MANGROVE LOVING PENGUIN: Planting in the Shadow of Mt. Quiasog

The Bicol Region abounds with  tales of epic heroes and mythical beings.  There is of course the Ibalong Epic  and the Legend of Mount Mayon .  In these epic tales, there is mention of a legendary being called Asog. He is either a legendary chieftain of native tribesmen or a pre-colonial priest or shaman imbued with magical powers to destroy or heal. Mt. Asog , a mountain with an elevation of 1,140 MASL situated between  Iriga City and Buhi Municipality is named after this mythical being.  Lately, the Bicolano Penguin (BP ) has found out of a smaller mountain that is named after Asog.  It is called Mt. Quiasog. It literally means "kay Asog" or "a place where Asog is"  and Mt. Quiasog is located in the coastal barangay of Macabugos  in Libon, Albay. 

Asog, the Legendary Chieftain of Rinconada (Artwork by Markovah Taduran)   

It is in the shadow of Mt. Quaisaog that BP and his LaCo 8379 batchmates found themselves in the morning hour of May 1, 2023  as they trekked along a river. Their destination was a bend along the river, a couple  hundred meters away from the sea. 

LaCo 8379 classmates crossing a makeshift bridge on the way to the mangrove planting site in Brgy Macabugos.

The LaCo 8379 volunteers gingerly going down the river. 

The LaCo 8379 expedition forging down  the river. The cool water help combat the humidity and heat of the tropics. 

The riverbend, on the top and middle right part, is the mangrove planting site.  

That riverbend is ideal spot for mangrove planting.  And that was the objective of the LaCo 8379 (short for La Consolacion Academy High School Batch 1983 and Grade School Batch 1979), to plant mangroves. Why?  For the experience.  Almost all of the sixteen  batchmates  have not experienced planting this shrub that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water.  Mangroves are tropical trees that thrive in conditions most trees could never tolerate - salty, coastal waters, and the interminable ebb and flow of the tide.  

Why plant trees in the first place? The LaCo 8379 batchmates, all on vacation, could have just elected to be enjoying some halo halo in an airconditioned restaurant in Iriga City or Naga City instead of baking themselves under the tropical sun. The tree planting was a voluntary batch activity after the successful reunion activities  3 days ago  that commemorated  the 40th anniversary (Ruby) of LaCo 8379. In the morning of  April 28, there was a holy mass celebrated at the Holy Cross Parish Church in Nabua, Cam Sur attended by batchmates, teachers and La Consolacion administrators.  The mass celebrant was the same priest that facilitated the pre-graduation retreat of the batch 40 years ago.   After the Holy Mass,  there was a lunch blowout for the  former teachers of the batch. And then night time on April 28 was a dinner party at the newly-opened Villa Alba, also in Nabua.  After the party, there was further fun and talk at 11th Earth resort  where most of the batch members slept into the following morning of April 29. So, there was much merrymaking on April 28-29 for the batch members, and to balance it out with something constructive for the community, the idea of a tree planting activity came about.  Doing something good for the community is very much aligned with the school's motto of Unity, Charity, Truth. 

Two days (Apr 28 - 29) of praying and partying for the Ruby Reunion of LaCo 8379.  

But why plant mangroves along the sea instead of trees in the mountains? 

Easy answer.  Planting mangroves looks to be more fun than planting trees in the mountains. Being along the coast, after planting mangroves , we are near the sea for some swimming excursion. 

Practical answer.  The LaCo 8379 experience with planting trees in the mountains have not been great.  In the years leading to our  25th reunion in 2008,  our batch had planted trees in the slope of Mt. Iriga. Only to find out later that the area where we planted was hit by forest fires started by kaingeros. No trees planted by us would have survived the destructive effect of the kaingin practice.  For the mangrove planting in Libon this 2023, we have a reasonable level of confidence that the mangrove will survive.  This is because our LaCo8379 have tied up with the progressive-thinking SK Chairman of Brgy Macabugos for the mangrove planting.  With the local LGU on board for the environmental initiative, we can reasonably expect that the local community will be safeguarding the mangroves we will plant. Plus, we will schedule regular (annual) visits Brgy Macabugos to the site to check on the growth of the mangroves. 

Various benefits of the mangrove ecosystem.  Arguably, one of the most important ecosystems in this climate-changed world. 

Scientific answer. Mangroves have many benefits for the community and the environment.  In theses challenging times  where the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to the adverse effect of climate change which are caused by rampant carbon emissions,  the carbon sequestration (the process of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere)  capabilities of mangroves comes to the fore.  Current scientific studies, both here and abroad, have found out  that mangrove forests are more efficient in sequestering carbon compared to terrestrial forests. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  (NOAA) in the US pointed out to recent studies that suggest that mangroves and coastal wetlands annually sequester carbon at a rate ten times greater than mature tropical forests.  More efficient, the reason being that the plants in the mangrove forests grow a lot each year, and in the process capture large amounts of carbon dioxide.  Given this scientific fact, our LaCO 8379, if we are to make our modest contribution to the environment and decarbonization, can be more efficient and effective if we choose and focus on mangroves. 

So with eager minds in matured bodies, our LaCo 8379 batch planned in such a short time the voluntary expedition to the foot of Mt. Quiasog in Brgy Macabugos,  Libon City in the neighboring province of Albay.  

But why in Libon?  Answer to that question is in itself a whole other  story to be told. Suffice to say, the choice of the area of LaCo 8379's  mangrove planting is a result of serendipity. Serendipity in the name of Joshua Malana, the SK Chairman of Brgy Macabugos who is also the resort manager of Villa Miranda . A teacher by training, this youthful leader is progressive-thinking and is proving to be an asset to the barangay as he has developed programs beneficial to the youth and the environment.  One such program is the Enviro Care+ Program which includes  mangrove planting.  Joshua and his team members were the ones that gathered the mangrove propagules that we will be planting.

Joshua was with the LaCo 8379 batch members when we reached the riverbend after less than  an hour of trekking .  It was a low tide so we had less difficulty manuevering in the muddy site.   After a group photo, the LaCo 8379 volunteers eagerly proceeded to plant mangroves. We will let the photos do the talking. 

Group photo of LaCo 8379 at the mangrove site :  Marrietta Verona, Marifa Albano, Ruvill Villagomez, Bernard Bagaporo, Philnar Turiano & wife, Melchie Penaflor, Angelica Niosco, Victoria Palasi, Mercedes Navida, Yollie Sernal, Salve Oronan, Flora Lanuzo, Bicolano Penguin, Gina Bernales, Virlita Delima, and Marian Vargas.      

All the way from the US of A,  Yollie and Virlita eagerly planting under the heat of the sun. 

Salve tying the mangrove propagule to a support stick.

Marian planting a propagule. 

Team work for Mercedes, Victoria, Melchie and Joshua. 

Ruvill and Yollie's hubby getting down and muddy. 

Flora, Philnar and Bernard figuring things out in mangrove planting.

Muddy now in the barrio.   Foot  spa later in the week in the city.  

The Bicolano Penguin (alias Mangrove Loving Penguin) admiring the good work of LaCo 8379 batch members.  

Muddied and tired.  That was the physical state the LaCo 8379 classmates were in but in their minds and deep in their hearts, we know that  we have done a great thing. In the words of one of the LaCo 8379 participants, Melchie:  "Memorable experience with the batch. Nakaka-inspire."    It was in this euphoric mindset that we trekked out of the riverbend and back to Villa Miranda, our staging area.

Certificiation issued by Barangay Macabugos and Kanlungan International 

 

But before we returned to the farm resort, Joshua invited us to Macabugos High School, a few hundred meters away. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar-powered learning center called Balay Kanlungan ng Karunungan.  This is another one of those programs initiated by Joshua and his fellow teacher volunteers to help the youth of the barangay.  LaCo8379, together with row5runnin, provided the funds for the construction of the learning center plus the purchase of the solar panel. 

Ribbon-cutting time. 

Group photo in front of the Balay Kanlungan ng Karunungan 

With the ribbon-cutting ceremony finished, we all walked back to Villa Miranda to have our lunch.  Tired from all the altruistic activities in the morning, the classmates worked up a huge appetite and gobbled up easily the grilled delights prepared by the resort.  Later after lunch, the LaCo 8379 batch members toured the farm resort and some even went for picking grapes from the vineyard of Villa Miranda. And later in the day, when the sun was out, LaCo 8379 enjoyed the beach. 

Grilled Liempo. Lunch  for the hungry

Enjoying the Villa Miranda Farm and Resort

Ading grapes naka "labas." 

Picking grapes at Villa Miranda. These grapes are of the Brazilian Hybrid Green Grapes variety.

With the sun setting in the west, time to frolic on the beach in Libon.   

May 1 ended well for LaCo 8379 and the classmates had a restful sleep in the airconditioned rooms of Villa Miranda. We needed the rest for the following morning, we are climbing Mt. Quiasog. It will not be an easy climb. 

Truth be told, Mt. Quiasog is not really a tall mountain.  If Mt. Asog is more than a thousand meters above sea level, I would guestimate that the elevation of Mt. Quiasog is less than 400 MASL.  But given our ripe age of nearing senior citizenship in a couple of years or so, it would be difficult for many of us in our LaCo 8379 batch to climb it. Plus add the fact that in our  provinces, it is more hot and humid compared to Metro Manila given Bicol's closer proximity to the equator. 

Nonetheless, what good is an escapade to the area of Mt Quiasog if we are not to actually climb and conquer the fabled mountain.   So, it was at 7 in the morning of May 2, 2023 that we set out of Villa Miranda and hiked for more than 2 kilometers up Mt. Quiasog. Again, the photos will do a lot better capturing the expedition.        

Hiking up Mt. Quiasog.  The hike is 2kms one way.   

At the midpoint of the hike there is a big tree with a face carving. Is it the face of a smiling Asog?  

Mind over body.  LaCo 8379 ladies showing they are not yet tired from all that hiking.  

Mt. Quiasog.  A key feature of this mountain is a towering monolith rock (similar to the one in Pico de Loro) surrounded by caves.

The Magnificent 8 of LaCo 8379 that conquered Mt. Quiasog. 

Jump shot by the Magnificent 8.  It will do.  

  

Hiking down Mt. Quiasog is as difficult and tricky as that of hiking up.    

With God's grace and protection, the LaCo 8379  survived the hike up and down Mt. Quiasog.  A fitting conclusion to the two days (May 1-2) of voluntary reunion activity following the main event (Apr 28-29) of our  Ruby Reunion celebrations.  For almost two days, we trekked-planted-ribboncut-pickedgrapes-swam-hiked in the shadow of Mt Quiasog. A lot of energy spent and hopefully a ton of goodwill generated for us mere mortals of LaCo 8739.   

Some of the old people in the coastal community of Libon  say that in the olden days, the people would go up the mountain to see the immortal Asog and to be cured of their ailments.  Perhaps in our hike up Mt. Quiasog, the mythical Asog, in seeing the good deeds we have done in planting mangroves and donating for the Balay Kanlungan ng Karunungan, saw fit to imbue in the LaCo 8379 the gift of healing within us. 

What a great feeling indeed. Abanang siram. Thank you Asog.

Postscript:

Almost a year after,  a group of LaCo 8379 visited the mangrove planting site in Brgy Macabugos just before this 2024 Holy Week.

What we saw is a success story.  Almost all (roughly 80%) of what we planted back in May 1, 2023 survived and are thriving.  The mangrove propagules have grown fast, some are even nearing 3 feet already in height.  

BP shared photos of the growing mangroves with an expert - Wilson Batislaon the MENRO of  Leganes, Iloilo and one of the leaders responsible for the award winning Leganes Integrated Katunggan EcoPark (LIKE) to get his opinion on the specific species of mangroves that we planted there in Libon.  Upon inspection of the photos, Wilson confirmed that majority of what we planted is Rhizophora mucronata which in the Philippines is locally known as Bakauan Babae.  Excellent as this particular mangrove species is very much suitable for planting in estuaries and deltas. Our mangrove planting site in Libon is on the bend of an estuary.  

Visually on the photos, there are a few mangroves that look different from the Bakauan Babae. Wilson suspects it to be a Sonneratia alba   or locally known as Pagatpat. Ideal location for planting a Pagatpat is sandy coastal shore but it can survive estuarine location. It is excellent for coastal protection.    

Mar 2024:  Ruvill surrounded by Bakauan Babae that we planted in May 2023.  

  

The shrub-like plant closes to BP (in pink) is a Pagatpat mangrove.  

We ended our visit last Mar 23 feeling inspired and hopeful.  When we  planted the propagules almost  a year ago we never expected the survival rate to be high. Inspired because now seeing the mangroves thriving and growing fast, the LaCo 8379 batch members feel more engaged in continuing our advocacy for mangrove forest  which arguably  is one of the most important ecosystem in this climate-changed world.  Hopeful because we heard from Joshua, who met us after the visit to the mangroves, that the people in the the barangay are looking to start an eco tourism enterprise revolving around the mangroves.

That eco-tourism enterprise, when properly managed, will be a steady source of livelihood for the people in the community. That means that there will now be a mutiple of reasons for the community to protect and propagate the mangroves in their barangay:  environmental, social and economic. 

With  good happening now and the future in the shadow of Mt. Quiasog, one can imagine that the mythical Asog is smiling up there on his perch. 

Nature and man struggling and eventually learning to co-exist. Epic.  

  

    

          

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