Albay town marks 10th yr. of “Run to Save the Sea Turtles”
- Bicolmail Web Admin
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Rhaydz Barcia
TIWI, Albay --- Mother and son Kerzy Cirujales, 30, and her two-year-old son Kyzer from Barangay Naga were among the more than 600 participants who joined the 10th Run to Save the Sea Turtles held here over the weekend.
Kyzer, the youngest participant, ran alongside Kerzy in the 3-kilometer category. The oldest runner was 77 years old. Both were among participants from all walks of life who took part in the decade-old campaign pioneered in this town to advocate for sea turtle protection.
“It’s our first time joining the run. Like so many children here, my son was running fast, keeping pace with the other runners calling for the protection of marine life,” Kerzy told The Manila Times. After finishing the race, the mother and son proceeded to the nearby watchtower where the life cycle of sea turtles was showcased for public education.
Participants had the option to run in the 10-km, 5-km, or 3-km categories.
The advocacy run began in August 2014, at a time when Tiwi was strengthening its protection of coastal and marine resources against poachers and illegal fishers. The initiative was launched by the Philippine Geothermal Production Corporation (PGPC) in partnership with the local government of Tiwi.
The annual event was halted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but was revived in the post-pandemic years through renewed partnerships with various organizations and coastal communities committed to sea turtle and wildlife protection.
Leonila Coralde, former municipal agriculture officer who pioneered the sea turtle campaign with PGPC, said that during her tenure, Tiwi documented 11 sea turtle hatching events—six in Maynonong village and five in Barangay Bolo.
“We’re fortunate. Since the campaign began in the early 2000s, we have recorded 11 hatching episodes along the shorelines of Maynonong and Bolo. Our local communities have been vigilant in protecting nesting and releasing hatchlings back to the sea,” she said.
Mayor Jose Morel “Jojo” C. Climaco said the 10th Run to Save the Sea Turtles aims to heighten public awareness on biodiversity conservation and to strengthen the town’s sea turtle awareness and rescue program.
Tiwi is the only municipality in Albay with a dedicated watch station, located in Barangay Baybay within the 8-hectare Tiwi Eco-Adventure Marine Park. The facility features an educational exhibit on the life cycle of sea turtles—from nesting, laying, hatching, and open-sea migration to adult feeding, mating, and breeding.
The park also features an obstacle course adorned with a marine-life mural created by Tiwi Inspired Native and Talented Artists (TINTA). The watchtower serves as the staging point for visits to the Corangon Marine Protected Area (MPA), a 4.2-hectare conservation site accessible via a 10–15 minute motorboat ride.
PGPC public affairs supervisor Erwin M. Vargas said the run began in 2014 amid Tiwi’s intensified efforts to rehabilitate its beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs under the town’s Coastal Resources Management Program (CRMP) following the devastation of Super Typhoon Reming in 2006.
One positive outcome, he said, has been the return of sea turtle species—including green sea turtles, hawksbills, and olive ridleys—to Tiwi’s shores.
The LGU’s incentives for sea turtle rescues, along with strong enforcement of environmental laws and expanded partnerships, have further strengthened conservation efforts.
CRMP later evolved into the Coastal and Fishery Resources Management Program (CFRMP), which emphasized responsible fishing and improving fish catch. It then grew into ECO-STAR, or Environmental Conservation Supporting Tiwi’s Aqua Resources, which adopted a ridge-to-reef strategy integrating conservation with livelihood and coastal ecotourism initiatives.
Under ECO-STAR, the watch station was transformed into a coastal and fishery learning resource center featuring the Sea Turtle Awareness and Rescue (STAR) Center, mangrove walk, aquasilviculture areas, a coastal vegetable garden, and other community-based conservation facilities.
These efforts eventually culminated in the establishment of the Tiwi Eco-Adventure Marine (TEAM) Park, envisioned as the central hub for all coastal and marine eco-tours in Tiwi.
In August, the Sangguniang Bayan passed resolutions declaring the protection of known sea turtle nesting grounds in the municipality.
Vargas commended Tiwi’s sustained environmental leadership.
“This is a model of good governance. Through the years, regardless of political differences, Tiwi’s leaders have shown dedication to supporting conservation work,” he said. “Our coasts and seas are a shared responsibility for future generations.”
He also thanked the LGU, PGPC, local barangays, partner agencies, NGOs, youth groups for supporting the advocacy over the past decade.
