Zoos Victoria (ZV) has supported a range of wildlife conservation projects in the Philippines since 1993. Most of those were short-term partnerships, but two remain active, ie. the Philippine Crocodile Recovery Program and the Mari-it Conservation Centre. Arguably the most serious ongoing threat to wildlife and ecosystems in the Philippines is habitat loss, which is pushing many endemic species close to extinction. Whilst many conservation projects in the Philippines have securing wild populations as an important long-term goal, the severe pressures on wild habitats and the fragile protected area mechanisms dictate that it is necessary to establish viable captive populations of the more threatened species to ensure that they are available to support reintroduction programs when these become feasible.

One such initiative is the Mari-it Conservation Centre on the College of Agriculture & Forestry campus of the West Visayas State University on Panay Island. The Centre has an excellent record in establishing and breeding five species endemic to the region. The Centre also manages a 500ha forest reserve on the University campus and is actively engaged in negotiations to secure reserves for reintroduction and community management in northern Panay.