MANILA, Philippines — Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri sought to honor a 21-year-old farmer in Bukidnon who drove away around 30 monkeys to save a wounded female Philippine Eagle.
The senator filed Senate Resolution 519 on July 15 commending Marvin Linoy who, he said, also administered "improvised first aid" for the eagle.
The proposed measure seeks to recognize Linoy’s “exemplary courage and heroism” and his contribution to the protection and conservation of one of the country’s most treasured and critically endangered wildlife species.
Linoy was gathering passion fruits in the forest when he heard noises and discovered around 30 monkeys attacking the Philippine Eagle, which was covered in soil.
Zubiri on Thursday said Linoy rescued the critically endangered raptor near the Sawaga River in Dalawangan, Malaybalay City on July 3.
"The bravery that Marvin has shown was extra ordinary. At 21, he kept his composure in a dangerous situation and found a way to protect a wounded Philippine Eagle until help arrived,” Zubiri said in a statement.
“We're extra proud of him because we also hail from Bukidnon, and most importantly he saved a ‘critically endangered’ species. The Senate should recognize this [laudable deed],” he said in Filipino and English.
Linoy drove away the monkeys "by mimicking the barking of a dog and, demonstrating remarkable presence of mind, covered the eagle’s eyes with fern leaves and wrapped its body with his jacket to calm and stabilize the injured raptor until rescuers arrive,” the resolution read.
The measure also recognized Junissa Valdueza Docenos and Sanny Docenos, fellow members of the Inhandig Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative, for assisting Linoy during the rescue.
According to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), only about 400 breeding pairs of Philippine Eagle remain in the wild, and the species is classified as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The Philippine Eagle was turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and transferred to PEF for treatment and rehabilitation. The PEF reported that the adult female eagle was suffering from dehydration and maggot infested wounds.