FACING EXTINCTION

Just this year, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a new law to protect threatened plant and animal species, including those endemic to the Philippines. Republic Act 11038 expands the coverage of the National Integrated Protected Area System Act, adding 94 protected areas to the initial list of 13 backed by legislation. The law is meant to protect species such as the Philippine tamaraw, increasing funding for the protection and conservation of critically endangered species and key biodiversity areas, according to a 2018 article by Delon Porcalla for The Philippine Star. Below are five of the mammals, birds, and reptiles considered critically endangered and included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species — critically endangered being the highest risk rating for animal species.