Rescued sea turtle released off Quezon’s Jomalig Island

LUCENA CITY – Residents rescued a large sea turtle, locally known as a “pawikan,” after it wandered onto the shore near a beach resort in Jomalig, Quezon, on Thursday night (July 30), before safely releasing it back into the ocean.

According to a report by Jay Lim, program director of the public interest law group Tanggol Kalikasan, the rescue took place at about 10:05 p.m. after Barangay Talisoy councilor Antonio Delos Santos Acunin and his brothers, Marcial and Jojo, investigated the persistent barking of their three dogs near the beach resort.

The siblings discovered the large sea turtle that had crawled onto the grassy shoreline. The species of the marine turtle was not immediately identified.

After checking the animal and confirming that it had no visible injuries and had not laid eggs on the beach, the brothers carefully removed barnacles attached to its body before guiding it back safely into the water.

The turtle’s shell reportedly measured about seven handspans in length and 4.5 handspans in width.

Photos of the rescue posted online drew praise from residents, who commended the brothers for their efforts and for setting an example in protecting marine wildlife.

Jomalig Mayor Nelmar Sarmiento also lauded the siblings for saving the sea turtle.

“This is the kind of action we should encourage—not immediately looking for ‘bilukaw’ (a native tree whose leaves are used as an ingredient in cooking). Good job to all of you,” Sarmiento said in a post in Filipino on Facebook.

Jomalig, the smallest and easternmost island municipality of Quezon, which lies in the eastern portion of the Polillo Island Group facing the Pacific Ocean, was hit by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake on Wednesday night (July 29).

Marine turtles are classified as threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

In the Philippines, the conservation and protection of sea turtles and other wildlife species are mandated under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

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