Sometimes I feel ashamed to be Filipino.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,496046,00.html

But before you blast Filipinos in general, you kinda have to understand the culture over there. Yes, they eat birds. Yes, some people eat food items that are rare for the thrill of it. Yes, majority of them are not educated in wildlife, let alone its conservation and preservation. So, I'm hoping my kid will stay interested in wild life and take an interest in educating the Filipinos. That's really the key here. EDUCATION.

When you say you are poor in the United States, we get confused because when you say poor in the Philippines - it means living a hand-to-mouth existence where you don't know where your next meal is coming from. And there are A LOT of them there. It is a third world country for a reason. A quail, no matter how rare, is food. A dog is food. An adult reticulated python is a feast. Anything you can get your hands on is food for these poor people. It's been that way for thousands of generations.

I am hoping it will change. Praying. My mom is a dog advocate. She worked to stop the practice of eating dogs in my town and succeeded. She started with my dad! My dad's family got a group of investors to create a small preservation for endangered national wildlife - like the national bird - the Philippine Eagle - and sea turtles and some species of fish. It is not even scratching the surface. And they worked half their lives on it. The government finally instilled a ban on dynamite fishing which wiped out the coral reefs after years and years of debate. So, I don't know. Maybe it will come. But, right now, it is looking really bleak.

Good on your family for its conversation work, and if there is one... there are more.

Hopefully having documentation will now allow it to become protected and the locals can become educated regarding its survival.

Cool stuff. And poverty is poverty, regardless of where you are. I live in an urban centre... I would not know an endangered bird if it roosted on my balcony...

Thanks for posting.
Bruce

I know Bruce I sit with Grandma (my best friends grandmother) and she tells me stories of "the past" she is great, now if I could only get her to stop feeding the racoons, opposums etc. she loves all animals and they all must be fed lol, so all food scraps go to them

Heh... my gram was more the... `oh look at the cute squirrel i caught in my trap`... seconds before dunking it into the rain barrel. *YIKES*

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Originally Posted by anatess

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,496046,00.html

But before you blast Filipinos in general, you kinda have to understand the culture over there. Yes, they eat birds. Yes, some people eat food items that are rare for the thrill of it. Yes, majority of them are not educated in wildlife, let alone its conservation and preservation. So, I'm hoping my kid will stay interested in wild life and take an interest in educating the Filipinos. That's really the key here. EDUCATION.

When you say you are poor in the United States, we get confused because when you say poor in the Philippines - it means living a hand-to-mouth existence where you don't know where your next meal is coming from. And there are A LOT of them there. It is a third world country for a reason. A quail, no matter how rare, is food. A dog is food. An adult reticulated python is a feast. Anything you can get your hands on is food for these poor people. It's been that way for thousands of generations.

I am hoping it will change. Praying. My mom is a dog advocate. She worked to stop the practice of eating dogs in my town and succeeded. She started with my dad! My dad's family got a group of investors to create a small preservation for endangered national wildlife - like the national bird - the Philippine Eagle - and sea turtles and some species of fish. It is not even scratching the surface. And they worked half their lives on it. The government finally instilled a ban on dynamite fishing which wiped out the coral reefs after years and years of debate. So, I don't know. Maybe it will come. But, right now, it is looking really bleak.

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It sucks that a bird might go extinct because it is on the "grocery list" but such is life in areas of the world that are very poverty stricken. I am all for conservation of animals and such, but if it is me or the "dominican monkey hawk" ( made up animal in case you didn't know :D ) it is me every time. I have four siblings adopted from rural russia and three of them lived alone outside for a while at ages four, six and eight(with the oldest taking care of them by stealing and begging), I believe and they ate anything they could steal or catch, including but not limited too, lizards, frogs, snakes, etc.... no fish because the river was too polluted. they actually will not eat fish to this day, five years later because of it. But, anyhow, I don't think they were wondering if their meal was endangered or not.

Conversely... in developed nations (hate that expression) we kill animals all the time and drive as many into extinction because we cannot stop destroying their habitats.

We may not eat it, but we ensure its demise regardless.

Bruce

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Originally Posted by Bruce Whitehead

Conversely... in developed nations (hate that expression) we kill animals all the time and drive as many into extinction because we cannot stop destroying their habitats.

We may not eat it, but we ensure its demise regardless.

Bruce

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very true, often times the only things "developed" about said nations are the suburbs and mini malls.

I'm not sure if I agree with the conservation of an animal if it is someone's only source of food. Instead of getting investors to build a preservation for endangered animals, I would have set up an organization to get food to these people.

I know this isn't the case and it isn't what your family intended to do... but it's almost as if they're saving the wildlife instead of saving the people. Animals have rights, but not at the expense of humans.

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Originally Posted by Bruce Whitehead

Conversely... in developed nations (hate that expression) we kill animals all the time and drive as many into extinction because we cannot stop destroying their habitats.

We may not eat it, but we ensure its demise regardless.

Bruce

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Sad but true.

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Originally Posted by Smith285

I'm not sure if I agree with the conservation of an animal if it is someone's only source of food. Instead of getting investors to build a preservation for endangered animals, I would have set up an organization to get food to these people.

I know this isn't the case and it isn't what your family intended to do... but it's almost as if they're saving the wildlife instead of saving the people. Animals have rights, but not at the expense of humans.

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x2

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Originally Posted by Smith285

I'm not sure if I agree with the conservation of an animal if it is someone's only source of food. Instead of getting investors to build a preservation for endangered animals, I would have set up an organization to get food to these people.

I know this isn't the case and it isn't what your family intended to do... but it's almost as if they're saving the wildlife instead of saving the people. Animals have rights, but not at the expense of humans.

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yes we send food to them then its meds then its more food because more ppl are living longer to more meds and on and on

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Originally Posted by Smith285

I'm not sure if I agree with the conservation of an animal if it is someone's only source of food.

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See, that's the thing... it is NOT the only source of food. But, because there is no wildlife education or any other education like cultivation in these poverty-stricken parts, they don't know how to "select" or "grow" food sources. They go by what is there at that opportune moment. There is money to educate these people. But, the government has been corrupt for so many years (ever since the Philippines gained independence after being a US Commonwealth in the 50's) that these monies go to somebody's pockets instead of to these type of programs. So, it is up to the private sector or the church or to an honest government official to provide such education.

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Originally Posted by Smith285

Instead of getting investors to build a preservation for endangered animals, I would have set up an organization to get food to these people.

I know this isn't the case and it isn't what your family intended to do... but it's almost as if they're saving the wildlife instead of saving the people. Animals have rights, but not at the expense of humans.

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That is not the case in many of these groups who are trying. It is not INSTEAD OF, but HAND-IN-HAND WITH. We go by the principle that you teach a person to fish instead of handing them fish, etc.

For example, my dad's family is involved in politics for this region. My uncle was the mayor of the town of Cordova for over 20 years all throughout the reign of Marcos (under Martial Law, Marcos suspended all term limits which kept him in the President seat for 20-some years!). My uncle, the mayor, is a general surgeon as well and his wife a nurse. There is no hospital in this town. You have to go to the mainland for hospital care. So, my uncle put a surgical table at the mayor's office and performs minor surgery as well as general health treatment and education there. He believed that if he can just educate the people on proper hygiene it can go a long way to preventing health issues. His mini-hospital supplies was funded by Marcos' administration somehow - not quite sure how he justified the budget. His older brother is the mayor now (one member of my dad's family or another has been elected to that seat ever since Marcos got ousted). His main thing right now is bringing businesses to the town to increase employment and town revenue. That preservation that they got investors in has a 20-room hotel over the water - it is basically an island made out of corals that goes under the water during high tide - so they built up a sea-wall to keep the island above water and built the rooms on stilts so it is not on the coral. It is very pretty. Check it out at http://nalusuan.mencaresorts.com/ind...age=about%20us and read all the tabs - especially the Vision and Goals tab. And if you ever happen to vacation to the Philippines, you have to make at least a one-night stay there! You won't regret it. It has one of the best snorkeling sights in the country.

The preservation is funded by the hotel. So, it serves several purposes - a source of revenue for the town, an employment provider, a local educational wildlife facility, a research facility for the mainland university's marine biology program, and it also has programs to teach locals how to fish efficiently! But most of all, it raises awareness of the wildlife local to the area and gets the people excited and proud of their land.

But, like I said... all of that is not even scratching the surface of changing Philippine culture...

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Originally Posted by dizzy

Sad but true.

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Indeed. Off topic, but Bruce i really like your signature quote!!! I believe that to be very true. Although, i enjoy a movie from time to time:gj:.

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Originally Posted by nixer

yes we send food to them then its meds then its more food because more ppl are living longer to more meds and on and on

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yeeeaaaahhh, and we don't want people living longer....no, no, no sir.:weirdface

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Originally Posted by anatess

That is not the case in many of these groups who are trying. It is not INSTEAD OF, but HAND-IN-HAND WITH. We go by the principle that you teach a person to fish instead of handing them fish, etc.

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I agree with that, I guess I just didn't see how preserving wildlife fit in with that.... I'm really not very educated on the phillipines so I don't know about the poverty there and what not, but I commend your family for doing what they can to help

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Originally Posted by juddb

Indeed. Off topic, but Bruce i really like your signature quote!!! I believe that to be very true. Although, i enjoy a movie from time to time:gj:.

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I love movies.. I know I will be savaged and am prepared for it. And I can avoid commercials and canned laughter.

But to turn on a TV and watch what rolls over the screen... I LOATHE it. I have ended relationships when the other person is a TV watcher. :rolleyes:

If I go to someone's house and the TV is on.... I leave. :)

I hate to say it, but natural selection exists for a reason.

Humans are animals that are part of the world, and effect(and are affected by) the environment.. Only time will see where it takes us.

That sucks but honestly, I did giggle.

Anatess,
I applaud your efforts on bringing this up at this forum. Awareness..

Your efforts and your families efforts though you think is small is a big start.
Fires start with sparks. This is how religions are spread.. Go figure how far it went (global).

There are many ways to look at this and not necessarily wrong.
Filipinos have to do what they need to do to survive. Education will help guide them but this will not happen over night of course. Philippines is not the only 3rd world country. I have seen this in Thailand and its neighbors as well. This also happens here in the U.S. (Bald Eagle) but turned around because of the education. Those that sold and ate the bird are not educated enough to know any better. Don't be ashamed to be filipino. I sure am not. In fact I am very proud.

I am proud to be able to teach others not to hate snakes (the way most filipinos are raised, especially due to religion). My cousins and my family do not like snakes as much as I do but they know and understand. Because I taught them. My sister in NYC called me one day and said there was a snake in her front yard and she wanted to kill it. But because she thought of me she didn't and just scared it away from the house. Thus the butterfly effect.. That little snake is probably a proud grandparent by now.

For anyone else out there thinking their little effort means nothing, don't. I would not be the avid reptile enthusiast if it wasn't for my trip to the zoo when I was 5. That little knowledge that was passed on to me about snakes went pretty far. Continue on educating and being educated yourself. That is where it starts.

Anatess,
I understand how you feel. I have had issues with my nationality (and prejudices) a lot... just for example... how many people you thing is "on watch" when hearing about someone from ex Eastern Bloc? Prejudices all the way...

That's why I would like you to know: 'No one is responsible for own nationality'. I'm member of this forum few days... and I can say you are already one of those who has my sympathies. It's because of your character not your nationality... I do not compare nationalities. I do compare characters of people. And you are great person for me. So please do not feel ashamed...

Martin

well that bird did look pretty tasty.:D

It is what it is.. You are who you are. How can you be ashamed? Everyone is different and not everyone can all agree.. Im assuming you grew up in America and it's culture.. In Phillipines is different from America..

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Originally Posted by t-Roy

It is what it is.. You are who you are. How can you be ashamed? Everyone is different and not everyone can all agree.. Im assuming you grew up in America and it's culture.. In Phillipines is different from America..

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Oh no. I grew up in the Philippines. Didn't move to the US until I turned 21. Sometimes I'm ashamed - SOMETIMES. When all these "only in the Philippines" things happen that shows the limits of our education. You can take any Filipino from any Philippine school and I can be proud and confident to say that he/she can compete with any nationality in Math, Science, History, and Literature. You can go to any city in the Philippines and they will speak to you in English - with correct grammar - so you won't have to worry about understanding any of the 49 distinct dialects. You can guarantee that if you have a Filipino worker, you will have one of the world's best in intelligence, work ethics, and hard work. But then, the same Filipino has no problem peeing on a public wall (ignorance of proper hygiene?). And no problem electing Erap Estrada to the President seat (politically immature). And no problem eating an endangered quail (ignorance of flora and fauna). I guess you can't have it all. Hey, I'm not saying Filipinos are inferior. Far from it. There's a lot the US can learn from the Filipinos.

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Originally Posted by anatess

You can guarantee that if you have a Filipino worker, you will have one of the world's best in intelligence, work ethics, and hard work. .

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I can only speak for were I work but, I wouldn't say that describes the Filipinos I work with. Now I will say it describes a few but, not the majority. You are entitled to your opinion but I don't think Filipinos are any different than any other workers you have good ones and not so good ones.

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Originally Posted by Chuck

I can only speak for were I work but, I wouldn't say that describes the Filipinos I work with. Now I will say it describes a few but, not the majority. You are entitled to your opinion but I don't think Filipinos are any different than any other workers you have good ones and not so good ones.

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I think Anatess was just showing some pride...I don't think it was meant for "all" filipinos. There is always that few in society that mess it up otherwise Philipines wouldn't have jails or any other country.

Look at the few in society that release their burmese pythons in florida.. Then they mess it up for the rest of us responsible reptile owners.