SagiPaWeCan: AboitizPower supports biodiversity conservation for sea turtles

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), through private limited partnership GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD), concluded its three-year sea turtle or pawikan protection and conservation program, SagiPaWeCan, in Sitio Fuerte, Barangay Poblacion, Morong, Bataan, with a hatchling release.

- 

SagiPaWeCan was created to provide safe nesting environments that facilitated better hatchling survival. It also promoted conservation awareness, thus empowering local communities and fostering a deeper culture of environmental responsibility in the province.

During its three-year run, the program transplanted 37,021 olive ridley eggs and released 35,632 hatchlings. This is equivalent to a 96.25 percent hatching rate, which can otherwise decline to 25 percent or less if the hatchlings are left to disturbances and predators.

"SagiPaWeCan has made a lasting mark on Bataan's environmental conservation efforts," said Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) OIC Raphael De Leon. "It significantly contributed to the preservation of Bataan's sea turtle population, strengthened the province's ecotourism potential, and educated local communities about environmental stewardship."

According to Sagip Pawikan Sitio Fuerte President Arnold Mendoza, training, equipment support, and consistent engagement has empowered the group to take an active role in conservation.

"Volunteers were transformed into marine life protectors, gaining not only environmental awareness but also a deeper sense of purpose and pride."

Launched in 2023 through a Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government of Bataan, the program helped address the threats faced by endangered pawikan populations along the province's coastline. It supports GNPD's "Protect Marine Life" initiative under its P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S framework and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 14 (Life Below Water and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).