10th Philippine Bird Festival takes flight in Bataan

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Local and foreign tourists, environmentalists, bird watchers and nature lovers will troop to Bataan on Wednesday, as the province hosts the 10th Philippine Bird Festival from December 9 – 11.

The said festival is dubbed as the country’s largest celebration of avifaunal diversity and bird lore awareness. The main site of the festival will be at the Balanga Wetland and Nature Park, the only wetland park found in the four provinces fringing Manila Bay.

The park has complete amenities for bird watchers such as the nature information center, birdwatching decks, and a mangrove walk. Balanga City Mayor Jose Enrique “Joet” Garcia III will host a welcome dinner for guests on December 9 at the Plaza Mayor de Balanga.

On Dec. 10, Senator Cynthia Villar will keynote the opening ceremony while Gov. Abet Garcia will host the Governor’s Night on Friday, December 11. The festival will be studded with various fun activities and learning sessions.

In 2014, scholars and the WBCP estimated 25,935 migratory birds flocked to the wetlands of Balanga City, Bataan each day. Among the migratory birds that frequently visit Bataan are egrets, which are already on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Twenty five international and local birdwatching organizations, including delegates from Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Britain, and Japan will join the migratory birds flocking to Bataan.

This year’s theme is “Ibon at Kalikasan, Kayaman ng Bayan” or “Birds and Nature, Our Nation’s Treasure.” The festival will put a particular focus on the Green Racquet-tail, a rare parrot found in Morong, Bataan.