At least 35 baby sea turtles from a guarded hatchery in a village in Curimao, Ilocos Norte were guided back to the wild Wednesday.

Engineer Erickson Biag, Currimao municipal environment officer designate, told the Philippine News Agency in a phone interview that village officials of Barangay Paguludan, are monitoring the pawikan hatchery.

He said the latest batch of released hatchlings are on top of the 32 hatchlings that emerged from the relocated sea turtle eggs last December, guarded to keep them safe during high tide and protect them from predators.

“The pawikan eggs in the first nest were laid last December and we are counting 52 days for them to emerge and guide them back to their natural habitat,” he said.

Biag said there are two more nests at the hatchery and they are expecting them to emerge until February.

The pawikan hatchery in Currimao town was established last year and the coastal villages of Pangil all the way to Paguludan are regarded as pawikan sanctuary.

Marine sea turtles often lay their eggs from dusk till dawn and the peak season is from November to March.

The local government, through its Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, has been advocating for the caring of marine turtles in support of Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, which prohibits killing, wounding, trading, transporting, collecting, hunting, gathering of eggs, destroying of nests, or possessing marine turtles, and their products of derivatives. (PNA)