Kinaiyahan, Amomahon, Panalipdan, Panggaon ug I-respeto (Kappi) is a network of paralegals in the upland areas of Davao City. It is composed of ordinary people (small farmers, women, youth and indigenous people) who understand the laws on ecology and willing to preserve that laws not for their own benefits but for the next generations to come. Kappi (pronounced /kap-pî/) is an Ubo-Bagobo word, mea
ning Philippine Eagle. The Kappi is among the rarest, largest, and most powerful birds in the world. This bird of prey is endemic to forests in the Philippines, where it is the national bird. It has numerous local names, including Agila, Haribon, Haring Ibon (which means "Bird King") and banog. This Kappi is found in dipterocarp and mid-montane forests, particularly in steep areas. Its elevation ranges from the lowlands to mountains of over 1,800 meters (5,905 ft). It is estimated that only 9,220 square kilometers (2,280,000 acres) of old growth forests remain in the bird's range. However, its total estimated range is about 146,000 square kilometers (56,000 sq. Evolution in the Philippine islands, without other predators, made the Kappi the dominant hunter in the Philippine forests. Each breeding pair requires a large home range (of 25 to 50 square miles) to successfully raise a chick, and thus the species is extremely vulnerable to the regularly occurring deforestation. Thus, Kappi, as an organization, believes that in order to survive a concrete and bold action for the protection and rehabilitation of forests and to campaign against all forms of forest destruction and exploitation including those continued encroachment of monocrop plantations in the upland areas in Davao City is a MUST! We need to act resolutely for the defense of the environment.
