Morong, Bataan — Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), through private limited partnerships GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC) and GNPower Dinginin Ltd. Co. (GNPD), released 336 sea turtle or pawikan hatchlings in a ceremony at its adopted hatchery site in Sitio Fuerte, Barangay Poblacion, Morong, Bataan, last February 23, 2026.

The event served as the high point of the company’s three-year SagiPaWeCan project. This flagship conservation program supports GMEC and GNPD’s “Preserve the Planet” initiative under its P.U.S.O. Corporate Social Responsibility framework, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 14 (Life Below Water) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

“Ang ating pagtutulungan sa SagiPaWeCan ay patunay na kapag ang komunidad, pamahalaan, at pribadong sektor ay nagkaisa, malaki ang ating magagawa,” said Morong Mayor Leila Linao-Muñoz. “Sama-sama po nating itaguyod ang ating adbokasiya na maging tagapangalaga ng ating mga pawikan, at maging active para po pangalagaan natin ang ating kalikasan.

Building on this momentum, GMEC and GNPD Reputation and Stakeholder Management (RSM) Manager Joseph Paolo Mendoza announced that the program will be extended for another five years. A new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be signed on March 25, 2026, together with the Provincial Government of Bataan (PGB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the local people’s organization, Sagip Pawikan Sitio Fuerte Association.

“We’re not done yet. We’re choosing to commit and protect because conservation is not seasonal; it’s generational,” Mendoza said. “Every hatchling we release carries proof that when the community, government, and private sector move together, we create real impact.”

Since 2023, the program has transplanted 55,190 olive ridley eggs, resulting in the successful release of 53,435 hatchlings, which represents a 97% hatching rate. If left unprotected, the rate could decrease to 25% or more because of natural predators and other environmental disturbances.

The Philippines is home to five of the seven sea turtle species in the world, three of which — the green, hawksbill, and olive ridley turtles — nest on the shores of Bataan. All three marine turtle species are protected under the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147), making conservation efforts like GMEC and GNPD’s project SagiPaWeCan timely and necessary, serving as a compelling example of how private sector leadership, together with community collaboration, can create meaningful and lasting impacts.

Feb 27, 2026