The Wild Bird Club of the Philippines
is holding the 3rd Philippine Bird Festival - Sugbu,
Just Watch, Don't Catch! a 2-day event to raise conservation
awareness through the promotion of bird-watching and
the responsible appreciation of nature.
The logo of this year's bird festival
is the Cebu Flowerpecker, a species found nowhere in
the world but Cebu. This species was thought to be extinct
until chanced upon by a visiting amateur birdwatcher
in 1992. |
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| Now on its third year,
the Philippine Bird Festival will be held at the Waterfront
Cebu City Hotel & Casino on September 21, 2007 and
at the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary on September
22, 2007.
The festival at the Waterfront Hotel
will feature lectures, photo exhibits, film shows, art
activities and face-painting for kids. |
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The Bird Festival will
culminate with the 2nd Philippine Duck Forum where conservationists
and the academe will discuss the status and local efforts
to save the endemic Philippine Duck. |
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TeaM Energy signs MOA with
WBCP at the Sofitel Hotel
on June 21, 2007 to be the main sponsor of the
3rd Philippine Bird Festival. |
On the second day,
delegates will head for the Olango Island Wildlife
Sanctuary. There they will witness the arrival
of the first migrant shorebirds from northern
Asia and hold joint activities with the island
community.
WBCP Vice President and Festival
Chairperson Alice Villa-Real said organizers hope
to raise awareness of the diversity of Cebu bird
life and promote conservation of threatened species
and habitats on the island. Schools are encouraged
to participate and admission is free.
The idea to hold the festival
in Cebu was conceived early this year and has
received support and encouragement from conservation
organizations and business sector. |
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Among the organizations
that are participating in the festival are the Philippine
Eagle Foundation, Katala Foundation, Cebu Biodiversity
Conservation Foundation, WWF-Philippines, Center for
Environmental Awareness and Education, Isla Biodiversity
Conservation and Kaakbay CDI. Foreign organizations
participating in the bird festival for the first time
include the Wild Bird Society of Taipei (Taiwan), the
Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network (Malaysia),
the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand and the City
of Seosan (Korea). |
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| "The 3rd
Philippine Bird Festival is a watershed event
for bird watching and environmental conservation
in Cebu," said WBCP president Michael Lu.
"We are officially launching the bird festival
during the Club's 4th Anniversary on July 14.
On behalf of the Festival Committee, I encourage
and invite members and friends of the Club to
register their support for the project."
The 3rd Philippine Bird Festival
is sponsored by the TeaM Energy Foundation, Sulpicio
Lines, Pioneer Insurance, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation,
Cebu City Mayor's Office, and WWF-Philippines.
For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Festival
Chair Alice Villa-Real (Manila) at pathway93@yahoo.com
or 0917-5397861 and Nilo Arribas, Jr (Cebu) at
ph_photo_97@yahoo.com
or 0906-5851881. |
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| For school participation inquiries, please
contact Ms Evelyn Nacario of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation
at ENacario@rafi.org.ph
or 255-5626/27. |
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