Roughing it up at Danjugan

“ARE you a wine-er?” Gerry Ledesma jokingly asked me as I sipped from the plastic wine glass over a dinner of squid done two ways. I could feel the warm effect of the Chilean merlot spreading over my chest. I promptly replied, “I’m a beer-er.”

The truth was, in the relaxed island atmosphere of Danjugan, it didn’t matter whether I was sipping wine or gulping down beer. In fact, just plain cool water would have been the perfect accompaniment to the pristine environment enveloping us at the breezy dining hall starting from the low evening tide of the Moray Eel Lagoon beneath to the lush vegetation overhead.

If you seek an Italian Riviera experience, the nearest thing to this at Danjugan Island would probably be your cabana perched firmly on the massive rocks embedded into the hillside. The blue waters nearby cradle a few boats, including Gerry’s yacht.

The short strip of sandy beach where we were would have invited Bridgette Bardot to strip down to her bikini for a tanning session. Yet, unlike the luxurious accoutrements along the Mediterranean Sea, Danjugan’s four open-sided cabanas do not even have private baths attached. Any form of ablution or nature-heeding activities are done in the two sets of toilet and bath down below – one for each sex. Television, there’s none. Well stocked fridge, zilch. Room service - are you kidding?

Danjugan, in the first place, is owned and managed by the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PRRCFI) to conserve whatever was there and plans do not include converting the island into a 43-hectare commercialized, overburdened resort.

In 1974, the island was a favorite destination of scuba divers because the reefs were untouched and teeming with fish. Visibility underwater was possible at 40 meters deep, even in heavy rains.

Four years later, in 1978, a hillside of Brgy. Bulata (in Cauayan) was cleared for the construction of an international port of Maricalum Mining Corporation. It was also in this year that a mine tailings pond of MMC overflowed into the Sulu Sea where Danjugan is situated. Moreover, siltation destroyed the reefs by the mainland.

When the mine was closed temporarily in 1984, the displaced workers began fishing activities using the easily obtainable cyanide and blasting caps. Typhoon Nitang destroyed Southern Negros and so did Typhoon Undang three years later.

Throughout the passage of time, the wounds of the island slowly healed with the help of a group of scuba divers who leased what is now Typhoon Beach for the purpose of research and observation of degradation. Then, the same group organized the Youth and Marine Wildlife Camp for children 13-16 years old.

A turning point for the fate of Danjugan came when the island’s owner offered to sell Eagle Tree for $800; the divers saw the opportunity to buy not only the tree where sea eagles build their aeries but also the island.

Fundraising for the purchase price ensued with the assistance of the World Trust Fund through Greenshares. Even Landbank of the Philippines helped out with this endeavor by granting its first environmental loan at very favorable rates.

Eventually, title of the island was transferred to PRRCFI and Resolution No. 99-146 was passed enacting and approving Municipal Ordinance No. 99-52 entitled “An Ordinance Declaring the Surrounding Waters of Danjugan Island in Brgy. Bulata, Municipality of Cauayan, Negros Occidental as a Marine Reserve and Portions of it as Marine Sanctuaries.”

That was in 1999. In 2001, Danjugan Island and Marine Reserve and Sanctuaries was awarded by the DOST and DENR the first place in the Philippines’ 2nd Best Managed Reef Award. The scuba divers’ group had certainly come a long, long way.

For sustainability, PRRCFI put up Danjugan Island Nature Tourism Program and Danjugan Island Environmental Education Program. The former is for financially sustaining the conservation effort of DIMRS; the latter is to raise the youth’s environmental awareness and help develop them into environmental advocates.

During my visit there, I had a chance to admire not only Gerry’s advocacy (and his recurring role as genial island host) but also the indefatigable efforts of Chai Apale and Leah Mae Llontes who belong to a decreasing but badly-needed breed of marine biologists in the country.

Educator Alvir Bausa who assists in the education program of the foundation inspired his young wards with his indomitable spirit. If there is anything we need in our society, it is less politicians and more environmentalists who risk life and limb to ensure the protection of, and continued abundance of our natural resources.

Danjugan Island is a treasure trove of species designed to thrill the serious nature-lover i.e., bird, bat, coral, fish, butterfly, mangrove, beach forest tree, seagrass and invertebrates. Island guides are trained to show off the area’s physical assets in an hour or more at the pleasure of the visitor.

In the meantime, pockets of sandy beaches will thrill the sun worshipper as long as she is content with frolicking on the shore without expecting a lean, tanned attendant to hand her a parasol-bedecked glass of coconut juice.

Visitors to the island can arrange for an overnight stay (P2,750) which will include three square meals and two snacks. Beddings and towels are part of the package and so are the environmentally-friendly liquid soap and shampoo at the shower room.

Also thrown into the package are island rules that the guests must obey, some of which are avoiding loud noise so as not to disturb the noise-sensitive wildlife, saving energy by switching off lights when not in use, not provoking or harming wildlife, not collecting plants, corals or any wildlife and non-living objects as souvenirs, and not wasting fresh water because there isn’t any found on the island.

After two days and one night at Danjugan, I discovered that roughing it up provided the adventure my citified life craved for. In fact, that’s exactly what I needed to remind me that life offers many simple pleasures.

Nothing compares with the sound of birdcall early in the morning and the slapping of the waves on the shore; the sight of moray eels slipping out of their dark abode to forage for food and the hurried movements of the elusive Tabon Scrub Fowl; the thousands of bats roosting in the bat cave; the proud posture of a sea eagle nesting in the crotch of a tree branch; the hues of the sea from emerald to teal to aquamarine.

The beauty of nature at my fingertips told me that I was living it up at Danjugan Island.

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