DENR 7 Announces Winners In World Wildlife Day Quiz Bowl, Essay Writing Contest

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 on Monday announced the winners of the quiz bowl and essay writing contest in celebration of the World Wildlife Day (WWD) held on March 3 in Cebu City.

May Antoinette Escoro of Abellana National High School in Cebu City won first place in the quiz bowl, with Kenneth Francis Saxton of Regent Pacific College in second place and Jesson Samuel Dela Cruz of Benedicto College in third place.

In the essay writing contest, Melmar Usman of Ramon Duterte Memorial National High School won first place, with Henel Lou Ramirez Villalon of Regent Pacific College in second place and Jonabelle E. Saban Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School in third place.

“This is a reminder that wildlife plays very critically an important support system for our existence and we should endeavor to co-exist with them,” said DENR 7 Regional Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo.

Montejo said the competitions, which were held last March 3 at the DENR 7 Training Hall, Banilad, Mandaue City with 11 participating elementary and secondary schools, were aimed at raising awareness and conservation efforts particularly of threatened species.

Montejo said the Philippines had been earning praise from the international community for its efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade, such as when it destroyed the country’s stock of confiscated elephant tusks in June last year.

“We have been continuously monitoring to ensure that the provisions of Republic Act 9147 or the wildlife resources and cave protection act have been carried out to protect and conserve wildlife species and their habitats, to do regulation and collection of trade and wildlife, and to initiate or support scientific studies on the conservation of biological diversity,” Montejo said.

The Philippines’ participation in the WWD celebration was part of the country’s commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement adopted in 1973 to regulate worldwide commercial trade in wild animal and plant species. (PNA) LAP/EB/PR/EDS