Green Events – What Is It?

Green events are earth friendly, green initiatives to save the environment having focus on a practice, technology or cause such as fairs and festivals that are environment friendly like a green festival in Siargao Island promoting environmental awareness, which is an emerging attraction among island vacations buffs, dubbed as Bakhaw or Mangrove Festival in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.

Green Events – Why Witness The Bakhaw Festival?

I have heared from a lot of friends that the present leadership of Mayor Alfredo Matugas Corro II in the town of Del Carmen, in Siargao Island, which adjacenht to Bucas Grande Island, has lined-up a number of activites, among them green events, for their 376th Annual Town Fiesta Celebration. Such news were validated when my good friend Engr. Rolando Ruaya, Del Carmen Municipal Engineer and colleague in the Board of Directors of Siargao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SIARELCO) who invited me to come for their fiesta celebration and witness the Bakhaw or Mangrove Festival . Being a green events aficionado, I accepted his invitation without batting an eye lash.

From the Socorro Port in Bucas Grande Island, I took a passenger motorized boat and traveled for one hour cruising through a placid channel towards the town of Dapa- the gateway and commercial center of Siargao Island. From there, I hired a passenger motorcycyle locally termed habal-habal. After a 30-minute travel on a newly-completed Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP), we reached Barangay Sayak, Del Carmen and, upon chancing massive construction works going-on in Siargao Airport, I told the driver to head left and see for myself what’s up in the said spot. As we stopped at the airport grounds, this sight greeted my eyes . . .

Greetings from Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Matugas Coro II; Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas and Siargao Congressman Francisco T. Matugas prominently displayed at the Siargao Airport arrival area warmly welcoming guests and visitors to Siargao Island.

I then took shots of the existing terminal building as well as the new terminal building under construction .  . .

The existing Siargao Airport Terminal Building . . .

. . . and the modern Siargao Airport Terminal Building on its finishing touches.

I cannot help but admire the Php 25 Million-worth upgrading of Siargao Airport Project due for inauguration on September 20, 2011 with no less that His Excellency Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III being invited as the guest of honor . . .

The state-of-the-art control tower, terminal building and other facilities of Siargao Airport eyeing to achieve the distinction as the most modern airport in Mindanao Island.

Afterwards, we traveled for another 15 minutes until we reached the Del Carmen town center and stopped at the foot of this imposing welcome arch displaying the theme of one of the fiesta celebrations’s green events, the Bakhaw Festival . . .

An arch welcoming the guests and visitors to the 376th Annual Town Fiesta Celebration in Honor of Patron Saint Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

While strolling on various parts of the poblacion, I chanced upon folks gazing intently at the roster of green events and fiesta celebrations within the town  jurisdiction displayed prominently at the port area. . .

A tarpauline announcing the various fiesta and green events in Del Carmen

The Bakhaw Festival kicked-off at the Del Carmen Port at exactly 2:00 in the afternoon. A spectacular street dancing among the 5 contestant-delegations plus the LGU-Del Carmen dancers ensued at the major town thoroughfare followed by stationary dance renditions in front of the Roman Catholic Church. The contingents then headed towards the Numancia Central Elementary School oval grounds for the grand finale presentation.

During his speech, Mayor Alfredo M. Coro explained in detail that Siargao Island has a total mangrove forest area of 8,620 hectares, in which,  a single mangrove forest block consisting of 4,200 hectares serving as home to a variety of flora and fauna including the engandered saltwater crocodile,  is found in the municipality of Del Carmen. He stressed the need for the populace to conserve the mangroves for the present and future generations. And, to drive  mangrove  conservation awareness into the townfolks psyche,  the Bakhaw or Mangrove Festival was undertaken 4 years ago and every year thereafter with this year’s activity bearing the theme Bakhaw Festival: A Celebration To Attain A Socially, Economically and Environmentally Stable Del Carmen. . .

The young Mayor Alfredo M. Corro II exhorting the people to capture the messages to be delivered by the Bakhaw Festival performers.

After the declaration of the official start of the green events, story lines were read by the participating performers. Then, drums rolled. . . bugles barked . . .lyers sounded with performers in colorful dance costumes executing dance steps in various dance routines in accordance with the dance choreography. The concepts of all the six performing groups focused on the need to preserve the town’s mangrove forests and appealing for the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to help the local folks in their efforts to save the mangrove ecosystem.

The LGU-Del Carmen performers during their exhibition performance. . .

The LGU-Del Carmen performers depicting the star dancer on a banca ride cruising the mangrove forest driving home the point to Save Mangroves, Save Water, Save Trees, Save Lives!

Then came the first contestant- performers from the Don Mariano Matugas Memorial High School together with the first 10 barangays of Del Carmen namely: Antipolo, Bitoon, Cabugao, esperanza, Katipunan, Lobogon, Mahayahay, Quezon, Sayak and Tuboran.

The 1st Contestant-group on their best performance earning for them the 3rd Prize and Best in Street Dancing Award.

Contestant No. 2- performers from Del Carmen National High School (DCNHS) with another 10 barangays of Del Carmen (Pob.), San Jose (Pob.), Caub, Halian, Cancohoy, Domoyog, San Fernando, Bagacay, Mabuhay and Jamoyaon followed suit. . .

The 2nd Contestant-performers in one of their best performances which catapulted them to the Championship Prize and Best in Choreography Award.

Contestant number 3- performers from Oguing Navarro Memorial National High School (ONMNHS) with the Allied Agencies also made sure that they would not be left behind . . .

Performers belonging to Contestant No. 3 paying homage to the image of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel.

The 2nd to the last contestant- performers from the Numancia Central Elementary School representing the Department of Education East and West Districts also tried their very best not to be outdone by the other performers . . .

Contestant No. 4 performers on their best rendition. . .

Finally, contestant No. 5 comprising performers from Siargao College of Science and Technology (SNCST) showed up determined to show their dancing prowess . . .

The 2nd Prize, Most Disciplined and Best in Costumes Award-winning performance of Contestant No. 5 depicting the endangered saltwater crocodile attacking an abusive fishermen caught destroying the Del Carmen mangrove ecosystem.

Green Events – Final Thoughts

Fairs and festivals veterans have had expressed their valid concerns on the degradation of the once highly-esteemed festivals into a common phenomena nowadays. While there are lots of festivals whose significance had passed the test of time, others are just absurd events with some of them dying down on their natural death right after the maiden presentation. But the Bakhaw Festival in Del Carmen, Siargao Island, Philippines is one of a kind. Its uniqueness rests on being a festival celebrating nature and its bounties. It is an annual undertaking destined to be catapulted into one of the best festivals and green events in the country that is worthy of your visit in the very near future.

Hidden Island Resort is one of the island getaways in Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte, Philippines that I long to visit . For one, I want to see for myself the veracity of the stories being told that it has been transformed into a world-class resort by its owner, my good friend Roger Pimentel. Though I live in the island  but it was already quite some time that I visited the place since it was first constructed around 5 years ago.

Hence, on February 14, 2011, armed by my newly-acquired Nikon D 7000, I embarked on a sight seeing trip around my island home with the Hidden Island Resort as my first tourist spot destination.

Truly, after our boat maneuvered at the back of one of the secluded islets within the vicinity of Barangay Dona Helen, I was awe-struck when my eyes caught this view . . .

As I disembarked from the boat, my appetite to dive had soared upon seeing this dive board. . .

The Hidden Island Resort reception desk is simple and comely . . .

With its Patio so elegantly designed . . .

The simple yet elegant Blue Marlin Cottage had really caught my attention . . .

More so with the schools of groupers swimming on the azure waters beneath . . .

I saw for myself that guests in the Dolphin Cottage are treated like kings and queens as evidenced by this exquisite bedroom . . .

Standing at the resort’s catwalk, I cannot help but be inspired by the resort’s signage . . .

The sight of the resort’s flagship billeting place, the Lobster Cottage, is simply amazing . . .

But, nothing beats the exhilarating view of the island scenery as seen from the Lobster Cottage veranda . . .

Savoring the beauty of floating dish garden-like islets dotted on azure seas as viewed from Hidden Island Resort’s Lobster Cottage veranda would surely excite  the  urban guests and make them forget the hustles and bustles of city life . . .

Even I, an islander myself, so dearly admire the view of the Hidden Island Resort from atop the limestone view deck . . .

Truly, as my boat had sped away towards another tourist spot,  the spot had left an imprint in my mind in that . . .

judging from its facilities and amenities, Hidden Island Resort would surely dig deeper into the company of world-class vacation resorts capable of offering tourists a wholesome island vacations.

Mangrove forest, known as ‘rainforest’ by the sea’ is one of the most, if not the primary, important coastal ecosystems in the world in terms of primary production and coastal protection.

It is abundant in Southeast Asia which includes the Philippines that has let many to believe that the region is the birth place of mangroves.

Mangrove trees contribute to the prevention of shore erosion. They provide food, through their foliage, which enable the mangrove ecosystem to become a breeding ground to a variety of bivalves, shrimps and fishes. Moreover, they provide nesting sites for many shore birds and serve as home for proboscis and crab-eating monkeys, sea turtles, fishing cats, lizards, bats, and many more animals. Also, it is a favorite haven for horn bills and other bird species.

Generally speaking, there is a rapid decline of mangrove forest areas due to wanton destruction by human population, a sad plight indeed considering the rapid increase of population, hence, an increase in the demand of fish as food for human survival. However, there is a light of hope beaming from the tiny island of Bucas Grande in Surigao del Norte, Philippines because there exist nowadays a treasure- the primary growth mangrove forest  found in Sitio Sabang, Barangay San Roque in the town of Socorro.

I was being told before on the existence of such primary growth mangrove trees which abound in the place but I was not fortunate enough to see it for myself. Hence, on February 14, 2010, I decided to spend my Valentine’s Day to explore the area and uncover for myself the hidden treasure. Here’s what I found . . .

We passed by a group of houses along the shorelines of Sitio Sabang, Barangay San Roque. . . I felt so sorry for the community. . .

Our boat traveled through this wide passage way . . .

and entered into this narrow water way . . .

And I was awe-struck with the sight of  mangrove trees of substantial size and height . . . the first time I ever saw it in my life . . .

As we went out of the mangrove forest area I asked the pump boat operator the primordial reason  behind the intact state of the primary growth mangrove trees to which he replied: It’s because of the concerted efforts of the community in protecting the place. In fact, no single Sitio Sabang folk would dare cut a mangrove tree even during the time of severe fire wood shortage. Further, there were many instances that community residents themselves had driven firewood gatherer intruders away.

While I was still figuring out the courage and determination of the residents to protect the area, I chanced upon in the lush vegetation to my left . . . a pair of Horn Bill bird lovers celebrating Valentines Day on a tree top . . .

After  exchanging pleasantries, they parted ways . . . .

What a scoop indeed… one of the horn bills flew along the same direction as ours . . . . Flapping her wings wide . . . .

And as if playing with me as she hovered over my head . . .

As we passed by this community again on our way towards another destination . . .

I no longer felt sorry for the people living in these huts and shanties. In fact a feeling of admiration had engulfed in me by that time .  Canidly, I was so grateful that in my trip I found the real hidden treasure in Bucas Grande Island… the people of Sitio Sabang. Less educated in the formal class room they might be but they are the most aware and educated persons in the entire island town on the importance of mangrove forest  and the relationship of  mangrove ecosystem towards human survival.