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Celebrating Mindoro’s Species
by Buena Fe F. Quiatchon
Haring Ibon Issue 39 | July-September 2009

I was glad to be given the chance to attend the Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan (MIMAROPA) Tourism Exhibit in Campshell, Intramuros last July. Although I have worked in the area for almost three years, it was my first time in that section of Intramuros. The venue was ideal for the holding of exhibits and I was really amazed by the beautiful booths of the different Southern Tagalog island provinces showcasing their local products and tourist destinations.

The Provincial Day was scheduled on July 31 and to my surprise, many Mindore�os came to the exhibit. I saw people from my town and local officials from different Mindoro municipalities.

That afternoon, I assisted my immediate supervisor, Maria Theresa Poblador, the SB Secretary and the Officer-in-Charge of the Tourism Program in facilitating a lecture on bird watching led by Haribon Foundation.� The lecture was made possible through the request of the Occidental Mindoro Tamaraw Tourism Council. It was exciting to meet students from different schools from Metro Manila and especially from my alma mater, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). More than sixty students participated in that lecture given by Don Geoff Tabaranza, one of Haribon’s research specialists and an active bird-watcher. The lecture was brief and yet very interesting. It was my first time to learn a bit on bird watching. Haribon had initiated bird watching training in Sablayan to help conserve Mt. Siburan’s forests as well as provide supplemental livelihood for the local communities. I have missed these trainings, hence, I grabbed the chance to actively listen to the lecture together with the students, Jimuel E. Valentin and Minda C. Alto, my officemates.

My excitement heightened when we were allowed to use the different types of binoculars brought by Haribon. We were asked to identify the colors and features of the paper mache birds hung throughout the area. It was great fun, the students did not miss chance sighting the birds. Although we felt a little dizzy using the different types of binoculars, we really enjoyed this activity. There was also an activity of solving a puzzle (image of the Philippine Eagle) and it took long for any of the groups to put their puzzles together. After this, a mini-quiz conducted by Ate Minda Alto took place, testing the knowledge gained from the lecture. Those who answered correctly were awarded with posters, pins and pamphlets. The participants really enjoyed the afternoon and experienced the generosity of the Haribon and the Occidental Mindoro Tamaraw Tourism Council in providing some simple tokens. The Provincial Tourism Council also gave out Mindoro’s endemic bird species and Tamaraw pins.

Kudos to Haribon for this very interesting activity. I really appreciated the lecture and I wish I could join some more in the future. I had a really good time. Congratulations also in successfully launching the Bird Guide of the most frequently sighted birds in Mindoro.