Turtles sanctuary at Playa Laiya

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine sea turtles, dozens of them, finding a strip of shore from where they shall lay their eggs before returning back to the sea where they belong. The Philippines being blessed with a diverse marine life, this phenomenon doesn’t call extra attention except of course if this happens by your doorstep—a natural event so rare it only takes place in natural sanctuaries and only for three precious months.  

From November to January, home-owners and staff of Playa Laiya, a sprawling seaside leisure development located in San Juan, Batangas, eagerly await the coming of the pawikans as they lay their eggs in the thick of night, sometimes guided by the full moon. The inevitable hatching of those eggs is another miracle to behold as a new batch of baby turtles—no bigger than a five peso coin—instinctively find their way to the sea, lumbering along with their newly formed flappers. 

This occurrence was recently discovered when a security personnel, together with the barangay captain, was doing his routine check of the property. Though the 144-hectare residential enclave is known for its well-preserved ecosystem (a marine sanctuary, a fruit bat sanctuary, mangroves, rivers, lagoons and lakes feature prominently in the development), the story of the egg-laying turtles is welcome news.  

“We have long imagined Playa Laiya as the next tourism hub in Luzon,” says Jose Antonio Xerez-Burgos, VP for Leisure Communities of Landco, the pioneer in the seaside leisure development in the country.

For more information, visit www.landco.ph