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How are Barangay Pag-asa's sea turtles a year after its pawikan conservation group was formalized?
It was the first full moon of 2023 when I went back to visit my friends from Pag-asa Pawikan Protection and Conservation Center Corporation (3P3C) in Barangay Pag-asa, Bagac, Bataan.
January is the peak of the hatching season for sea turtles in the area, and aside from the chance to commune with nature, I found comfort with how the community welcomed me and my companions, as if we were family.
“Ma’am, may sumampa po na pawikan malapit sa inyo! Puntahan na natin! (Ma’am, a pawikan is laying her eggs near your place, let’s go there now!)” Barangay chief John Harry Carreon aka Kap Harry told me over the phone.
We’ve been told that it’s rare for tourists to catch an adult sea turtle laying eggs in person, so my friend Dan and I knew we were in for a treat!
Walking towards the pawikan’s location, Kap Harry reminded us to avoid making loud noises and never use flash when taking photos so as not to distract the pawikans. He himself used a a small red light at night to limit the distraction.
Then he pointed to the swishing patterns on the sand. “These are the turtle’s tracks, that’s how we find out if there’s a pawikan by the shore,” he said.
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Turtle tracks are hard to differentiate from the thousands of footprints and whatnots at night.
“Before the conservatory, people used to ‘play’ with the turtles. I even saw some children throw a mother pawikan back to the sea. They didn’t know that the turtle was about to lay eggs that’s why they are at the sand,” shared Eric Jabonilla, a sea ranger.
Kap Harry flashed his red light so we could see the mother pawikan digging her nest. It turned out to be a hawksbill sea turtle, one of five marine turtle species found in the Philippines.
The Hawksbill sea turtle is considered critically endangered, with its population declining at 80% every year.
Aside from a handful of locals and sea rangers, a couple of tourists also joined us as we watched in awe mother pawikan heave at every release, oblivious to her surroundings.
“The threat to these turtles starts here," Kap Harry said. "It’s important that the sea rangers get the eggs before poachers find them. As you can see, it’s also hard to spot the nests once it’s buried in the sand, and people unknowingly destroy the eggs because of the high foot traffic along the shore.”
Micah Fajardo-Schindler, one of the incorporators of 3P3C adds, “there is also the need for continuing education for the community. Some still believe sea turtles are to blame for the poor catch or there are those hesitant to help because of the superstition that the turtles are unlucky. Worse, cases of poaching remain and despite being very illegal, boiled sea turtle eggs still exist as an aphrodisiac or exotic food item.”
Still hoping
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A year after the barangay’s conservation group was formalized, local government and environment authorities have been tapped to conduct training for the volunteers.
Sea rangers are now licensed to collect turtle eggs for a small fee, but there’s always a backlog in payment because of lack of funding.
“We are working through the same challenges: funding and awareness. All the donations go solely to safeguarding the eggs. Maintaining the hatchery, buying supplies, supporting the volunteers - we always have to hustle for it and use our personal resources. People are always keen to adopt nests, but if there is no up and running hatchery, there will be no sea turtles,” Micah said.
“It’s good that we have a vision to look forward to, but sad to say, everything remains in theory. The follow through takes so long because the provincial government made all the pawikan centers under one governing body, so it’s harder to monitor each of them. They always say they don’t have funds to support individual hatcheries, so we do our own thing as of the moment. We’re still finding sponsors and donors,” 3P3C incorporator Edna Fajardo shared.
Sea rangers like Eric only have two hours to collect freshly-hatched eggs. After which, the shell hardens and it becomes difficult to transfer them to the hatchery.
I watched him methodically pick up the eggs and transfer them to a small bucket. The mother pawikan laid more than 130 eggs that night.
Despite delayed payments due to lack of funding, Kap Harry diligently listed down the number of eggs so he can add it up to the total earnings of the sea rangers that day.
“I am thankful for the dedication of our sea rangers. We need them to keep our operation strong. If this is just about the money, I don’t think we can sustain our operations because for now, we just rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors,” Kap Harry said.
“My dream is to create an economic incentive for the community and everyone who works for the welfare of the sea turtles. Protecting the people protects the sea turtles. There is no other way around this. The hatchery must be a center that not only saves turtles but also empowers and includes the community. Like the sea turtles climbing out of their nest in unison, we must also lift each other up.” Micah added.
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For sea rangers like Eric, his love for the sea turtles and his faith in the conservation group they founded kept him going, despite the lack of proper funding: “If we don’t continue what we’re doing, nobody will save the pawikans. I feel sorry for these creatures, they are helpless as it is, and if we give up now, I cannot imagine how worse the situation will be for them. I may not earn much from being a sea ranger, but I would like to be part of the solution with what little I have,” he said.
Fate and faith
The act of releasing turtle hatchlings became a symbol of faith for Manileñas like me, but witnessing a critically endangered hawksbill turtle lay eggs for the first time is different.
My friend, Dan, a former DJ in Barangay LS who now resides in Australia, aptly describes the whole experience: “It’s a good sign that 2023 will be an awesome year! When we write our goals, when we manifest what we want to happen, not everything will come true, but you’ll still do it. Just like the pawikans, they’re not sure they’ll all make it back alive, but they still go to the ocean, even if it’s so big and full of uncertainty. The important thing is to just continue. This is sort of life-changing, because not everyone gets to witness this,” Dan said.
“Only 1 out of 100 hatchlings survive and it takes decades before they come back. It reminds me how important it is to do good without expecting anything in return, and somehow, it will come back to you. You will get what you deserve. Even if it’s just one out of a hundred,” Dan mused. — LA, GMA Integrated News
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For P500, you can name a nest from the Pag-Asa Pawikan Protection and Conservation Center after your friends or loved ones. If you have time, visit the Pag-asa Pawikan Hatchery in Bagac, Bataan and have a chance to experience releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean. Breeding season is from September to March.
For more information or reservations, please contact Pag-asa Pawikan Protection and Conservation Center on Facebook or message @tinyhousebagac or @pagasapawikan on Instagram.
