Bird Watching is GovGen’s new ecotourism attraction

GOVERNOR GENEROSO, DAVAO ORIENTAL — Governor Generoso, the new beehive of tourism activities of DavOr, eyes bird watching activity as a new tourist attraction in town. In the months of September and October, different species of birds from Russia, China, Japan, and Korea flocked to the world-famous Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, when food becomes scarce in these countries because of the autumn and winter season. While some of them fly in Indonesia, these birds generally called raptors spend seven months here in the Philippines.

Raptorwatch Network Philippines, a private organization that keeps watch of these migratory birds, have identified six raptors coming here namely: Chinese Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Peregrine Falcon, Western Osprey, Grey-faced Buzzard, and Crested Honey Buzzard. Six birds called White-Bellied Sea Eagle, Philippine Serpent Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Philippine Hawk-Eagle, and Rufuos-Bellied Eagle are identified to be resident raptors here in the country. Tionco said that these raptors have been migrating here but were never noticed until the year 2013 when their organization started bird watching as a hobby. For this year’s autumn and winter seasons in northern countries, their organization started monitoring the migration phenomenon on 18 September 2017. As of last September 26, Raptorwatch has totaled 4,480 migratory raptors.

With their birding hobby turned into advocacy, Tiongco underscored that raptors play a significant role in maintaining the nature’s ecological balance. “They fly here very ravenous and they eat little animals like beetles, snakes, insects, and rats. These species, if not eaten by these raptors, will proliferate and become pests. You see they limit the population. Look at our coconuts here, they are very healthy. They help us control the pests without having to use pesticides. So that’s why we have to conserve them.”

Vicente Orencia, Vice Mayor of Governor Generoso town, said that they are working with the Local Government of Davao Oriental and the Governor Generoso College of Arts, Science and Technology in monitoring and conducting researches that will help them come up with strategies in preserving the habitat of migratory birds, also a key to boosting their town’s ecotourism industry. With a total of 20 barangays, of which 14 communities are dependent in marine resources for their livelihood, Vice Mayor Orencia strongly pushes for environmental protection while promoting birding and scuba diving activities as the next premier ecotourism destinations in their town. (with Riza Golez)