Sabang harvests

There is nothing wrong with my camera. The lights did not leak in. It is  the natural color streak of the fish. The others are plain gray.

I chanced upon two basins full of these in Central. All local fish catches from Sabang. Each fish has a local name that the fisherman/vendor enumerated effortlessly while identifying the variety of fish and of course the price.



Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Message in a bottle

The movie "Message in a bottle" was the first thing that entered into my mind when I saw this one (photo) while walking along the beach near the coastal village of Dancalan. I can't exactly remember the story of the movie but I know it has something to do about a letter inside a bottle.

One part of me was telling me to come close to the bottle and check it out. I did not. Not because I was sure that there will be no letter inside it. On the contrary, I already entertained the thought that the letter is really tucked inside the bottle, rolled neatly for me.

What really stopped me on my track was Inggo, the fisherman guide whose puzzled look (possibly figuring out why and what I was staring at the bottle) sort of gave me a wake-up snap from my day dream.

Bulusan Sea Bounty

The ocean is like a mother. It gives everything it can. But presently it  needs our help.  For instance, Bulusan pawikans' (marine turtles) nesting sites are totally annihilated after decades of unabated poaching. Furthermore, the pawikans migrating to forage in Bulusan's offshores most often end up as 'sumsuman' (accompanying food during drinking sprees), a common knowledge among locals. 

Two poachers were reported to be caught last year (2011) and released several months later probably on bail.

Marine turtles are endangered species protected by R.A. 9147 or The Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act  and CITES.

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Kadlum is the high-end Patchouli

Patchouli locally known as kadlum in Bulusan is lushly growing in my azotea potted garden even with  minimal care.

Patchouli or kadlum are prolific growers. It can even grow in recycled milk tin cans as shown in the above photo of my potted garden in my residence's azotea in Bulusan, Sorsogon.

Kadlum internationally known as patchouli is a popular 'dak'dak' or herbal bath fragrance of Bulusan. Its essential oil is one of the most expensive in the world. It is endemic to the Philippines. However, Indonesia is the leading patchouli producer as listed in leading fragrance journals.

Here are some perfumes with patchouli oil in it: Thierry Mugler Angel, Keiko Mecheri Patchoulissme, Molinard Les Scenteurs Patchouli, Azarro Pour Homme, Balenciaga Homme, Caron French Cancan, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, Christian Dior Dune, Christian Dior Miss Dior, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, Givenchy Gentleman, Guerlain L'Instant Por Homme, Yves Saint Laurent Kouros and so much more.

A pioneering patchouli oil producer in Sorsogon is currently selling at Php 3,500.00 per liter (farm gate price)for their farm's  locally distilled patchouli oil. 

In the international market, patchouli oil supply was described by the  Market News Service of 2007 as: "supply remains very restricted, demand has been strong, and prices are very high well above the normal long term trading range."

The Lending Model information System for Small-Scale Enterprise in Indonesia shares this information of their patchouli oil industry: Over 80% of Indonesian Patchouli oil is produced in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra which is mostly exported to industrial countries. Recently, its export-selling price has even reached US$1000/kg in the world market.

It is widely noted in all patchouli literature and references on the net that Pogostemon cablin or locally known as kadlum was bought in from the Philippines to West Sumatra in 1895. It was then cultivated in Aceh and later to Central Java.

Surprisingly, the Philippines to date has no patchouli oil industry, the same with the other essential oils from plants originating from the Philippines. The country's essential oil industry is in fact  tagged as a neglected industry despite its market potential and the available native plant resources.



 

Albahaka is Bulusan's fragrant basil

Albahaka is Bulusan's native basil more popular locally as a fragrant bath herb. It has a close resemblance to the photo of a Greek basil in 'The complete herb book' I'm using as guide.

Albahaka is a local basil and a relative of the culinary sweet basil for the pesto recipe. In fact the leaves look like tiny replicas of it. This one however has a different use for Bulusanons. It is use as 'dak'dak', a fragrance herbal bath antedating the trendy spa of today.

It has the smallest of leaves among the basils I've planted: Thai basil, Greek Basil, Sweet Basil and the local cinnamon basil (kologon-kogon). It is easy to grow being a native plant.

Albahaka is the most fragrant among basils as I have found out and thus best use as a natural fragrance.

Bring around two or three sprigs in your bath and crushed the leaves in a pail of water for the final rinse.
The fragrance of the leaves will not only give fragrance to your body but to the bathroom as well.

Carapace pattern from an endangered marine turtle

The species of a marine turtle can be identified by the carapace pattern such as this one.

Hexagon is said to be the most naturally occurring polygon in nature. It can be observed from beehives to DNA structure. This carapace from an endangered marine turtle from Bulusan also exhibits such geometry.

I've taken this photo of a carapace recovered by a Tribu Bulusanon member from a local marine turtle poacher as evidence that there is really an on-going slaughtering of marine turtles that is taking place in our shores.

The species based on the carapace pattern is probably a Chelonia mydas or green marine turtle an endangered species protected by CITES.

Geothermal protests many forms

Signature campaigns. Music festivals. Rallies. So many ways to convey a point. It is simply a NO addressed to  those concerned who continually refuse to listen.

Bulusan offers a lot of spaces

Others look at the downside of living in a 'remote' town like my hometown. I see it differently. The town offers a lot of spaces (figuratively and literally). You will need a lot of books if you are the bookworm type. And in today's connected world, Bulusan is a perfect place to hie away in a beach nook. Keep a laptop handy for noting those brilliant monologues. The unlimited offers of the networks at reasonable prizes are yet to be tested though.

The slow life is so inviting! I might as well bring a hammock to the beach. Gotta Go!

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Bulusan Lake unknown fact

Bulusan Lake though the toast of the recent eco-tourism promotions of the province, second only to Donsol is virtually unstudied according to a Rapid Assessment Report conducted by an NGO. The flora and fauna around it are also understudied the report added. The endemism of the place is high though at more than 40% as cited in the report.

The report by Errol Gatumbato in his personal blog reads:

Together with four other hired specialists of the Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies, we conducted a rapid site assessment to this protected area commissioned by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment. The assessment involved the physical, biological, social, cultural, economics, and governance conditions of the BVNP.

The remaining forest of the BVNP is hosting to numerous species of flora and fauna while the freshwater ecosystem is hardly studied*

Our study showed that the forest in this protected area is an important habitat of numerous endemic species of plants, such as the Forestia philippinensis, Pinanga insignis, Areca camarinensis, Mussaenda phillipica and two newly discovered species, Schefflina bulusanicum and Pronephrium bulusanicum.  Rare and threatened species can also be found in BVNP, such as the Jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys), the ground orchid (Phojus tankervillea), and Tindalo (Afzelia rhomboidea).  The mountain agoho (Casuarina rumphiana), which is known to have a very limited distribution in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, inhabits this protected area.
Similarly, the fauna features of the BVNP are showing high species endemism, estimated at 43% of all the species surveyed during the RSA.  Four of these species are known as high conservation priorities because they are already classified as threatened species, like the Golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatos), the Southern Luzon giant cloud rat (Phloeomys cumingii), the Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis) and the Luzon Tarictic hornbill (Penelopides manillae).

Errol's complete story:

Bulusan Park, the “little Switzerland” of Bicol « Errol Abada Gatumbato

errolgatumbato.wordpress.com/.../bulusan-park-the-little-switz.

Potatom and Hapi

Two puppies were entrusted into my care lately. The one on the left with black and white combination was named Potatom short for 'puti' and 'itom'. The second was named Hapi for the promise of happiness from a cute dog.

After around five months the true nature of the puppies became evident. Potatom is a caring and sweet dog that checked on me in my room when ever he sensed that I am staying too long in front of my laptop and  Hapi the plump dog turned out to have an attitude problem. He acts like a german shepherd inside a body of a dwarf dog. Hapi is now in the farm for obvious reason.

Bay-ongs with single handle from Bulusan

These bay-ongs with single handle are of two different weaving styles. The one on the left uses plain weave or the 'banig' pattern of weaving with zigzag single handle and the edges are locked by the 'pahot' method or simply reinserting the excess strips back to the body. The one on the right employs the kinab'anan weave or the hexagonal weave, a weave that is more complicated than the plain weave. Series of four folds in the strips during the weaving make it difficult to follow for a beginner. In Bulusan, kinab'anan is only done by advanced weavers. The edges of the second bay-ong  are in turn secured with 'bilit' (stitches) of 'bacbac' or 'palacpac' a material from the outer stalks of abaca stem that dried naturally on the abaca plant.

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Kinab'anan weave core

The core weave or 'balay' of the kinab'anan is a hexagram shaped like a star. The hexagram is a mysterious geometrical figure that is ever present in most weaving patterns in indigenous crafts. Others call this weave as hexagonal weave and it is widely known as the mad weave for reason still unknown. The local weavers of Bulusan and Bacon however attribute the weaving style to a mad woman hence the name. Of course, this tale is just a local lore.

Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines

Santa Barbara from a village in Bulusan

This unique image of Santa Barbara from Odikin, Bulusan is one of the most unusual images of santas I have encountered (in photos and in actual sightings during processions). Large enough to be of the same size as the Holy week santas but the folk appeal is so strongly present and magnified that I was transfixed while gazing at the image. Definitely one of my favorites.