PARADISE

Paradise as I call it. We own a part of this property and the place was from my great grandfather. It is known to be a mangrove plantation. “Peshpan- fishpond” specifically. Among the 7 continents, Asia owns 42% of the mangroves in the world. Mangroves are group of trees where its roots are submerged in brackish waters. It grows to challenging conditions where land and salty water meet, muddy and hot environment. Usually this conditions are the causes of demise to plants. Mangroves are “surviving plants” as what they called due to thriving despite the conditions.

The place were introduced to us during our early years. As a kid, the place had been a mystery to me since it is only during my college days that I set foot and experience the place. I heard stories from the elders that made me question this to my mom, “why are you not bringing us there?” and she answered evenly, “Because there weren’t enough facilities for accommodation.” (No electricity and no water supply). But despite all deficiencies, the eagerness in me persisted.

It is just 30 minutes travel from Brgy. Naungan, Ormoc City where it is viewed as the starting point. The “peshpan” was a paradise to me because it is my escape with the reality (doing the not-so-usual stuffs water activities like swimming and fishing with my mains). Calm and peaceful—these are the words I could describe in the place. As soon as I got off the boat, I just date with the place and forget all my problems.

“I want to go there” I guess these were the words that prompted my parents to produce and work on the area. They were working on it day and night to create comfortable accommodations for us to stay when we got there. College days: I was given the chance to see and experience the beautiful mess. The “peshpan” was one of our main source of income since different seafood’s were house in the area. Crabs, shrimps, fishes of different kinds are some foods that can be found in the place. We house and sustain them for future harvest. After the harvesting, we sell them freshly to the people.