Day 313: Lushness

It wasn't long ago when the green abundance you see here was just a single branch of beauty. Now it's teeming with rich, vibrant hues of green and yellow-green. 

I don't know exactly what this plant's name is but I bought it because I thought it looked good and would fit well into the garden. Well, I guess I was right. 

Day 281: Nature's Bounty

This was the very first time we joined an out-of-town field trip together with the entire elementary class and faculty of BFCS. For two years in preschool, our entourage only composed of the Nursery, Kinder 1 & 2 classes and itinerary was usually limited to within the city only. 

Well, this school field trip turned out to be a family bonding time too as we all joined Kuya Jarred and his schoolmates. It began as an adventure ride since we decided to just wander off on our own and take the public bus from Butuan City to Balingoan, Misamis Oriental which took about 2.5 hours on the road. 

We arrived at Mantangale Dive Resort an hour short of noontime and just in time for Jarred to join the group picture taking. Soon after, it was time to unpack our lunch/picnic kits and get ready for lunch. Everyone brought so much food that it turned out like one big picnic party and sharing with each other was one of the greatest highlights of the day. 

After a short rest, the kids hit the pool, swam and played to their hearts' delight. A couple of hours before departing for Butuan, the kids were gathered by their teachers for some games and sports events. 

It was already dusk when we finally arrived home and it was obvious that the kids had an amazing time as they were soon dozing off to dreamland after a full day of fun, friends and family bonding. 

Day 142: Endangered

On my way back to the car after grocery shopping this morning, I chanced upon a small crowd along the sidewalk. Curious about the apparent commotion, I eased my way into the throng and discovered these animals being shown off by their handlers. When I saw these poor things being paraded for all to see, I had a sagging feeling inside. My first thought was that these may well be endangered species and shouldn't be peddled along the streets. I saw two uniformed policemen looking over from afar and decided to approach one of them to ask whether they knew which agency I should contact to report about the incident. Well, of course, they didn't know and I wasn't surprised that they didn't seem bothered by what they were seeing.

Further research online revealed that out of the three species above, the Philippine Sailfish lizard has been classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as threatened or having high risk of endangerment in the wild. On the other hand, the Asian Palm Civet (Alamid) was categorized under least concern by the same entity and there wasn't any conservation status tagged to Monitor lizards. My primary fear about the Alamid is that there have been studies that have linked it to the SARS virus outbreak some years back. Regarding the Monitor lizard, their predatory nature and large size are factors that can hinder having them as pets.

For most people in the crowd, these animals seem to be some form of entertainment for them and it didn't seem they were concerned about their status. Personally, I think it really should be the lookout of every Filipino to be more conscious about our natural resources and ensuring their safety and care.

If you have any information about which government agency I should deal with to report this incident, please feel free to leave comments on this page. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.