THE Philippine Eagle Foundation has successfully translocated three Philippine Eagles from Mindanao to Leyte.
The three Philippine Eagles that were transmigrated to Leyte were Lake, Lyra Sinabadan, and Kalatungan 1. They were prepared for their eventual release to the Anonang Lobi Range and Mount Nacolod in Leyte.
“The reintroduction program is the result of years of conservation planning, habitat assessments, and collaborative efforts among government agencies, conservation organizations, and corporate partners. This initiative aims not only to restore the eagle population in Leyte but also to inspire stronger conservation actions across the country,” PEF said in their press release.
The three eagles underwent conditioning in the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) and were selected to be translocated to Leyte for their health, survival potential, and genetic viability. This comes after the successful reintroduction of Carlito, a female Philippine Eagle that was released in 2024, who already established a territory within the Anonang-Lobi Mountain Range.
Arturo N. Salazar, regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Eastern Visayas (DENR-Eastern Visayas), highlighted the role of protecting the habitat of the Philippine Eagle to ensure that it will have a successful reintroduction in Leyte.
He said that releasing eagles is a significant milestone but sustaining their population in the meantime widely depends on the integrity of the forests in the area. He encouraged the local communities, policymakers, and conservation groups to work hand-in-hand to protect the forests of Leyte from deforestation as well as environmental threats.
Forester Victor Billiones, assistant regional executive director of DENR-Davao Region, said they will improve the methodologies and strengthen partnerships to ensure the Philippine Eagle’s survival in the island, following the death of Uswag a month after he was released in Leyte. He then reaffirmed the commitment of DENR-Davao and their counterpart in Leyte to support the reintroduction of the species in Leyte.
The three eagles were then transferred to their hack cages in Barangay Kagbana, Burauen and will undergo an acclimatization period of two months before they will be released to the forests of Leyte.
Additionally, PEF and DENR are forming a breeding pair between Lakpue, a male Philippine Eagle from Mindanao, and Carlito, who have already established a territory in Leyte. Lakpue would be introduced in the controlled acclimatization process through a temporary hack cage, supplemental feeding, and audio playbacks of eagle calls to the territory of Carlito. This method encourages natural pair bonding between the two eagles, which is the first recorded Philippine Eagle breeding attempt in Leyte.
There is also a separate experiment to socially bond Lyra Sinabadan and Kalatungan I. The two eagles would undergo short bonding where they would be housed in one hack cage so they could build familiarity and trust. Their strong bond will increase their survival rate once they are released to the wild.
The transfer of the three eagles is part of the multi-year conservation translocation effort by PEF and DENR which aims to establish a new breeding population of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle in Leyte.
Leyte was chosen due to the absence of Philippine Eagle sightings after Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. The eagles are exclusively found in four islands across the country — Luzon, Leyte, Samar, and Mindanao — comprising 60 percent of their population. Following the impact of Super Typhoon Yolanda, no more eagle sightings were recorded during subsequent annual surveys in the affected area. RGP