The Gift of Jal-o to the Tinagong Dagat



Msgr. Frac paid me a "brief" (by the Msgr's standards) visit this morning. He was asking if I can help him and his parish in documenting his catechetical program (this one is a good story by itself) which he believe to be the first in the Diocese of Kalibo, if not in the ecclesiastical region of Panay. As we conversed, Vice Mayor Ric joined us and an animated exchange of ideas ensued comprising of a varied topics. One interesting story concerns the volume of oysters being harvested out of the Tinagong Dagat by oyster farm growers.

The topic reminded me of a documentary shown on a government-owned TV network about Oyster Forest. When I saw the schedule on the screen, I was thinking of an oyster forest underneath the sea. I later realized that oyster farmers in the Kesennuma Bay of Japan's Miyagi Prefecture have committed themselves to planting trees up in the Kitakami Highland as a means of preserving the gifts of the seas. The trees up in Mt. Murone was thus called Oyster Forest as they found out that broadleaf tree leaves that decay on the forest floor of the highlands make for a good humus. During rainy season, these humus are washed into the Okawa River down to the Kesennuma Bay. Oyster farmers in that area believed that humus plays a vital role in oyster farming. Hence, these oyster growers committed themselves to planting trees as well.

As I was explaining this point of view to my parish priest, he responded with so much interest. He noted that this technology would be very beneficial to his parishioners in Batan. He thus, requested me to surf the net about the matter as he believe that it could be replicated not only in Batan but within the Jal-o River watershed.

I was just glad to oblige as I subscribed to its beneficence. It took me several attempt however to find this link: http://www.epfnetwork.org/gifts.htm

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