Category: Environment

Haze from the forest fires in Indonesia have reached Davao Region.

This was the confirmation made by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Davao Region in a radio interview Monday morning.

Ben Rosales, weather observer of Pagasa Davao, said that the haze affecting Davao was brought by the monsoon winds blowing northeast from fires in Indonesia towards the direction of the Philippines.

Since October 3, Cebu has been experiencing haze. Davao has started experiencing haze since last week.

At least eight of the ten countries in the ASEAN region have been affected by the haze, including southern Thailand and Vietnam, and most parts of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The haze affecting Cambodia and Philippines is also suspected to have arisen from Indonesian rather than local sources.

Indonesia has struggled for years to contain forest fires, especially in the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The fires are caused by firms and farmers who engage in illegal slash-and-burn practices as a relatively inexpensive means of clearing land. Sumatra and Kalimantan possess large area of peatland, which is highly combustible during dry season. The haze has been particularly severe this year due to the El Niño phenomenon which has caused drier conditions, allowing the fires to spread more.

If you are a resident of Mt. Hamiguitan Range in Davao Oriental and has any lead to the person who killed Philippine Eagle Pamana, then you could be P100,000 richer.

This after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources offered the reward money to anyone who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer of Pamana.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje made the announcement on Thursday, August 20, a day after Pamana’s death was confirmed.

Aside from the national government reward, TV personality Kim Atienza is also offering a reward money for the same purpose.

The provincial government of Davao Oriental is also thinking on giving the same reward money.

Local authorities in Davao Oriental have meanwhile ordered an all-out manhunt against the person/s responsible for killing the 3-year old Philippine Eagle Pamana inside the Mt. Hamiguitan Range that lies in the borders of Mati City, and San Isidro and Governor Generoso towns.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon said she already ordered the provincial police to conduct a thorough investigation and run after whoever is responsible for shooting Pamana with an airgun.

Metal fragments recovered inside the body of Pamana indicated that she was shot with an airgun.

Mati City Mayor Carlo Rabat meanwhile expressed regret for the death of Pamana. He appealed to the residents of barangays Lanca, Luban and Cabuaya in the Mt. Hamiguitan Range to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and immediately relay to the authorities if they have information of people who may possess airguns in their area.

Governor Malanyaon said she will discuss with the police the viability of offering a reward money for anyone who could give information that would lead to the identification and arrest of the culprit.

TV personality Kim Atienza has also offered reward to anyone who has information.

Pamana’s body was retrieved last August 16 in Mt. Hamiguitan.

Jose Lechoncito of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 Wildlife Section said that Pamana’s global positioning system (GPS) transmitter went into a “mortality mode” on August 10.

Mortality mode, he explained, is when the GPS transmission is no longer moving in one place. The following day, August 11, the Philippine Eagle Foundation readily formed a team and searched for Pamana.

On August 16, the carcass of Pamana was retrieved. Lechonsito said that the body was already in the advance state of decomposition.

Pamana was released into the wild last June 12, 2015 by the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the government of Davao Oriental province to commemorate the 117th celebration of Philippine Independence Day.

The ceremony was held at at the buffer zone of the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Barangay La Union in San Isidro town.

Pamana was rescued three years ago as an eaglet surviving two gunshot wounds. She was found in mountain range of Gabunan in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.