Pong Feliciano, a 46-year old man, has turned over a sea turtle to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Barangay Cabaluay, Zamboanga City on Thursday, April 4.
Feliciano stated that he bought the turtle on Wednesday from an old man who was selling the ‘pawikan’ for only P1,000 pesos inside a market.
After buying the sea turtle, he immediately turned it over to the DENR the next day and sought their help in releasing it to the sea.
Feliciano said he bought the turtle in order to save it from further harm.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified sea turtles as an “endangered species.”