Deceptive beauty ... Two interesting Facebook postings by photography hobbyist Artem
Andaya of Jose Panganiban, CamNorte, these pictures could easily mislead
anybody. They are shots taken from the mountaintop of Baranggay Osmena on the
outskirts of the poblacion (above picture) and from Calogcog heights (top
picture). Above picture is that of the nostalgic Calambayungan Island that
figured prominently during the heyday of the iron mines at Larap, host to the
pelletizing plant that processed iron ores before being shipped to Japan during
the 60s and 70s. Top picture is that of the section of the poblacion where the
church and the town hall sit together, as if propping up the bay waters of Mambulao Bay
from collapsing. Truly it is beauty from afar that could easily awe anybody. But come
near to the bay water at the bayside just next to the seat of the JP municipal
government and you will be aghast to discover for yourself that the bluish
water your seeing from the breezy mountaintops is actually one that is now
being choked to death by pollution – mud, gold mining wastes, silt and
community. At low tide, the beachside behind the town hall is a beach bitched
by mud – you won’t find what used to be fine sand that was this shoreline’s
hallmark some three decades ago. Instead, you will need to scrape the surface
with your toes to reveal the dying grains of sand underneath. MWBuzz predicts
that this decline of the bay and its beach to their eventual death would continue
for as long as gold operations right on the bay waters are allowed, tolerated
or simply ignored- by whom? It’s everybody’s guess. – MWBuzz text by A P
HERNANDEZ
No comments:
Post a Comment