The Philippine Eagle - The Philippine Economic Eagle

Trapping threatens near-extinct Philippine eagle

April 29, 2011

Economics

My Reaction

The Philippine Eagle

                One of the great prides of our nation is our bold flying majesty. The great Philippine Eagle is indeed something to behold as it is among the rarest and most beautiful flying creature ever gazed upon by the human eye. But amidst its splendor lies an economic corruption that destroys Philippine’s finest. Sad but true, the Philippine eagle is on the bridge of being hunted down to extinction. As I’ve read the article posted, I can’t help but be sickened by the somehow desperate acts of the Philippine people itself as it hunts down its own national icon for a couple of pennies they get from tourists by selling souvenirs.

                Still, even as this creature is illegally rummaged, it still is sadistically artful how the little unlawful hunters of the mountains see an opportunity to make an income by catching the “Haribon”. I grew up in awe of watching and hearing about the Philippine eagle in parks and gardens. I have always wanted to see an eagle when I was a child and when the day came that I had the opportunity to meet and play with the “agila” I saw how gentle this bold and strong creature was. 

                Now the eagles that I adore so much are hunted, slaughtered and sold for a couple of peso not to mention are place on bounty hunting where trackers try to trap it and then submit it to the government expecting a reward for the capture of this bird. Purely despicable are these kinds of people. Even though the governments has imposed  a law against the killing, collecting and maltreatment of this creature, it is still hunted to exhaustion. I was sicken by the news that i saw in the internet one night. It said that four months after and eagle was released, it was killed by a hunter.  while i can not say that i did not benefit  from this crimes, I must admit that I had quite an interest in collecting souvenirs like this myself. I used "had". Past tens. Since I have gained a better knowledge on the abused of animals, not just the Philippine Eagles, I had a change of heart.

                The Philippine Eagle is a pure gold mine for the bird watching tourists. Scientists which deals with birds go  thousands of miles to see this. If hunted to extinction, there would be another economic stand still in another branch of tourism and who knows what others more. I have selfish reasons for my response for this article. I have left out a couple of paragraphs in able to avoid bad-mouthing the hunters further. This is one of my most furious reaction ever written but censorship would condemn me from writing whole heartedly.  For regular bird watchers like me, it is one of the best offers of life to see one of the rarest, strongest and largest birds soar and glide in the sky ruling all the space that we humans could not hold. I hope that if not for the sake of the eagles then for the sake of patriotism, let’s help save this national gold. One of the best tourist attractions the Philippines has to offer to the world, an economic cornerstone for tourism and an icon in the Philippine history, indeed this King of the Birds must be saved for the future generations.

-Arthur Majaducon