The highlight of our four-day stay in Roxas City a couple of weeks ago was the bangus harvest. Needless to say, it was an experience I will never forget. Neither will my family. Sam says she cannot eat bangus anymore after witnessing what they go through so that we may enjoy them. Food chain, baby. Food chain.
Many, many thanks to our friends PJ and Mabel Juinio for inviting us to spend a few days at PJ’s parents’ house in Roxas City. At last, after years of none-too-serious planning to join them there, it finally happened. Even more thanks to PJ’s parents, Tito Jun and Tita Luz, who were the most gracious hosts ever. May pauwi pang boneless bangus. 
Thanks to them, I now dream of spending our retirement years in a house by the sea.
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- Riding a boat to the fish pond
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- Trees half-surbmerged in water
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- Are those twigs?
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- The length of the fish pond
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- Pulling the net to catch the fish
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- Bangus in the sunlight
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- Find pond workers protect their heads
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- harvesting bangus
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- pulling the net to gather the fish
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- bangus flying above the water
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- Lifting the bangus out of the pond water
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- Heavy nets filled with bangus
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- Net filled with wiggling bangus
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- death bed
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- Netloads of bangus are poured into the vat
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- More bangus are transferred to the vat
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- The vat is almost full
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- Ice blocks are thrown into the vat
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- Bangus dying in icy water
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- Bangus stop wiggling
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- fresh bangus
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- Bangus taking its last breath
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- From the vat to the basket
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- the baskets of bangus are weighed next
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- weighed, ready to transport
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- bangus after the harvest
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- fresh bangus
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- Souvenir photo
Wonderful experience that can only be shown through pictures, Sassy. I think you should have just skipped Boracay and spent a longer time in Roxas, which clearly looked more fulfilling for Sam and Alex.
We all learn from our mistakes, eh, Ben? We’ll try Bohol and Palawan next time. The outbacks. No more hip locations.
I finally got a good idea of how bangus is harvested commercially! How big is the fishpond? It looks like a small lake!Are there designated areas in the pond where people can fish with rod and reel for a fee? It did not look like they pack the baskets with ice on their way to the market. How do they keep the bangus fresh all the way to the “end users”?
Sorry, I asked too many questions. Thank you for sharing this series with us. It is very informative to me.
bertN, I have no idea as to the total area. No fishing. It’s a privately owned fish pond. As to transporting, I didn’t stay long enough for that. But based on how the bangus arrive in the makets, the bangus is NOT transported in those baskets but in metal “banyeras” packed with ice. Those bangus were Iloilo bound, half hour or so by boat.
Definitely Palawan Sass — when you finally set foot there you will realize how this country has this jewel and frontier unlike any other in all of southeast asia. Puerto Princesa is a literal world heritage site all by itself and will cement your bond with the sea, and next to Roxas probably the only place to eat the freshest, greatest quality seafood in the country. Bohol and Dumaguete should be both high on your must-visit places too.
Inihaw na bangus is always on my list of must eat whenever I go home,Bonoan bangus from Pangasinan is the best,but lately my mom said bonoan bangus is becoming rare and expensive,hmmmmm…
Ben, yes, Dumaguete. In fact, a friend is marketing the place to help her cousin who is governor or mayor or something there. I hear that real property is cheap while the place is simply gorgeous.
Ed, commercialized is more like it.
pls. send recepe to make relino na bangus.
tnx
ed