Over 5,000 sea turtle hatchlings have already been released in Isla Arena in Narra, Palawan through the pioneering efforts of the Paragua Wildlife Conservancy, Inc. whose aim is to conserve the endangered wildlife in small islands and coastal areas of Palawan.

Central in its advocacy is the Pugad Pawikan, a network of organizations with representations from the government, non-government, academe, the youth and the private sector driven towards the preservation of one of the country's most precious treasures, the pawikan.

The Philippine, as home to five of the seven turtle species and six of the nine islands of the Turtle Islands Heritage Park, carries an immense responsibility to prevail in the battle for pawikan conservation.

With this in mind, the Isla Arena Marine Turtle Sanctuary has taken on the challenge of protecting its natural resources under the direction of Engineer Roland Rodriguez whose family owns a farm in Taritien and Antipoloan Coastal areas fronting the island since the 1930's. Rodriguez had led the efforts against poachers, blast fishermen, cyanide stun-fishing, and harvest of turtle eggs from the beaches of the 3.6-hectare island located in the South Central Sulu Sea.

"We advocated for the passage into law of the Strategic Environment Plan for Palawan in 1992, to implement programs for sustainable development and encourage the private sector in this initiative. The Philippines is one of the few privileged countries that are considered as a nesting site for hundreds of sea turtles. We would like to ensure that Palawan is fulfilling its part in making the country a true home for the pawikan," Rodriguez said.

The island is mainly occupied by green turtles and occasionally by leatherbacks. When the sea turtles come onshore, at least 200 eggs are laid per batch with 45-50 days of incubation. Isla Arena retains hatchlings in float cages and releases them after a month when the baby turtles are bigger, thus giving them a higher survival chance from predators. The hatchlings are then tagged and registered internationally in order to trace their return to Isla Arena to lay more eggs.

Isla Arena had been identified by Pugad Pawikan as one of the pilot areas for the nationwide movement to save sea turtles together with a community of volunteers and concerned citizens.

Louie Morales, chairman of Pugad Pawikan, reiterates their commitment in transforming the country into a sea turtle haven. "The Pugad Pawikan project is geared towards creating an educated and active community whose primary purpose is to generate awareness and encourage participation for pawikan conservation. Isla Arena sets a great example in our drive to reach this goal," Morales said.

Serving as a turtle sanctuary for several decades, Isla Arena uses homemade floats, buoys, markers, traditional fish traps and gillnets especially to mark off the "marine protected areas" of the island. The idea of creating a sanctuary and spawning area was a preferred method to obtain the support of local fisher folks for marine resource conservation. Instead of using force or guards armed with guns, educating and befriending the people proved more viable in getting their cooperation.