A petition calling for urgent response from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources-Davao (DENR-Davao) is now being pushed to save the nesting territory of the Philippine Eagle and a watershed area in Davao City.
Ecoteneo, the advocacy group for environmental protection and conservation of Ateneo de Davao University, is petitioning for the cancelation of the Private Land Timber Permit No. RXI-PLTP-001 2021 was issued for the cutting of 121 old-growth trees within the Mounts Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area (MMACA), which is considered a nesting place of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.
The group is also requesting DENR-Davao to affirm MMACA’s designation as an environmentally critical area in the Davao City based on the Watershed Management Code, and improve MMACA’s protection as a conservation area.
Dennis Joseph Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), told Edge Davao because of the cutting of mature trees one of PEF’s eagle pairs in Barangay Salaysay in Davao City is threatened because of the cutting of trees in its nesting territory.
“Private property daw but this property lies in the city’s conservation and watershed area. Ayaw nila i-cancel ang permit even though illegal ang cutting because the trees are located in an area that has more than 18 degrees of slope and the species is protected by law. Additionally, nag petition na community kay watershed nga nila ito,” he said.
Salvador said there is already evidence that Dabawenyos care about the water resources and the protection of the environment yet an agency mandated to do it apparently cares more about the individual landowner and the permit they issued than everyone else’s welfare.
“I can’t believe that they who are mandated to protect our natural heritage would allow a landowner to cut “over mature” trees in a Philippine Eagle nesting territory which also serves as a watershed for the local community. The area has also been declared as a conservation area by the Davao City government. Who else then will speak for those who have no voice?” Salvador said.
The petition, which is posted on the Ecoteneo Facebook Page, is calling everyone in saving Mts. Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area to secure the lifeblood of all the residents of Barangay Salaysay in Davao City and spare the only home for a family of the IUCN “critically endangered” the Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyi- the country’s national bird.
