The Philippine Tarsier Foundation, Incorporated (PTFI) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

non-stock corporation A non-stock corporation is a corporation that does not have owners represented by shares of stock. That type of corporation is called a stock corporation. Instead, a non-stock corporation typically has members who are the functional equivalent of ...

based in

Tagbilaran City Tagbilaran, officially the City of Tagbilaran ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Tagbilaran), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 104,976 people. Encompassing a la ...

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, established in 1996 to conserve, promote research and establish a

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

for the

Philippine tarsier The Philippine tarsier (''Carlito syrichta''), known locally as ''mawumag'' in Cebuano and other Visayan languages, and ''magô'' in Waray, is a species of tarsier endemic to the Philippines. It is found in the southeastern part of the archip ...

. Organized by local businessmen in Bohol, an island of 1.2 million people, the foundation runs an 8.4-hectare (20.7-acre)

or forest reservation, nestled within a larger protected forest where about a thousand other Philippine tarsier are believed to live, protected by a permanent logging ban.Furry mascot of RP forest lives on borrowed time
Agence France-Presse Retrieved 18 November 2006.

Conservation program

Programs, projects, and activities

Tarsier research

The Philippine Tarsier Foundation undertakes the collection and cataloguing of all available research materials on the Philippine tarsier from various institutions and agencies in the country and abroad; and the production of information and promotional materials.

Tarsier habitat management

The Foundation has designated approximately 134 hectares as

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

. To date, the Foundation has acquired 8.4 hectares of land in Canapnapan,

Corella, Bohol Corella, officially the Municipality of Corella ( ceb, Munisipalidad sa Corella; tgl, Bayan ng Corella), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 9,479 people. Loca ...

for the sanctuary. Carlito Pizarras serves as the Field Supervisor of the sanctuary,Tarsier Man was once a menace to animals
www.inq7.net Retrieved 11 November 2006. as employee of the foundation, assuming responsibility for the maintenance of the net enclosure and its inmates. The foundation further coordinates the conduct of

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...

projects and other related activities or initiatives.

Community management

The foundation plans to expand and replicate the program in other areas with Philippine tarsier populations like Mindanao,

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

, and

Samar Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

Visitor management

The Tarsier Research and Development Center about 14 km outside the provincial capital, Tagbilaran City, in the town of Corella, Bohol, also serves as visitor center.

Tarsier trail

The tarsier trail begins at the Tarsier Research and Development Center in Barangay Canapnapan, Corella, Bohol and covers a 134-hectare forested area.

Foundation

Board of trustees and officers

On April 17, 1996, the Philippine Tarsier Foundation Inc. was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission, with the following prominent Bohol residents listed as incorporators: the Rev. Florante Camacho,

SVD ''Svenska Dagbladet'' (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of ''Svenska Dagbladet'' appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the ...

, president of the

Divine Word College of Tagbilaran , mottoeng = ''Blessed be His name'' , type = Private Roman Catholic Research Non-profit Coeducational Basic and Higher education institution , established = , founder = Fr.Alphonse G.Lesage,SVD , religious_affiliat ...

; Anos Fonacier, municipal councilor of

Panglao, Bohol Panglao, officially the Municipality of Panglao ( ceb, Munisipalidad sa Panglao; tgl, Bayan ng Panglao), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 39,839 people. I ...

and resort operator; and Col. (Ret.) Zosimo Angan, businessman. They were later joined by Richard Uy, banker, and Marlito Uy, department store owner. Elected principal officers were Fonacier as chairman; Camacho as president; and Alvarez, who is the only non-Boholano on the board, as executive vice-president. The executive officers of the Board of Trustees and Officers of the Philippine Tarsier Foundation during its incorporation in 1996 are Fr. Florante S. Camacho,

, president; Jesus Alvarez, Executive director; Urbano Lagunay, secretary; Marlito Uy, treasurer; and retired Col. Zosimo Angan as auditor. The Board of Trustees are Anos Fonacier, Chairman; Richard Uy, Vice Chairman; and Honorary Chairperson is Secretary Mina Gabor of the Department of Tourism The first Executive Director/Office Manager was Mr. Jovito Danilo C. Nazareno. During his term, the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary Visitor Center was built and together with Mr. Carlito Pizarras, tarsier trails were established, marketing and promotional activities of the area as an ecotourism destination were introduced and linkages with other environmental organizations and funding agencies were established to support captive breeding and other preservation activities conducted. Currently, the following are the officers and Board Of Trustees: Chairman, Fr. Florante S. Camacho, SVD; V-Chairman, Mr. Richard T. Uy; President, Atty. Urbano Lagunay; V-President, Mr. Lyndon Angan (resigned - inactive); Secretary, Joannie Mary Cabillo (Program Officer); Treasurer, Mr. Marlito Uy; Members: Atty. Anos Fonacier; Dr. Irene Arboleda (our researcher/scientist); Mr. Soliman Fonacier; Mayor Jose Tocmo - Municipality of Corella; and Field Supervisor Mr. Carlito Pizarras ('the tarsier-man')

Carlito Pizarras

Carlito "Lito" Pizarras, known as the "Tarsier Man", is the Field Supervisor of the 8.4-hectare Philippine tarsier sanctuary run by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Barangay Canapnapan, Corella, Bohol. Hired by the foundation in 1998, he maintains the net enclosure and its 100 Philippine tarsier inmates. He also serves as a resource person and guide to visitors and researchers at the Research and Development Center.

References

{{Reflist

External links

CITES Appendix I, II and III

Entry in Primate Info Net
1996 establishments in the Philippines Conservation and environmental foundations Organizations based in Bohol Nature conservation in the Philippines Animal sanctuaries Animal welfare organizations based in the Philippines