The future of Bohol's tarsiers, one of Philippines' endangered species

I am always against tarsiers or any animal for that matter, to be caged. Like what I wrote on my sidebar (see right portion), the tarsiers in Bohol, specifically in Loboc areas are stressed to the maximum level due to the influx of tourists day and night. One does not have to be a scientist or an expert to see and conclude that these tarsiers are highly stressed.

One basic example of tolerated neglect that could cause stress among tarsiers is the handler himself. There are signages in those areas in Loboc telling visitors that handling tarsiers or using camera flashes are not allowed. But you can always see these handlers/owners taking the sleepy primates off from their branch of choice and hand them to excited tourists for a shot or two, maybe even more, some using flash. See the pic being used here? I grabbed it from www.primates.com and it unabashingly promotes handling of tarsiers by tourists.

So the move of the Bohol provincial government to pass a resolution banning the issuance of permits from DENR to prospective enterprising Boholanos using tarsiers as unwilling business partners as well as attractions is a welcomed action. I wonder why this takes so long. (See: Bohol officials rescue caged tarsiers, Inquirer.net, 12/06/2008)

But I think passing a resolution is never enough. If laws on protecting endangered species like the tarsier have been consistently disregarded, how much more a resolution? I’m neither a politician nor a lawyer who knows the circuitous process of the law, but the name itself does not prove it has teeth. I believe there is an endangered species act signed long time ago, long before the people of Loboc started caging tarsiers for easy public viewing. But what happened? Why these businesses proliferate in the province?

Another case that should also need our lawmakers’ attention is the python in the town of Alburquerque. The owners may have a different interpretation of the word sanctuary because the Coca-Cola sponsored signage at the entrance to the site suggested it is a python sanctuary. Or are they right when they held captive that python so it will not become a source of food among Boholanos? Does a steel cage justify asylum in this case?

With Bohol now on the tourist map, the lawmakers and the people of Bohol in general should make the things around them as top priority and as important as making money out from them. Misuse and negligence could lead to more disastrous events in the future. The overly used aphorism “for our children’s children” could never happen in the future.

10 things I love about Bohol (an article written by Ricky Lo of Philippine Star)

I fell in love with Bohol the first time I went there three years ago to attend the wedding of a friend's brother. I've been going there every chance I get since then, to what my Boholano friend Raoul Tidalgo and I call "our paradise on earth."

When my big-city-trapped friends ask me why I'm always in Bohol (it just seems like that because I keep on mentioning the place and the people in this corner every once too often), I want to tell them, "Let me count the ways," rattling off the following "10 Things to Love About Bohol" (not necessarily in this order):

1. The Tarsier - I saw it perched on a tree along the Loboc River made even more famous by Cesar Montano, one of Bohol's pride, in his movie Panaghoy sa Suba. I looked at it eyeball-to-eyeball and that's how I noticed lonely its eyes were, so huge that, for a while, I felt that those eyes would kill me with gentleness.

2. The Chocolate Hills -One of Da King FPJ's favorite settings of his blockbusters, the hills are alive with the whatever sound you can imagine, all those 1,268 mounds (count 'em!). If you have the stamina, try climbing the 200-plus steps up one of them and, from the peak, be mesmerized by a panoramic view of the province. Breath-taking! How did the hills got the name? Give the credit to the Americans who, many years ago, stood transfixed by the natural wonder that reminded them of Chocolate Kisses. Thus, Chocolate Hills.

3. The Amarela (in Panglao) - Touted on its flyer as "...not just a beautiful beach resort but also a showcase of Bohol's rich cultural and artistic heritage...", Amarela is Spanish for yellow. Said its owner-manager Doy Nunag, "We called it Amarela by accident. Three years ago when we were on a family vacation in Portugal, we noticed that the subway lines were identified by color, one of them the Amarela Line. We were looking for a name for the resort and we thought that Amarela was perfect for it." Most of the rooms face the sea. Watch the sun rise and set from your window, and you will sing the famous Sunrise, Sunset song from Fiddler on the Roof with new lyrics coming spontaneously from your heart. I heard that Bea Zobel stays at Amarela when she's in Bohol, which is often. (Note: For inquiries, call 038-5029497 to 98 or cell phone 0906-5884145.)

4. The old churches - Raoul and I visited 14 churches the first time I was in Bohol, completing the Visita Iglesia even if it was the Lenten Season. We lingered a bit in the vicinity of Baclayon Church in Baclayon town, several meters away from it stands the lighthouse where Cesar Montano proposed to Sunshine Cruz at sunset, to the enchanting music of the Loboc Children's Choir. Romantic!

5. The Bohol Bee Farm - Owned and managed by Vicky Wallace, the Farm serves all-organic food, including - would you believe! - Bougainvilla Salad ("Anything that the bees eat is edible," assured Vicky, a retired nurse who worked in the States, now the widow of an American husband) and Camote Bread. To digest an "organic" meal, you can stroll around place and have a close look at the bees of various species, coming from different parts of the country (and Australia).

6. The Peanut Kisses, Ube Jam and Torta - Don't just bring home beautiful memories from Bohol, complete with album-fuls of pictures. Remember to drop by any of the groceries in department stores (BQ Mall - BQ for Bohol Quality - one of them, owned and managed by Raymond Ong who also owns and manages Metro Center which has a cozy hotel at the heart of Tagbilaran City) and stuff your back-pack with as many packs of Peanut Kisses and Torta and Ube Jam as you can. Family and friends back home will love those pasalubongs. Yummy!

7. Payag Restaurant - Your weekend in Tagbilaran will not be complete if you don't take lunch or dinner at Payag (#18 CPG East Avenue). My favorite item on the menu is the Chicken Barbecue, served with fresh achara and cold buko juice (or any juice of your choice). When Floy Quintos brought balikbayan international model Anna Bayle to Bohol, they went to Payag for dinner. "They occupied that table in the corner," Raoul pointed out. "Anna looked as delicious as the chicken inasal, holding a bottle of ice-cold Beer Light." Burp before you leave the place. (Note: For reservations, call 038-4112527 or 038-5019447.)

8. The Loboc River Night Cruise - For a touch of romance, take this tour with a loved one (lover or friend) - or even alone (you can "romance" yourself, can't you? By day, the cruise comes with buffet lunch. At night, you first take dinner at a floating restaurant and then you transfer to a boat that sails oh-so-slowly along the river between tall trees on both banks, adorned with lights that turn from red to orange to pink to violet to green to blue and then to light blue-green. Those lights were donated by Carlos Chan (Benchan's brother) to the tune of... P12 million!?!... including the Children's Palace where the Loboc Youth Band caps the cruise with an hour of soothing music. But first, enjoy a homegrown group composed of children and adults, waiting on a raft at the far end of the Loboc River to serenade the "cruisers" during the brief stopover. (Don't forget to donate a few bucks to the singing group; they need it.) Cruise prices are very affordable. (Note: For inquiries, call the Loboc Tourism Port Office at 038-5379292 or mobile phones 0928-5077627 and 0920-9623550.)

9. The Panglao Island Nature Resort - Owned and managed by Raymond Ong, this resort is another haven for weary souls from the big city. If you're looking for a place so quiet and so serene that you can feel your heart gently beating and yourself thinking, with only the sound of the wind rustling among the trees, this is the place for you. Your muscles grown tired? Walk to The Spa nearby. Or take a swim or do a lap or two at the Olympic-size pool. Or run to the beach just beyond your cottage. The resort's new feature is the just-opened Verdant Pavilion which is a perfect venue for concerts (Sitti was the first to hold one there; and, if negotiations push through, Martin Nievera just might do a Valentine concert there in February next year, keep your fingers crossed!). For inquiries, call (63-38) 411-5875 or 502-2451.

10. The Beautiful Boholanos - Bohol has produced a lot of stars, including Cesar Montano (of course, who is rumored to be running for governor or congressman), Luke Mejares, retired actress and now US-based Rebecca del Rio, Giselle Sanchez, the late Yoyoy Villame, StarStruck finalist Rich Asuncion, Star in a Million Champion Jerome Sala (now managing the family's hollow blocks business and, on the side, driving the family-owned passenger jeepney), Rebecca Lusterio, Hot Babe Sheree, Lutgardo Labad, 2006 Bb. Pilipinas-World Mariz Igpit and "adopted son" Maryo J. delos Reyes (who has a house in Tagbilaran. And, last but definitely not the least, my friends (aside from Raoul Tidalgo, Raymond Ong, Vicky Wallace and Doy Nunag), Betty Veloso-Garcia (and the Veloso Family), Boy Echavez and Liklik Schroeder (now based in Sacramento, California).

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com) - Ricardo F. Lo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

The Plight of the Bumble Bee

Looking at endangered animal species in the Philippines, Tim Tayag claims that if the human race doesn't do more to protect wildlife in the coming years, then we might as well pick our own graves at the nearest cemetery.



Einstein once said that if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no pollination, no plants, no animals, no more man, hence no magazine and no readers. If we don't do anything to protect our wildlife from poachers, exotic animal eaters and illegal circus trainers, the we might as well pick our graves at the nearest friendly cemetery. In the Philippines, the following species are in danger of being (if not already) extinct:

The Green Politician

This political species is uncommon but has the most promise to proliferate and save the other endangered animals. All it needs is our vote, our petitions, and our voice. Given the right incentive, such as election or re-election, the green politician can grow and create a sustainable environment for the tarsier, the calesa, and maybe even the kapre. Saving this creature will have the most impact on our country.

The Calesa

The only animal that is part-living/part-machine, the calesa roamed plentiful and free during Spanish rule. Today, this small horse-drawn carriage has been replaced by the smoke-belching tricycle. But it still thrives in some areas and particularly in Intramuros, in Manila. In a world that has an incurable addiction to oil, calesas could turn out to be the poor man's hydrogen car, as they run on the cheapest alternative - grass. And as a bonus, the manure emissions can be sold as fertilizer.

The Kapre

The cutting down of Balete (Banyan) trees has caused the demise of the kapre, a magical creature that lived in the said trees. The kapre, which shares the same height as as Yao Ming but with less hair, smokes tobacco that is so aromatic, only a smelly goat can outmatch it. Back in the days when forests were full of gigantic Balete trees, kapres lived in every trunk and wooed every maiden that passes by. Today, there are only fuzzy photos and videos of these giants on YouTube. If we could only propagate the Balete, then maybe the kapres will come back, together with our basketball glory days.

The Tarsier

This bug-eyed monkey-lik creature is the adorable mascot of Bohol. It lives in trees and is nocturnal. Probably the smallest primates in the world, sadly, tarsiers are being smuggled inside sticky rice cakes to become pets by Noah's Ark wannabes. But they don't live or breed well in captivity. Some have been known to kill themselves by banging their heads against cages or drowning themselves in drinking bowls after leaving a suicide note about loneliness. Leave them in their habitats and visit only at recommended places.



Copied without permission from Smile Magazine of Cebu Pacific Air June/July 08 Issue.