In Barangay Luyang, a coastal village in San Remigio, Cebu, a rare species of turtle have found a haven to nest and breed. Residents are now excitedly awaiting the hatching of sea turtle eggs laid on their seashore in front of the Marine Sanctuary.

Couple Lito and Betty Bautista said that on July 22, around 3:00 in the morning, they have sighted the sea turtle commonly called “pawikan� while they made their usual round of nightly roving. He said that they were able to get up close the creature and even touched its back.

Then on July 27, at around 3:00 in the afternoon, the eggs were discovered after their dogs dug the area that exposed some white round shaped objects. Curious enough, Lito, who is a Deputized Fish Warden, together with some of the residents dug some more and found out that the area was a turtle nest. Approximately 50 to 60 pingpong-sized eggs with about 40 mm diameter in size are in the nest which was found under mangrove trees. Aware of the fragile status of such marine organism, these people just looked at the eggs and never touched it. To protect the turtle nest, the place was enclosed in a net and is now closely monitored.

On what prompted them to take care of the “pawikan� and its eggs, Lito said that as a Deputized Fish Warden he was informed on the importance of preserving marine turtles and slaughtering them or even gathering their eggs are prohibited by law. He further said that Luyang residents have high environmental awareness as a result of the information and education campaign initiated by the CCEF and LGU through the Community Based Resource Management Program. On these development, San Remigio Municipal Mayor Mariano Martinez said that “this is an evidence to show that our conservation efforts are succeeding. With increased sightings of rare marine organisms such as sharks, whales, manta rays and now sea turtles, San Remigio has now become a vital ground for marine conservation�.