Making bats live so forest may live

ON ANY ordinary afternoon inside

Cubi Area of the Subic-Bataan

National Park, they look like oversized

black fruits hanging from almost bald

trunks of palosapis, tanguile, yakal and apitong trees.

Under the strict control of the United

States Navy, the park, whose

principal watershed area is now the

Subic freeport, had been home to

these giant Philippine fruit bats,

including the golden crowned flying

fox--two of the largest bat species in

the world.

Landlessness in the lowlands saw

farmers and Aetas clearing forested

grounds and cultivating portions of

the park in Mt. Santa Rita eight years

after the US Navy pulled out of

Subic.

Disturbance

The intrusion disturbed the habitat of the bats, including other

unique species such as owls, hornbills, kingfishers, kites,

green-winged and bleeding heart pigeons, pygmy swiftlets,

jungle fowl, wild duck and cattle egret, according to the Park

Animals and Wildlife Bureau.

With smaller feeding grounds, the fruit bats and the flying fox

have steadily declined in number.

To feed, these nocturnal animals fly 50 kilometers from Mt.

Santa Rita to Subic's rain forest where there are 450 plant

species. They pollinate the forest but in their flight for food,

they are also easy preys to hunters.

Endangered twice over by the disturbance of their habitat and

by hunting, the bats have found new hope.

On Sept. 22, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the

Pilipinas Shell Foundation began what is touted to be the ''first

ever'' bat habitat reforestation project ''to make the bats live so

the forest may live.''

Under the project, the SBMA and Pilipinas Shell will plant fruit

trees in 20 hectares along Mt. Santa Rita's western slopes in the

boundary of Hermosa, Bataan and Subic.

The first batch of 20,000 seedlings were planted by Sen. Ramon

Magsaysay Jr. and officials of the SBMA, Pilipinas Shell, the

Department of Energy and the Department of Environment and

Natural Resources.

Recovery

Magsaysay told reporters that the project was essential for the

protection and recovery of the bats' habitat.

The program is also expected to initiate livelihood programs for

the Aetas. ''This will be an opportunity, especially for the Aetas,

to be self-sustaining while they continue to guard and preserve

our forests and these magnificent fruit bats,'' Magsaysay said.

Adriano Nava, energy assistant secretary, called the project a

''unique environmental program'' as he hailed efforts to ''save

one of the most diverse groups of mammals in the Philippines

and the least known but recognized as among the endangered

species.''

Shell Philippines Exploration (Spex) said the project was ''part of

its commitment to sustainable development through

biodiversity conservation initiatives.''

''By saving these fruit bats, we are also saving the forest,'' said

Oscar Reyes, Spex country manager.

''Bats have this reputation, because of superstition, as

blood-sucking creatures of the night. But they are actually

gentle. Bats cannot live without the forest and the forest cannot

live without them.''