Barangay Asluman,
Gigante Norte, Carles, Iloilo will celebrate its 4th Tikab-Tikab Festival on
March 22-25, 2018. It was not until years ago that scallops in Gigante islands
became popular, and islanders quickly realized they were surrounded by a
valuable commodity, literally waiting each season to be scooped off the bottom,
shipped to the mainland and sold at a premium.
Highlighting the celebration are series of events that
will open on March 22 (Thursday) with a Parade and presentation from
students of Asluman Elementary School; March 23 (Friday) Miss Gay, Dance
Contest for Women hosted by Womens Association; March 24 (Saturday) Lin-ay Sg
Tikab-Tikab Festival, Live Band; March 25 (Sunday) Tribal Dance Competition of
Granada National High School.
The seafood industry
in the area is trying to sell one particular quality that sets it apart,
scallops, highly prized as a food source. These brightly multi-colored,
symmetrical, fan-shaped shells are valued because it is used as motifs in art
and design.
In Barangay Asluman,
fishermen dive 15-feet underwater to harvest scallops by hand, but the majority
of scallops in the are harvested by draggers. When harvested, scallops are
still flipping...alive. Divers bring them in that day within hours, and do not
soak them in anything. They just could not get any fresher. Usually when they
move you can feel them pulsate. Divers haul in gets hand-delivered to customers
right to their picnic cottages. The island residents who use traditional
harvesting techniques are a vital, singular connection to their past.
The market is
confined essentially to scallop meats though a demand for whole scallops is
emerging due to its colorful shell. These are marketed mainly through
restaurants in the city, but are also available from specialty seafood shops
around northern Iloilo. Fresh scallops tend to be more highly valued than
frozen.
Gigante Islands is an
island chain situated in the northernmost tip of Iloilo Province. It is
approximately 18 kilometers from the main port in Barangay Bancal, mainland of
Carles or an hour and a half motorized pumpboat ride or 45-minute by fastcraft
depending on sea condition.
Belonging to the
municipality of Carles, it is composed of two large islands: Gigante Sur
(south) with barangays Lantangan and Gabi and Gigante Norte (north) with
barangays Granada and Asluman. The two islands are separated by an
800-metre-wide channel reaching Gigante Norte for another 30-minute motorized
pumpboat from Gigante Sur.
Gigante Islands lie
in the Visayan Sea---acclaimed to be the richest fishing ground in Southeast
Asia. But not known to many, Gigante Islands is home to some of the most
biologically diverse and richest coastal and marine resources. The Foundation
for the Philippine Environment (FPE), a biodiversity conservation organization
has identified endemic species of a frog (Platymantis insulatu) listed as
critical and a gecko (Gigantes Limestone Gecko) listed as endangered under the
Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature. Also identified to be rare in the area are several endemic bird
species.
Aside from its marine
and coastal resources, Gigantes is popular for shellfish, particularly scallops
that thrive in its deep waters. An exceptional treat to visiting tourists,
scallops are harvested almost every day at 15-feet deep and are sold P1.00 a
piece for an order of a hundred pieces. Very abundant though not easy to
collect, it has become an attraction when visiting the islands.
Gigante Norte is a
coastal community whose lives depend on fishing but there are other
income-generating activities. Both men and women indulge in various
income-generating occupations, where men work as pump-boat operators or crew,
carpenters, driving tricycle serving as porters and fishers using indigenous
and manual methods. Most of the women however, earn income as sari-sari
storekeepers, or food, vegetable vendors, laundry, cook in accommodation
establishments or souvenir makers all year round. In fishing, the men usually
produce catch from the shore and women and children, on the other hand, forage
for shells and fish as well.
It was not until
years ago that scallops in Gigante islands became popular, and islanders
quickly realized they were surrounded by a valuable commodity, literally
waiting each season to be scooped off the bottom, shipped to the mainland and
sold at a premium.
The annual
celebration of Tikab-Tikab will continuously remind the community that aside
from sustaining a healthy scallop fishery; maintaining a healthy water
environment is a responsibility. Clean
waters and healthy sea life benefits everyone who spends time in the shores of
Gigante Islands.
No comments:
Post a Comment