WHEN dusk descends on the town of Pintuyan in Southern Leyte, small boats sail out to sea as if on a solemn pilgrimage.
This is when Pintuyanons engage in a communal livelihood activity: catching pygmy squid, locally known as “buko-buko.” To do this, they bring with them nylon fishing lines with hooks which they use to catch the small, bioluminescent squids. The catch is then sold in the nearby night market in the town’s boulevard or brought home for the family’s own consumption.
Upon the invitation of the local government unit led by Mayor Ricarte A. Estrella, through the town’s tourism consultant Boboi Costas, a group of writers, content creators, photographers, and creatives from Cebu and Manila, recently traveled to Pintuyan to document the town's community-based tourism initiatives. They met the “buko-buko” for the first time during dinner on the day they arrived. It was served three ways: grilled, kinilaw and adobo-style. A companion, who had eaten it raw and fresh out of the water, swore it had a sweet taste to it.
The laidback, unassuming town of Pintuyan is one of the four municipalities that compose Panaon Island in Southern Leyte.
Home to about 11,000 residents who rely mostly on fishing and coconut farming for their livelihood, Pintuyan is also slowly but steadily carving its name as the destination to watch among thrill-seekers who want a different way of encountering whale sharks or what the locals call “tiki-tiki.”
Instead of coaxing the gentle giants out of the waters by feeding them with krill, they wait patiently for them to emerge, a gentler, unhurried, and ethical way to interact with these beautiful marine creatures. (NGM)
