Bataan fest showcases pawikan conservation

MANILA, Philippines - The Province of Bataan is helping  preserve Mother Earth as it celebrates the 13th edition of the award-winning Pawikan Festival in Morong from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1.

Spearheading the activity are the provincial government of Bataan, the Provincial Tourism Office, the Bataan Tourism Council Foundation, Inc. (BTCFI), Bantay Pawikan, city and municipal tourism councils and  local government units.

BTCFI president and Bataan First Lady Vicky Garcia said the festival  showcases the rich biodiversity of the province, in addition to  being a bastion of bravery during World War II.

Pawikan Festival was recently named first runner-up in the Eco-Environmental Tourism (Provincial Level) Award given by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines during its national convention in Legazpi City last October.

The two-day festivity kicks off with a fun run on Nov. 30 in Nagbalayong, Morong followed by the opening ceremony at the Pawikan Center where hatchlings of sea turtles (pawikan) would be released to the West Philippines Sea.

Spicing up the event is a trade fair, various contests like kite flying, sand sculpture, poster-making, paddle painting, beach volleyball, college cooking fest, photo contest and beach party.

A cultural show and night patrol will  tickle visitors’ imagination as they await a chance encounter with marine turtles on the beach.

Festivities continue on the second day with a walk for a cause from Nagpaho Crossing to the Pawikan Center, followed by another pawikan release by government and socio-civic leaders.

The celebration bursts with color in the street dancing competition, participated in by 11 towns and one city, with dancers in pawikan-inspired costumes thumping their feet on the sandy beach.

A bancathon and kayak race, cookfest and a beach party  wrap up the celebration.

Marine turtles, given their transoceanic feature, maintain the balance of the world’s marine ecosystem by returning to the place where they were hatched after 25 to 30 years to copulate and lay their eggs.

Bataan’s conservation efforts started in  1999 in Morong and resulted in the formation of Bantay Pawikan Inc. which is composed of volunteers who used to collect pawikan eggs and  are now conservation advocates.

In 2001, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) provided funds and assistance to the community for improved conservation work and a center.

The community manages the daily operations of the hatchery with the technical personnel from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources’ Pawikan Conservation Project. Hatchery management covers tagging of matured nesters, gathering and transplanting of eggs, monitoring until emergence and releasing of hatchlings.

The center also inculcates in the minds of young school children the importance of pawikan conservation by making them participate in the release of hatchlings.

Inspired by this undertaking, Montemar Beach Club, Inc. in Bagac town established its own hatchery and nesting area to contribute to the province’s environmental effort.