Philippine officials publically destroy five tonnes of ivory elephants tusks on Friday.<br/> <br />Authorities say the country is a major gateway for the illegal trade of ivory.<br/> <br />They hope that this public spectacle will convince citizens that poaching elephants to make money from their tusks is a serious crime.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF THE PROTECTED AREAS AND WILDLIFE BUREAU, THERESA MUNDITA LIM, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Through this symbolic action, more people will be made aware of the implications that the ivory is not just ivory -- especially here in the Philippines, we don't have elephants. They need to realize that ivory is contraband."<br/> <br />The tusks are mostly from African elephants that were seized between 2005 and 2009.<br/> <br />The illegal trade of ivory has tripled since 1998, with ivory going for up to $2,000 U.S. dollars per kilo on the black market.<br/> <br />Conservationists say the practice is speeding the decline of Africa's endangered elephant and rhinoceros populati
