CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City council during its regular session Tuesday commended two local fishermen of barangay Tanke for turning over a captured sea turtle or “pawikan” to the city’s bantay dagat.
Fishermen Fritzmon Cabando and Selmo Tabar, who are from the coastal village of Tanke, turned over to the city’s Fishermen Sea Ecological Care (Fiseca) a sea turtle that has been declared an endangered specie, January 4. The pawikan reportedly got entangled in a net.
A newly approved resolution authored by Councilor Bernard Odilao, who is chairman on the committee on Environment, states that the two fishermen “should be given proper recognition” for their act, especially that there are some of their kind who would have done the opposite.
Odilao said their “noble” action would serve as an example and encourage others to do what is good for the preservation of the environment.