By Lady Christine M. Cunanan, Pandan, Antique, Philippines
Two weeks have passed since the president of the
PAGTATAP Youth told me that we were going to have a
river clean up - an annual activity done by the
PAGTATAP Youth to help preserve Bugang River, awarded
as the cleanest river in the Philippines. Without any
thought, I said, "I'll go!" I had never felt so excited.
Maybe because I wanted to know what made Bugang River the cleanest of all the rivers in
the Philippines.
Our activity proved to me something I never expected. The moment we arrived at the Malumpati Cold Spring, everybody
was excited and ready to discover the secrets behind this site.
On the way to the headspring, we carried sacks to hold all the non-bio wastes that we spotted along the way. We stopped for a while to see "payaw-payaw" or a garden growing underwater.
While resting, Nong Jin, the leader of the group,
instructed us to keep silent on the way to
the headspring for somebody was going to welcome us. He told
us that he would be there if there was silence.
Everybody wondered and was curious as to who would welcome
our group. Some of us thought of fairies and other enchanted
creatures! Everybody was silent and focused so as not to miss anything. On the way we saw
water lilies blooming underwater. They
were so amazing! It took us about 45 minutes to reach
the main attraction. And guess who welcomed us. They
were the fishes! A school of fish welcomed us! Though
they were not what we were expecting, the thrill of this discovery was
worth it. There were two basin-shaped headsprings. No
one knows of the exact measurement of their depths,
although many tried. Many also tried to catch fishes from
the headspring, but no one succeeded either. It was a relaxing
place indeed. Being there makes you feel refreshed. I
felt like I had no problems at all. It is a good place
for reflection, a place where you can think seriously. You
will surely have peace of mind. All you can hear is the
chirping of the birds. It's as if you're having a dialogue
with nature. I didn't want to leave, but it was time. We
went back to Malumpati, rested for a while and
continued working while having fun at the same time. We passed by the river to the barrio of Guia until we reached the place where the statue of "inday gamay" and his
two lovers were. It is an old legend about two
crocodiles named Manlonggong and Manduriao who
happened to fall in love with a young and beautiful
lady named Inday Gamay. The two crocodiles fought for her love,
which led to their death.
It was such an awesome experience for me. I felt happy
knowing that besides enjoyment, we helped nature a lot. Now I know why Bugang River is the cleanest river in the Philippines.
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