Father of Conservation in the Philippines

With a starting monthly salary of 250 pesos, a decent amount during the 30’s, Rabor began his professional career as an instructor in the Biology Department of Silliman University. He wasn’t cultured to become the greatest scientist this side of the world, no. But he had passion. A passion to make him learned in the natural world. In just 3 decades after turning professional, Rabor became a member of no less than 16 scientific societies around the world, including the renowned National Geographic Society. However, what is most commendable of Rabor’s career, traveling around the world attending international conferences, was how he immersed himself in conservation studies as a member of the Standing Committee on Pacific Conservation of the annual Pacific Congress in the early 60’s. The term global warming wasn’t even coined yet, indistinct and unimportant to the scientific community. But it was his work and expertise with birds and mammals that alerted the world of the need for conservation. His campaign to save the Philippine monkey-eating eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) has not gone unnoticed either. He became an important player of science in the Philippines and around the world because he had this premium passion of understanding nature and the environment better. One cannot fathom his generous contributions to the scientific universe. No. He is, after all, just the epitome of a pure scientist, with no other intentions except to investigate the natural wonders of the environment and conserve it. His passion for nature even consumed his life, naming his 4 daughters after birds and fishes. His equally impressive field catalog of animals approached a stunning 60,000 entries, with most of the specimens deposited in museums all over the world, including the Smithsonian Institution. And what gives? His propensity for conservation is a stark illustration of how one man can make a change in this world.