Tovic Salvador

Lagi nga balay sa oma naimong balay y balinsasayaw sa Palawan

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<div>Ed&#x27;s note: You can also read a Cuyunon version of this story after the English version below.</div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz86TOfDIfqXIe&amp;cid=ABfTvlFjwqU-CTKK"></script>Bosyadors (harvesters of swiftlets) must endure many difficulties just to collect edible bird’s nests, called balinsasayaw (swiftlets). Most of the time, they have to enter caves or climb dangerous cliffs, where these birds build their nests and lay their eggs.In Palawan, balinsasayaw can now be spotted not only on cliffs. On the farm of the Rodriguez family in Aborlan, these birds can be seen flying above their crops. And where do they build their nests and lay their eggs? Right inside the old farmhouse of the Rodriguez family. According to the farm owner, Roy Rodriguez, it was in 2021, during the pandemic when resources became scarce, that he first noticed the birds flying over their fields. These birds gave him hope.“I felt lighthearted when I saw them flying and noticed they were happy. I thought about how happy they are while we humans are struggling with the problems caused by the pandemic. But it is written in the Bible that birds are not anxious about what they sow or reap. What more do we humans have to worry about, since God made us special? I told myself, when there are birds, there is hope,” Rodriguez said.In 2023, he showed videos of these birds to a Jama Mapun engineer who has knowledge about bird’s nests. When the engineer visited the farm, he confirmed that they were indeed balinsasayaw. Roy was then taught what to do. They closed off the first floor of the old farmhouse, and that is when the swiftlets started entering the house, making nests and laying eggs.“The windows are glass, so I covered them with Hardiflex, which made the inside dark. When it got dark, the swiftlets came inside. Then I learned the technology on how to take care of the nests inside,” Rodriguez explained. The crops on the farm also help attract and maintain the swiftlets in the area, providing enough food for them. At the same time, the farm benefits from the birds as they act as natural pest control. This is why planting crops is very important.The nests in the farm are edible since they are made purely from the birds’ saliva, unlike some nests that contain grass and mud. “Sometimes we see birds perched on electric cables or bridges, but those nests aren’t edible because they contain a lot of grass. The species we have produce nests that are 99.9% edible,” Rodriguez said.The edible bird’s nests on the farm are currently for the family’s personal consumption. Rodriguez said he will sell them only after securing the proper documents to operate legally.Rodriguez believes that swiftlet houses have great potential in Palawan if given proper effort. This way, bosyadors do not have to climb cliffs, and more importantly, the birds will not be mistreated.Surely, there are significant expenses at the beginning, but this industry can thrive in Palawan just like it does in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia — it just needs to be studied carefully.“If we compare ourselves to Indonesia and Malaysia, we are way, way behind. They purposely build structures for this, and it has become a billion-peso industry. It’s sustainable since the birds multiply,” Rodriguez added.He also believes that conservation and the bird’s nest industry can coexist.“Conservation is always with having full stomachs. Some agree with conservation but have empty stomachs—what do they do then? With bird houses like ours, the birds live in my house, safe from predators and illegal harvesting because only I have control. So, when they make nests there, I protect them — I don’t take their eggs because I know they will break. I protect them, and they multiply. That is conservation,” Rodriguez explained.He also said that there are also many balinsasayaw in different parts of Puerto Princesa and Palawan, not just in El Nido.“They are native here. Before, when we saw them, it meant nothing. I slowly studied them and discovered there are different species. They are natural here; people just did not know. I found out that their food includes insects such as termites, fruit flies, and pests in the farm. They are widespread in Palawan,” Rodriguez added.Rodriguez is willing to share his knowledge with others to help explore this industry in Palawan.“I will introduce this and talk to the LGU so they see this as a form of conservation and, at the same time, a livelihood for people,” Rodriguez said.The price of cleaned bird’s nests is compared to gold, valued between ₱100,000 to ₱400,000 per kilogram, while uncleaned nests sell around ₱30,000 per kilogram. One well-known group of buyers and consumers of bird’s nests are the Chinese, who believe the nests have medicinal benefits. It is said to help cure asthma and other illnesses.<div> </div><div>Lagi nga balay sa oma naimong balay y balinsasayaw sa Palawan </div><div> </div>Naga aguanta lamang sa kakuri ang manga bosyador, makabel sanda lamang y pugad ang lamgam nga balinsasayaw. Madangmit kaministiran anda pa nga magseled sa mga giyeb o magsaka sa matatas nga manga taraw, ay duto nagabalay ig nagaparangitlog ang manga lamgam nga dia. Sa Palawan, beken den lamang sa kabatuan mamaispatan ang manga balinsasayaw. Sa oma y ang pamilya Rodriguez sa banua’ y ang Aborlan, makikita nga nagarelepad ang manga lamgam nga dia. Ig kung sadin sanda nagabalay ig nagaparangitlog? Sa seled mismo ang laging balay y ang pamilya Rodriguez.Istoria y ang miana ang oma nga si Roy Rodriguez, dagon nga 2021, timpo y ang pandimia kung sadin amat-amat nga nasisintian ang kakurian, naispatan na nga nagalelepad ang manga lamgam sa andang oma. Ang manga lamgam nga dia ang nagtaw kanana y pagsarig.“Ag agan akeng leba, akita ko agarelepad sanda, mambeng sanda. Konako, ang ambeng sanda, kitang tao agapamroblima sa pandemic, samantalang makon ngani sa bible nga ang mga lamgam ara ipapamroblima, ikaw pa nga tao nga ing imo nga ispisyal. Konako sa akeng sadili, when there are birds, there is hope,” makon si Rodriguez.Dagon nga 2023, ing pakita na ang bidyo y ang mga lamgam sa inhinyirong Jama Mapun nga mi elam sa balinsasayaw. Ing bisita ang inhinyiro ang oma ig ing kompirma na nga dato manda ay manga balinsasayaw. Ing turuan na si Roy anang bubuaten. Ing sirado ang unang panalegan y ang andang laging balay sa oma, ig duto ron nagimpisa nga magsereled sa balay ig magbuat andang pugad ig magpangitlog ang manga balinsasayaw.“Ang mga bintana glass, ing ta’leban ko y Hardiflex, animan agdelem ang seled. Pagdelem ang seled, agimpisa ren agseled ang mga balinsasayaw. Dato ron, agistar sanda ren, tapos ing turoan ako ren ang technology kung pasamoro ang pagsagod ang mga pugad duto sa seled,” makon pa si Rodriguez.Mabael nga bagay da kuno ang manga pananem sa andang oma agod nga magrake ig magtinir ang manga balinsasayaw duto, ay mi nabebelan sanda andang pagkaen. Mabael da ang pakinabang ang oma sa manga balinsasayaw tenged nga naboboinan ang manga pisti sa pananem. Animan nga importanti ra kuno ang pagpananem.Edible o nakakaen da ang manga pugad y ang mga balinsasayaw sa andang oma ay tenged purong laway ang lamgam. Mi manga balinsasayaw muro kuno nga ilamonon ig logmok andang pugad. “Kaisan sa mga karsada mi mga agaapon sa [kabli] ang kurinti, mga tulay, dan beken edible samoro dorong ilamonon, ara kaw mabebel nga edible part doto. Piro ang species nga dia nga agseled sa balay, 99.9% edible,” dogang ni Rodriguez.Sa dadi ay pang sadiling konsomo lamang y ang pamilya ang mga balinsasayaw sa oma. Ipapabakal lamang kuno dia ni Rodriguez kung makabel tana ren y manga dokumento ig pirmiso agod mag-operate y legal.Sa paino-ino ni Rodriguez, doro kabael ang potinsial ang manga bird house sa Palawan kung papaseketan lamang. Sa paging dia ay beken den kaministiran nga magsaka sa manga kabatuan ang manga bosyador, ig labaw sa tanan ay indi maabosar ang manga lamgam.Mabael lamang kuno ang gasto sa impisa, piro maimo kuno nga magrabong ang industriya nga dia sa Palawan kapario sa Thailand, Malaysia, ig Indonesia --- kaministiran lang adalan.“Kung ikukumpara ta sa Indonesia, Malaysia, we are way, way behind. Kananda aga buat sanda talaga mababael nga building, billions andang industry. That’s sustainable ay agarake muro ang mga lamgam,” dugang pa ni Rodriguez. Agaparet tana ra, nga posible nga mag imbeng ang konserbasion ig industriya ang balinsasayaw.“Ang conservation, it’s always with full stomach dan. Ang iba moro [aga kon] conservation [piro] with your empty stomach – ano ang bubuaten ang tao, nganga lamang. Sa bird house, pario kanaken, duto sanda sa akeng balay ara predator nga poiding magseled, ara iligal nga poiding magseled sa akeng balay, samoro ako lamang ang mi control. So, pag agpogad ang balinsasayaw diyan, protiktado ko tana – indi ko belen ang itlog moro aelaman kong magapesa tana. Poprotiksionan ko tana, so magatama sanda duto – that’s conservation,” pasanag ni Rodriguez Sa dadi ay matama ra kuno ang manga balinsasayaw sa iba-ibang parti y ang Puerto Princesa ig Palawan, beken lamang sa El Nido.“Natural sanda kanaten digi. Ang una samuro, makikita ta dia alelepad-lepad, baliwala. Ing amat-amat kong adalan, iba-ibang species. Natural kanaten, ara lamang kalibutan ang tao. Ing adalan ko, andang ing kakaen gali mga insikto, number one ang anay, mga fruit flies nga manga pirwisyo, mga pisti sa bokid. Talagang widespread sanda sa Palawan,” dogang ni Rodriguez.Indi na ra kuno y isbot anang aelaman agod nga makaumpisa ang ibang tao sa industriya nga dia sa Palawan.“Dia y introduce ko, kakampangen ko ang LGU nga poidi dia maging conservation, at the same time, livelihood ang mga tao,” makon pa si Rodriguez.Ang prisyo ang limpio nga manga pugad ang balinsasayaw ay ing papario sa bolawan, nagaabot sa kantidad nga P100,000 tegka P400,000 ang kada kilo, ig akarawat da sa P30,000 kada kilo ang beken pa’ limpio nga manga pugad.Isara sa manga kilalang manigbakal ig naga konsomo y ang balinsasayaw ay ang mga Chinese, tenged agaparet sanda sa matinlong binipisyong dara y ang pugad balinsasayaw sa lawas y ang tao. Bulong kuno dia sa apo, ig iba pang masakit.

Lagi nga balay sa oma naimong balay y balinsasayaw sa Palawan

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Lagi nga balay sa oma naimong balay y balinsasayaw sa Palawan

ABS-CBN News,

Lynette dela Cruz-Fortunado

Published August 24, 2025 11:01 AM PHT

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