They used to poach the endangered Philippine cockatoos and sell for P50
each. Now, they swore never to go back to their illegal trade after being hired as wardens of the island that is home to hundreds of rare flora and fauna. Aguilardo Deig, a Tagbanua, is among the eight wardens hired by the Katala Foundation, Inc that implements the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Program (PCCP) in Palawan, to protect Rasa Island. Rasa, the pilot site of the PCCP, is an 8.34sq km coral island in the Sulu Sea, just off Narra town, 85km from Palawan’s capital Puerto Princesa City. Deig, also called Agui, is tasked with monitoring Rasa and other mainland sites where cockatoos (Cacatua haematuropygia), known in Filipino as katala, usually, dwell.
Please find the full press release online.