GIGAQUIT, Surigao del Norte — Conservationists lauded the local government here for declaring the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) and the Mindanao bleeding-heart as their town’s flagship species. “By declaring these species as municipal symbols, Gigaquit has made a powerful statement: biodiversity is identity and conservation is policy,” said retired Lt. Gen. William Hotchkiss III, president and CEO of Cantilan Bank and former trustee of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF). PEF, which has been in the forefront of eagle conservation in the country, recently launched the “Wildlife is here in Gigaquiat” campaign to raise awareness about the need to protect the […]... Keep on reading: Surigao town lauded for local support for eagle conservation