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F
or Jennifer Obinario, the pristine beaches of Patar have been the harbor of her dreams and home to her memories. In her 32 years of existence, this small town in Bolinao, Pangasinan has seen her first walk, has heard her first word, and has witnessed her fall in love.
Jennifer crosses the crystal clear water on her way to a fishing area.
That is why when she heard of the news that a hatchery will be built in the town, rage had taken over her senses. All she wanted to do was to fight against the construction of it. All she wanted to do was to fight for her beloved abode.
“Hindi porket mapera sila, makakapagtayo na sila ng kahit anong gusto nilang ipatayo. Kasi ang inaalagan naman po namin is ‘yung dagat,” she said.
The same sentiment is shared by her family members including her 64 year old mother and her brother, a local councilor, who all took the streets in April 2016 together with other locals to protest against the hatchery project of Feedmix Specialist Inc.
Jennifer looks past the big beach resort which occupied parts of
the water where local residents are fishing.
Jennifer and her family strongly oppose the hatchery because her husband, Maxie, saw first-hand the devastating effects of this kind of project to the sea.
Maxie worked in Labrador, a town in Pangasinan which is also known for its beaches, near a hatchery which according to him is also owned by Feedmix.
After a few months, he went back bringing with him not only the fruits of his labor but also the bitter roots of what he saw in the hatchery near his workplace.
The once crystal clear ocean near the hatchery turned into hazy stream of water. The once lively habitat of fishes and corals turned into a sea of dead organisms and floating scraps.
And this is what Jennifer fears of — that one day their rich source of food and income would be destroyed by profit-hungry business people.
Jennifer said, “Ngayon kung anu-ano po ‘yung nakakain namin na nakukuha sa dagat baka after five years, kapag natuloy nga ‘yung hatchery, baka hindi na makain.”
Jennifer grew up in a family of fishers and she, herself, became accustomed to this living as she took that lineage after finishing high school.
During off season, when their small beach resort accommodates few customers, she assumes the role of a maninisid. She employs a type of fishing which only uses a long and sharp shaft to catch a fish. She, her youngest brother, and her father traverses strong waves of the sea, usually on a day time, with goggles as their only protective gear.
Jennifer swims against water currents to catch fishes her family will eat later.
However, the proposed hatchery poses threats to their livelihood as the project is believed to emit chemicals that would be harmful to the sea and to the creatures living in it. And just like what happened in Labrador, her family could someday resort to dynamite fishing because of the difficulty of harnessing large amount of fishes near the shore.
“Wala na talagang isda doon sa tabi, andoon na sa laot. ‘Di ‘pag ganoon ‘yung nangyari dito, e ‘di wala na… kapag ako naninisid diyan lang, diyan lang sa may bato talaga, marami ng isda diyaan,” Jennifer said.
After swimming for about an hour, Jennifer ensnares an octopus which tried to hide itself through camouflage.
Jennifer usually ensnares danggit, a fish, and octopus. When the waves are strong and the fishes are being washed ashore, she is able to catch at least three kilos but when the wind is not on their side, she just gets around a kilo.
They sell the sea foods on a price ranging from P80 — P150.
“Kung dayuhan siya, mas mahal. Kung dayuhan po, 130–150 ang price. Kapag taga-rito lang sa amin, 80–100 lang po,” Jennifer shared.
Jennifer shows two danggit and an octopus she successfully caught.
But the problem does not lie only in their fishing activity, for Jennifer is also worried of what the hatchery may bring to their resort.
“‘Yung beach po, baka ‘yung nililiguan po ng mga customer po namin baka madumi na kung halimbawa man na matuloy itong hatchery,” she said.
Contrary to what Feedmix said that tourism and hatchery could jive together, Jennifer believes that tourists do not want to see fishes grow rather they want to see tourist spots.
“‘Di po ba pupunta sila sa dagat para mag-snorkeling? Mas maganda naman ‘yung mag-snorkel sila dito sa dagat kaysa titingin sila kasi ‘yung mga turista naman po hindi naman po mga isda ‘yung titingnan nila diyan, mga tourist attraction,” she said.
Ngayon kung anu-ano po ‘yung nakakain namin na nakukuha sa dagat baka after five years, kapag natuloy nga ‘yung hatchery, baka hindi na makain.
Jennifer dives hard to get sea foods for her family.
And this is what her family wants to preserve, the picture perfect beaches and the crystal clear home of sea creatures. She said she is doing this not only for their livelihood, but also for the sake of generations to come.
“Ayaw po namin masira ‘yung Bolinao. Siyempre, andoon na rin ‘yung pagmamahal namin sa lugar,” she said.
Aside from fighting for their livelihood, Jennifer also opposes Feedmix’ hatchery because she wants to preserve the beauty of Patar.
WATCH: A documentary on the full story of Patar, Bolinao.
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