More surveys are needed on Mindoro and Sibuyan to find new information about the species’ populations, habitat preferences, threats and conservation needs. Taxonomic work is also needed to determine whether or not the population on Sibuyan is conspecific with that on Mindoro.

Threat

Nothing is know about threats to this species, as it is not known whether or not it is dependent upon forest. Mindoro and Sibuyan have undergone extensive deforestation. However, there is some remaining montane forest on both islands.

There is little known about the habitat and ecology of this species. On Mindoro the three specimens were collected in high elevation primary forest and on Sibuyan, the six individuals were collected in lowland to low montane forest.

Listed as Data Deficient as there currently is very little information on the species’ population and ecology, and it is known from only six individuals. Little is known of the threats to the species although at lower elevation habitats have been extensively deforested. Further research may provide information demonstrating that the species is threatened.

It is a beautiful, medium-sized rat with short fur, large pale ears, and a furry white-tipped tail that is about 85% of the length of head and body. The fur is primarily dark brown dorsally, and creamy or creamy-gray ventrally. The hind feet are short and broad.

Ashy thrush (Zoothera cinerea) is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines.

It has ashy-grey head and upper parts, usually shows pale lores and two blackish bars on face, one through eye, one on rear of ear-coverts. It has darker grey wings with two prominent white wing-bars, white underparts with blackish malar, heavy black spotting/streaking on upper breast and large black spots on belly and flanks, white undertail-coverts and very pale legs.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. A rapid population decline is suspected to be occurring as a result of continuing habitat clearance throughout the species’s range. However, given the species’s apparent tolerance of secondary habitats, declines may be less drastic than currently thought.

Conservation Efforts

In the northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, it is nominally protected because of the national park status of Mts Makiling and Quezon. In Mindoro, funding has been provided for faunal inventories and environmental education initiatives at Puerto Galera.

It is proposed that key sites be designated as formal protected areas; Angat watershed on Luzon and Puerto Galera on Mindoro.

The president of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County (FACCOC) and the chair and president of the Council of Trade and Investments for Filipino Americans, Para Anderson has built an amazing career in Marketing Research.

Para spends a larger chunk of her days serving the Filipino-American community, specifically for FACCOC. “Now that I am the President of this organization, I feel an even stronger sense of purpose and duty. It is unbelievable the amount of my waking hours spent doing FACCOC-related activities. I may not make everyone happy or serve everyone but at least no one can say I am doing this for money or for my own glory. If I can make a difference in one person’s life through my community service at FACCOC, then I think I have accomplished my goal,” she admitted to the Asian Journal.

For more than two decades, Para has climbed up the ladder of success in the technology industry, working her way up in the field of marketing and marketing research for companies like Epson, Toshiba America, and Canon USA.

As department head of Market Research at Canon USA for 12 years, Para participated in introducing some historical endeavors through innovative products, including Canon’s first ink jet printer, first scanner, first digital camera and first multi-function printer.

In 2006, Para ventured into entrepreneurship. Today, she is a full-fledged entrepreneur and connector, juggling her days as President and CMO of Mindoro Corp, Elite StainMaster Flooring Center in Santa Clarita, and serving as marketing consultant for start-ups.

Origins and Family Life

In an exclusive interview with Asian Journal, Para shared her humble beginnings.

“I came from a big family, the eighth of ten children (five boys and five girls) of my God-centered parents, Benigno Elizaga Panahon and Rosario Saa de Asis. I was born at home in what was an idyllic quiet village or ‘bukid’ in Najuan, Oriental Mindoro. At that time, my father was assigned as principal, while my mother was the first grade school teacher in Nagiba Elementary School in Naujan. My earliest and fondest memories were carefree, happy days at the elementary school, which I considered my own playground, next door to our house. Being a first grade teacher, my mother taught me to read and write as early as three years old. She carried me to school daily even as a baby, so I practically grew up in school,” recalled Para.

“After I graduated from elementary school, my parents were transferred to Calapan, where I studied high school at an all-girl Catholic high school, Holy Infant Academy. I completed my bachelor’s degree in English literature in a local catholic school, Divine Word College. My parents still live there in Calapan today; both are 92 years old,” Para said.

In 1978, Para moved to Manila to live with her siblings and worked as a secretary at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). There, she fell in love with a graduate school student, American Gary Frederick Anderson. They married soon after and a son was born in June 22, 1980 in Makati (then part of Metro Manila.) The Andersons then moved to Palos Verdes, California in August 1980. Their daughter was born in Torrance in July 20, 1982.

The Big Move

Para’s first years in California weren’t easy. “It has been 31 years since we moved to California but I still vividly recall the difficulty in assimilating with an all-Caucasian family and neighborhood in Palos Verdes. It was such a complete culture shock and a very difficult transition for me, as a 23-year-old provincial Filipino mother who was accustomed to eating rice and fish three times a day. Raising two children while maintaining a household without help was one of the most challenging adjustments in my life, despite having the modern conveniences of washer/dryer, vacuum cleaner and such. Thanks to my gracious and kind parents-in-law, they were so accommodating and understanding that they made it easier for me to assimilate and adjust to my new life and family in the US. Soon enough, I came to enjoy my life in the US, despite missing my big noisy family in the Philippines,” she recalled.

A Successful Corporate Career in America

Para’s marketing and marketing research career in the technology industry began in 1981 when Epson established an office in Torrance, CA. Para was one of the first Epson employees to be involved in the introduction of the first groundbreaking dot matrix printer designed for personal computers.

“In 1985, my young family moved from Palos Verdes Estates to Orange County where freeways were still wide open and houses were more affordable. I left Epson when the long commute from OC to Torrance became unbearable, compounded by the fact that I was working full-time, raising two kids and finishing my MBA at Pepperdine University,” admitted Para.

She joined Toshiba America in Tustin in 1986 as an integral part of the product team that launched the first “IBM-compatible” laptop in the world, the T1100. From 1992 to 2005, while working at Canon USA, Para led the market research department and helped introduced Canon’s innovative products like the first ink jet printer, first scanner, first digital camera and first multi-function printer.

“As department head of the Market Research at Canon USA for 12 years, I had the privilege of directing all consumer research engagements which required me to travel extensively around the US and occasionally abroad. Traveling to big cities and small towns, I met and interviewed hundreds of interesting people from different walks of life, ethnic backgrounds and economic situations giving me a deeper appreciation of living in this beautiful God-blessed country. My long and rich career in the technology industry ended when Canon pulled its corporate operations out of CA and consolidated it in Long Island, NY. Immediately thereafter, I had a short stint as a corporate researcher for KB Home, one of the largest homebuilders in the US and when the real estate market took a nosedive in late 2006, my marketing and market research career came to a screeching halt,” said Para.

Entrepreneurship

After her long and rich corporate career, Para then decided to join her husband in running their consulting company, Mindoro Corp. Gary handles the financial modeling consulting work, and Para does the marketing. “Currently, my main activities are to connect people and businesses looking for opportunities and investments in the Philippines. The upside of entrepreneurship is the flexibility in setting my daily schedule and time to join networking groups, the downside is wearing many hats and juggling many balls in the air,” explained Para.

Volunteer Work and Community Service

Her passion for volunteer work and community service took root while involved in a local church. “My husband and I joined The Filipino-American Christian church in Irvine in 2000 where we immediately felt at home. We became involved in the leadership group, including the Missions Committee. The first mission trip to the Philippines was one I organized along with Pastor Jonathan Mortiz, his family and his dad who is a radio evangelist at FEBC (Far East Broadcasting Company), Pastor Paul Mortiz. We held the evangelistic missions naturally in places close to my heart, Naujan and Calapan, in honor of God and as gift to my father who was celebrating his 80th birthday at that time,” shared Para. “Since then, I participated in several missions trips to Bacolod, Marikina, and Payatas where our church, now named Woodbridge Community Church, continues to support children feeding programs in partnership with the local church there. My missions trips to Payatas smoky mountains, experiencing the incredible stench and the heart-breaking poverty of the people up close, opened my eyes to the stark reality that the physical and spiritual need is so enormous, so great, as huge as the mountains of trash facing me. I am thankful that our church consistently gives monthly and goes to Payatas mission annually,” she said.

Business Organizations and Non-Profits

In 2007, Para joined several business organizations including the Irvine Chamber of Commerce and the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County (FACCOC). The following year, in 2008, she was encouraged to run for the board and have served continuously as PR Officer, Secretary, President-elect and now President of FACCOC.

Para also serves in the Advisory Board of Econserve, a non-profit organization to save Naujan Lake by teaching out-of-school Filipino youth leadership, service learning and environmental conservation

Very recently, she was appointed Chairman and elected President of the Council of Trade and Investments for Filipino-Americans, a new business advocacy group under the guidance of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, Los Angeles.

“This group is an offshoot of the Philippine trade briefing we held in November 2009 and our trade mission trip to the Philippines in September 2011. I am excited to accept this responsibility. The influence of this group can be far reaching and global as we will be thrust in the forefront to educate, encourage and facilitate active participation of Filipino-Americans in creating and building wealth that will benefit both the US and the Philippine economies. Economic growth has been one of the primary concerns of President Noynoy Aquino and his administration. I am honored and humbled to play a role in helping him achieve his administration’s goals for the benefit of our homeland,” said Para.

Interests

When at home, Para finds delight in gardening, growing roses and vegetables. “Our backyard is large enough that we can plant a wide variety of plants and vegetables that even during the winter months, we have a good supply of vegetables. We grow our own salad in the backyard,” she said.

“Like many people, I find exploring and traveling to places anywhere, local or abroad, exhilarating and educational. I enjoy reading personal and spiritual development books, which help me walk closer to God, become a better person and a have a willing heart to help others. As human beings, discipline doesn’t come naturally so I find it important to improve myself by reading, taking classes, engaging in church community for these activities serve as reminders and inspirations for me to grow,” shared Para. “It may sound odd but I find it enjoyable to meet interesting new people for coffee, hear their journeys and stories, study their personalities and character, learn from them, and see if we can help each other,” she added.

Advice to Kababayans

As a consultant to start-up companies, Para has a lot of advice to Fil-Ams who want to become entrepreneurs. “First, we have to believe that God is our ultimate boss and coach so it is important to thank Him first when we wake up in the morning and ask for his divine guidance in any thing, in any business venture we do. You’ll be amazed at how He directs us to the right people, the right circumstances and the right path. We have to recognize that He gave each of us gifts and talents and one must use those gifts. We must recognize that having the talents, ambition, right attitude and potential to succeed is nothing unless we act and develop good habits to make our dreams a reality. The blessings will not fall from heaven if we don’t get up and out of our comfort zone.”

“ I find that entrepreneurship requires a whole person of character, that is why I advocate personal development and self-improvement classes. Invest in it. If you think about it, free resources are abundant—the Internet, the library, our friends—all we have to do is be resourceful. Go out and find them. Developing good habits does not require any financial outlay but can bring you enormous success in business. One of them is cultivating relationships with successful business people who can teach you their secrets to success. Oftentimes, Fil-Ams are shy and would say ‘nakakahiya naman to ask’ because we don’t want to impose on people but all you have to do is ask and that is what I mean by getting out of our comfort zone and acting on what you already have. Success is a life-long process and discipline and the space here will not be enough to say it all,” concluded the Pinay peak performer.

Story from Asian Journal.

The Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill (Penelopides Mindorensis), sometimes shortened to Mindoro Hornbill, is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family. It is endemic to forests of Mindoro. It is the only tarictic hornbill where both sexes are creamy-white and black. The sexes are very similar, and primarily differ in the color of the ocular ring (pinkish-white in the male, blue in the female).

The Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill is not currently being kept in captivity and is threatened by habitat loss, and is consequently considered endangered by IUCN.

The species was “exceedingly abundant” at the end of the nineteenth century and birds were common along the lower Baco River and numerous at Balete in 1905. The species was considered fairly common in lowland areas in 1954, but rarely been observed. It is thought to remain in very small numbers and at low densities, and it has been recorded at only five localities (among which is Naujan) since 1990.

This species is recorded in primary forest, forest edge, secondary growth and occasionally in tiny isolated woodlots and even single fruiting trees in cultivated areas, ranging rarely up to 1,000 m. It has been said to feed “mainly on forest edges and in small patches of forest”, but it may nonetheless remain dependent on larger tracts of closed forest for nest-sites and some food resources. It was also observed within or on the edge of patchy primary forest, in a narrow streamside patch of forest and in recently logged forest.

Food Fruits of figs are known to be utilized and are probably a key item of diet, but there is no further information. Birds were recorded feeding on fruit in a tree “within a few feet” of a house at Chicago near the north coast.

There is no information on breeding, except that a female at Lake Naujan had enlarged gonads in May. There is no evidence that this species undertakes seasonal or other types of displacement, but at least occasional nomadism seems likely.

Threats

The problems facing this species are essentially the same as those afflicting the Mindoro Bleeding-heart Gallicolumba platenae, except that shooting of birds in trees replaces snaring of birds on the ground as the form of human persecution practised. Hunting, against which there is no legislation, is mainly for food, and the species is easy to detect and shoot; at three localities it was reported that between two and five hornbills can be taken in a week.

Moreover, dynamite blasting for marble prospection at Mt Malasimbo is forcing the species to retreat upslope. No further deforestation of Mindoro is reported to be planned, but this is not to say that it is not occurring. Moreover, many hornbill nest-trees were toppled by a flood in December 1993, which submerged much of eastern Mindoro; doubtless the effects of this flood were exacerbated by deforestation.

Measures Taken

Information provided in the equivalent section for Mindoro Bleedingheart relating to Siburan (a “key site”) and Puerto Galera is relevant here. While the Mindoro Tarictic has been recorded at Mt Iglit-Baco National Park, the lack of coverage by any other protected area needs urgently to be addressed. The species is listed on Appendix II of CITES.

Apart from the areas targeted for conservation above, the species is known from three “key sites” (Mt Halcon, Lake Naujan, Malpalon) and these deserve formal designation under the NIPAS process (although in the case of Lake Naujan it needs to be established if and where sufficient forest occurs to support this species).

*Sources: Haribon Foundation

Brgy. Aurora

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Mr. Pat B. Barrientos
OIC – Center Director

Barcenaga, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

Telefax: (043) 447-0481
Telephone No. (043) 706-0096
E-mail adress: atibarcenaga@yahoo.com
Website: www.ati.da.gov.ph/mimaropa

When the Department of Agriculture (DA) was reorganized in January 1987 under the Executive Order No. 116, the Bureau of Agricultural Extension (BAEx), the Philippine Agricultural Training Council (PATC) and the Philippine Training Centers for Rural Development (PTC-RD) merged, and paved the way for the establishment of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).

The ATI started with 10 training centers from the former PTC-RD when it became operational in 1987. A year after, the number of training centers nationwide rose to 26 when nine Regional Training Centers (RTC) and seven Farmers’ Training Centers (FTC) were set up.

In 1989, there was a total of 41 training centers nationwide after seven FTCs, seven Regional Fishermen’s Training Centers (RFTC) and the International Training Center on Pig Husbandry (ITCPH) were installed.

ATI’s role as the DA’s extension and training arm was strengthened with the Republic Act 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997. But in November 1998, the RFTCs were turned over to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Also, the FTCs were renamed Provincial Training Centers.

To date, we have an existing 16 Regional Training Centers all over the country and one International Training Center on Pig Husbandry.

Republic Act 8435 (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997) mandated the ATI to:

1. lead in the formulation of the national Agriculture and Fisheries Extension (AFE) agenda and budget;
2. prepare an integrated plan for publicly-funded training programs in agriculture and fisheries;
3. advise the Department of Agriculture in managing financial and logistical support for AFE;
4. formulate and issue guidelines in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating AFE programs; and
5. assist the local government units extension system by improving their effectiveness and efficiency through capability building and complementary extension activities such as technical assistance, training of personnel, improvement of physical facilities, extension cum research and information support services in coordination with state universities and colleges.

Executive Order Number 116 mandated the Institute to:

1. train agricultural extension workers and their clientele;
2. conduct multi-level training programs to promote and accelerate rural development; and
3. ensure that research results are communicated to the farmers through appropriate training and extension activities.

Department Order no. 3, series of 2007, mandated the Institute to lead in the provision of e-Extension services in collaboration with the various agencies, bureaus and organizational units of the Philippine Department of Agriculture. This is to integrate and harmonize ICT-based extension delivery system for agriculture and fisheries.

The Mindoro Bleeding Heart (Gallicolumba platenae) is a distinctive but rare bird, the last confirmed sighting of the Mindoro bleeding-heart in the wild was in 1997.

This medium-sized ground dove is named for the small, yet distinct, orange patch on its whitish breast, although this looks less like a ‘bleeding-heart’ than in other Gallicolumba species, which have a blood-red patch.

The Mindoro bleeding-heart has rich, dark chestnut upperparts, with a reddish-purple gloss on the back and shoulder feathers. The dark gray forehead shimmers with a touch of green and the bluish-gray tail contrasts with its chestnut rump.

It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, where it is restricted to a few remaining patches of lowland forest, mostly in the west and south of the island.

Little is known about the elusive Mindoro bleeding-heart. It spends most of its life on the forest floor, concealing itself in dense vegetation, and is therefore very difficult to observe. Its diet is not fully known, but it has been seen feeding at a fruiting fig tree. The nest of the Mindoro bleeding-heart is made of sticks and leaves, lined with fine rootlets and tendrils and situated in a tree or shrub, one or two meters above the ground. Nests have been found to contain two pale cream-colored eggs.

Threats

Mindoro’s forests have been devastated by human activities, such as logging, cultivation and rattan collection, and the bleeding-heart’s habitat has now been almost entirely eradicated. Populations in the remaining small forest patches continue to face intense pressure from deforestation and trapping. In addition, the beautifully patterned plumage of the Mindoro bleeding-heart makes it a target for trapping for domestic and export pet trade, and it is also hunted for food.

Conservation

The Mindoro bleeding-heart was last recorded in 1991 in Sablayan, the largest remaining patch of lowland forest, but there have been more recent, unconfirmed reports by local people from two other areas. It may be afforded a little protection in the Mount Iglit-Baco National Park, and hunting has been prohibited around Mount Malasimbo.

Thorough surveys of all these areas are urgently needed, to clarify the Mindoro bleeding-heart’s current distribution, and if any surviving populations are discovered, studies to determine its ecological requirements would help inform conservation actions. The protection of two key sites at which the bleeding-heart is believed to occur, Mount Halcon and Lake Naujan, is also likely to benefit this critically endangered bird.

*Sources: Haribon Foundation

I was born naive, shy and very silent-type
Never had a nerve to give any compliment in any part
I act like a rock that never ever been hurt
Though the truth keeps bothering my pride

I realized all of the best you had given me
That time I’m rebellious young innocent Gee
Your sacrifices, love and tears I was blind to see
As if I gave a fountain of sadness and pain to thee…

Your heart, your mind, your energy I thought was all wrong
Now I found out was basic diets for each mother’s souls
You have enough quality of durability to break any wall
As long as you can protect us so we won’t ever fall

I thought building my very own family is quite easy
So I asked your immediate consent to set me free
Mommy you smiled at me as I thought you were happy
Now I know giving up a child is a ton of worry

Everyday I am thinking of you and I missed you mom
I am full of regret to what I ‘d said and done
I wish I’m still a child and can stay in your loving arms
Cuddle me again even for just a night to keep me warm

I am a responsible mother now, and so I know
I wish mommy would stay young and happy too
I learned that when grannies raised us long time ago
Mommy wasn’t immature, alone and in deep sorrow

Every day, I’m trying my very best to be
A mother like the mom you were to me
I will teach my children to be a nice child accordingly
To God’s will and let them find their goal for eternity

San Agustin National High School- Laguna Extension
Brgy. Laguna

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