FINEX Book Launching

Bird talk

Opinion

Written by Liling Magtolis Briones / Boiled Green Bananas

Business Mirror, Sunday, 17 January 2010 20:23

‘Bird-watching? Gusto big bird!” This was the laughing response of Social Watch convenor Jeck Reyes Cantos, to the invitation of Kaakbay president Alain del Pascua for the Social Watch convenors to have its next planning meeting in the great Candaba swamp in Pampanga. “Puwede bang hawakan?” joked another naughty convenor. The rejoinder: “You can only watch, but don’t touch!”

As convenor of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI), Social Watch actively campaigns for more budgetary allocations for the environment. Kaakbay is an active member of the Social Watch Network and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. It is a duly accredited party-list organization campaigning for the Millennium Development Goals.

And so, a vanful of Social Watch/ABI nature lovers left Manila at 4:30 in the morning on January 9, eager to “catch the early birds” with their cameras.

We knew what to expect, having read articles and watched television shows on the thousands of migratory birds which converge at the Candaba swamp from October to April each year. Nonetheless, the sight of thousands of wild birds flying high in the sky, their brilliant wings glinting and flashing under the sun, was an unforgettable and moving experience.

‘Wings in the Water’

A few years ago, Kaakbay produced a beautiful documentary, Wings in the Water, about the birds in the Candaba swamp. There were shots of different wild birds soaring to heaven, and ducks diving straight down to earth. It was nominated Best in Cinematography and for Citation on Rivers and Lakes in the Moonrise Film Festival of documentary films.

The Candaba swamp covers 32,000 hectares of wetlands and is an important staging and wintering area for migratory wild birds.

It is a part of what is called the East Asia-Australian Migratory Flyway which includes Alaska, Russia, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan in the North and Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia in the South. Thus, more than 100 species of migratory, resident and endemic birds can be spotted in the area.

One watcher commented that the wild birds must be holding an international summit in the swamp, considering the many countries they came from. Our Kaakbay guides identified more than 30 species of birds during our short visit.

We had always thought that all egrets are alike. Now I know there are little egrets, intermediate egrets and great egrets. The little ones are the long-necked white birds which we usually see perched on top of carabaos. I also thought a heron was just a heron. Now I know that there is the purple heron with its brilliant plumage, the gray heron, Rufous night heron and the black-crown night heron!

One lesson we learned is that teeny-weeny birds are just as great-looking as the big birds. Another lesson is that the Philippine wild duck is totally different from the flocks of domesticated ducks which give us balut. For one thing, it can fly to breathtaking heights!

Threatened species include the streaked reed warblers, Baer’s pochards, Philippine mallards, and spot-billed pelicans. They have gained sanctuary in the swamp.

Bird-watching and bird-counting

In 1982 about 100,000 ducks were observed in a single day in the swamp. It is said that the number of birds and species has declined dramatically with the clearing of the birds’ natural habitat, draining of water, conversion of land, as well as irresponsible hunting and poaching.

In 2004 the municipality of Candaba, Pampanga, declared the entire town a bird sanctuary. Hunting and poaching of all kinds of wild birds are now banned. The mayor has built a rest house where watchers can shoot all they want—with cameras, not guns.

Things might be improving. The Asian Waterbird Census in 2006 has recorded more than 11,000 birds and more than 80 species in just three hours.

Yesterday the environment department, in cooperation with Kaakbay and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines started the Asian Waterbird Census. Counting birds calls for expertise, especially in the identification of different species and their distinctive characteristics

That’s strictly for the birds!

The phrase means “trivial, worthless and only of interest to gullible people.” However, bird-watchers of Kaakbay have taught the Social Watchers that bird talk is serious talk. They are part of the balance of nature and add to its dazzling beauty.

They need a place where they can find shelter and food. Yes, the Candaba swamp should be strictly for the birds.

An avatar for the Philippines?

THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNANCE | LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES

ABS-CBN Interactive 01/11/2010 12:33 AM

The most beautiful films I have ever watched are the three Lord of the Rings movies: Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King , directed by Peter Jackson.

Now comes “Avatar” directed by James Cameron. From the first day of its showing, the film attracted hordes of film viewers. I saw the 3-D version with my family.

I already knew what to expect from ecstatic reviews and stunning trailers. Nevertheless, when I finally saw it, I was entranced from start to finish. The film seamlessly blended technology, romance, spirituality and advocacy in one gorgeous film. Enthusiastic reviews descriptions ranged from “sumptuous fare”, “monumental feast for the eyes,” and “enchanting.” One reviewer raved, “You’ve never experienced anything like it!” Right!

My painter son and his wife who are into digital imaging were impressed with the techniques which pushed the”Gollum technology” in the “Rings” even further. My husband who lives at the foot the highest mountain in Negros Oriental, loved the forests while my 6-year old apo loved the flowers and the mysterious lights.

Beyond the dazzling technology, the breathtaking heights of the floating mountains, the thrilling battle scenes and the heart-breaking moments, the film raises issues which people have been advocating for decades- the rights of peoples who have been colonized, the use of state force to protect corporate interests and allow exploitation of the natural resources of colonies and the wanton destruction of the environment in the interest of industry and “progress.”

The massacre of native population contemptuously called “blue monkeys” in the film by the military brought to my mind the rebellious island of Samar where Filipinos were called “monkeys without tails” by American soldiers. The lush jungles and the gigantic flowers evoked images of Brazil, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The insatiable greed for the mineral called unobtanium brings to mind the ruthless exploitation of the diamond mines of South Africa, oil deposits of Nigeria, and the rich mineral ores of the Philippines. And yes, the rebellion of the Nav’i stirred memories of rebellions against the armed might of dominant powers.

While the film is futuristic and takes place in the moon (Pandora) of a very distant planet, one cannot help but feel that it is about the planet Earth. Not the planet Earth of the future but that of the immediate past and the present. The hero’s decision to be part of the Nav'i rebellion against the “sky people” is reminiscent of the film “Soldier Blue” and “Dances With Wolves, where the hero joins the struggle of the American Indians against the whites. The story of William Pomeroy who married Celia Mariano, joined the Huk movement in the Philippines and was captured and imprisoned is a true-to-life love story.

The theme about protecting the environment and the rich natural resources of poor countries resonate with the “Rings” films, “Water World” and many others. In the Philippines, the ongoing debate on the exploitation of mineral resources and destruction of the environment continues unabated. Forty years before, the issue was indiscriminate cutting of trees. Today”s issue is on the massive floods resulting from the crimes of the past.

An avatar for the Philippines?

Aside from the above themes, the bigger theme is that of the avatar.

The word avatar can be traced to Hinduism. It refers to the “appearance of a deity in physical form, having descended from heaven to earth.” It is the “incarnate appearance” or the “human manifestation of a deity” Thus, an avatar is actually a deity in human form.

The best known avatars of the Hindu God Vishnu are Krishna and Ram. The great Hindu epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana are celebrations of their earthly journeys.

However, the meaning of the word seems to have evolved and has been diluted. As far as techies are concerned, avatars are not representations of God but of humans. Thus, Facebook enthusiasts have their own avatars.

In the film “Avatar”, the word refers to a genetically bred Nav’i-human hybrid. A Nav’i body is controlled by a human brain.

The mission of the classic Avatar is to “bring righteousness back to social and cosmic order.” A quotation from the Mahabharata is translated as follows: “Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases, I send myself forth, in order to protect the good and punish the wicked. In order to make a firm foundation for righteousness, I come into being age after age.”

Many Filipinos despair over the degradation and moral decay which is sweeping the Philippines. Is it time for an avatar of God to bring righteousness back to our country? Must God come down in human form to restore order and peace in our troubled world? Or can we solve our problems by ourselves, starting with the elections?

Kaakbay and the Millennium Development Goals

Media has been coming out with news items on party lists which have been accredited by COMELEC. Party list groups represent marginalized sectors. As with many other institutions of government, the party list system has been abused.

It is widely known that the First Gentleman’s sister who lives in Forbes Park represents “marginalized small business people.” The son of a senator represents farmers! Major religions have their own party lists as well as aggrupations based on language.

Not so KAAKBAY. It was accredited by the COMELEC last November 2009 as “Kapatiran ng mga Anak ng Bayan.” Its platform advocates the Millennium Development Goals, specifically agriculture, education, health and the environment. It also campaigns for budget reforms. Its track record of active membership in the Alternative Budget Initiative convened by Social Watch Philippines is well established.

If elected, KAAKBAY will surely expand its advocacy and sponsor bills which will provide adequate budget support for the MDGs. It will advocate laws which will help ensure that promising young Filipinos will not senselessly bleed to death.

Visit the KAAKBAY website at www.kaakbay.org