DAVAO CITY: A Philippine Eagle chick hatched on Nov. 11 at the newly opened National Bird Breeding Sanctuary (NBBS) in Eden, Toril district, marking the first successful hatching at the sanctuary, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced Tuesday night. The chick was born through cooperative artificial insemination, with its mother, Pinpin, naturally incubating the egg for the first seven days. The father, Sinag, resides at the Philippine Eagle Center (PEC) and provided the semen used in the process. According to Philippines News Agency, Domingo Tadena, facility manager and PEF's expert on conservation breeding, stated that the chick's survival depended on careful intervention during its 56-day incubation. To prevent suffocation from carbon dioxide buildup, PEF used the 'help out' method, assisting the chick by gently pipping through airspace in the egg. Tadena explained that NBBS will provide a secure environment for the chick's development, strengthening long-term recovery efforts for the national b ird of the Philippines. The sanctuary, designed for breeding and safe incubation of the endangered eagle, is a key component of PEF's initiatives to protect the species.