Tacurong City holds 2nd Bird Festival

TACURONG CITY (PNA) — Bird lovers, environmental preservation advocates, local and foreign tourists and local government leaders converged here recently to celebrate the 2nd Tacurong Bird Festival.

“The conduct of this festival is our way of showcasing our eco-tourism gem — the Baras Bird Sanctuary, and also of promoting its conservation and protection,” Tacurong City Mayor Lina Montilla told tourists as she welcomed them to Barangay Baras here.

Baras Bird Sanctuary is one of the ten most internationally important wetlands for water birds in the Philippines, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP).

For a 1100 entrance fee, the festival goers were treated to a guided tour of the sanctuary and various art activities including face painting, plastic bottle recycling, origami, ball cap-making, coloring for toddlers and keychain painting.

The festival was also highlighted by a motorcade s from the Tacurong City Hall to the Baras Bird Sanctuary.

The attendees signed a pledge of commitment for the preservation, protection, and promotion of the Baras Bird Sanctuary led by the city mayor.

The festival also hosted a forum. Speakers included Dr. Carmela P. Español of the Institute of Biology of UP Diliman who discussed on Ecosystem Function and Services; Forester Mangayao C. Macapodi, Chief of Conservation and Development Division of DENR Region 12 who tackled Endemism in Mindanao and Police Supt Felix N. Servita Jr., Chief of Regional CIDU 12, whose talk centered on Wildlife Act and Enforcement.

According to the Tacurong City Tourism Office, the 2nd Tacurong Bird Festival attendance improved by 100 percent from the previous year and attracted more visitors from the different parts of Mindanao including Sarangani, South Cotabato, and North Cotabato among others.