WHILE strengthening the promotion of tourism in the market, the natural habitat of the species living in it should not be compromised, an American environmentalist said.
Mylea Bayless, Bat Conservation International Senior Director, Networking and Partnerships, said tourists must consider the habitat and do not disturb the bats who dwell in dark places and caves.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to understand those disturbances and to make sure that tourism is explored and developed but still sensitive to the environment and to natural resources like bats that you have in the Philippines,” Bayless said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at The Annex of SM City Davao on Monday, August 13.
She added, "I think unregulated and unsupervised tourism can be very detrimental to the bats and if the bat population declines, so will the food production and all the reason why you have Kadayawan festival to celebrate the bounty.”
Bayless underscored the need to balance promoting tourism and making sure that tourism doesn’t cause the decrease of bat population that will have negative consequences in the Philippines in the long run.
Thus, Norma “Nomi” Monfort, owner and president of Monfort Bat Sanctuary, will launch a regional-wide campaign for the preservation of bats dubbed as Battle Cry: CPR BATS! Conserve Protect Respect BATS.”
“It’s time for Region 11 to give the long overdue credit to bats. Out of 1,300 mammal species worldwide, bats are the only mammals who nurse their young and fly. Because of this they are the symbols of motherhood and have a lot to teach us humans, the truly endangered species, about transformation, change and peace,” Monfort said on Monday.
The campaign aims to drumbeat their advocacy of protecting the bats and elevate public’s awareness on its role in the environment as the night shift pollinators crossing Pakiputan straight flying out with their lactating pups headed towards Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental.
“They are the major agents of reforestation hence is in the front line mitigating the effects of climate change. Insectivorous bats devour tons and tons of pests and viruses every night that pose hazard to our food chain and health,” she said.