Community support vital in Zambales ‘pawikan’ conservation — DENR

April 8, 2026 | 11:08am

MASINLOC, Zambales — Volunteers from local government units, tourism establishments and corporate partners in this province are proving to be an important factor in the success of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) programs to protect and conserve marine turtles, locally known as “pawikan.”

DENR Region III Executive Director Ralph Pablo said volunteer groups are key participants in the protection of pawikan habitats and ensuring the safe return of hatchlings to the sea.

Zambales, which has over 110 kilometers of coastline, is one of the key nesting places in the country for marine turtles, especially Olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), one of the five marine turtle species—all of them endangered—found in the Philippines.

On March 26, the DENR through its Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Masinloc, trained 40 volunteers on the conservation, monitoring, and proper handling of marine turtles.

The participants came from coastal communities in Masinloc and Palauig towns, including stakeholders of the 7,000-hectare Masinloc and Oyon Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (MOBPLS), where more than 300 hatchlings were released back to sea last year.

“The support of coastal communities is vital in sustaining marine life, especially the pawikan that frequently nest within the marine protected area of MOBPLS,” noted Masinloc CENRO head Donaver Guevarra.

He said the training focused on species identification, nesting beach monitoring, hatchery management, and the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded or injured marine turtles. Trainees also learned marine turtle biology, threats and legal frameworks, and procedures in handling and tagging marine turtles.

Before this, DENR also launched Project BLUE (Balanced and Healthful Life Underwater Ecosystem) here in Masinloc last February, tapping the San Miguel Global Power Foundation (SMGPF) and the Samahang Mangingisda ng Barangay Bani Association Inc. (SMBBAI) for a seven-year project to protect turtle nesting and feeding grounds.

The project aims to produce one million hatchlings, while engaging local fishermen in hatchery management and conservation as alternative income sources.

The participation of local fisherfolk, youth organizations, LGUs and local beach resorts also helps in promoting public awareness and providing hands-on assistance to DENR’s marine conservation program.

Members of the Laoag Integrated Fisherfolk Association and the Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Maloma in San Felipe town helped release 70 Olive Ridley hatchlings last month after protecting pawikan nests in the area.

The Rama Beach Resort in Botolan also reported five separate releasing activities last month, with guests joining in the hatchling release experience.

In San Narciso, meanwhile, the municipal LGU conducted the Pawikan Salakniban Festival in January with hatchling releases by “Pawikan rangers,” lectures on pawikan conservation, and coastal cleanups.

Pablo said public and private support is crucial in conservation efforts. “We need to protect this vital marine life. Their survival depends on us,” he said. 

“Strengthening the capacity of local implementers is essential to ensuring the long-term survival of marine turtle populations and maintaining the ecological integrity of coastal and marine ecosystems in Zambales,” Pablo added.