In Calatagan, a race for fisheries survival at Bangkathon Festival

The five-time champion is back. He humbly carries his single-blade paddle that bears the name of his bangka, a light canoe with bamboo outriggers. He calls it ‘Fighter’ – a name that cannot be more appropriate, as he battles for his sixth title in a bid to earn the honor of being the first on the annual festival’s wall of fame. But that will not be an easy feat. Bangkathon 2012 brags a strong bunch of paddlers, 25 in all. The champion’s brother always came in second in the past races, but he will not settle for less this time. And neither will a few young lads, seasoned fishermen all despite their youth. They have a tough challenge ahead -- the tides are high, the wind strong, and the 10-kilometer route requires both strength and determination. The official for this race is just as relentless. For nine years, Conserve and Protect Oceans Foundation Project Officer Jessie delos Reyes has organized the boat race in Calatagan in partnership with the local government, the fishing communities, and the Madrigal-Warns family. On this Sunday morning in June, he gets up on the deck of the Coast Guard boat, draws an arbitrary starting line near Patay na Parola, and sounds the alarm to mark the start of the race. The first paddle enters the water. Fighter. Talakitok. Rick. Another Rick. And twenty or so other boats, each with a different story behind the vessel’s name, all sharing one goal: to cross the finish line at the Calatagan Artificial Reef Fish Sanctuary in Barangay Silang in Batangas. A rhythmic count of rows hurls the boats forward, or back when a meter-high wave rams the boat hulls and gets the boatmen off the track. Aside from meeting boat specifications, their owners have added personal touches – technical or quirky improvs that could work to their advantage, or disadvantage. The long-time champion’s low-hulled bangka worked to his benefit for five years, but the angry waves could mean his fate is destined for a shift this time around. Each bucket of water he scoops out means critical time lost. Has the champ finally become an underdog? Fifty minutes through the race, two bangkas are neck and neck. Once again, they belong to the defending champion and his brother, but it is no longer in that order. This year, the brother wins the title and gets a brand new 9-hp motorized bangka, the biggest prize of the festival since it started in 2004. The former champion won a 6.5-hp motor engine, while the third placer took home an electric mountain bike. The prizes are a clear incentive, but the paddlers know that the contest is more than just individual victory. As the last boat crosses the line, the tired boatman feels like a winner himself, knowing that the rowers represent the community’s gratitude to the sea and its bounty. He anchors his boat to safety, joins his family, and celebrates the festival with the cheering crowd. Held last June 24, the Calatagan Bangkathon Festival is a unique contest. While others hold annual motor-powered boat races to celebrate local fishing heritage, Calatagan had nearly lost its source of livelihood. The fishers were on the brink of depleting their marine resources, and had no reason to celebrate the alarming decline of fish populations in their waters.   It took collective realization and local interventions to make way for efforts to conserve and protect the sea and the threatened marine life in Calatagan. Protected areas that designated exclusive fishing zones enhanced a sense of ownership among local fishing communities. One of the conservation milestones in Calatagan are the underwater pyramids created through the vision of the late philanthropist, Vicente “Bu” Madrigal-Warns, who dedicated his life to saving fish populations. He spent his last years working with marine biologist Dr. John Lacson, who helped conceptualize the functional structure of the pyramids. Made of dead corals, cement, and bamboo cross bars, the pyramids now serve as fish sanctuaries that help replenish Calatagan’s marine life. This is what sets the Calatagan Bangkathon Festival apart from all the others. It is not just a contest between paddlers. It is a race against time, which will be the ultimate judge of who the true winners are -- not the new champion nor his defeated brother, but their children and their children’s children.   The author is a volunteer environmental campaigner in Calatagan, assisting in nature appreciation projects for local villagers through poetry reading and other literary pursuits.