THE ABOITIZ Cleanergy Park welcomes 106 new hawksbill sea turtles (pawikan) hatchlings in Punta Dumalag, further reassuring the survival of the endangered species and enhancing the facility’s status as a bio-diversified habitat.
The 106 pawikans came from a nest of 196 eggs and were released on Aug. 14.
The Aboitiz group believed that the newly hatched eggs came from the same mother pawikan, as sea turtles usually return after two weeks of nesting.
They also mentioned calling the same pawikan “Turtle Cleanergy” after it was trapped in the park last 2017 in a mangrove area, enabling the team to attach a tag (PH0148J) to the turtle for identification.
“The fact that the pawikan keeps on coming back to our shores is an indicator that our sea areas are probably in good condition”, Fermin Edillon, Davao Light and Power Company’s reputation enhancement department head, said.
Edillon said they support the city government’s campaign on proper waste segregation disposal to further maintain the cleanliness of the oceans and safeguard the turtles.
On average, a single pawikan nests up to 150 to 200 eggs, summing up to 1000 to 1,500 in one nesting season. However, only one turtle will reach and survive adulthood out of the thousands of eggs hatched.
The activity was also led by Chinese Consul Li Jinjun, councilors Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Jr., Jessica Bonguyan, and Davao City Chinatown Lions Club, among others.
The Aboitiz Cleanergy Park was established as a collaborative effort of the city government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Barangay Matina Aplaya, the Biodiversity Management Bureau, and researchers from the University of the Philippines and the University of Southeastern Philippines.
