Kara David dives with young 'banagan' hunters on this Saturday's 'I-Witness'

“BANAGAN”
Dokumentaryo ni Kara David
May 16, 2015

In the island of Palaui, Cagayan, a group of teenagers sets out to sea at night in search of a clawed creature. They are off to explore underwater rocks and crevices, where diving is anything but recreation. They are searching for "banagan", or lobsters.

Into the dark waters, with his every breath dependent on a compressor machine, 17-year old Gilbert Espiritu scours the sea floor for the prized lobsters. He can earn as much as 400 pesos a day for this. As the sole provider to his siblings, he makes sure his every dive counts. With his friends, Gilbert stays underwater for hours, indifferent to the possible harm this may bring him.
Every second counts in compressor diving. The small tube that supplies the diver his air is , literally, his lifeline. One wrong move, any indecision, and everything can go fatal. For banagan-hunting veteran Edmar Palisic, catching lobsters left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. Can Gilbert escape this fate?  

Watch “Banagan” on I-Witness (GMA 7) this May 16, 2015, after Celebrity Bluff. For comments, tweet Kara David, @karadavid and I-Witness, @IWitnessGMA.



Filipino version

Sa isla ng Palaui, Cagayan, iba ang pinagkakaabalahan ng isang grupo ng kabataan. Wala sila sa paaralan. Sa magdamag, sila’y gising. Sila’y nanghuhuli ng "banagan" o lobster.

Sa edad na 17, hindi alintana ni Gilbert Espiritu ang dilim at lamig ng dagat sa gabi. Siya ang tanging inaasahan ng kanyang mga kapatid. Maaari siyang kumita ng 400 pesos sa isang araw. Para kay Gilbert, malaking kita ito. Kung kaya’t masipag na sinusuyod niya ang bawat sulok sa ilalim.

Sa compressor diving, nakadepende ang buhay ng maninisid sa isang maliit na hose na nakakonekta sa makina. Isang maling galaw, isang maling desisyon, buhay ang posibleng kapalit. Si Edmar Palisic, beterano sa pagkuha ng banagan, ay iniwang lumpo ng compressor diving. Ito rin ba ang sasapitin ni Gilbert?

Mapapanood ang “Banagan” sa I-Witness (GMA 7) ngayong May 16, 2015,  pagkatapos ng Celebrity Bluff. Para sa mga komento, i-tweet si Kara David, @karadavid at I-Witness, @IWitnessGMA.