The study of taxonomic classifications has broadened my knowledge on the uniqueness of each and every organism. Taxonomy shows me how animals can be related to each other through other means other than through visual confirmation. The taxonomic classification also helps differentiate organisms from one another. Taxonomic classification is a biological topic, taxonomic classification pertains to the study of naming organisms, defining and classifying groups of organisms based on characteristics that are shared among organisms. The broadest taxonomic hierarchical level is the Domain. In taxonomic classification the Domain is the first determining factor in the taxonomic order, which contains the eukarya, archaea, and bacteria. The organism that we chose is the Visayan Warty Pig which falls under classification of eukaryote. This is because of the cells of the organism we chose, the Visayan Warty Pig has eukaryotic cells, which are cells that have an enclosed nucleus within a nuclear membrane which forms a larger and more complex organism. The kingdom despite being the second in the taxonomic order already has several varying kingdoms under its wing. The kingdom consists of Bacteria, Archaea, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi and lastly Animalia. These seven are what make up all living organisms on the earth. Our organism the Visayan Warty Pig is classified as an animalia. The Visayan Warty Pig is classified as such because the Visayan Warty Pig has the characteristics of kingdom animalia, the Visayan Warty Pig’s cells has no cell wall or plastids, it is multicellular and is comprised of millions of eukaryotic cells and it lacks chlorophyll. The Visayan Warty Pig is omnivorous; it eats leaves, earthworms and fruits, and its nutrition is ingestive, akin to the characteristics of kingdom animalia. The third level of classification is the phylum, the phylum contains nine main divisions, these being; mollusca, porifera, cnidaria, arthropoda, echinodermata, and lastly chordata. These phylums contain the vast majority of species. The chordata comprises most animals, chordates are organisms that have a backbone or dorsal bone. Our organism, the Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons) falls under the chordata class, this is because the Visayan Warty Pig has a backbone or dorsal bone. The next level in taxonomic classification is the class. The class goes deeper in depth into differentiating and classifying organisms. The class level of taxonomic classification consists of several species of organisms, these organisms containing shared characteristics with one another, like the Mammalia，which is the class the Visayan Warty Pig falls into. The next level in the taxonomic classification is the order, the order further divides animals into smaller categories. The order is usually under class, for example class mammalia includes order chiroptera (bats), order carnivora (organisms that consume meat), order insectivora (organisms that consume insects), order primates (primates; humans, apes, monkeys etc.). The Visayan Warty Pig falls under the order Artiodactyla. Artiodactyla are even-toed ungulates. Even-toed ungulates are organisms that possess hoofed feet, these even-toed ungulates bear their organism’s weight on two of its five toes, the third and fourth toes. The family is a part of the order, the organisms belonging to a family are more closely related than the other organisms belonging to the same order. Some examples of families within an order are; Canidae which includes coyotes, foxes, dogs, etc. family Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, Gavialidae. And family Suidae which is the family the Visayan Warty Pig is a part of. The next is the genus which is what comprises a family. In the Suidae family there is genus babyrousa, genus hylochoerus, genus phacochoerus, genus, porcula, genus potamochoerus and lastly genus sus which is the genus of the Visayan Warty Pig. The common pig’s scientific name is Sus domesticus. Sus meaning “Pig” in Latin and Domesticus meaning “Domestic” in Latin. The domestic pig is the most common pig throughout the world, but there are many species of the Sus genus such as the Visayan Warty pig which is the Sus cebifrons, according to the ultimateungulate (2016), the species name “Cebifrons'' is most likely a combination of “Cebu” (the island it was first located), and “Frons'' meaning forehead or brow, referring to the the hair it grows on its forehead which is akin to a “mohawk”. In conclusion, the study of the topic of taxonomic classification has broadened my perspective on the commonality of traits between animals such as the fur or hair humans have which is shared with pigs that too have hair or fur that grows from the skin. The shared trait of having a backbone or dorsal bone. It also shows me how taxonomy can become very in depth into the specifics of the genus, its families within and the species in those families.

The word biodiversity is a combination of two separate words, bio and diversity. The word bio comes from Greek, it means “life”. And diversity, which means the differing traits, characteristics, appearances, genetics, biologily, taxonomy and many more. Hence biodiversity means the diversity of all living organisms on Earth. The word ecology was first coined by the German zoologist “Ernst Haeckel”, he applied the term “oekologie” to the “relation of the animal both to its organic as well as its inorganic environment”. The word derives from the Greek word “oikos”, which means household, home or place to live. Hence this means ecology is the study or topic of the organism and its relationship to its environment, be it natural or man-made environments. Both biodiversity and ecology have a great play in the flourishing of life on Earth. Biodiversity is essential for life to flourish on earth, no matter the environment there is biodiversity. In the West Visayas region where the Visayan Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons) inhabits, there is a vast number of species of animals within the area. Biodiversity is akin to jenga, you need all the blocks to keep the tower strong and sturdy, if you take the pieces away slowly but surely, it will all come crumbling down into a pile of decay and ruin. In biodiversity, each animal is like a piece in jenga, or a pillar in the Pantheon. Without one of these pieces or pillars of nature it can ruin the environment where organisms live. Biodiversity is like a web which connects hundreds, even thousands of organisms to each other through the food chain. The food chain is a complex network of interconnected relationships between different species of plants and animals, where one organism consumes another in order to obtain energy and nutrients. The food chain is extremely diverse, and it can include a wide range of different types of organisms, each of which plays a unique role in the ecosystem. At the base of the food chain are producers, which are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis or other means. Examples of producers include trees, berry bushes, mushrooms, fruits, and yams. These plants are the primary source of food for the rest of the food chain, as they provide the energy and nutrients that other organisms need to survive. Above the producers in the food chain are the consumers, which are organisms that obtain their energy and nutrients by consuming other organisms. Consumers can be further divided into different categories, based on their feeding habits. Herbivores, for example, are organisms that only eat plants, while carnivores only eat animals. Omnivores, like the Visayan Warty Pig, are organisms that eat both plants and animals. As an omnivore, the Visayan Warty Pig plays an important role in the food chain of the ecosystem it lives in. Although the Visayan Warty Pig is capable of eating both plants and animals, it primarily consumes non-meat foods, or producers. The Visayan Warty Pig is known to eat fruits, mushrooms, and yams, which it finds by foraging in its natural habitat. Through its interactions with the environment, the Visayan Warty Pig helps to support the health and vitality of the ecosystem it lives in. By consuming and dispersing the seeds of plants, the Visayan Warty Pig helps to promote healthy growth and biodiversity. Additionally, by grazing on vegetation, the Visayan Warty Pig helps to control the growth of plant populations, which can prevent overgrowth and maintain the health of the soil. By performing these essential ecological functions, the Visayan Warty Pig plays a vital role in the food chain and helps to support the overall health and balance of the ecosystem it lives in.

From my study of biodiversity, ecology and the taxonomic classification of animals, I have gained a new understanding of each and every organism and its role in keeping our ecosystems and environments stable and functioning. In my studies of these topics and my reflection on said topics, I have seen how each and every organism is in a way connected to one another even if they are far from each other in the food chain. For example the Visayan Warty Pig, the focus of the reflection and the performance task, it is imperative in the distribution of trees, fruits etc. The Visayan Warty Pig expels the seeds which it is unable to break down and absorb for nutrients, the “waste” of the Visayan Warty Pig carries these seeds wherever it may go on the Negros or Panay islands. Through this process of consuming these fruits, the pig maintains and distributes the seeds of these fruits which is integral to the survival of the ecosystem since trees are prime habitats for several different organisms. As trees die, the Visayan Warty Pig helps in replacing these dead trees with new ones in the food chain. Although I am merely just a teenager in highschool, I may be able to have at least a small effect on the outlook of these organisms which not many know are critically endangered and at any time could possibly go extinct. One of the actions that I am currently taking is creating this website with my group mates to possibly inform people about the importance of the Visayan Warty Pig and what occurred to make the Visayan Warty Pig endangered. There are other actions that as a student, I may take in order to help protect the environment. Currently plastic is ending up everywhere, in our oceans, rivers, creeks, and even microplastics in our blood. Plastic is used everywhere, but it is used every single day in supermarkets, after purchasing products they are placed inside a plastic bag which we then take home, some of us reuse them, some just throw them away. I feel that if you have no purpose for the plastic bag after its use as a container is complete, then you should be using an eco bag. My family already does this when purchasing groceries, we make use of eco bags. Although eco bags are small and easy to pack, they make a big difference in our daily plastic usage. Currently we have a policy in our home to separate bottles (plastic & metal) from the rest of our trash, we also do the same with bones, cardboard and other food wastes. My family believes that the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) does work, we do all three of these, we actively reduce our plastic consumption through the use of eco bags, we reuse the plastic bags we do get as trash bags so we have no need to purchase plastic trash bags, and we recycle plastics and metal by segregating them from the rest of the trash. Food wastes are used to feed animals that we have in the province. Another action that I may take is to inquire about where the wood of wooden products are sourced, if they are sourced, if it is sourced legally and does not harm the natural environment. For example, if a product’s wood is sourced from the already deforested area of Visayas, I will reconsider purchasing the product and opt for one sourced properly.