Photography and Interview by Sherwin Sapong
There are over 90 million people in the Philippines, 1.2 million of people in the Philippines are fishermen. This is the story of one fisherman from Anda, Bohol captured in gorgeous photography. More after the jump.
Cosme is from Anda, Bohol but sometimes he reaches the shores of Baclayon for fish. He has four boats: one in Guindulman, one in Lila, one in Bacalayon and another in Camiguin. It depends on to which place he'll end up to, there he will spend the night.
Taga Anda ko dong, pero muabot ko ug Baclayon managat. 4 ako baroto, ang isa naa dri sa Guindulman, ang usa sa Lila, ang usa sa Baclayon ang usa tua sa Camuiguin. Kung asa rako maabtan ug panagat, adto rako matog.
His catch would range from big fishes like the Jack Fish and the Tuna. Sometimes he gets small ones and would cook it for his own. He also caught a small sea turtle but returned it in Lila. He's been awarded with 5,000 pesos every Christmas from the Fighter Wine office for three years now.
Ang makuha nako ani mga dagko isda, mga mamsa, mga barilis. Naay gagmay nga isda makuha, ako ra pud isud-an. Nakakuha ko sauna ug pawikan gamay pa, ako gi-uli didto sa Lila. Gi-awardan ko ug singko mil (P5,000) kada pasko adto sa opisina sa Fighter Wine. Balig 3 ka tuig ko nakadawat.
Cosme has three children, all have college degrees. Two of them are teachers. Fishing is his only source of income, yet he sent all of his children to college and graduated.
3 ako anak, puro na naka-graduate ug college. Ang duha maestra na. Mao rani ako pangita pero nakapahuman nako ug college.
He worked for the government before but he thinks he is earning more than what he used to. For an unlucky catch, he could earn up to 500 to 1,500 pesos. Sometimes up to 2,500 pesos minus the Tuba (coconut wine) he is a happy man. He thinks he is earning more than his buddies in uniform when he was still with the government.
Nagtrabaho ko sauna sa gobyerno pero ako kwenta masdaku pako makita ani. Kung malas nako nga byahe naay 500 ako mahalin, kasagaran muabot ug mil singko (P1,500). Usahay muabot dos mil singko (P2,500). Kuhaan sa tuba, lipay na kaayo ko. Mas dako pako kita sa mga nag-uniform kauban nako trabaho sa gobyerno sauna.
He usually spends only three hours in the deep then can already return to shore. The only thing that is taking him time is making the bait. He uses squid and small fishes as bait. Sometimes sharks would take the bait but he says he's okay with it.
Mga 3 ka oras rako naa sa lawd makabalik nako. Ang makadugay ra nako ang pag-andam sa paon. Ang ako gamiton paon kay nukos, mga isda gagmay. Usahay ako nadawi kaonon sa iho. Pero OK lang.
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| Unsa man, kuyog ta mamasol? |
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