30-7-2023 (MANILA) Lohwana Halaq, an animal keeper at the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao City, has taken to social media to raise awareness about the national bird of the Philippines. Halaq shared photos on her TikTok account of her holding the new P1,000 bill with Sinag, the center’s youngest Philippine eagle, in an effort to shed light on the bird’s importance.
Despite the Philippine eagle’s high profile status in media, culture, and government, Halaq expressed her surprise at the lack of awareness among Filipino citizens about the bird’s existence and appearance. She wrote, “From my experience working with these beautiful animals, I can truthfully say that it shocks me how much our own Filipino citizens do not know this eagle exists or what it even looks like.”
Halaq recounted her interactions with Filipino visitors to the center who asked her where they could find the Philippine eagle. She said, “I am literally holding the Philippine Eagle on my arm…. I look at them, look at my eagle, Sinag, and look back at them and point out, ‘You are staring at the Philippine Eagle…'” Halaq emphasized that awareness plays a crucial role in species conservation, from local to international recognition.
She also spoke about her conversations with Filipinos abroad and how she would explain to them that she helps breed the critically endangered Philippine Eagle species. “Many of them comment: ‘I did not know we have this eagle in the Philippines’…. my response usually is, ‘Did you even open your Filipino passport?’ As the Philippine Eagle is also featured in the Filipino Governing passport,” she said.
For Halaq, education is key to the conservation of the Philippine eagle. She acknowledged that progress may be slow, but saving the species from extinction is worth it. “There is improvement, and progress may be slow, but saving this species from extinction is worth it,” she said.
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