THE PHILIPPINE Eagle Foundation (PEF) called for protection of forests as a new nesting site for critically endangered raptor was found in Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte.
The PEF brought “Wildlife is Here” to Lasicam-Perral National High School, Barangay Sico-Sico, Gigaquit Surigao del Norte, featuring wildlife gems of Gigaquit- Philippine Eagle and Mindanao Bleeding Heart on Monday, in line with World Wildlife Day.
The PEF emphasized the urgent need for community-based conservation efforts to safeguard the critical Philippine Eagle breeding area.
Conservationists said at least one Philippine Eagle is killed every year from hunting while deforestation destroys their habitat.
“Philippine Eagle nesting sites are ancient nesting sites and if we want to preserve Philippine eagles, we need to preserve ancient breeding sites because that’s the only place they can safely lay their eggs and then propagate the species,” Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF director for operations, said.
“The goal is to protect and ensure that ancient nesting sites are intact,” he added.
Ibañez said there are an estimated less than 392 pairs of Philippine eagles in the country.
Balikatan sparking change
In August 2020, a Philippine Eagle, which was named “Balikatan” was rescued from the forested areas of Sitio Bayobo, Barangay Mahanub in Gigaquit in the northern portions of the Mt. Hilong-hilong Key Biodiversity Area.
Balikatan was wounded by a homemade marble gun by a farmer, not realizing he injured a Philippine Eagle.
The farmer’s family tried to care for it for weeks feeding it meat. However, they could not sustain the expenses and eventually sold it. When authorities located the farmer, he was informed of the critical life of a Philippine Eagle and later joined the Bantay Banwa of LGU Gigaquit.
The rescue of Balikatan or “shoulder to shoulder” sparked a collective responsibility to protect the endangered species.
From 2020 onward, the PEF, Gigaquit Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Tubod have regularly patrolled the area to monitor the eagles and persistently conducted awareness campaigns.
Balikatan is a male juvenile Philippine Eagle aged about two years old, which could mean his parents are located in the area.
In a biodiversity survey conducted from August to September 2025, the presence of a breeding pair of the Philippine Eagle was confirmed.
PEF stressed that at least two nest trees were recorded within Gigaquit’s forests.
Initial reports pointed to a suspected nesting site built on a large Tagongtongan tree but was already abandoned, however, field observations discovered a newly established and active nesting site approximately one kilometer away, also in a Tagongtongan tree.
“The close proximity of the two sites suggests sustained territorial use and breeding behavior by the eagle pair within the same forest landscape,” the Gigaguit government said.
The assessment was led by the PEF Team including biologists Andrei Von Mariano C. Tirona, Deo Denniz Taganas,with Indigenous forest guards from the Bantay Banwa, Gigaquit LGU and CENRO.
The expedition team discovered adult eagles and was able to find a new nest with an incubating female eagle. However, in February, the female abandoned the egg after two months of incubation.
The egg was fertilized but the embryo died early in the incubation period.
According to PEF, eggs are incubated alternately by both eagle parents for about 58 – 60 days, with the male eagle doing most of the hunting during the first 40 days of the eaglet’s life while the female stays with the young.
Preserving ecological balance
Conservationists said the discovery of an unhatched egg is a critical proof confirming the existence of a pair of Philippine eagles emphasizing the urgent need for strengthened protection, enforcement, and community-based conservation.
Ibañez said saving the eagles is protecting the next generation of Filipinos, as it keeps a balance of the ecosystem.
Retired Lt. Gen. William Hotchkiss III, president and CEO of Cantilan Bank and former trustee of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said in speech the Philippine Eagle is not only a national treasure but an apex predator.
“Its presence indicates healthy, intact forests. Where the eagle thrives, biodiversity thrives. Where forests are strong, watersheds are secure,” Hotchkiss said.
Gigaquit Mayor Chandru Bonite reaffirmed the local government’s commitment to uphold preservation of the town’s wildlife and biodiversity.
Municipal Ordinance No. 2005-15, mandates “protecting wildlife, regulating destructive practices and promoting responsible stewardship of our natural resources.”
“Let us continue to work in advancing sustainable practices and strengthening our conservation efforts. Together let us protect our wildlife, preserve our natural heritage and ensure a greener more sustainable future,” Bonite said.
To note, the municipality says no to mining to strengthen protection of the Baoy Watershed and its limestone (karst) forests.
Gigaquit, although being a small municipality, invests in local resources to train forest guards, sustaining education campaigns on Philippine Eagle as the town’s conservation flagship, along with the Mindanao Bleeding-Heart, who also thrives within the eagle nest site, among other species.
