More volunteers are climbing Antique’s forests, helping conservation teams build a clearer picture of the province’s hornbill population and the habitats that sustain them.

The growing participation was highlighted during the culmination of Dulungan Month 2026 at the University of Antique-Main Campus on August 28, where Environment and Natural Resources Officer Ma. Vivian T. Marfil recognized the nearly 300 volunteers who joined this year’s synchronized hornbill count.

“Ang celebration for this year, maku-on ko nga more remarkable, because nagduro kadya and atun mga volunteers. Almost 300 volunteers nga nagshare ka effort, time, and passion, especially sa pagsaka sa bukid, hindi dali ang pagsaka sa bukid,”she said.

For Marfil, the volunteers’ willingness to undertake difficult fieldwork demonstrates how community participation can strengthen biodiversity conservation.

The 2026 Synchronized Hornbill Count recorded 68 Dulungan or Rufous-headed Hornbills, up from 62 in 2024. The count also documented 122 Tarictic or Visayan Hornbills, a substantial increase from 45 recorded in 2024.

The improvement in recorded numbers, however, comes alongside expanded monitoring rather than necessarily indicating a direct increase in the province’s total hornbill population.

Monitoring coverage grew from 10 to 12 municipalities and from 14 to 17 point-transects between 2024 and 2026. Volunteer participation likewise more than doubled, from 130 in 2024 to 276 in 2026.

The three-year monitoring results were presented by Noellha Jeanette Liwagon, Conservation Education Officer of the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. (PhilBio).

More eyes in the forest

The expanded field presence allowed monitoring teams to gather more information not only on hornbills but also on other wildlife and forest conditions.

At Mt. Hulian in Sitio Nawili, Bugasong, teams recorded 54 individual birds representing 15 species across nine transect points. These included 19 Tarictic, six Dulungan, 15 Yellow-vented Bulbuls, four Tigwatiyot and three Coleto.

The team also documented 163 trees at the site, including 53 emergent trees measuring more than 20 meters high.

In Paningayan, Culasi, monitoring teams recorded 79 individual birds representing 24 species. Among the observations were Glossy Swiftlets, Philippine Bulbuls, Pygmy Swiftlets, Visayan Flowerpeckers and Magnificent Sunbirds.

Two Dulungan; one female and one male, and one Tarictic Hornbill were also recorded.

PhilBio said the three years of continuous monitoring are beginning to reveal spatial patterns and annual variations in wildlife observations, providing a baseline that can support future conservation planning.

From counting birds to protecting forests

Antique Governor Paolo Javier thanked the volunteers, particularly those who trekked into forest areas to conduct the count.

“This event is not just a celebration of our provincial bird, but a reminder of everyone’s responsibility, Antiqueno ka man ukon pangayaw, to take care of our biodiversity,” he said.

The province’s approach increasingly links wildlife monitoring with community participation. Rather than relying solely on government personnel and conservation groups, the hornbill count brings together residents, government agencies, local governments, schools, conservation organizations and protected-area partners.

Dulungan Month activities also included a five-day exhibit at the University of Antique, an exhibit at the New Provincial Capitol, information and education campaigns, a tree-growing activity in Sebaste, and orientations on the Biodiversity Monitoring System.

The celebration is anchored on Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-208, which declares August as Dulungan Month in Antique.

With monitoring sites and volunteer participation expanding, the latest count provides conservation managers with more field data to work with. The more important test, however, is whether the information gathered will translate into sustained protection of the forests where Antique’s hornbills live.

For conservation teams and the communities helping them, every count is therefore more than a number; it is another piece of evidence needed to understand whether the province’s forests remain capable of supporting its threatened wildlife.IMT