## On the Brink

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**Canonical URL:** [On the Brink](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2023/december/76-c3-currency-notes-final.pdf)

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### Status and population
- The Philippine eagle is described as having "a wingspan of more than seven feet, steely gray-blue eyes, and a mane-like crest."
- Researchers estimate there are just 392 potential pairs left.
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the eagle as "at high risk of extinction."

### Habitat, range, and ecological needs
- Eagle pairs need about 4,000–11,000 hectares of forestland to survive.
- The eagle's range once covered 90 percent of the Philippines, or about 27.5 million hectares of forest cover.
- That span has dwindled to only 7 million hectares, according to data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

### Conservation efforts and challenges
- There is a "fundamental lack of information regarding their distribution and population size," according to Dennis Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).
- PEF is breeding the birds in captivity to keep them from going extinct.
- PEF is working with forest communities to reforest and protect cleared areas to allow the birds to travel and hunt in safety.
- Salvador: "I think we have a real chance of saving the eagles, even with the little we have left. It’s just a matter of political will and attitude."

### Public awareness, national recognition, and the banknote
- Two proclamations were issued by former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada: one declared the eagle the national bird, the other established Philippine Eagle Week.
- A newly designed 1,000 peso polymer banknote was released in April last year, featuring the Philippine eagle and the national flower, sampaguita, on the front.
- The note’s design and security features won it the International Banknote Society’s 2022 "Banknote of the Year" award.
- It is the first banknote in the country to be printed on polymer.
- Sara Curtis, a director at the Philippine central bank, said the eagle was featured on the banknote to "highlight the importance of the preservation of this endangered species."
- The eagle is said to exemplify "Filipinos’ strength and love for freedom," according to Curtis.

### Outlook and needs
- Increased public awareness and a national wildlife conservation law have "bought the eagle time."
- Long-term survival will require expanded information on distribution and population size and a "mass movement," according to Dennis Salvador.
- Conservation success hinges on political will and public attitude.

*Source: 76-c3-currency-notes-final — Finance & Development, DECEMBER 2023.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2023/december/76-c3-currency-notes-final.pdf_