Under coconut trees swaying from the sea breeze, several fishermen would usually gather at a coastal village here on late afternoons to unwind from hard work with a gallon of “tuba” (coconut wine). As Filipino culture dictates, drinking sessions would not be complete without people partaking of the “pulutan” (appetizer). In the case of the Maitum fishermen, the plate on the table would often have exotic sea turtle, locally called “pawikan.” “The meat of sea turtle tastes like beef. We also don’t spare turtle eggs. Eating them seems to stir our libido,” fisherman Arnulfo Valderama told the Inquirer at the veranda of his small house built several meters from the shore at Barangay Kiambing.

Sarmiento, B. (2018, December 9). From predators to protectors of sea turtles. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A15.