Renewed Hope For Dinagat Island
In 2006, I visited Dinagat Island. It was a Paradise to me. The sea water was clear. You can see different kinds of colored fish. I stayed in a family friend's house in Barangay Esperanza. Few steps from their house is the bay. Underneath were lots of corals where you can see lots of fish. It's like looking down at an aquarium. I saw also different colorful birds. That at dusk you can hear their rythmic chirps. And I was fascinated with the flock of heron cacthing fish in the sea. Nature's beauty at its best, even better than El Nido nowadays.
It wasn't on the "tourism trail" and everyone seems to avoid it and carry on from Surigao City to Siargao Island. These islands off the North Eastern Coast of Mindanao... Unbelievably beautiful. The islands are raw, full of different rock formations, beautiful beach coves and friendly people!
I swear in the future these islands are going to become "The next Mini Palawan"... you wouldn't believe what you can find!
There was only one mining company back then and only few worked in the mine. Most of them relied on fishing as their source of living. The roads were not paved.
Last year 2016 or 10 years after,
I went back. I was deeply saddened with what I saw. The roads are still the same, not paved. Several mining companies are in operation. The luscious mountains have become barren and excavated. No more sight of birds nor chirping at dusk. The bay water has become brownish due to soil erosion during wet season such that I can't see the underwater. And what's more disturbing, not only was the environment ruined, the locals have become poorer because their source of living is spoiled. For those few whose economic condition has improved it's because someone in the family worked or migrated overseas.
And it seems like the government is not doing anything. I left the place with a prayer that hopefully soon somebody in position will act drastically to stop the furrther damage of the environment of Dinagat Island. And perhaps Sec. Lopez is the answer to that prayer and those of the locals.
God bless Dinagat Island and its people. God bless and more power Sec. Lopez.
https://esteem.app
Thanks for using eSteem!
Your post has been voted as a part of eSteem encouragement program. Keep up the good work! Install Android, iOS Mobile app or Windows, Mac, Linux Surfer app, if you haven't already!
Learn more: https://esteem.app
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/8eHupPq
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by bien from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Hi @chingpherd. Congratulations!
You've been featured by @steemph.cebu on our Daily Feature of Authors #14. You've chosen as the top best blogs of this day. With that, you've enjoyed the benefits for being featured.
Continue to post more quality content having #cebu & #philippines as part of your tags.