Tablas Island Coconut Harvest

Coconut Harvest on Tablas Island

Coconut harvesting happens every three months.  We live in a coconut grove with coconut palms stretching an estimated 60 feet in height.  The first picture will show the grove looking toward Sunset Beach, the second a newly thinned coconut stand.  Thinning coconut palms allows the sun in resulting in  a better crop.

 We could hear big coconuts hitting the ground at a rapid rate.  With a little investigation, we discover someone 60 feet up the tree dropping coconuts to the ground using a big knife.  Here he is, small but mighty, ready to climb another coconut tree!   Next the bullock is hitched to the family crafted cart for transport to the coco bin.   He will pick up the coconuts that are newly cut from the tree as well as nuts on the ground.  This way they can be processed simultaneously. 

First the husk has to be removed.  A  special three legged sturdy tree is found in the forest to form the stand for the iron spear.  The spear is mounted to drive each coconut down on to split the coconut husk into four parts, peeling off each quarter, leaving the husk intact to toss over to the pile ready to build the smoldering fire to dry the coconut meat in the coconut bin.

This is a family business. .  Mother skillfully cuts the coconut in two with her cutless and quickly removes the loose fibres so they won’t catch fire while drying.   Children enjoy coming to the coco bin to help throw the split coconuts into the bin where they will dry.   In the picture to the right the mother stops to remove the edible seed inside the coconut so we can eat the seed.  The seed is the size of an egg and delicious to eat.

The coco bin is prepared with the coconuts on top to be dried and the husks below to light and smolder to dry the coconuts.

Again, we were very fortunate to be able to witness first hand coconut harvest at our doorstep!

Allan and Lydia Sorflaten

Tablas Island: Fishing Village Calunacon San Andres

The Fishing Village of Calunacon, San Andres

As we turn off the National Road to enter Barangay Calunacon, a new world emerges.  Peace and tranquility are apparent.  Coolness from the trees along with sea breezes offers welcome relief from the intense heat of the day.  Travelling along the village road, evidence of the life of the fishing village emeges.  Women are mending nets and attaching floats.  These nets are huge, stretching from the shore almost as far as the eye can see when the seine is being set.  There are different  gill net, some with very small mesh to catch anchovies, larger mesh  for larger fish. 

  Three times elected Barangay Counselor Cecelia  Genaca greets us.  She is a participant in our Marketing Workshops.  She enthusiastically brings out her products: different kinds of salt fish, and salt fish sauce.

Later we go down to her fish drying rack to examine the different kinds of fish sun drying.

As evening approaches, fishermen prepare to fish.  These boats called bancas are lightweight and stabilized by outriggers, seemingly easily pulled down to the water.  As well as fishing off the beach, some fish up the river where fresh water flows from the mountain into the sea.

The fishermen watch for schools of fish.  In past times, a horn (actually a big fish shell) was blown to tell the village that a school of fish was sighted and that the seine would be set.   When they see a school of fish, the net which is carefully prepared to allow it to be fed out in a long distance, then brought around in a circle to surround a school of fish.  Once in place, fishermen jump into the water with arms flailing about to scare the fish into the net.   Once the net surrounds the fish, it takes about one hour to bring the seine to shore where the big job of getting the fish out of the net for begins.  Many of the fish go to Odiongan to market.  Some are consumed fresh, others dried and some fermented to become the salted anchovy delicacy sought after by Philippinos the world over. 

Village life revolves around fishing.  Because fishermen fish into the night, leisurely activities take place during the day.  There is a village pool table.  Under the trees, inviting benches sheltered from the sun by a cover of palm fronds have been built.  Young and old alike gather.  Children delight in creative games.  

Late afternoon, the barbeque stand is setting up, charcoal barbeque style. Skewers have been prepared ahead and frozen. Chicken feet, pork, fish balls, hot dogs and intestine are threaded on bamboo skewers ready for the grill. Caramelized bananas are ready now, layered in waiting between banana leaves. This is soon to be a very busy spot.

A stand has been operating all afternoon selling the dessert that is such a treat on a hot day, Halo Halo (made of crushed ice topped with  ice cream, gelatin cubes and a scoop of specially prepared vegetable mix, purple in color).  The dessert is totally unique, very appealing on a hot day, nutritious and delicious. 

 What a great feeling of community where people pull together to work and enjoy life.  Maybe the spirit and closeness is intensified by the monsoon season and its ravages.   Another factor is that many husbands are working in the Middle East  and away for months or years  at a time. 

 Richer for the experience, we leave this barangay with feelings of respect and love.
Allan and Lydia Sorflaten

Tablas Island Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms

Barangay Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms

 ‘Tiger Grass Capital of Tablas’: the making of these speciality  brooms unfolded as we explored the village.  Tiger Grass was drying everywhere:  covering the road, on the roofs of houses, on top of a jeepney, yes everywhere. 

We visit the home of the Barangay Captain and discover that he is in San Andres attending his neighbor’s funeral.  We later meet him on a motorcycle on his way home.  The Captain’s sloped concrete driveway is covered with (you guessed it) Tiger Grass. We make our way to the storage room/work area for making Tiger Grass brooms.  Nine people are employed at the Captain’s workshop making these brooms.  A conversation with the Captain’s wife raises concerns about input costs and selling price leaving very little margin for the business.  It was also noted that the middleman marks up his purchase price by more than 100%.

We make our way through the Tiger Grass covered street to another home where broom manufacture is happening.  Boys along the way are beating the seeds (chaff) out of the Tiger Grass.  The grass must be at the right stage of drying to be able to dispel the seeds.  Lots of effort, lots of dust at this stage. 

To start theTiger Grass broom making process,  this  little girl is separating the upper portion of the tiger grass flower (the large drooping panicle) which will be integrated to expand the density of  the head of the broom.  CESO volunteer Allan Sorflaten watches as another worker sorts long and strong stems that will be used to form the basis of the broom handle.  .

The handle is firmly compacted, then tightly bound.  Lots of strength is required to make such a good firm durable handle. The middle picture shows  strong wire threaded down the wall to the handle maker  so he  can roll, pull, tighten and secure the broom head.

Next the broom head will be fanned out and decoratively woven  to hold the fan shape of the broom.

Mari Norte Tiger Grass Brooms are of sought after because of their durability, dust capturing capacity, lightness.  Excellent for dusting, light sweeping, chasing spider webs.  Better than a vacuum cleaner

The Captain of Mari Norte Barangay driving his motorcycle on his way back from his neighbor’s funeral. 

Tablas Island Mari Norte Barangay

Travel to Mari Norte Barangay

Distance to the remote Barangay of Mari Norte has to be measured in time due to road conditions.  The usual mode of transport to Mari Norte is motorcycle.  Estimated time, one and one half hours.  The climb takes one up steep inclines,  often washed out by heavy rains.  In fact, we had to wait for a day when no rain was forecast so that the road was dry.   Road surface varies:  excellent gravel, rock, clay with sections of the road poured concrete.  The concrete is a small one lane road.

  Few vehicles except motorcycles navigate this road.  With the four wheel drive pickup, we had to stop and back up to navigate this curve!  Only brave people live in Mari Norte! One third of the way to Mari Norte we stop to admire the breath taking view of the West Coast: San Andres Municipality.

We meet a Barangay elder, a brave soul who lives an isolated life in these hills, along with his wife and daughter.  He warmly welcomes us to Mari Norte and proudly tells us that he went to university for two years.  We meet  him again on the way back,  a  long walking distance from his home.  He was  carrying a tree trunk he had specifically spent several hours hunting for and to be used as a plow. 

We continue without seeing any sign of habitation for miles.  These hills are mostly void of trees.  It is said that they were once tree covered, harvested about 100 years ago.  The forest did not regenerate and the land is extremely poor.  Lower down,  people do cultivate the  hills and  travel  by motorcycle to check their farm. 

Further down, vegetation is thicker.  Copra is the main cash crop.  Some consideration has been given to a tram line that would transport farm produce to the valley below, a vertical distance of about 1000 feet!  After some time we begin to see wild Tiger Grass growing.  Mari Norte must be near.  It seems so far!  And to think that people are coming  from Mari Norte to our workshops at  San Andres!

Tablas Island Mari Sur Barangay

Mari Sur Barangay

San Andres as a Local Municipal Unit or LGU is divided into 13 Barangays or villages.  It is amazing how  each Barangay has such individual character.  The population of the LGU is between 15 and 16000 people. 

Mari Sur Barangay is a short drive from the town of San Andres.  The road to the village narrows as one begins the slight climb.  One experiences tranquility as one approaches.  We are met by  the Barangay Captain Jovita Guro. 
 Our guide points out that                                                            Jovita is presently the only  female captain in San Andres.

This Barangay is an excellent rural community to visit, merging traditional with ingenuity in adapting agro resources to find a product to meet a need.  The community exhibits vibrancy.  The central square is a meeting place for young and old. 

One lady is skillfully winnowing mung beans using a handmade large tray woven from palm fronds.  A fish man is selling fish from the sea from his motorbike.  An elder is making a stiff broom from coconut .  Young boys can practice for the upcoming basketball competition.  Goats nurse their newborns in the shelter. 

Local materials from the surrounding forest:  coconut, palm, mahogany wooden and  bamboo are skillfully crafted  to make the traditional homes.  A unique little stone church beckons.  People have decorated their fence with egg shells to celebrate Easter.  

Rice is farmed on the flat land.  Farmers use the road as a platform to dry rice. Motorcycles, jeepneys and tricycles are used to move the product to market.

A Fish Farm is operated to provide fish when weather does not allow fish to be harvested from the sea.  Copra is harvested by farmers in Mari Sur.  Tiger Grass is drying along the roadside.

We visit a Tiger Grass Broom making family. 

Nito Baskets, another hand crafted family operated business.  Vines are harvested from the forest in very long pieces.  The vines must be straightened and clipped to prepare them for the basket maker to weave.  One basket takes Moses Martinacio many hours to hand weave.

The lumber industry is important to Mari Sur.  Palm and mahogany wood  are sawn in the village mill from trees harvested locally.

An opportunity was recognized.  Left over scrap wood was being discarded.  A chair making industry was developed to meet a need, that of chairs for schools.

John Rey Mordel took over his uncle’s goat farm eight years ago.  His herd numbers 108 momentarily with 80 ewes.  The ram is 8 years old and although gentle, demands respect with his officious curved horns.  John says it is easier to bring goat feed( grass, legume tree, mulberry) to the goats which he chooses to house on the second floor of the family built goat barn.  The floor is slatted allowing the goat manure to drop and be bagged to sold for fertilizer.  The goats are raised to 5 months of age, average weight 13-15 kilos and sold.  He has one female milking so breeding goats for milk is possible.

Untouched by urban development, the intriguing and ingenious close knit Barangay of Mari Sur offers its residents security from the fluctuations of world stock markets!