Last June, I had the privilege to document one of the most significant milestones in the conservation efforts for the critically-endangered Philippine Eagles in Leyte.
When I got a word from the Philippine Eagle Foundation that a pair of Philippine Eagles would be translocated to Leyte, I did not hesitate to come because I knew how significant it would be.
The translocation of the eagles is part of their efforts to reintroduce their population in the ancient nesting site of the region. The eagle population was believed to have been wiped out when supertyphoon Yolanda hit in 2013.
But the other reason that also excites me cover the translocation was the opportunity to test further Huawei’s flagship smartphone: Pura 70 Pro.
The phone was lent to me last May for the annual Earth+Lens Project of Manila Bulletin in partnership with Huawei Philippines.
Having tested the phone during my assignment in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato (and a side trip in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat), I still wanted to test the phone further on a variety of subjects in different locations.
Then on June 11, a pair of Philippine Eagles named Carlito and Uswag were translocated from Davao City to Burauen, Leyte. There only five of us who flew with the eagles onboard the Philippine Air Force’s medium-lift cargo plane C-295: PEF Director for Operations Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF Senior Animal Keeper Dominic Tadena, Veterinarian Sheen Gadong of Doc Bayani Animal Wellness Clinic and Joselle Badilla of Philippine Daily Inquirer.
(L to R) Dominic Tadena with Carlito and Dr Jayson Ibañez with Uswag onboard the PAF cargo plane on June 11.
Then a team of PEF staff fetched us at the airport and took us to Burauen.
For 17 days, the pair of eagles underwent an acclimatization in the remote village of Kagbana in Burauen. Read my story on Manila Bulletin.
It was my second time to visit Leyte since the first time I came for work in 2013, two weeks after the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda. But it was my first visit in Burauen, a historic laidback town. I’m fascinated by its grandiose cathedral, which was established by the Jesuits in 1600.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Although the structure was just built a year after Yolanda hit ( if my remember it right) , the church was among the first in the Visasyas region or perhaps in the Philippines. According to locals, the grandiose cathedral was built to replace the old and dilapidated structure.
From the town proper, host community Barangay Kagbana is about 20 kilometers away. According to villagers, Kagbana used to be a home of wildlife hunters.
Collection of wild boar jaws in one of the houses in Kagbana owned by a former wildlife hunter.
In the past, Kagbana was just a temporary campsite of hunters in the mountains of the Anonang-Lobi Range. As years went on, some hunters settled in the area and grew into a barangay.
But the community of hunters was transformed into forest guards after series of IEC sessions as part of the community preparations of the PEF.
Abaca: one of the sources of income of the villagers in Kagbana.
Upon the arrival of the pair of eagles in Kagbana, it was evident how excited they were to become caretakers of our national bird. Many villagers stood along the narrow road like honor guards to welcome the arrival the king and queen.
Although both eagles were rescued from the wild, Ibañez pointed out the raptors still needed to acclimatize on its new environment
Uswag and Carlito at the ‘hack site’ in Barangay Kagbana.
By the way, this milestone was actually a decade-long effort. From biodiversity survey, social preparations, IEC activities and perhaps fund raising.
Fast forward on June 27, we returned to Burauen after 16-hour land trip via Surigao-San Ricardo route.
The PEF put up a temporary encampment at the foot of the hill, where the release platform was located. The release site sits about half kilometer away from the Kagbana village proper, one of the most remote barangays of Burauen.
There was no cellular phone signal and electricity in the area. But thanks to Starlink internet, it allowed us to communicate to the outside world. And our source of power to was a gasoline-powered genset brought by the PEF.
Volunteers preparing food at the campsite.
Along with the PEF staff and its volunteers, we spent a night on dome tents in the middle of a glen. PEF actually booked us in a lodge managed by the DENR, about 10 kilometers away from the site.
But we opted to spend a night in the campsite so that we don’t have to wake up 4am the following day to travel the release site to be able to document the early morning check up.
Temporary camp site at nght.
At the campsite, I also looked for tiny creatures so I could also try the ‘Super Macro’ feature of the phone.
One of the tiny creatures around the camp site: Banana stalk fly – Telostylinus lineolatus (Neriidae)
I also took the opportunity to take snap some shots using the Huawei Pura 70 Pro using its Night mode. It’s quality is better compared to its predecessor P60, which I also tested last year at the foot of Mt. Hamiguitan in Mati City, Davao Oriental.
PEF staff collected food leftovers on the night before the release.
At 4am the following day, we trekked to the hack site as Dr. Bayani Vandenbroeck checked the eagles’ health hours before the release time.
Doc Bayani checking Carlito.
After few hours of preparation, Doc Bayani and myself went to the release platform and planned how we are going document the historic release. Even as a veterinarian, Doc Bayani also loves to shoot pictures and videos with his phone or GoPro.
We could not afford to miss a picture of this very historic event. We discussed possible flight paths and how we are going to position ourselves without exposing ourselves to the eagles. Remember, they’re wild eagles. They are not used to human beings. We need to anticipate, everything can happen.
The fierce ‘Carlito’
The risk of being attacked is still there.
In 2004, Bayani and I were also together at the foothills of Mt. Apo during the release of eagle “Kabayan,” the first captive-bred eagle that was released into the wild. However, Kabayan died due to electrocution after it perched on a powerline inside the Mt. Apo Geothermal Plant.
Around 12 noon, both eagles were already on the release platform. For the first eagle, I used my dSLR camera in a hope to capture Carlito taking off from the platform. But she almost lost her balance upon release and took off towards opposite direction. I didn’t get a good shot.
But that’s okay, Uswag was next. And I was confident I could still pull it through using the Huawei Pura 70 Pro. I was confident that I could still get a good shot given the capability of the phone using its Snapshot feature.
The Snapshot is perhaps the most incredible feature of Huawe Pura 70 Pro. It can freeze almost any moving subject even in lowlight conditions.
‘Uswag’ released by Dr. Munir Virani, CEO of EO of Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund
So when Uswag was released on the platform, he immediately took off!
But am still glad that Huawei Pura 70 Pro saved my day! It was really my goal to snap a photo of the Philppine Eagle upon its release using the smartphone. But then, maybe luck was also on my side on that historic day.
After taking few snaps using the smartphone. Then I quickly shifted to my dSLR. But it was too late, she was already beyond the range of my 70-200mm telephoto.
Unfortunately, a month after its release, Uswag drowned into the sea off the coast of Baybay City, also in Leyte. Based on GPS readings provided by the PEF, Uswag was believed to have crash landed into the sea on July 30. His carcass was recovered near Camotes Island in Cebu.
Uswag was the ninth documented case of an eagle crashing into the sea. All of them were immature eagles. (Read my story on Manila Bulletin)
Dr. Jayson Ibañez said that they have a learned from this experience and they may seek help from other experts to study the crashing incidents.
“It’s still part of natural selection,” Ibañez pointed out. But for PEF, this does not mean that they will no longer release eagles in Leyte or any island setting. “We will study, learn from it and move forward. Because we still need to repopulate the forests in Leyte with Philippine Eagles.”
Barangay Kagbana
Ordinary day in Kagbana.
( All photos were taken using Huawei Pura 70 Pro)
