Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE RESOLUTION No. 73

______________________________________________________________________________
Introduced by Reps. TEODORO A. CASIÑO and NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

RESOLUTION
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR A STOP
TO THE ALARMING ENCROACHMENT OF MINING COMPANIES INTO THE
REMAINING FRAGILE HABITAT OF THE ENDANGERED PHILIPPINE EAGLE,
OUR NATIONAL BIRD

WHEREAS, the Philippines is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of biodiversity and
natural resources. The country boasts of the largest eagle in the world, the Philippine Eagle, that is
endemic to our country and found nowhere else in the world;

WHEREAS, Article II, Section 16, of the Constitution mandates the State to “protect and advance
the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony
of nature;” Despite the enactment of an estimated 150 laws on environmental protection in the
country, guarantee and safeguard for the full protection of our ecology and environment have been
inadequate;

WHEREAS, the two foremost laws for the protection of the Philippine Eagle are Republic Act
(RA) 6147 or "An Act Declaring the Pithecophaga jefferyi, Commonly Known as Monkey-Eating
Eagle as a Protected Bird in the Philippines, Providing for the Preservation of the Same and
Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds for the Purpose,” approved on November 9, 1970 and
R.A. 9147 or "An Act Providing For the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and
Their Habitats, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes”, approved on July 30, 2001,
have not successfully prevented the decline of the Philippine Eagle population. Only 500 pairs of the
Philippine Eagle remain in the wild;

WHEREAS, the Philippine Eagle serves as the symbol of whatever conservation efforts the
country has, or the lack of it. This specie is fast losing its natural habitat to mining companies that
are rapidly encroaching into the remaining forests of Mindanao, Leyte, Samar and Luzon;

WHEREAS, there are only 500,000 hectares of old-growth or virgin forests remaining in the
country and this area is being threatened by mining operations, with millions of hectares of forest
areas from the Cordillera and Sierra Madre down to the Caraga and Davao regions now the subject
of mining exploration applications. These are the areas where Philippine Eagles have been spotted in
the past;
WHEREAS, there are about 383 mining tenements that have been approved and registered, while
1,846 other mining tenements were being processed as of January 2008, according to the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;

WHEREAS, a mining project at the exploration and mineral processing stages normally covers an
area of 1,000 hectares to as large as 100,000 hectares, mostly in forests. These mining projects
encroach on the remaining habitat of the Philippine Eagle, threatening the very survival of our
national bird;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the House of Representatives express its sense
for a stop to the alarming encroachment of mining companies into the remaining fragile habitat of
the endangered Philippine Eagle, our national bird.

Adopted,

TEODORO A. CASIÑO NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

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