Ever dream of flying? If you haven’t flown a kite, we argue it is the next best thing. Now imagine being able to fly to different countries freely. In late October of this year, people not only flew their own kites, but they also celebrated one of our most overlooked tourists in the country: migratory birds visiting the Philippines.
Haribon member Cams ready to fly her own custom-made kite.
by Nikki Almazar, Membership Department
Oct-Nov 2014
From the simple sled kites printed with illustrations of bird species to the most impressively elaborate traditional kites taking various forms, materials designed in an assortment of patterns, sizes, and colors blanketed the afternoon sky as they soared over Burnham Green, Rizal Park, Manila last October 25, 2014 at the Bird Kite Festival – a convivial celebration for the annual migratory season in the Philippines carrying the theme: ‘Malugod na Pagbabalik’ as a contribution to the Welcome to the Birds awareness-raising campaigns by Haribon Foundation, the BirdLife International partner in the Philippines.
View photos on our Facebook page here: Bird Kite Festival 2014.
Around 70 participants from among Haribon members, volunteers, partner schools and organizations were present in the event where they were not only able to design and fly kites but also visit various Haribon booths featuring learning materials on migratory birds, as well as other projects in support of the call to environmental protection to make for a better area for migrant birds to outlast winter in their breeding grounds.
Mr. Orly Ongkingco of the Kite Association of the Philippines and participants. Behind them are two giant-sized Praying Mantis kites.
Activity booths were also prepared for the participants to engage them in a more entertaining means of gaining more knowledge through film showing, games, and art activities. Workshops were provided as well to participants by Haribon members and staff to ensure that they take home not only their kites but more importantly the ideas they could impart to others even after the event to make a lasting contribution.
The Bird Kite Festival is the second phase of the Welcome to the Birds celebration, coming after a series of teaching tours to a number of schools, universities, and corporations, aims to impart knowledge in an entertaining way as the participants were composed mainly of families and students. The event has garnered support from numerous partners such as: Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC. (PPD), Amalgamated Specialties Corporation (AmSpec), Kite Association of the Philippines (KAP), and the Philippine Red Cross who made the event last implemented in the year 2004 possible.
It is not uncommon for the younger generation to claim that they had the least interesting childhood; More so, for their parents to wish for them to have an experience of what it felt like to live in the earlier times.
Bokashi Composting workshop by Haribon member Sherry Gocheco.
This event did not only pave way for children and students to live through how the idea of entertainment used to be through kite flying but more importantly, the celebration opened the eyes of the participants to the importance of keeping our ecosystems healthy not just for ourselves but for all other species living with us whether they may be settlers or visitors to our country.
Be part of the movement to protect our country’s most overlooked tourists by helping us with fun events like this! Visit our membership page here to learn how members can help keep birds flying.
