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TICAO
ISLAND, Masbate—This sleepy island between Sorsogon and
Masbate mainland whose territorial waters boast of being
sanctuary of manta ray, an exciting yet endangered sea
creature, is eyeing a prominent place in the country’s
ecotourism map.
“This is
not an ambitious aspiration. In fact, we do not even
intend to modernize our place to be attractive to
tourists. What brings them here is the natural beauty of
our island and, of course, the fabulous manta ray,”
according to Benjamin Espiloy, the mayor of Monreal
town, one of the four municipalities within the island.
Monreal
lies at the heart of the elliptical-shaped island that
stretches parallel with Ticao Pass on the north side
from the boundary of
Burias Pass down to San
Bernardino Strait off the coast of Bulan town in
Sorsogon province.
The
municipality has no good roads for convenient land
transportation and enjoys no steady supply of
electricity. It is the nearest access point to a vast
section of
Ticao Pass considered
as Manta Bowl.
The area
has been placed under government protection to preserve
the endangered population of manta ray, a cartilaginous
fish locally called pasa-pasa.
Since
the declaration of the bowl as protected area about two
years ago, catching, slaughtering, selling and eating
manta ray had been prohibited.
Manta
ray is an edible fish species whose meat used to command
prices between P40 and P60 per kilo in the local market.
Also
known as “Devil Ray” because of the two major fins
positioned like horns on its head, these natural sea
wonder that grows up to 24 feet in length and weighs
about 600 kilograms have been offering exciting
experiences to deep sea divers frequenting the area
since its presence was discovered and given publicity
over three years ago.
Manta
ray, considered “bird of the sea,” is among the five
largest fish species in the world.
There
are several dive spots within the about 48-square-mile
bowl—the Rentees Reef, Coral Garden, House Reef and some
more that are newly discovered and yet to be named.
In
summer last year, according to Marti Calleja, a resort
operator and dive expedition organizer, some 500
tourists, mostly European scuba divers, arrived on the
island and conquered the depth of the bowl while having
interaction with manta rays that are harmless to humans.
Every
expedition could make at least 10 sightings of manta ray
during the peak season, which is between December and
May when the sea is calm, Calleja said.
Outside
this season, he said, diving is difficult and risky
because of strong current that develops whirlpool
effects on the bowl.
“Ticao
Pass is, indeed, an ideal place for diving activities.
In fact, its richness in marine ecosystem had already
made it to the international diving map,” Calleja added.
Unlike
the shallow seawater sanctuary of whale sharks at the
nearby town of Donsol, Sorsogon, that had been regularly
drawing thousands of tourists every year, the Manta Bowl
is between 12 and 20 fathoms.
Local
and national government policies for the preservation
and protection of whale sharks not only in Donsol but in
all other adjacent areas are already in place and the
awareness and compliance of local residents to these
policies are no longer a problem.
On manta
ray, however, although fisherfolks here are already
aware that it is an endangered species considered as
among the world’s priceless treasures, “illegal fishing
like the use of dynamite and cyanide near or within the
protected area were yet to be totally curtailed,”
Espiloy said.
These
illegal fishers do not necessarily come from Monreal or
from the three other municipalities of the island but
from as far as Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and the
neighboring Visayan areas, he said.
Mayor
Helen Bunan of
San Fernando town, the biggest among the four Ticao municipalities, said
the local government units (LGUs) on the island are in
the process of formalizing a common manta ray
preservation program so that each town works in harmony
with each other toward this end.
“All the
LGUs of Ticao Island, given the fact that its entirety
is beneficiary to the booming local ecotourism industry,
understand very well that we should act as one in
pursuing this initiative and we are doing that,” Bunan
said.
The
other two Ticao municipalities are Batuan and
San Jacinto and their officials agree with the rest insofar as
this matter is concerned, she said.
There is
a long-term coastal development and management program
being formulated and when finalized among the LGUs, it
would provide for the establishment of a fish sanctuary,
mangrove reforestation and the opening of alternative
sources of livelihood for coastal families to dissuade
them from illegal fishing, Bunan said.
The fish
sanctuary declaration would cover not only the Manta
Bowl but also the areas surrounding it, she added.
“That is
all we need to do in the first place to be able to
harness to its fullest the ecotourism potentials of the
island. We have to preserve the natural beauty of our
place and protect from extinction the manta ray,”
Espiloy said.
The
island may require more facilities like resorts to
support the growing number of tourist arrivals and this
would be the role of investors showing interest in
putting up businesses on the island, he said.
At
present, there are only four resorts operating in the
area—one in Monreal and three in San Jacinto.
Those
facilities need not be as modern as those found in other
tourist destinations, as Espiloy said, “Our guests
prefer the natural beauty of the island and they wanted
the place to remain as natural as it is for them to
enjoy the serenity of its surroundings”. |
