Bat research efforts in the Philippines: a post-millennium review to identify future research prospects and priorities

Empirical evidence is crucial to develop effective conservation policies. Documenting and assessing the status and threats towards a species and its habitat are essential steps towards developing appropriate policies to protect its population and mitigate existing threats to prevent future extinction. Here, we summarize recent bat research in the Philippines using a bibliographic approach to assess progress and gaps in different aspects of bat research species in a period of post-millennia to present. Overall, an average of 7.9 bat studies was reported per year including grey literature. Our analysis revealed that majority of bat studies conducted have been directed at community surveys (i.e., species inventories, rapid assessments). However, we found a disparity in terms of an average number of study per group; the “insectivorous bats” (6.15 study/yr) remain understudied compared to “fruit bats” (13.78 N^o study/year) for the past 18 years reflecting the lack of taxonomic studies in the country. While bat ecology research is still uncommon for most species. Interestingly, despite the lack of studies in many areas of bat research, there is a growing collaborative effort in bat conservation initiatives in the Philippines focused on the protection of many endemic and threatened species (e.g., flying foxes) and their habitats.