Soon, only in photos

IN THE recent opening salvo of the Dinagyang Festival, eight contingents or tribes gave a preview of their performances on contest day, Jan. 26. Each tribe featured animals endemic – and sadly, endangered – to Panay Island. These were the Visayan Spotted Deer, ilahas nga manok, Tariktik horn bill, Miro (civet cat), Maral (leopard cat), Murogmon (owl), Banog (hawk), and Maradyang (Panay striped babbler).

It’s amazing. Panay Island has a unique fauna, and in general, a unique ecosystem. According to the Philippine Eagle Foundation, 44 percent of the birds in the Philippines are endemic in the country (that means they cannot be found elsewhere in the world). Birdwatching in the Philippines is thus a unique experience.

Can you imagine a world where your children will only see the Visayan Spotted Deer or Philippine eagle on photos? Or the ilahas nga manok or Philippine tarsier just a part of stories that the older generation can tell their kids?

Yes, this grim scenario can happen. Climate change that is hurting badly our ecosystem is threatening the survival of our fauna and flora, and humanity’s own existence.

According to research, 90 percent of the Philippine archipelago was forested during the 1900s. The original old-growth forest today remains at three to five percent. This has caused a ripple effect in which water, air and other ecological services have been compromised.

Now, the Philippines ranks up there in the world out of 19 ecological hotspots, said the Philippine Eagle Foundation. Our country is blessed with rich biodiversity. This means we have the most to lose. The government should get serious about biodiversity protection and in implementing programs to build sustainable communities that protect the environment.

Education is also vital in our bid to protect our biodiversity. Let us get everyone on board, each member of the community must be aware of what’s happening. We all stand to lose a lot from a biodiversity meltdown.

The government and all concerned institutions and departments, especially local governments, must come up with strategies that create sustainable communities.

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