The dark side of the coast

Low tide reveals mangrove remnants from a previous mangrove stand.

More mangrove trees are needed in this vast seascape.

While taking photographs of the breathtaking seascape of sitio Taisan (San Vicente, Bulusan), I noticed some tree stumps on the shoreline bed. There is no doubt what these stumps are. These are mangrove stumps  maybe several decades old. It points to one thing that this area was once a lush mangrove forest. No wonder there is a mud-like quality to the sea bed.

These photos (above) are images of  a deforested mangrove swamp. A desolate landscape crying for help.

To reclaim the mangrove forest that once upon a time existed in this coast will entail a gigantic and heroic effort.

If not planted with more mangroves, the shoreline will continue to recede. And most importantly during typhoons there will be no vegetation to block the raging surge from the sea. It is already an established fact that mangroves are effective barrier and protection in the coastline that save communities.

With the mangroves back, the kinis (mudcrab) will flourish abundantly more than the local paraagahid (pole net fishermen) can catch for their livelihood. Mangroves are natural habitats of mudcrabs.

I hope these images will convey an SOS to coastal environmentalists including those based in Bulusan. The few surviving juvenile mangroves from the initial replanting activity (photo) are reminders that there’s hope that the mangroves of Taisan could be reclaimed.

Let us bring back the mangroves of Taisan.

It is to the credit of Tribu Bulusanon (http://tribubulusan.orgfree.com/#), a local environmental group, that the first  mangrove reforestation project in this coast took off.

But it was just a beginning. More actions are needed.

Surviving mangroves of Taisan from the initial mangrove replanting project.

Bare mangroves means dwindling catch for the paraagahid fishermen.

Photos: Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

The extraordinary ordinary Malubago tree

Children in Dancalan, Bulusan playing under the shade of Malubago trees lining the beach area of their coastal village.

Seascape viewed from a Malubago hedge. Notice the exposed roots of the Malubago trees that serve as a natural barrier from the tidal flow.

Malubago trees as viewed from the ocean’s edge of a coastal village in Dancalan, Bulusan.

One does not have to be an expert in shoreline conservation and preservation to see the effect of growing Malubago trees along the sea shores. I did see it myself in my recent beach walk along the shore of a coastal community half kilometer away from the frequently visited Dancalan Beach Resort.

This coastal area however is not frequented by visitors since easy access here entails passing by some coastal rural homes lining the major road. Although the beach sand is still in the range of a light-colored sand, this beach area is not a ‘resort’ area. It is a rural coastal community populated by mostly fisher folks. Women were busy weaving karagumoy hats when I passed by and they kindly showed me the way to reach the beach just a few meters from their residence.

Children were playing under the Malubago trees, running around with crescendos of shrieks and cries oblivious of my presence as I walk and take photos in a leisurely pace along the shore. The sea view from a new location was just the thing I needed to compose some new images in departure from my usual beach photographs. But what really caught my attention are the Malubago trees along the shoreline of the coastal village.

The Malubago trees although unassuming and modest in appearance  did not escape my observation because these trees dominate the landscape in this long stretch of almost white beach. The beach vegetation as far as my eyes can see are mostly coconut and Malubago trees. The Malubago stands where other vegetation failed to grow. Some of its roots are exposed to the sand but still very much standing exhibiting its resiliency to the elements. It does not encroach the sea but only occupies the demarcation of the shoreline and the residential houses. Obviously the trees serve as the first line of defense in times of typhoons and sea storm surges yet it flourish with its shy flowers peeking out of the almost heart-shaped leaves.

The flowers are described as bell-shaped by some botanists. For me, the Malubago flower appears as a half-open yellow hibiscus — shy and seems to decide not to fully open to evade attention from flower pickers. Maybe this strategy pays off because there are fruits in almost all of the branches securing the next generation of Malubago trees.

I learned however from googling that Malubago can also be propagated by means of stem and branch cuttings. Making a fence out of the branch cuttings is an easy way to propagate the Malubago. With a firm grip on the ground, the cut branch will grow to a brand new Malubago tree even if left to its own devices.

The Species Profile for Pacific Island Agroforestry (www.traditionaltree.org) states that Hibiscus tiliaceus (Malubago’s botanical name) main agroforestry uses are soil stabilization and coastal protection. It can grow in extreme environment and is also drought tolerant. Fast to grow and forms walls of thicket if not pruned which makes it ideal as windbreakers along the shores. And this is the reason why it is used for coastal protection : “The long spreading branches root where they touch the ground enhancing the tree’s ability to stabilize soil on slopes, along river banks, swampy areas and shores exposed to moderate  coastal tides.”

But just like anything that is familiar and common, we tend to take the Malubago tree for granted.

Malubago flower is cousin to the showy ornamental hibiscus.

Sea view from under the Malubago canopy in Dancalan, Bulusan

More of Malubago tree here:

Click to access H.tiliaceus-beach-hibiscus.pdf

Photos: Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Green River

Bulusan River photo by Alma P. Gamil

Green River

by William Cullen Bryant  (1794 -1878)

When breezes are soft and skies are fair,
I steal an hour from study and care,
And hie me away to the woodland scene,
Where wanders the stream with waters of green,
As if the bright fringe of herbs on its brink
Had given their stain to the wave they drink;
And they, whose meadows it murmurs through,
Have named the stream from its own fair hue.

Yet pure its waters–its shallows are bright
With coloured pebbles and sparkles of light,
And clear the depths where its eddies play,
And dimples deepen and whirl away,
And the plane-tree’s speckled arms o’ershoot
The swifter current that mines its root,
Through whose shifting leaves, as you walk the hill,
The quivering glimmer of sun and rill
With a sudden flash on the eye is thrown,
Like the ray that streams from the diamond stone.
Oh, loveliest there the spring days come,
With blossoms, and birds, and wild bees’ hum;
The flowers of summer are fairest there,
And freshest the breath of the summer air;
And sweetest the golden autumn day
In silence and sunshine glides away.

Yet fair as thou art, thou shunnest to glide,
Beautiful stream! by the village side;
But windest away from haunts of men,
To quiet valley and shaded glen;
And forest, and meadow, and slope of hill,
Around thee, are lonely, lovely, and still.
Lonely–save when, by thy rippling tides,
From thicket to thicket the angler glides;
Or the simpler comes with basket and book,
For herbs of power on thy banks to look;
Or haply, some idle dreamer, like me,
To wander, and muse, and gaze on thee.
Still–save the chirp of birds that feed
On the river cherry and seedy reed,
And thy own wild music gushing out
With mellow murmur and fairy shout,
From dawn to the blush of another day,
Like traveller singing along his way.

That fairy music I never hear,
Nor gaze on those waters so green and clear,
And mark them winding away from sight,
Darkened with shade or flashing with light,
While o’er them the vine to its thicket clings,
And the zephyr stoops to freshen his wings,
But I wish that fate had left me free
To wander these quiet haunts with thee,
Till the eating cares of earth should depart,
And the peace of the scene pass into my heart;
And I envy thy stream, as it glides along,
Through its beautiful banks in a trance of song.

Though forced to drudge for the dregs of men,
And scrawl strange words with the barbarous pen,
And mingle among the jostling crowd,
Where the sons of strife are subtle and loud–
I often come to this quiet place,
To breathe the airs that ruffle thy face,
And gaze upon thee in silent dream,
For in thy lonely and lovely stream
An image of that calm life appears
That won my heart in my greener years.

Dolipay, upper part of Bulusan River, photo courtesy of Pamughaton.wordpress.com

Front seat view

Lush mangrove areas of Barcelona town form peninsula-like images viewed from the bridge. These are still untapped as ecotourism attractions but are equally important in the fishing sector of the community.

Bayong (karagumoy baskets) and Karagumoy hats are traded like top agricultural products side by side with copra and pili in Bulusan.

Karagumoy bayong pronounced bay-ong by locals is the second most traded handcrafted product in Bulusan next to karagumoy hats. Traders buy the bayong at 7.50 to 10 pesos each. A weaver can easily make around 10 bayong a day.

Nipa thatch roofing known locally as ‘pawud’ for sale along Barcelona road.

Shooting rows of karagumoy hats literally below the knees while seated on a jeepney front seat.

Juvenile mangroves in San Vicente shoreline. Mangrove reforestation obviously needs more intervention here.

Kurbada sa Porog (Porog’s Curve) is Bulusan’s most identifiable curve road.

A pause from the hard toil for this farmer was an unintended pose with Mt. Bulusan as backdrop for a passing jeepney with a shutterbug passenger – me.

Taking the jeepney ride is one of the rural experiences I cherish lately. The tropical colors of green and blue flashes like shifting giant panoramic TV screen scenes as my  jeepney commute rolls from my hometown Bulusan to Gubat with the town of Barcelona sandwiched in between.

Every trip is a kind of adventure in itself. In fact I look forward to the bimonthly jeepney commute and wish it could be more.  I really enjoyed every jeepney ‘journey’ literally. For these trips the destination is not the most enjoyable part – it is  what lies along the road. . . or it is just my uncanny ability to find happiness from the most ordinary. Call it as ‘mababaw ang kaligayahan’ because admittedly I belong to that group.

The photos show what I’m talking about – snapped along the road from the Poblacion to the countryside of Bulusan, Barcelona and Gubat town center. All of these photos were taken while I’m comfortably seated at the  front seat of the jeepney beside the driver’s seat.

Jeepney public commute from Bulusan to Gubat town is daily and runs from early morning up to around 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  Jeepney fare is 38 pesos one way- Bulusan to Gubat town.

Photos: Alma P. Gamil

Watershed 101

Bulusan Volcano, a composite mountain provides ecosystem services to the communities surrounding it from drinking water to farm irrigation. The effects of climate change are barely felt here due to its ‘micro climate’ shield. While other areas may suffer drought, this area remains protected from dry spell.

Fresh water spring in nearby Palogtoc offers mountain fresh drinking water that I call ‘the champagne of drinking waters’ in the entire region.

Brook as clear as your tap water is a common sight in Bulusan.

I came across with the best definition of watershed lately in my quest for answers to questions related to the Geothermal issue in my hometown Bulusan.  The definition was the simplest yet the most enlightening in the course of my search for answers.

It reads:

What is a Watershed?

A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. John Wesley Powell, scientist geographer, put it best when he said that a watershed is:

“that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community.” (Source:http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/whatis.cfm)

This definition makes sense in this paragraph detailing the effects of Geothermal energy extraction in a rainforest that says:

Water Cycles

“Geothermal wells disrupt the natural water cycles of rain forest ecosystems, which can be quite fragile. The deforestation that occurs in the immediate vicinity of the wells leads to erosion and disruption of streams and rivers. The wells affect underground aquifers and can change the direction of underground water flows. The continuous usage of deep water sources can change the temperature and composition of aquifers, leading to disruption of water distribution on the surface where trees, other plants and animals are dependent on it.”

Recommended reading: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/hawaiis-rainforest-crunch-land-people-and-geothermal-development

Related post: https://bulusanruralvagabond.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/bulusan-water-gallery-1/

Photos: Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Saint Francis of Assisi’s Sermon to the Birds

Sermon to the Birds, Francis of Assisi, about 1220

“My little sisters, the birds, you are bound much to God, your Creator, and always in every place you ought to praise Him, for that He has given you liberty to fly about everywhere, and has also given you double and triple amount of rain; moreover He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, so that your race might not perish out of the world; still more you are beholden to Him for the element of the air which He has appointed for you; beyond all this, you do not sow, neither do you reap; and God feeds you, and gives you the streams and fountains for your drink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees on which to make your nests; and because you do not know how to spin or sow, God clothes you, you and your children; therefore your Creator loves you much, seeing that He has bestowed on you so many benefits; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and learn always to give praises to God.”

Source: Wikisource.org
Image via Parabola Magazine : Fritz Eichenberg, Quaker Artist (1901 – 1990), “St. Francis, Sermon to the Birds,” Wood engraving, 1952. http://tmblr.co/ZjYlFyioZCuj

Have rains, will shoot!

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“The Philippines has a tropical climate dominated by rainy and dry seasons. The mean annual average temperature is about 27° C. The hottest months are April, May and June with average temperatures ranging from 27.8 to 28.4° C. The coldest months are December, January and February with average temperature ranging from 26.1° C to as low as 25.5° C.”

“The Philippines is divided into four climatic types, depending on how rainfall is distributed throughout the year.

• Type 1 – Two pronounced seasons, wet and dry, with maximum rain period from June to September and a dry season which lasts from 3 to 6 months.
• Type II – No dry season, with a very pronounced maximum rain period that occurs in December and January.
• Type III – Not very pronounced maximum rain period, with a short dry season lasting from 1 to 3 months.
• Type IV – Rainfall more or less distributed throughout the year.

“Most of the eastern parts of the archipelago have Type II climate, having no pronounced dry season with rainfall maximum from November to January. Rainfall in these areas is due to both large-scale precipitation during the southwest monsoon season and orographic precipitation during the Pacific trade winds and northeast monsoon season.”  ~ Climate Types in the Philippines, FAO

Bulusan has a Type II climate being located in the Bicol Region.

It simply means enjoy the rains for it is here to stay. Bear the maximum though but relish the minimum rainfall days because most of the time these are beautiful sunny days! Good morning!

Photos: Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Trees according to Hermann Hesse

For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone. They are like lonely persons. Not like hermits who have stolen away out of some weakness, but like great, solitary men, like Beethoven and Nietzsche. In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent themselves. Nothing is holier, nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree. When a tree is cut down and reveals its naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole history in the luminous, inscribed disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years, its scars, all the struggle, all the suffering, all the sickness, all the happiness and prosperity stand truly written, the narrow years and the luxurious years, the attacks withstood, the storms endured. And every young farmboy knows that the hardest and noblest wood has the narrowest rings, that high on the mountains and in continuing danger the most indestructible, the strongest, the ideal trees grow.”

“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.

A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.

A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. I trust that God is in me. I trust that my labor is holy. Out of this trust I live.”

“When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. . . . Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.”

“A longing to wander tears my heart when I hear trees rustling in the wind at evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one’s suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the mother, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. Every path leads homeward, every step is birth, every step is death, every grave is mother.

So the tree rustles in the evening, when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts: Trees have long thoughts, long-breathing and restful, just as they have longer lives than ours. They are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy. Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home. That is happiness.”

from Hermann Hesse’s Trees: Reflections and Poems via Brain Pickings: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/09/21/hermann-hesse-trees/

Photos of  Pili trees in Barangay Santa Barbara, Bulusan Sorsogon Philippines by Alma P. Gamil

Bulusan Pili Trees : A walk amongst the giants

“The Pili trees were already there for as long as I can remember,” ~ Oya Choleng, 75 years old.

Jurassic looking Pili tree of Odikin.

Pili trees  rule the landscape in this area.

This is Pili Kingdom.

Alma in Pili land.

These are average sized ‘giant’ pili trees (photos) in the mountain village of Odikin. Others are more ancient looking and much massive in size. It is obvious that these are the original inhabitants of the place.

Odikin officially referred to as Barangay Santa Barbara is located in the lower slopes of Mount Bulusan  around 2 km from the PDZ (Permanent Danger Zone) of Bulusan  Volcano.

Kept notes from the definitive Pili monograph authored by the eminent scientist Roberto E. Coronel reads :

“Origin and geographic distribution:

The pili is indigenous to the Philippines (Merrill 1912, 1923; Wester 1921; Brown 1954; Li 1970). The crop’s centre of genetic diversity is the Bicol region, possibly in the virgin rainforests surrounding Mt. Bulusan, in the Province of Sorsogon. In the forests of this province, very old pili nut trees measuring more than 50 m in height can still be found today.”

Photos: Alma P. Gamil /photo of me amongst the pili trees by Loida, my sis-in-law.

2013 April Santa Barbara, Bulusan, Sorsogon
Philippines

What Lonely Planet missed out in Palogtoc Falls

Lonely Planet review of Palogtoc Falls was all praises for the ‘lovely’ nature grotto that is Palogtoc. It missed seeing however the activity frenzy of the place during summer when the local villagers troop to the place to beat the heat.

Local villagers mostly kids, frolicking like mischievous elves in the fairyland ambiance of Palogtoc Falls showed me the real fun of what the place can offer aside from its natural beauty.

Watching  the kids do the plunge, dip, dive , splash and swim in the crystal clear mountain spring waters with the backdrop of the mixed ambient sound of the kids’ excited voices and the sound of the rushing waters of the water falls were enough to fill the day with a dose of freshness.

I had to hide my camera and keep myself inconspicuous while shooting the animated water play so as not to break the flow of excitement that surrounds  the place last Sunday afternoon. Even the waters seemed to join in the frolic in perfect rhythm. It was pure water magic!

Lonely Planet review for Palogtoc Falls reads:

“A successful conquest of Mt Bulusan deserves a soak in the Palogtoc Falls. This grotto is accessible by a 500m walk from a trailhead off the main road between the park entrance and San Roque (it’s also on the Bulusan–Irosin jeepney route). It features a gorgeous cold-water pool fed by falls beside a shady river, with mercifully no visible concrete, just a few low-key bamboo and nipa huts. It’s a lovely spot, especially if you luck out and are there alone.”

Palogtoc Falls, Bulusan, Sorsogon

Philippines

Photos by Alma P. Gamil