles

The relationship between PEF and Liberec Zoo has grown into a valuable international partnership for Philippine Eagle conservation breeding.

Through Liberec Zoo and its network of Czech and European specialists, PEF has gained access to advanced methods in artificial insemination, egg incubation, chick rearing, and sperm cryopreservation—a technique for freezing and preserving sperm for future breeding.

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Inside the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary. (Left) Specialized incubators at PEF’s National Bird Breeding Sanctuary provide controlled temperature and humidity conditions for developing eggs. (Right) A newly hatched Philippine Eagle chick rests inside an incubator, where carefully regulated conditions support its early development.

Czech experts have trained Filipino conservation breeders, shared equipment and technical knowledge, and travelled to Davao to help improve breeding procedures.

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PEF representatives Dave Balatero and Julia Lynne Allong participated in a training and exposure visit to the Czech Republic on March 11–19, 2025, gaining hands-on experience and exchanging knowledge with Czech conservation experts on wildlife care, breeding, and conservation practices.

These efforts contributed to the successful breeding of Bayani, a young eagle produced through artificial insemination involving female Dakila and male Sinag. This success showed what can happen when Filipino experience is combined with international scientific expertise.

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From left to right: Philippine Eagles Sinag, Dakila, and Bayani. Sinag served as the semen donor for the artificial insemination of Dakila, resulting in the successful hatching of Chick No. 32, named Bayani, in 2025.

The delegation’s visit to Liberec Zoo was therefore more than a learning tour. It was an opportunity to build on a working partnership already producing results.

At Olomouc and Ostrava zoos, the group also explored wildlife care, breeding, and conservation education. Ostrava Zoo houses several Philippine species, including Visayan spotted deer, Visayan warty pigs, and Philippine cloud rats.

Building bridges between two countries

In Prague, DENR and PEF met officials of the Czech Ministry of the Environment to explore stronger cooperation in biodiversity protection, wildlife management, and scientific research.

The delegation also met Philippine Ambassador Eduardo Martin R. Meñez, who expressed support for promoting Philippine Eagle conservation among Czech and Filipino communities through educational films and videos.

The Philippine delegation from DENR and PEF joins officials of the Czech Ministry of the Environment for a group photo during their meeting in Prague in October 2026. At the center are DENR Undersecretary Atty. Ernesto D. Adobo Jr. and Ing. Michal Pastvinský, Director of International Relations at the Czech Ministry of the Environment.

During talks at Charles University and Masaryk University with biology and zoology students and faculty, DENR discussed Philippine biodiversity laws and research regulations, while PEF shared its experience protecting Philippine Eagles in the wild.

Discussions with the National Museum and Czech scientists also opened possibilities for joint biodiversity expeditions, genetic studies, and research on the future of Philippine Eagle populations.

Finding solutions to a deadly threat

Beyond conservation breeding, another important discussion focused on a growing danger to Philippine Eagles: electrocution on power lines.

In Ostrava, the delegation met a Czech protected-area specialist to learn how dangerous electrical structures can be made safer for large birds. Solutions include insulating exposed electrical parts, installing protective devices, and modifying hazardous power poles.

DENR and PEF explored how similar approaches could be applied in the Philippines, working with power companies, local governments, and communities.

PEF’s experience in tracking wild eagles could help identify high-risk locations, while DENR could help coordinate government agencies and other partners needed to develop a national response.

The delegation also visited Czech optical equipment companies FOMEI and Meopta to explore better binoculars, spotting scopes, and other tools for wildlife research and monitoring.

Turning partnerships into conservation action

The Czech mission showed that saving endangered wildlife requires strong partnerships across countries and institutions.

Philippine delegation’s eight-stop diplomatic and conservation mission from October 11-17, 2026, covering Prague, Liberec, Harrachov, Přerov, Olomouc, Brno, and Ostrava in Czech Republic.

For DENR and PEF, the visit was both an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and a chance to develop new ones. The successful breeding of Bayani offers an encouraging example of what international cooperation can achieve.

Dr. Jayson Ibañez of PEF and Anson Tagtag of DENR join Markéta Pěčková of the Czech Embassy in Manila, alongside Dr. Jan Hanel and Dr. Jan Kirner, during a guided tour of Olomouc Zoo in the Czech Republic.

The next challenge is to build on that success through improved research, better wildlife management, safer power infrastructure, and stronger protection for eagles in the wild. Opportunities discussed during the mission will require further planning and agreements before becoming formal projects.

The Philippine Eagle lives only in the Philippines. But as Bayani’s story shows, saving it is a shared mission that can bring together people, science, and expertise from across the world.