Editorial – Doing us proud

The less appreciated and sometimes misunderstood  Monfort Bat Cave in the Island Garden City of Samal has been certified as the largest colony of fruit bats (Rousettus Amplerxicaudatus) in the world by no less than the Guinness Book of Records.
This rare distinction may change the fortunes not only of IgaCoS but also  the entire Davao region as a tourism destination.
Earlier, the rare cave had gained recognition as one of Mindanao’s key  eco-tourism sites.
Credit  goes to Ms Norma Monfort, whose selfless zeal to conserve the bat cave is beginning to pay off. Single-handedly, the creative heiress founded the Monfort Bat Cave and Conservation Foundation, Inc. and waged a campaign aimed at educating people – conservationists and predators, alike – to appreciate the value of bats in “sustaining a balanced ecosystem that nurtures life, biodiversity, food security and livelihood.” In order to focus her attention on the task at hand, Ms Monfort had to drop all her other involvements, including her thriving business ventures here and abroad.
If only to compensate her for the international honor that they now bask in, Dabawenyos should assist Ms Monfort in her  advocacy and non-profit conservation work.
Just how important Samal’s fruit bats are to people? One is that if they are gone, durian trees will stop producing fruits, because it is only bats who can pollinate the durian tree’s flowers. No bats, no durian.
What a horrible thought!