Our Executive Director, Mr. Dennis J. I. Salvador represented the Philippine Eagle Foundation in the annual 2023 DENR Multistakeholders’ Forum (Mindanao) held on February 2-3, 2023 at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City. There the PEF was given a segment in the plenary session, where Mr. Salvador laid out the initiatives and challenges in Protected Area and Biodiversity Conservation. He emphasized the importance of the Philippine eagle as a flagship species in conservation, moreover, a “perfect surrogate to the current status” of Philippine Biodiversity as a whole.
During his session, Mr. Salvador gave the audience, who are decorated guests in the field of biodiversity, environment, and natural resource management - a better perspective on the current hurdles in conservation. He also talked about the new discoveries in Philippine wildlife, and gave a few recommendations on how we could all band together to secure a future for generations to come. Reiterating Father Peter Walpole’s quote in the documentary Bird of Prey, he called everyone to action and implored them that "this is the time for doing”.
Also present at the two-day forum is our Board of Trustees member Forester Tommy T. Valdez, representing the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. Mr. Valdez is also a plenary speaker and he talked about Sustainable Forest Management.
Our appreciation and gratitude to DENR Sec. Toni Loyzaga for personally inviting Mr. Salvador and Mr. Valdez to be plenary speakers; moreover, for giving us a platform to air our concerns and challenges in the conservation of Philippine biodiversity.
