Push Admin

Article (news)

Pamilacan island

Annie Perez

<div></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1717558004441pamilacan island.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pamilacan island. Liza Macalandag"/>Pamilacan island. Liza Macalandag </div><div>BOHOL — Waters around an island 15.7 kilometers away from the mainland town of Baclayon in Bohol are home to a trove of treasures beneath the sea.</div>Pamilacan Island is home to over 2,000 residents and is part of the Bohol Marine Protected Area. The people here were once known for using the harpoon, locally known as &quot;Pamilac&quot;, to capture marine life such as whale sharks and manta rays.Today, their people use the snorkel to attract visitors to their rich coral garden teeming with colorful schools of fish. It is a known tourist attraction for island-hopping tours from mainland Panglao — an alternative to Balicasag Island. Visitors come here to swim at the pristine beach, relax, or even get a massage from one of the locals.<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3051883"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div>FROM HUNTERS TO TOUR GUIDES</div>Nemesia Pingkian, daughter of a whale shark hunter, recalls how their community used to participate in the illegal capture of marine wildlife.&quot;&#x27;Yung bangkang nakahuli, &#x27;yun sa kanila ang parang hati. One-half of the income. &#x27;Yung iba, tawag namin ay tawang. Bigyan sila ng pang-ulam. I-share nila,&quot; said Pingkian.(The boat that caught the whale shark gets half of the income. Others get a smaller share for food.)A whale shark was sold for P60,000 to P100,000, with the money divided among up to 10 individuals. A bountiful catch would mean they would not have to go hunting again for a few weeks, or even for months.That livelihood changed in the late 1990s, when environmental group World Wildlife Fund intervened to stop these activities.Former whale hunters are now tour guides or boat operators. Others have shifted to hook-and-line fishing. Women on the island were trained to become massage therapists.Residents also put up their own people&#x27;s organizations to protect the environment.A local snorkel guide would now earn up to P900 per day for three to four hours of work when the weather is good.Other locals built homestays or served local cuisine to visitors from the rest of the country and from abroad.&quot;It’s beautiful. It is a unique experience,&quot; said Filipino-American visitor June Dojillo.&quot;Marami din ang nakabenepisyo… itong tourism ay sustainable, basta ayusin mo lang yung takbo,&quot; Pingkian said.(Many are benefiting from this. Tourism can be sustainable if you run it well.)<div>INTRUDERS</div>However, their home and new source of income are threatened by several intruders that may destroy the environment.Among these threats are commercial fishing vessels that come at night to fish in waters beyond the 15-kilometer limit reserved for local fishers. They come from neighboring provinces and are seldom caught.&quot;Wala silang ilaw… Gumagamit sila ng fishing net. Nakita nila [ng ibang mangingisda] ang net na nakahuli ng tuna, may dolphin sa loob,&quot; Pingkian said said.(They come in without lights and use nets. Some of our fisherfolk saw them catching tuna and there was a dolphin in the net.)Residents are afraid that they might lose the marine life that has become their livelihood.<div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-vid="3051888"></ivs-player></div><script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script><div>RESPONSE</div>Pamilacan locals have sought help from barangay officials, who admitted that they also struggle to protect the entire island.Village chief Chrispo Valeroso says that there is a coast guard substation, tourist police and barangay watchmen on the island but that these are not enough to protect marine life around the island.He said there have also been reports of cyanide fishing near the island&#x27;s municipal waters.“Dapat talaga may mga uniformed personnel [pa] na tumutulong sa amin,” said Valeroso.(We need more uniformed personnel to help us.)The local government unit of Baclayon is also trying its best to watch over the island barangay.&quot;The mayor is organizing a Bantay Dagat team,&quot; said Baclayon Vice Mayor Romy Balangkig, referring to local, volunteer patrols in municipal waters.However, political differences between municipal hall and barangay officials limit what the volunteers can do.The Provincial Government of Bohol has acknowledged this problem and already intervened to protect the island and to hold an informal discussion among the local government, the barangay, and people’s organizations.&quot;Kailangan lang may mag-mediate,&quot; said Joanne Pinat, the officer in charge of the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office.(There just has to be someone to mediate)The province has also established a Coastal Law Enforcement Council to go after those who defy environmental laws not just in Pamilacan Island but in other coastal areas of the province.&quot;It’s always a challenge, these commercial fishers use fast-moving boats. In terms of patrol boats, ours are slow so they cannot run after the commercial fishers,&quot; said Jovencia Ganub, head of the Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office.There are plans to buy three speed boats, a rubber boat and a sea ambulance within the year with P25 million in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) funds.&quot;This is not just for rescue, safety, and security but for emergency response as well,&quot; said Bohol’s DRRM chief Anthony Damalerio.<div>LIMIT CARRYING CAPACITY?</div>Another move to protect the island from possible environmental impact is to limit the carrying capacity — the number of people allowed to visit — of the island.A task force has been created to manage and regulate water activities by Alona Beach in the mainland of Panglao and officials are mulling a similar task force for Pamilacan.The provincial board has also constituted a climate change committee to fast-track concerns on the matter.&quot;We can call upon national agencies and provincial agencies to work closely with resiliency programs,&quot; added Damalerio.They are also looking at having tour operators help monitor potential trespassers at Balicasag Island. All other tourism-related plans on the island are still in the pipeline.&quot;We have one island that we have to protect,&quot; Ganub said.Much is to be done on this quaint island, officials admit. This is also on top of protecting other natural geosites and attractions.Yet for residents and small business owners like Nemesia and many others, this is a big step towards the safety of their homes.

Former whale hunters are now tour guides or boat operators. Others have resorted to hook-and-line fishing. Women were trained to become massage therapists. They also built their own people's organizations to protect the environment.

Former whale hunters are now tour guides or boat operators. Others have resorted to hook-and-line fishing. Women were trained to become massage therapists. They also built their own people's organizations to protect the environment.

Former whale shark hunters now work to protect Pamilacan Island and its marine life

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Regions

Former whale shark hunters now work to protect Pamilacan Island and its marine life

Annie Perez

Published Jun 05, 2024 01:37 PM PHT

|

Updated Jun 05, 2024 02:17 PM PHT

Read More:

world environment day

marine life

coastal

island

bohol

regions

anc promo

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.