THE Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced the successful hatching of Philippine Eagle Chick No. 32, a milestone in the foundation’s conservation breeding program.

The chick, named Bayani, meaning “hero” in Filipino, hatched on December 5, 2025, and was adopted by Procon Grumbach, the developer of the modern incubator system used by PEF at the National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS).

“Knowing that our incubation systems support the Philippine Eagle Foundation’s conservation breeding efforts makes the birth of Bayani especially meaningful,” said Nico Herth of Procon Grumbach. “We are proud to stand with the Foundation in giving this iconic bird a stronger future.”

Bayani, now in his third month, is the offspring of Philippine Eagles Dakila and Sinag, produced through cooperative artificial insemination. The incubator aids in careful incubation and early development of eagle eggs, ensuring the chicks have the best chance of survival.

The foundation has faced challenges in previous hatchings. Chick No. 30, hatched in November 2024 using the “help-out” method, died after 17 days due to respiratory distress. 

Chick No. 31, named Riley, hatched naturally in January 2025, the first documented unassisted natural hatching at the NBBS, but later died from complications of a rare bone condition. The first-ever captive-bred Philippine Eagle, Pag-Asa, hatched in 1992 at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos and lived to age 28.

As a precaution against bird flu, PEF relocated several breeding eagles to the NBBS. Unlike the Malagos Center, the sanctuary is not open to the public and is patrolled by 20 Bantay Bukid volunteers from the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe of Toril.

Current breeding pairs at the sanctuary include Matatag and Ariela, and Balikatan and Bangsa Bae, relocated in February 2024, as well as Blaze and Gavra Maslog, moved in June 2024.

The NBBS spans 105 hectares within the Eden Tourism Reservation Area, awarded by the Davao City government. Of this, 8.16 hectares serve as a forest buffer, while 5.3 hectares are dedicated to core facilities. RGP