Submarine Garden town's coral treasure

THE WRECKAGE of two Japanese ships, which sank off Barangay Sawang in Lobo, Batangas, during the last days of World War II in 1945, can hardly be seen now. Instead, a submarine-shaped formation of corals has emerged and declared a fish sanctuary.
"We think it's nature that turned something tragic in 1945 into what we now have-the Submarine Garden, a marine paradise and fish sanctuary that remains untouched up to today," said Jojo Marasigan, owner of a resort in Sawang, 36 km east of Batangas City. Divers who have flocked to the Submarine Garden have retrieved only a few remnants of the sunken vessels.
"We found a giant steel anchor about 15 meters from the shore," Marasigan said.
"We are planning to put up that anchor inside the resort and fortify it with concrete. That way, nobody can take it and all our guests can see it on display," he said.
Fish sanctuary
Marasigan said the municipal government declared the Submarine Garden a fish sanctuary two years ago. When the villagers, fishermen and local fisheries officials discovered that the sanctuary attracted more and more fishes, the entire 3-km shoreline and 300 m fronting the shores have been declared aprotected area.
"The people of Lobo are now very much aware of the benefits of protecting the environment," Marasigan said. "Fishermen don't enter the fish sanctuary to catch fish. They stay outside the sanctuary to guard it and do their fishing in other areas."
About 15 meters from the shore, the water is so clear you can see fish swimming, while a big blue starfish lies bathing in the morning sun. Water at knee-deep is also so clear that one can see a seahorse swimming near the corals.
Fronting Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro and nearby Verde Island, the view is dotted by small boats and passenger ships dragging tails of foam.
The beach is not just white sand and corals, as century-old trees. A path through mangrove trees, a footbridge over the Sawang River and the remains of the two sunken ships are more than enough to satisfy any vacationer's curiosity.
Natural museum
As the fish sanctuary has turned into a marine paradise, Marasigan's resort has become a natural museum for endangered animals.
One of the best diving spots is the 13-m Orange Sponge coral mountain that reveals its colorful tip during low tide. Sea turtles still come to lay eggs, while dolphins are seen at least twice a month.
Flying fish jumping in unison is a common sight. At night, luminous planktons light up the water and the underwater garden.
On land, wild cats, cloud rats, palm civets, pugo (quails), labuyo (wild chicken) and migratory birds thrive, as the law forbids hunting in the entire protected area.
Century-old bonsai trees grow in what used to be a coral formation that turned into black rocks below the three hills called the Monte Castillos. The near-extinct Philippine teak trees abound, along with century-old tamarind, talisay, camachile and other fruit-bearing trees.
At the right side of the resort, just after the gate, is a footpath in the mangrove trail where crabs, edible snails and shells are plenty. At the end of the trail is a wooden footbridge crossing the river into Barangay Olo-olo, where a blue-green lagoon awaits.
"When (former) Tourism Secretary (Richard) Dick Gordon came here in 2002, he was so amazed at the resort that he started working out a presidential proclamation to declare Submarine Garden a marine park," Marasigan said.
According to him, his family's plan for the resort is not really to develop it but to retain its natural beauty.
"We're hoping that Submarine Garden would set an example to other coastal towns to protect their seas, their shores and their trees. The Submarine Garden is now Lobo's natural treasure," he said. "If we have succeeded here, other towns can do that, too."

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
 | June 03, 2004 | Copyright
(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Byline: Mei Magsino, Lobo, Batangas