At least 152 newly-hatched Hawksbill turtles were released to the sea in Punta Dumalag, Matina Aplaya in Davao City on Tuesday, Sept. 12.
(Photo from Inday Sara Duterte Facebook page)
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte together with students saw the endangered baby turtles returned to their natural habitat along the coastline of Aboitiz Cleanergy Park.
They were joined by the Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in releasing the marine hatchlings.
In the photos released by Duterte’s office to the media, students were seen helping the baby turtles crawl back to the sea.
Duterte highlighted the importance of such activity to help enlighten the children and the community about environmental preservation.
“Karamihan ng mga adult turtles na nakukuha natin sa dagat ay meron silang mga problema dahil nakakakain sila ng mga plastic (Most of the adult turtles that we get from the seas have problems because they have eaten plastic),” she said.
“Kaya importante na maintindihan ng mga bata ang (So it’s important the children understand the) life cycle ng (of) turtles at gaano kahirap sila mabuhay (and how hard they live),” she added.
(Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook)
Fermin Edillon, head of Reputation Department of Davao Light and Power Company, noted the survival of about one in 1,000 hatchlings to adulthood. Hatchlings die of dehydration if they don't make it on time to their natural habitat.
The hatchlings, according to Edillon, came from eggs laid by a Hawksbill turtle that was trapped and rescued in the same coastline in 2017. The turtle went back there to lay eggs in 2021 and this year.
The sea turtles, locally called “pawikan,” were secured by the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park in the area to ensure that safety of the eggs.
Launched in 2014, the park is an eight-hectare ecological preserve and biodiversity conservation site managed by AboitizPower subsidiary Davao Light and the Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. It has become home to to other endangered turtles like the Green Sea and Olive Ridley turtles.
