The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted training for coastal communities and protected area management implementers last week to strengthen local efforts in marine turtle protection and conservation in the province of Zambales.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Masinloc led the training, with CENRO Chief Donaver Guevarra saying the activity aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of around 40 participants from coastal communities in Palauig and Masinloc.

These participants, he added, included implementers involved in managing the more than 7,000-hectare Masinloc and Oyon Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape (MOBPLS), focusing on the conservation, monitoring, and proper handling of marine turtles.

“The support of coastal communities is vital in sustaining marine life, especially the pawikan that frequently nest within the marine protected area of MOBPLS,” Guevarra said.

He noted that MOBPLS serves as a habitat for olive ridley and green sea turtles, with more than 300 hatchlings released back into the sea last year.

DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the initiative forms part of the Department’s continuing efforts to safeguard critical marine biodiversity, particularly marine turtles, which are considered vital indicators of ocean health and are protected under Republic Act No. 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.

“We need to protect this vital marine life. Their survival depends on us. Strengthening the capacity of local implementers is essential to ensuring the long-term survival of marine turtle populations and maintaining the ecological integrity of coastal and marine ecosystems in Zambales,” Pablo said.

The training focused on strengthening the knowledge and skills of coastal communities in species identification, nesting beach monitoring, hatchery management, and the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded or injured marine turtles.

It also covered marine turtle biology, threats, and legal frameworks; handling and tagging procedures; and hatchery management. These were complemented by a field activity where participants assessed actual nesting site conditions and shared best practices for local implementation, Guevarra added.

MOBPLS is the first and only marine protected area in Central Luzon protected under Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 2018, ensuring legal protection for sea turtles.

Zambales hosts active sea turtle conservation efforts, particularly for vulnerable olive ridley turtles, focusing on nest protection and hatchling releases.