Turtles Still Matter: A HAPI Trip to PawikanCare Sanctuary

By Shawn Evans Quiming
HAPI Scholar

HAPI CEO Javan Lev Poblador and CFO Mutya Valenzuela recently joined HAPI-Zambales Leaders Van Catayong and Garry Rabang in visiting the PawiCare Center in La Paz, San Narcisco, Zambales. Escorted by “Kuya Rey”, one of the sanctuary’s heads, they watched as endangered baby pawikan (sea turtles) hatched and crawled into the ocean.

PawiCare is a non-governmental organization that works to conserve and increase the population of sea turtles. Kuya Rey, who has been a ranger for 45 years, stated that he used to be a poacher in his adolescence, selling eggs to the market to earn money or cooking them for their family consumption. That is, until a group of people from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) approached them and explained the importance of pawikans in our ecosystem. This moment of enlightenment, plus his realization that pawikan eggs had become increasingly scarce, led to his decision to join the individuals who are safeguarding sea turtle eggs. Kuya Rey is now one of the leaders of PawiCare Sanctuary.

What is the significance of pawikans?

Six of the world’s seven sea turtle species have been deemed endangered or threatened due to human activities such as fishing, coastal development, climate change, and pollution. The Philippines is home to five of these species.

The turtles struggle to reproduce because a.) only one in 100 eggs survive to adulthood and b.) sea turtle eggs spend approximately two-three months incubating (40-65 days) until they hatch. Both can be deemed reasons for the turtles’ slow increase; their population has decreased by up to 80% in the last ten years, posing a significant impact on the health and biodiversity of our oceans. Sea turtles, as one of the species that maintain the health of our waters, help to maintain the balance between jellyfish (their daily food) and seagrass (which they keep from growing too long and suffocating on themselves). Other sea turtle species, such as the Hawksbill turtle, play a crucial role in our environment by holding fast-growing sponges at bay and giving budding corals a chance to thrive.

As this was a first-time experience for HAPI, the visiting members sincerely expressed their gratitude to the PawiCare Sanctuary including Sir Rey and the other rangers for not giving up on the turtles; for caring about our ecosystem and the species living in it; for the hard work of collecting these small eggs and protecting them; and for watching all of them hatch until they are ready to be released back into the sea.