By Henry Empeño | October 5, 2026

OLONGAPO CITY — A Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus), locally known as “lawin” or “agila,” was rescued at Barangay Matain in Subic, Zambales on Monday, October 5, and turned over to the local environment office for proper assessment and rehabilitation.

Forester Edward Sernadilla, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Olongapo City, said the rescued raptor was turned over to his office by Matain barangay officials.

Sernadilla said the rescued eagle will be transferred to the Wildlife in Nature (WIN) Rescue Center in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, where it will undergo further medical evaluation and rehabilitation before its possible release to its natur5al habitat.

CENRO’s wildlife enforcement officer Bryan Vallejos initially examined the eagle prior to its turnover to WIN, Sernadilla added.

The Philippine Serpent Eagle is found only in the Philippines and is commonly found in forest clearings, open woodlands, and rural or cultivated lands.

While it is currently assessed as a specie of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the DENR said it faces a declining population trend, mainly due to habitat loss, as well as poaching and hunting for the illegal pet and wildlife trade.

The species is protected under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, which prohibits unauthorized collection, possession, transport, and trading of wildlife without the required permits or authority.

The rescue of the Philippine serpent eagle in Subic was the latest turnover reported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), highlighting the importance of community participation in the agency’s wildlife protection program.

On September 20, the DENR also received five wildlife species from a concerned resident of Barangay Maronquillo in San Rafael, Bulacan: two Asian palm civets (𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘹𝘶𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘴), two Philippine serpent eagles (𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘴), and one Brahminy kite (𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴), which are all classified as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List.

The rescued animals were subsequently transported to the Biodiversity Management Bureau Wildlife Rescue Center for further evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation, the DENR said.

On September 15 personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Tarlac City captured an 8-foot, 6-inch reticulated python (𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘱𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴) and turned it over to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).

The python was subsequently transferred to a DENR-accredited wildlife rescue facility at Clark Safari in Pampanga for assessment and appropriate care.

DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo had commended the residents and agencies in facilitating the rescues, saying the prompt turnover to the proper authorities gives rescue animals a better chance to receive needed care, rehabilitation, and return to their natural habitat.

He said the DENR encourages the public to report rescued, injured or displaced wildlife to the nearest DENR office instead of keeping or attempting to rehabilitate them independently. ▲

▼ PHOTOS by DENR