Dimensiones de desempeño laboral

goes steeply downhill towards the beach again but about 20 meters from the shore it winds to the north east. As soon as you reach this area you will notice a difference in the lay-out of the houses, the construction of the houses, and the smell. Houses seem to be more scattered and not in a neat row like on the “Chapel side”. Most are built of wood, nipa and bamboo with some standing on stilts. Looking like a typical Visayan fishing village, you see nets hanging outside of houses, overturned bancas on their sides, and an assortment of things tucked under roofs such as plastic buoys, kerosene water bottles and worn out buckets. There is the familiar pungent smell of rays and sometimes a peculiar salty sea smell from sea cucumbers being processed, boiled and smoked. In contrast to the “Chapel side” this part of the island was dubbed “Little Tondo248” in the early 90s (Severin, 1999).

Map 3.2 Pamilacan Island

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The fishing side was referred to as “Little Tondo” because of the high density of people living in a small area. The small, mostly thatched-roof houses were likened to the slums of Tondo in Manila. Tondo is known for being one of the poorest districts in the Philippines.

150

Stopping at the concreted area that serves as a public basketball court, you will notice another big concrete house directly opposite. This house, however, unlike the one on the other side of the island does not have a concrete wall around it. This is the house of one of the most experienced whale and whale shark hunters on the Island, Manong Jose. He is also one of the most prominent brokers or financers on Pamilacan. A kamalig (wooden nipa- roofed shed) that serves as a resting area is standing to the side of it and another, slightly behind, is a soot-covered “dirty kitchen”. I walk towards the beach and the pungent smell gets stronger, there are two bamboo drying racks in front of another resting shed where three women sit (Plate 3.16). On the slats are partly dried slices of ray meat. Right in front of the racks is a big white outrigger boat dry-docked on the beach. There are several slices of meat and skin hanging from the outriggers and wires of the boat. This is one of three fishing boats owned by Manong Jose.

Plate 3.16 Pamilacan shore on the “Little Tondo” side (Photo by JMV Acebes)

As I stand there, an outrigger boat of unusual design, having wide planks of wood raised high on the sides, passes as it raises anchor and moves to the west. Later on, I find out this is a fishing boat from Surigao that landed its catch the day before. Another boat has just docked and a few men gather on the shore to see the catch. Two crew slowly let down the net on the side of the boat while another takes the other end of the net in the water to

151 untangle the ray in it. This ray is not a sanga, and looks different from what is known as the pantihan. It has a greenish-brown tinged back and white underside and is a little over a meter wide.

The men on the shore notice my presence but continue to watch the crew, while one goes into the water to help. They get the ray untangled and one man casually throws it a few meters towards the shallows as they continue unfolding the net on shore. No one comes to claim the ray. Nor does anyone go in the water to inspect it. I decide to wait for them to take the ray out of the water and since they do not seem to be in a hurry to do so, I walk back towards the drying racks to get a closer look at the meat. When I approach, I greet the women sitting under the shed and they cheerfully greet me back. I ask them, what was on the racks and they replied it was a sanga caught yesterday.

I kept my eye on the boat and the men on shore to make sure I was present when they took the ray out of the water. Impatiently, I went back to the shoreline hoping they would take it out shortly but they kept untangling the nets. Then a few people started gathering under the low Talisay tree. A couple of men and women sat on a small outrigger boat drawn up under the shade of the tree. I then noticed to the west a few meters from shore, just behind another nipa shed, the village head (barangay captain) was laying out fresh ray meat on a small drying rack on top of an overturned banca. I walked over and greeted him. He replied and commented, saying: “this is our life here”, as he continued laying out slices of meat. He added that he was drying pantihan meat not sanga. Sensing a slight defensive tone in his voice, I asked if I could take a photo of the catch of the boat that just docked on the shore. He immediately said yes and walked me to the edge of the water. When he could not see the ray he said it seemed it was not there anymore. I told him I was quite certain it was still there in the shallows. He then called out to one of the men sorting the nets asking where the ray was. The man acted as if he did not know. I tried to point out the area where I last saw it and the village captain instructed the man to look for it. At first he waded around a bit saying it was not there when another man walked over and pointed it out. The ray had been moved a few meters to the east in slightly deeper water. The man dragged it to the edge of the water for me to inspect. It was clearly not a pantihan. As I started to take photos another man, stockier than the first, wearing khaki shorts, no shirt with a huge bolo on his belt walked over to where I stood. Without smiling and with a stern voice he told me that it is ok for tourists to come and look around but when researchers come it is best if they inform the fishers first. They were already weary of researchers coming to observe their livelihood because of previous bad experiences. Once I explained to him how I had gained permission from the mayor and barangay captain to visit, observe and do interviews, he proceeded to go about taking stuff out of a boat nearby and then soon ignored

152 me. Another man came over, however, a lot friendlier than the first, and engaged in a conversation with me about the differences between the ray in front of me and the pantihan. He too was a local fisher and became quite excited when he found out that my father was from Jagna. He happily explained how he had a lot of friends in Jagna because the islanders go there quite often to sell their catch.

3.2.2.1 The anatomy of the Pamilacan fishery

Fishers here still hunt rays or pantihan. But like the fishers of Jagna, they now use the same type of drift nets. In fact, according to respondents Pamilacan fishers were the first to use drift nets to catch rays. Nets were utilized by a local to replace their traditional hooks. With the use of driftnets came a shift in the timing of the fishing. Fishing was no longer conducted in the daytime now but rather at night, leaving the nets to drift with the currents, waiting for passing rays to get caught. As the use of drift nets is indiscriminate, they also still catch giant manta rays. The design and engine-type of the boats used are also the same as that in Jagna. In 2011, there were 14 boats that target these species in the village (Plate 3.17). The boat sizes range from 12-18m with Mitsubishi 6D14 or Fuso Canter 4DR5 engines. The length and width of the nets vary from 700 to 2,000m and go down to 35-60m (width). The mesh size is 35.56cm. Their fishing grounds are around Siquijor Island and the Southern Bohol Sea.

153 The boat owners also act as brokers or middlemen by buying the catch of other boats from the village, or from fishers from Surigao. The organization of the fishing is the same as in Jagna with each boat having 5 to 6 crew. There are a few small buyers on the island who also process and retail the meat outside their own homes.

The catch is primarily sold whole and fresh. The main market is Jagna. Any excess is processed on the island for drying. The dried meat is either sold locally or to Jagna, Baclayon or Tagbilaran and other towns in Bohol by bulk. The price of the meat and gills from 2011 to 2012 is set out below in Table 3.7.

Table 3.7 Prices of Manta ray and Mobula spp. meat and gills per kg. in Pamilacan Island from 2011 to 2012 (Source: interviews)

Sanga(Manta sp.) Php(US$) Pantihan (Mobula sp.) Php(US$) Dried meat dark 400-500 (9.23-11.54) 250-300249 (5.77-6.93) white 700-800 (16.16-18.47) Dried gills dark 6,000-6,500 (138.54-150.08) 3,000-3,200 (69.27-73.88) white 3,200 (73.88)

3.2.2.2 Other means of livelihood

Once every year, during the month of May, the fishers of “Little Tondo” collect balat or sea cucumber. They dive for it at night at depths of four fathoms, using only locally made goggles from coconut shell and cut glass and a single fin made of scrap plastic or fiberglass shaped like a paddle with a rubber strap. Harvested sea cucumbers are processed mainly by women. They cut them open, take the internal organs out and store them in Styrofoam boxes to let them lose some of their water (Plate 3.18). They are then boiled in a huge wok over a wooden fire, and then laid out on wire mesh to dry. Sometimes they put coconut husks or charcoal underneath the mesh to smoke it to facilitate drying. Men assist in the boiling and smoking stages. The dried products are sold to Chinese buyers in Cebu. The prices vary, depending on the kind of sea cucumber and the size.

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Mobula spp. meat is usually sold mixed in a bundle. Each bundle has 3 sheets of meat about 30- 40cm by 20cm wide.

154 Plate 3.18 Processing of balat or sea cucumber (Photos by JMV Acebes)

People on this side of the Island mainly engage in fishing activities for a living. Fishers either go out in non-motorized boats to fish using hook and line along the shores, or use a lamp and net to catch small fish. Still others dive to harpoon various types of reef fish. Although mainly caught for their own consumption, these fish are also sometimes sold to local caterers for tourists. Others dive for sea cucumber seasonally and sell them to one of the two fish buyers on the island, while some go as crew on one of the big boats that hunt rays.

Several of the former whalers and whale shark hunters have either joined the island cooperative that runs a dolphin and whale watching tour or are employed by another tour operator from Baclayon. They serve either as spotters or boat operators. This job, however, is considered part-time because tourists do not come daily and throughout the year.

155 Furthermore, as part of the cooperative, spotters and boat operators follow a rotation system hence, it is rare for one man to be constantly “employed” as a spotter or boat operator. Therefore, to supplement their income these men engage in either one or two of the means of fishing described above. Several other men on the Island, primarily those living on the “chapel side” also work as paddle boat250

operators who bring tourists to the marine sanctuary to swim or snorkel.

According to Ma’am Turning, one of the leaders of the women’s group in the cooperative, most women living on the “chapel side” belong to a group engaged in food catering for tourists251. Part of this service is also arranging for lodging for tourists who opt to spend a night or two on the island. Some have set-up sari-sari stores annexed to their houses to provide drinks and snacks for tourists and for the usual daily needs of residents. A few other women offer massages or manicure and pedicure services. As these sidelines too are only part-time and seasonal depending on tourist influx and demand, women and even children still engage in traditional strand procurement activities such as collecting shells, urchins and other edible marine organisms in the tidal flats at low tide. This activity is often referred to as gleaning or locally, maninghas. A few island residents, particularly those who have relatives working overseas own and/or manage cottages for rent on the chapel side. In the past three years, big concrete houses have been built on this side which are rented out to tourists (or researchers) staying for an extended period of time. Owned by former residents who have migrated overseas, these are managed by their relatives living on the Island.

3.2.3 Hibusong Island, Surigao del Norte

Hibusong is a small island off Surigao del Norte. It has three barangays all of which rely predominantly on fishing for their livelihood (Plate 3.19). During the months of May until November men go out fishing for reef fish. Rays, locally called “saranga” were not caught in the same numbers as eight years ago. In the past, the rays would come close to shore when they follow krill and the fishers would use locally made harpoons to take them. The rays were caught for local consumption but sometimes a surplus would be dried and sold to Surigao. Few people on the Island, however, would buy it because the taste did not suit them. This all changed in 2002, when a Boholano visited the Island in the hope of establishing a business. He heard of the abundance of rays off their coasts and wanted to take advantage of this hitherto unexploited area. He made friends with the fishers on the island

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These paddle boats are small non-motorized wooden outrigger boats that can only fit a maximum of four people. The boats are used primarily for near-shore fishing by the fishers.

251

156 and employed them to hunt rays for him. He even brought an old harpoon from Jagna for them to copy. His idea was to have a monopoly of the fishery, so he financed the fishing trips and all the catch was sold to him. The meat was dried and sold to Boholanos in Cagayan. When the market there did not prosper he decided to transport the meat fresh to Bohol to be sold. This development he claimed, however, was interrupted when some local police wanted a share of the profits and made it difficult for the Boholano to maintain his burgeoning business.

Plate 3.19 Hibusong Island (Photo by JMV Acebes)

It was the entrepreneurship of a local fisher, Manong Jun that continued development of the fishery and the trade. Manong Jun claims that when he returned to the island after being away for 20 years, his cousin and a few fishers who worked with the Boholano had already been hunting for rays for about six months252. They were able to deliver fresh consignments to Bohol twice and he realized this was a profitable business. So he decided to get involved and made his own “untog” or harpoon from the materials on the island. The harpoon was a variation from the traditional harpoon fishers on the island had used in the past (Plate 3.20). It was designed to specifically catch the type of rays that occurred in their area. According to locals, the rays occur in seamounts253 between the

252

Interview, 100603_002, Manong Jun, Hibusong.

253

Seamounts are mountains rising at least 1,000 meters from the ocean seafloor that do not reach the water’s surface.

157 islands of Homonhon, in Eastern Samar and Hibusong. They congregate on the sandy bottom on the tops of seamounts and can be clearly seen from the surface. This allows the fishers to spot the rays easily, approach them with caution and drop a heavy harpoon on it.

Plate 3.20 The harpoon or untog used to catch rays in Surigao (bottom) in comparison with the isi (top) from Jagna (Photo by JMV Acebes).

A crew of six to eight men on an outrigger boat will set out at around 6 to 6:30am. They scout the area for any rays leaping on the surface of the water, or most often they will only set out after a report has been received the previous day from the scouting boat that rays are in the area. When they reach the seamount, a fisher will lie on the outrigger of the boat peering down into the water. Sometimes they use goggles. Once a ray is spotted the boat approaches it slowly while the men hold steady the harpoon. The harpooner aims the harpoon towards the target and signals the drop.

The weight of the harpoon alone buries the tip in the animal’s back and the toggle secures it when the animal tries to swim away. The harpooner tries to aim at the animal’s midback and slightly to the side in order to kill it within seconds. Apparently if hit at the back of the head the ray dies too slowly while if hit at or near the base of the tail it will be difficult to subdue because it turns and swims upwards. This causes the rope to get tangled. It is not easy to secure a ray with just one hit. Quite often the fishers need to harpoon it 4 or 5 times before killing and securing it.

158 The harpoon tip is 25 inches long. It has a toggle designed similarly to that of the harpoon used in Jagna. The harpoon fits into a heavy metal handle about 12 feet long, made from a steel pipe filled partly with cement. Attached to the side of the harpoon tip is a thick