MANILA Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will conduct testing of water samples from all rivers across the country amid the ongoing outbreak of poliovirus.

The test is to determine the quality of and coliform content in the country’s bodies of water after water samples from the sewerage system in Tondo, Manila and Davao city tested positive of poliovirus.

According to DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has ordered all its regional offices to submit the results as soon as possible.

“Hahanapin namin ang mga pipes na nagtatapon sa mga rivers para masiguro natin na hindi na madagdagan pa ang polusyon ng river (We will trace the pipes that discharge directly into the rivers to make sure that pollution level in our rivers will not escalate),” Antiporda said. – MNP (with details from Grace Casin)

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) turned over on Tuesday (September 24) to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) a piece of deer head smuggled into the Philippines without the necessary import permit.

The BOC said the deer head was discovered inside a parcel declared as household goods and personal effects that arrived at the Manila International Container Port on July 12, 2019 from Guam.

The subject good was seized for violation of Sections 11 and 27 of Republic Act No. 9147 otherwise known as Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, and Section 117 in relation to Section 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

SINGAPORE – A pair of Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) received a warm welcome from staff at Jurong Bird Park, their home for the next 10 years.

On May 20 this year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) signed a loan agreement with the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) in a move to save the species from extinction.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this year included the Philippine Eagle in its endangered list of wildlife as there are some 180 to 500 mature eagles remaining in the country.

The eagle pair, named “Geothermica” and “Sambisig”, are recognized as ambassadors for Philippine biodiversity, according to Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.

 “Geothermica” and “Sambisig now join the close to 3,500 birds being taken cared of at Jurong Bird Park, the largest bird park in Asia.

The sanctuary houses around 400 bird species, of which 20 percent is threatened.