TO STRENGTHEN efforts to save two of the Philippines' most critically endangered species, conservationists working to protect the Philippine eagle and tamaraw are exchanging knowledge and best practices forged through decades of work in the field.
The Tamaraw Conservation Program recently conducted a three-day benchmarking visit to Davao City to study the Philippine Eagle Foundation's conservation strategies and explore practices that could help protect the Philippine tamaraw.
The Philippine tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), a dwarf buffalo found only on Mindoro Island, ranks among the country's most endangered mammals.
The species inhabits the Upper Amnay Watershed Region, including Mount Gimparay in Oriental Mindoro, as well as the proposed Siburan-Aruyan-Dangari-Iyason-Kinarawan Critical Habitat in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
Efren Delos Reyes, officer of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) in Occidental Mindoro and concurrent chief of the Tamaraw Conservation Program, said protecting the tamaraw's habitat remains the program's top priority.
Protecting the environment, he said, ultimately protects the species itself.
The program attempted captive breeding with the University of the Philippines in the 1980s, but the effort proved unsuccessful. Delos Reyes said conservationists learned valuable lessons from that experience and have since conducted a feasibility study with international organizations on the future of tamaraw conservation.
The program is exploring another captive-breeding effort, including the collection of breeding stock and the possible use of artificial insemination.
In an earlier interview on July 1, Delos Reyes said the tamaraw faces numerous threats, including habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and illegal activities such as poaching, timber cutting, and logging.
Climate change and invasive species add to those pressures, while conservationists must also balance wildlife protection with sustainable development needs.
Delos Reyes said sustained partnerships among government agencies, Indigenous Peoples, local governments, conservation organizations, and the public offer the best hope for preserving the tamaraw population.
The program has also coordinated with Indigenous communities to expand the tamaraw's habitat within ancestral domains by about 2,000 hectares.
“Yan yung tinitingnan na vision ng Tamaraw Conservation Program Office na sana yung translocation, tapos yung captive breeding baka pwede hangang sa artificial insemination, at tsaka ma institutionalize yung office (That is the vision of the Tamaraw Conservation Program Office: to pursue translocation, develop captive breeding that could eventually include artificial insemination, and institutionalize the office itself),” he said.
Tamaraw rangers monitor the endangered animals in the wild, but Delos Reyes raised concerns over their employment security. Most work under contracts of service, making them more likely to leave the program for better opportunities.
He said the benchmarking visit gave the delegation valuable insights into strengthening tamaraw conservation, particularly after seeing how the Philippine Eagle Foundation successfully bred the Philippine eagle in captivity.
Conservation in Barangay Eden
On July 10, the Tamaraw Conservation Program visited Barangay Eden in Davao City to learn how Indigenous communities, particularly the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe, participate in monitoring and protecting Philippine eagles within their ancestral lands.
Grace Butal, secretary of Bantay Bukid in Barangay Eden, said the group has only nine members, with eight conducting foot patrols across about 1,400 hectares of ancestral land.
Bantay Bukid volunteers monitor the forest, conduct foot patrols and reforestation activities, and provide capability training to other volunteers.
Butal acknowledged that limited manpower makes their work difficult. Monitoring just one barangay can take about a month.
The volunteers also sometimes face threats from people engaged in illegal activities within the ancestral domain, including encroachment and wildlife hunting. Butal said they immediately report violations to the Public Safety and Security Office and the Philippine Eagle Foundation for appropriate legal action.
“Dili talaga maiiwasan ang minor conflicts, but at the end of the day, through cultural settlements, sa pamamagitan po sa pag-uusap ng mga leaders na reresolba naman po (Minor conflicts are really unavoidable, but at the end of the day, they can be resolved through cultural settlement mechanisms and through discussions among the leaders),” she said during her presentation.
Involving the IP Community
With a Philippine eagle nesting site located within the 1,400-hectare ancestral domain, the Philippine Eagle Foundation has enlisted members of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe to help monitor and protect the area.
Dr. Jayson Ibañez, the foundation's director of research and conservation, said the cultural significance of the Philippine eagle to the tribe has allowed conservationists to build close ties with Indigenous communities.
He said the partnership helps establish a long-term relationship with the tribe while strengthening Philippine eagle conservation.
“If we are able to yung nga penetrate yung world, using the fact that the eagle is part of their lives, their community, and their culture, kumbaga mas madali i-justify yung conservation activities (If we can help people understand that the eagle is part of their lives, their community, and their culture, then it becomes easier to explain and justify conservation activities),” he said.
The foundation also documents traditional stories and belief systems that align with conservation goals, helping communities better relate to and understand efforts to protect the Philippine eagle.
Sharing conservation knowledge
Meanwhile, Domingo Tadena, the Philippine Eagle Foundation's facility manager and conservation breeding expert, shared the history of the foundation's work and its long struggle to successfully breed Philippine eagles in captivity.
It took the foundation 14 years to produce its first captive-bred eagle. Over the years, Tadena has helped produce 24 eagles during his tenure with the organization.
The Tamaraw Conservation Program also visited Mount Apo Natural Park, where the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao shared how it manages the protected area with the help of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe.
The park provides habitat for the Philippine eagle and a rich diversity of flora and fauna.
During the visit, the Tamaraw Conservation Program delegation witnessed the graduation and deputization of 25 new Bantay Bukid volunteers.
Clint Michael B. Cleofe, protected area superintendent of Mount Apo Natural Park, said the visit allowed DENR-Davao to share its best practices while also learning from its counterparts in Mindoro.
“Makabalo pod ta unsay pamaagi nila didto og unsa pag-conserve sa Tamaraw, although wala tay Tamaraw dinhi, apan ang mga sistema, partnership, stakeholder engagement, og uban programa pwede makopya or replicate dinhi sa atoa sa Mt. Apo alang usab sa pagkonserba sa Philippine Eagle (We can also learn from their methods and how they conserve the tamaraw. Although we do not have tamaraws here, their systems, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and other programs can be adapted or replicated in Mount Apo to help conserve the Philippine eagle),” he said.
Cleofe said DENR-Davao shared its conservation strategies, environmental protection initiatives, and other practices that the Tamaraw Conservation Program could potentially adapt to improve the management and protection of the species.
For its part, the Tamaraw Conservation Program shared how its conservation efforts have helped the species recover from a dangerously low population.
In 2000, conservationists counted only 105 tamaraws as the species continued to decline. Through sustained interventions, the population rose to 425 in 2026, up from 380 documented in 2025, according to the program.
Since 2000, DENR-Occidental Mindoro has conducted the annual Tamaraw Population Count using the Intensive Concentration Count, also known as the Simultaneous Multi-Vantage Point Count Method, a standardized approach under the Population and Habitat Viability Assessment.
Despite those gains, conservationists said frequent changes in leadership remain a major challenge because some programs lose momentum or are discontinued when administrations change.
For the conservationists who gathered in Davao, however, the three-day exchange underscored a common lesson: Saving the Philippine eagle and tamaraw requires more than science alone. It demands sustained partnerships, empowered communities, and a commitment that survives leadership changes. RGP
