LOOK: Philippine Eagles are now Filipino Passport Holders

Yes, you read that right! Our national bird is a proud holder of a Filipino passport!

The Philippines has launched a renewed campaign to celebrate the life of its national bird, the Philippine Eagle, and increase awareness on efforts to save the critically endangered rare bird from extinction.

The Philippine Eagle is a giant bird of prey that can only be seen in the forests of the Philippines.

With unique blue-grey eyes, broad wingspan and powerful talons, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) said this bird species "is unlike many birds in the world." It is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful among forest raptors.

Two Philippine Eagles - a 15-year-old male named Geothermica and a 17-year-old female named Sambisig - are now on their way to Singapore for a breeding loan agreement to increase the eagles' population.

Photo via Dennis Salvador, Executive Director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

The two eagles are Philippine passport holders.

"As an endemic species, the Philippine Eagle already serves as a global heritage that requires concerted efforts of the international community for conservation," Philippine Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Sunday as the nation celebrates Philippine Eagle Week (PEW) on June 4-10.

With the theme "The Philippine Eagle: A National symbol, A Global treasure," this year's PEW activities highlight that the Philippine eagle, while endemic to the Philippines, is a global heritage that requires concerted efforts of the international community for its conservation.

Photo via Dennis Salvador, Executive Director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

The loaning of Philippine eagles, Geothermica and Sambisig, to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) "is a historic milestone in our conservation efforts for this critically endangered (CR) raptor, as we engage for the first time, a foreign wildlife facility, the WRS-Jurong Bird Park in the conservation breeding of our national bird."

The Philippines signed last month a wildlife agreement with Singapore that paves the way for the Philippines to loan a pair of male and female Philippine eagles to the city-state, a move that Philippine officials hope will help preserve one of the rarest eagles in the world.

Under the 10-year renewable agreement, the Philippines will ship 15-year-old male eagle named Geothermica and 17-year-old female eagle named Sambisig to Singapore on June 4.

The eagles will be shown to the public in July.

The two eagles will be staying at Jurong Bird Park, one of the largest bird park in Asia that is home to close to 3,500 birds across 400 species, of which 20 percent is threatened.