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The Philippine Pawikan is in great danger.
They are often held in captivity, caught in fishing nets or found dead. They unconsciously eat plastic
bags and straws floating in the ocean which they mistake as food, causing them to die a slow painful
death due to poisoning.
Global population of marine turtles is sharply decreasing because of various threats, including habitat
destruction; hunting and illegal wildlife trade; accidental catching; pollution disease; and lately,
climate change.
Having marine sea turtles is a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem - Let's fight for the protection of
these creatures.
BMB MISSION, VISION, GOALS AND MAJOR FUNCTIONS VISION Philippine Biodiversity
that provides natural resiliency and sustained benefits for all. MISSION To conserve and
sustainably manage the country's biodiversity. GOALS - Preventing species extinction;
- Strengthening the implementation of NIPAS and fostering other effective area-based
conservation measures; - Promoting biodiversity-friendly practices; - Mainstreaming
biodiversity across local, sectoral and national development plans and programs MAJOR
FUNCTIONS - Formulate and recommend policies, guidelines, rules and regulations for the
establishment and management of an - Integrated Protected Areas System such as national
parks, wildlife sanctuaries and refuge, marine parks and biospheric reserves; - Formulate
an up-to-date listing of endangered Philippine flora and fauna and recommend a program of
conservation and propagation of the same; - Formulate and recommend policies, guidelines
and rules for the conservation of the three (3) components of biological diversity: genetic
resources, ecosystems and endangered species of Philippine flora and fauna; - Assist the
Secretary in the monitoring and assessment of the management of the Integrated Protected
Areas System and provide technical assistance to the Regional offices in the
implementation of programs for these areas.
As Pawikan Season begins (Sept-March), we want to share this student documentary by Gerylle
Palabay. It is one of the Top 5 Finalists in the DOST’s 4th Indie-Siyensya Film Contest.
In the documentary, we were asked to narrate our experience with a beach party in 2018. It is worth
mentioning that everything improved significantly after this event. Beach events became more
intimate, less boisterous, and more organized so that trash is better managed.
The pandemic has made it challenging to continue communicating our goals for marine life safety
and ocean health. However, we believe that we must keep the conversation going now more than
ever. Please watch!
Our eco-system is comprised of interdependent animals and plants which constitute a

complex web of life. This variety of life on earth, the biodiversity that features numerous
interactions among the species, is most vital to the existence of our planet and,
particularly, of humanity. Thus, indeed the extinction of a single species may affect the
whole biological system pertaining to life and living things.
Unfortunately, the improper interventions of human beings in nature are pushing several
of the species in the ecosystem to the brink of extinction. The unprecedented unnatural
extinction of these species has not only the endangered functioning of the ecosystem
but also affected the ecological issues to a large extent.
From unknown creatures to Charismatic megafauna, these disappearances in the

ecosystem happen frequently. On land, animals like Orangutan, Black Rhinos, Amur
Leopard and Giant Pandas are some of the most critically endangered species in the
world. Similarly, many marine species including marine mammals, sea turtles and
salmonids are also on the edge of extinction as climate change and overfishing become
a major threat to their existence.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), hundreds of

marine species across the world come under the categories of endangered and critically
endangered species. IUCN, at regular intervals, determines the status of species
considering the probability of their extinction, from least concern to extinct. Some of
these majorly endangered and recognizable marine species are named here.
1. Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate)

Found in the tropical regions of all the world’s oceans, gulfs and seas- mostly in coral
reefs, the Hawksbill Turtle’s population has been estimated to have declined by 80%
over the last century. Known to be a subject of heavy trafficking in the tourist trade in
tropical regions for its meat and shells, these turtles are being killed mercilessly for quite
a period of time. The colourful shells of the Hawksbill Turtle, with beautiful patterns,
make them a valuable item in the market, often sold as “tortoiseshell.”
Even though in many countries harvesting of its eggs is banned, the practice could not
be ceased completely. The declination of its population has also resulted due to the
degradation of coral reef species which the Hawksbill Turtle primarily feed on.
According to marine conservatives, this family of the turtle is the living representatives
of reptiles that have existed in our oceans for the past hundred million years and these
turtles are vital for the existence of seagrass beds and coral reefs.
REFERENCES
PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE https://www.bmb.gov.ph/index.php/major-

programs-wrcp/pcw
HTTPS://BUSINESSMIRROR.COM.PH/2017/10/15/PROTECTING-THE-ENDANGERED-
PAWIKAN/
HTTPS://OPINION.INQUIRER.NET/96642/ENDANGERED-PAWIKAN-STILL-AT-HIGH-RISK
HTTPS://MWWPHILIPPINES.ORG/PAWIKANWATCHPH/
HTTPS://ABOITIZEYES.ABOITIZ.COM/POST/THE-TOXIC-EMERGENCY-THAT-PAWIKANS-
LIVE-WITH?
FBCLID=IWAR1B5AH7K2MVX8A5NEN2PXG1TTRZHW2PSU0IEKPJI8F4MI3UBIXSU5U5SPQ
 Top 5 Most Endangered Species in the Philippines. [accessed 2018p Jun 25]. http://philippinestravelsite.com/top-
5-endangered-species-philippines/.
 Top 50 Critically Endangered Animals in the Philippines. Owlcation. [accessed 2018q Jun
25]. https://owlcation.com/stem/The-Top-Ten-Critically-Endangered-Animals-in-the-Philippines.
 A Biodiversity Hotspot in the Philippines | Blog Posts | WWF. World Wildlife Fund. [accessed 2018a Jun
25]. https://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/good-nature-travel/posts/a-biodiversity-hotspot-in-the-philippines.
 Lasco G. 2017 Mar 30. From 7,107 to 7,641. [accessed 2018 Jun 25]. http://opinion.inquirer.net/102845/from-
7107-to-7641.
 Main Details. [accessed 2018i Jun 25]. https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/default.shtml?country=ph.
 Maala C. 2018 Jun 25. Endangered Philippine Wildlife Species with Special Reference to the Philippine Eagle
(Pithecophaga Jefferyi) and Tamaraw (Bubalus Mindorensis) 【Review】.
 Massive Coral Bleaching Damages 95% of Corals in Philippines | TreeHugger. [accessed 2018j Jun
26]. https://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/massive-coral-bleaching-damages-95-of-corals-in-
philippines.html.
 ONEOCEAN Infomations. [accessed 2018k Jun
26]. http://www.oneocean.org/flash/philippine_biodiversity.html
 PFS 2016 (092917).pdf. Google Docs. [accessed 2018l Jun
25]. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1G5mTNoDPOFSTgzVEJicm5OV2s/view?
usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook.
 Investing in biodiversity is investing in our future. UNDP in Philippines. [accessed 2018h Jun
26]. http://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/ourperspective/ourperspectivearticles/2016/05/20/inve
sting-in-biodiversity-is-investing-in-our-future.html.
 Aquatic Biodiversity : Threats and Conservation. [accessed 2018c Jun
25]. http://aquafind.com/articles/aquatic_biodiversity.php.

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The Philippine Pawikan is in great danger.

Our eco-system is comprised of interdependent animals and plants which constitute a

From unknown creatures to Charismatic megafauna, these disappearances in the

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), hundreds of

1. Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate)

PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE https://www.bmb.gov.ph/index.php/major-

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