Endemik: Dito lang sa Pinas

The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) is sponsoring the 2nd Philippine Bird Festival themed"Endemik: Dito lang sa Pinas" to focus attention on conserving endemic bird species of the Philippines, the bird watching hobby and responsible appreciation of nature.

The Philippine Bird Festival, the only one of its kind in the country, will be held on September 22 and 23at the Crossroad 77 Convenarium, Mother Ignacia Avenue corner Scout Reyes Street in Quezon City.The Bird Festival will feature exhibits by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines and 14 participating conservation groups and social development foundations, screenings of the award winning entries of the 2006 oonrise Film Festival, free public lectures on bird watching and nature conservation, erchandise and an arts activity center for the young and the young at heart. WBCP members and Bird Festival Committee chair Alice Villa-Real said the project hopes to raise the bar of awareness about the unique bird life of the islands, promote ublic interest in conservation and encourage the creation of more urban parks and green spaces. Villa-Real said there are more than 570 species of birds in the Philippines, no fewer than 180 species are found only in the archipelago. "The endemic birds include the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker and the White-Eared Brown Dove which are present in a number of parks and wooded areas in the core of Metro Manila, " she added. Similar events take place throughout the world each year, attracting large numbers of birdwatchers, scientists and nature enthusiasts. In Asia, some of the well-known bird watching events are Malaysia's Fraser's Hill International Bird Race and the Singapore Bird Race and the annual Taipei International Birdwatching Fair in Taiwan. The idea for a Philippine Bird Festival was conceived by local birdwatching hobbyists in 2005 and has received support and encouragement from conservation organizations and the business sector since.




This year's participating exhibitors include: Conservation International, WWF-Philippines, Philippine Eagle Foundation, Katala Foundation, Haribon Foundation, Isla Biodiversity Conservation, Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Polillo Island Biodiversity Conservation, the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education (CEAE), the Children's Environmental Awareness and Action Foundation (CEAAF), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-NCR, the Protected Areas & Wildlife Bureau, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Casper and Friends Aviarty and Rescue Center, Kaakbay CDI, Winner Foundation, Miriam PEACE, Happy Earth, Philippine Nature Photographers, Province of Camarines Sur, and the Ecorescue Volunteers Foundation, The 2nd Philippine Bird Festival is sponsored by the Mirant Foundation, Energy Lounge, Soul Shop and the
Figaro Foundation.
Contact: Alice Villa-Real - 0917-5397861, pathway93@yahoo.com
Michael Lu - 0926-6902972, myckle@thenet.ph Website: http://www.birdwatch.ph/