At the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Christmas does not only signify the birth of Jesus Christ. At this time of the year, the center hatches a few bundles of joy and hope.

By Grace S. Uddin
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY – There’s a good chance that Domingo Tadena won’t be spending Christmas Day with his family. Instead, he might spend this most important of days -- to Filipinos at least -- with a bunch of eggs.

Tadena is the deputy director of the Philippine Eagle Center, which is ran by the Philippine Eagle Foundation, and part of his job is to make sure that the hatching of eggs of the Philippine eagle – the endangered pithecophaga jefferyi – goes smoothly. And many of the chicks are hatched in December.

Tadena, who is in his late ‘50s, has been with the center for almost three decades and he and his co-workers have grown accustomed to the ways of the Philippine eagle. "Before Christmas comes, we would already arrange who will celebrate with their families and who will not,” he said. “A lot of times, I have spent Christmas Day here in the center."

According to Tatit Quiblat, communications officer of the foundation, "Christmas is really the busiest time for the center. Almost the people here couldn't spend their Christmas with their families because these are the times when eagle eggs start to hatch."

Quiblat explained that the eagles start breeding in July and once the eggs come out, it would take 55 to 60 days for these to hatch. The usual time for hatching are during the “ber” months. Some eggs hatch as early as October but the hatching peaks in December. Three eggs remain unhatched and are presently the focus of the foundation staff’s attention.

"Taking care of the eagle is like taking care of a baby,” Tatit said. “It is a 24-hour job."

For Tadena, taking care of the eagles has become more a devotion than a job. "I hope the remaining eggs will successfully hatch and for the new hatchlings to be healthy,” he told davaotoday.com. He added that these eagles would then be released to the wild, where they will replenish this endangered species.

PEF Executive Director Domingo Tadena. Photo by Barry Ohaylan

The foundation’s eagle center is located in Malagos, about 45 minutes by land transport from the city. The center provides a tropical rain forest environment that makes it suitable as breeding ground for these large birds of prey. The center, which is in itself a forest ecosystem where a variety of orchids also thrive, is home to 32 Philippine eagles, 10 other species of birds, four species of mammals, and two reptiles.

Tadena, who took up biology at the Ateneo de Davao, said the center has equipped him with the proper trainings, many of them taken abroad, on wildlife preservation, bird and prey breeding and other fields related to wildlife conservation.

Things had not been easy for Tadena, the center and the eagles. Years ago, when the center was still situated in Talomo, encounters between the military and the New People's Army made life a little difficult. He said they always feared for their lives and for the safety of the eagles under their care. When the center transferred to Marilog, the burden of traversing the long, rocky and sometimes muddy road tested their patience.

On a personal level, it had not been easy as well for Tadena. Aside from the low pay, he had to spend time away from his family. But he said that overall, he was happy with his job.

"I am proud with my job because I was able to feed my family and send my six children to school," Tadena said.

In a way, Tadena had developed strong a connection with the eagles. Caring for the eagles, he said, is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of the animals, especially with their characters. This includes studying their hygiene and behavior. One mistake, Tadena said, could provoke the eagle and could lead to injury to the caretaker.

And when an eagle dies, Tadena and his colleagues also feel grief. When a new eagle is hatched, on the other hand, everybody is happy.

Tadena said that the newest Philippine eagle was hatched last Nov. 25, 2005. It weighed 158.5 grams and was the product of the natural pairing of eagles Tsai and Princess Maasim. It was the 19th Philippine eagle bred at the center and, like the others, hogged the headlines.

Tadena said the chick was quite healthy and stable that it even needed no assistance getting out of its shell. However, the center still puts the chick under intensive care and monitoring especially because it is still young.

The new chick will be named after those who would adopt it. Under the foundation’s adoption program, the donor will shoulder the cost of the food and care for the eagle.

"Since it was captive-bred, we would like to request the donor to sponsor the eagle until its sixth year. This way, we can ensure that the eagle will be taken care of, until it matures," Tatit, the communications officer of the foundation, explained.

(The foundation can be reached in Manila at 8140418, in Davao at 82-2243022, and via email at info@philippineeagle.org.)

Having this job, Tadena said, is fulfilling. His dedication has, in fact, paid

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off: Tadena is among the five recipients of the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual for Visayas and Mindanao. The awarding will take place in March next year.

"Of course, I feel glad about it. At least, they recognized my effort," Tadena said. But he said he is more happy knowing that he has been able to help Nature, particularly in saving the Philippine eagle. (Grace S. Uddin/davaotoday.com)