Walk for Wildlife: Circumnavigating the Northwest Panay Peninsula on Foot

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By Raz Salvarita

For the love of conservation and in commemoration of World Wildlife Day, celebrated every March 3, the Philippine Initiative for Conservation of Environment and the People (PhilinCon), through its Darwin Project, spearheaded a five-day sojourn dubbed “Walk for Wildlife”—an educational campaign aimed at highlighting collective community efforts to protect the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park (NPPNP) located on Panay Island in the Philippines.

The walk commenced on March 3 in the municipality of Pandan, in the province of Antique, with the group participating in the LGU’s flag ceremony. They were given a moment to share the purpose behind the campaign, aligning with this year’s global theme: “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.”

According to Janfred Panuncio, the campaign coordinator and team leader, “Celebrating wildlife across the world is a significant step toward recognizing the inherent coexistence of people and nature. Ideally, our appreciation of wildlife should not be based on their value to us, but on their right to exist.

Organizing Walk for Wildlife amplifies its impact, aligning with a growing global movement that strengthens with each passing day.”

With five ‘core walkers’—Janfred, Joevel Mae Ojeno, Putput Fernandez, Paul Willie Calapardo, and myself—alongside lead artist Dennis Samulde with assistant Elizalde Garzon, and support coordinator Dionn Hubag, we embarked on a journey around the loop. Traversing mountain roads and coastal fringes, we crossed between the provinces of Antique and Aklan, passing through the four neighboring municipalities of Nabas, Malay, Buruanga, and Libertad, which form the borders of the peninsula and the NNPNP – including Pandan.

In some distances along the way, we were accompanied by PhilinCon staff and forest rangers, community fellows, representatives from the local and national government environmental office, representatives from project partners – the Bristol Zoological Society and the Darwin Initiative Project, NGOs such as Aklan Trekkers, Baryo Balangaw Creative Initiatives and Kuno Earth, individual supporters and students among others. The brothers, Psalm and Mark Mantac walked with us from Buruanga to Libertad; as well as Cecilia Paz, a retired social worker.

This collective camaraderie fueled our motivation—pushing us beyond the mere completion of the walk’s approximately 120,000 steps over a 96–110 km distance.

Rockstar Warty and Art of Conservation

Creative communication was at the heart of this endeavor, with artistic expression serving as a highlight throughout the journey. Our artist-walker, Dennis, left a lasting imprint through The Wildlife of Panay mural series, painting on the walls of host schools that welcomed the group with admirable generosity.

Students actively participated in the mural painting activity, showcasing their artistic talents while fostering a sense of pride and connection to the campaign. The power of artistic response in enriching environmental education is vital—it not only nurtures creative expression but also reinforces the importance of individual and collective responsibility. By bridging generations through art, the campaign strengthens the call for more robust policies to protect the remaining forests, coastal areas, and marine resources of the Northwest Panay Peninsula.

Additionally, an interactive and engaging presentation about the Panay Big Five were introduced in every school visit. It featured the fauna that made their habitat in the NPPNP including:

• the Visayan Spotted Deer (Rusa alfredi) considered one of the world’s rarest and most endangered deer species characterized by its white spots on a dark brown coat;
• the Dulungan or Walden’s Hornbill (Rhabdotorrhinus waldeni) known for its important role in seed dispersal, contributing to forest health and the reason it is dubbed as “farmer of the forest” – it is also the provincial bird of Antique with August being celebrated as Dulungan Month;
• the Visayan Tarictic Hornbill or Tirik (Penelopides panini), a species that is endemic only in Panay and Negros and faces threats from deforestation;
• the Negros Bleeding-heart dove (Gallicolumba keayi) is a critically endangered endemic species of a “very rare medium-sized ground dove of foothill forest floor on Negros and Panay”; shy and secretive, it has a red patch on its chest, resembling a bleeding wound – hence the name;
• and lastly, the Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons) known for its distinct facial warts and bristly mane – celebrated as the “rockstar of the northwest”, it plays a key role in forest regeneration by dispersing seeds.

Of these, Rockstar Warty emerged as the campaign’s species icon, as a charismatic figure, for the wildlife education initiatives, including the Young Conservation Champions Summer Camp.

Considered hotspot species, these animals play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance. They are unique to the region and serve as indicators of environmental health—meaning that if they disappear, the entire ecosystem is at risk. This unfortunate reality underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts.

One of the primary goals of the campaign was to engage schools and inspire youth to become vanguards and custodians of NPPNP’s natural environment. The participating schools included: Toledo National High School, Malay National High School, Buruanga Vocational School, Libertad National Vocational School, and Mag-aba National High School.

Roadside Curiosities and Community Convergence

As we journeyed on foot, carrying totem statement flags held high, we sparked curiosity among roadside onlookers—children, elders, vendors, airport guards, and passing vehicle riders alike. Along the way, we encountered humorous anecdotes and brief exchanges, with the most memorable ones coming from those who shared their stories related to wildlife and the support of admiration for the cause.

The valuable random encounters became sweet-spot motivators for us to keep on treading under the rain or the scorching heat of the day. Moving on, I imagined the stories of people I know that walked the path around the area on rough roads – anecdotes of World War II etched along the crevasses of the coastal fringes of the peninsula.

On the final stretch of the walk, we were joined by a group of forest rangers, PAMB office staff and interns, students, community fellows, and PhilinCon staff, including Executive Director Dr. Rebecca Tandug, along with Dr. Rebecca Sargent of the Bristol Zoological Society.

Following the walk, a gathering was held at the residence of PhilinCon Trustee Michele Placio, where a talk was given after a shared meal.

From there, we proceeded to the assembly spot at Mag-aba Elementary School, followed by a community convergence walk toward Mag-aba National High School, where the culmination event with the students took place, featuring a large mural art activity.

It was an afternoon of celebration—honoring the spirit of wildlife conservation, volunteerism, and our shared commitment as custodians of the last remaining stretch of uninterrupted lowland primary rainforest in the Western Visayas.

The joy that Rockstar Warty brought to the crowd was tangible—a powerful reminder of the community’s deep-rooted connection to their natural heritage. True happiness, we realized, comes from taking pride in and caring for the wondrous environment that sustains us.

As the final steps of our journey unfolded, the setting sun cast a gilded glow over the Northwest Panay Peninsula mountains. With hearts full and spirits lifted, we embraced the team spirit that had carried us through every step—and onward into the journey ahead.

The author is the coordinator of KUNO. Earth and founder f Baryo Balangaw Creative Initiatives, Inc.