Fresh seafoods by a floating cottage, a promise from Sapang Dalaga community

The Lifeguard association was organized in 2017 with 30 members. Trainings were conducted such as first aid life-saving support, customer service by the Department of Tourism. Currently, the organization consists of 33 members with additional staff. (DCC/PIA10)

“Among mga pagkaon lahi ra gyud siya, mao nay gibalik balikan sa mga customer diri. Naa mi saang, isda, kasagara isda tulahon, sugbahon, kilawon, sutukil. Then maka offer pud mi mga shells,” Yvonne A. Democer, receptionist and member of the Gleaners association, a Community Based Tourism Organization (CBTO) in Sapang Dalaga Floating Cottages.

(Our food here is different, it is the reason why customers keep coming back here. We have conch shells or spider shells, fish, usually fish made for soup, grill, or raw with locally made vinegar and spices. Then, we can offer variety of shells)

Gleaners, made up of receptionists, cooks, and food checker among others are women who were once part of the fisherfolks community.

After the local government of Sapang Dalaga established Caluya area as a tourism site, where tourists can experience fresh harvest from the sea and by a floating cottage, the community living in the area became its own tourist workers.

“Manginhasay mana sila sauna, lisod baya layo ang dagat, tigluto na sila karon. Naa na sila income nga mas stable na ba kaysa sauna. So ang income is mas ma stable na tungod sa tourism,” Democer said.

(They were fisherfolks before, it was hard because the ocean is far, but they are cooks now. They have a more stable income now. So, their income is much more stable because of tourism)

Yvonne was simply a household wife but through the program of the government to establish CBTOs in their localities, Yvonne, the receptionist was able to get a job.

“Wala ko’y trabaho sauna pud, dayon gibutang ko as receptionist. Makatabang siya sa ako kai naa koy anak duha pud. Nanindot among lugar, og mamaligya ka diri daghan man gud tourist mu anhi unya mahalin gyud siya. Bisan unsa imong ibaligya, diskarte lang gyud,” she expressed.

(I did not have work before, but I was put as a receptionist. It really does help me a lot because I have two kids. Our place improved and became more beautiful, if you sell here, due to many tourists, items will really be sold. Whatever you try to sell, you just need to be resourceful)

Sapang Dalaga floating cottage can offer conch shells or spider shells, fish, usually fish made for soup, grill, or raw with locally made vinegar and spices. They offer variety of shells. (DCC/PIA10)

Safe and friendly town

Francisco G. Agias Jr., President, Lifeguard association and member of the CBTOs of Sapang Dalaga shared one of the reasons why tourists always come back, because their town is safe and friendly.

“Ang among buhaton gyud pag abot sa mga guests diri pag assist paghatag nila og maayong pagtagad, pag assists sap ag suot sa life vest hantod pag sakaya sa pambot, hantod paingon sa floating, amo gyud nang assesan para sa safety na nila,” Agias said.

(What we do when the guests arrive here is to assist them in giving them good attention, assisting them in wearing a life vest until they get on the boat, until they go to the floating, that's what we do for their safety)

The Lifeguard association was organized in 2017 with 30 members. Trainings were conducted such as first aid life-saving support, customer service by the Department of Tourism. Currently, the organization consists of 33 members with additional staff.

“Ang goal namo mam, to serve, to protect lives and properties, isa gyud na. Aware mi ana nga dapat protektahan namo among mga guests aron safety sila,” he said.

(Our goal is to serve and protect lives and properties. We are aware that we need to protect our guests for their safety.)

Meanwhile, floating cottages are safe because the sea is surrounded by big mountains, this protects the boats from big waves.

In terms of challenges, Francisco shares that sometimes there are low tourists’ arrival, some members will try to find other jobs.

“Lifeguard is alternative work, an extra income for us. Sometimes we try to fish, other times do lifeguard duties, we do rotation,” he explained.

Nevertheless, tourism has really improved their livelihood. Francisco shared tourism has not only improved the lives of the lifeguards but also to fisherfolks they can sell their harvest and earn income from their harvest.

Elbina Libot, member, Gleaners association, shared that she joined the group in 2018, just like the other members, she was also part of “manginhasay” or the fisherfolks community, catching fish in the vast ocean of the town.

But since she became part of Gleaners, she was tasked to do the checking of orders ensuring that all guests were provided food. “Whatever the guests will request, we provide such as calamares, sweet and sour fish, steamed fish and others,” she shared.

Floating cottages are safe because the sea is surrounded by big mountains, this protects the boats from big waves. (DCC/PIA10)

Local tourism of Sapang Dalaga

Melchoniza Calago Go, provincial tourism officer, Sapang Dalaga shared that barangay Caluya was a very chaotic place prior to becoming a tourism site.

“Pagsulod gyud sa turismo, na bag-o gyud ilang kinabuhi tanan [When tourism entered the place, all of their lives changed],” Go said.

“Sauna bitaw mam dili gyud mi maka utang kung nay suroy nga appliances mam, dili mi maka utang sa EMCOR og appliances kai wala man mi trabaho, wala mi ika declare nga trabaho, pero karon mam, musalig na gyud sila namo,” the provincial tourism officer said after hearing stories from the association members.

(It's true, mam, we can't really get a loan when it comes to appliances, mam, we can't give EMCOR (an appliance center) a loan for appliances because we don't have a job, we didn't declare a job, but now, mam, they really trust us)

Go shared they do not encourage loans but the fact that they have regular income from the municipality, is evidence that they have elevated not just their livelihood but their standing in the community.

“Kami sa LGU, in fairness sa among mayor, bahalag maulahi ang LGU sa income, ang importante ang mga tao kai mag domino effect mana siya, kung ang mga tao sa ubos, maka income, dili naman na sila mag cge pangayo og tabang sa LGU,” she said.

(We in the LGU, in fairness to our mayor, the LGU may be lagging behind in income, the important thing is the people because it will have a domino effect, if the people at the bottom, get income, they will no longer ask for help from the LGU)

When the fishermen move, can they get a boat, can they register, can they pay tax, meanwhile, the businesses with various stores before cannot get a business permit, because they are so small, nothing also sold but now they can pay, through the influx of tourism.

Meanwhile, the local government is in touch with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to ensure that the marine life is protected. (JMORucat/PIA10)