It's the kind of headline one usually finds on the front pages of tabloids like the National Enquirer:
Dolphins and Whales Save Fisherman! PDI reports news of an amazing rescue of a "fisherman" adrift on a piece of styropore in Puerto Princesa Bay by a pod of thirty spinner dolphins and a pair of pilot whales who allegedly "nudged" him to shore near Barangay Luzviminda, where he awoke the next morning...to resume his life as a whale and dolphin tourist guide for the City of Puerto Princesa.
(PDI Southern Luzon Bureau) Dabal said he passed out while the dolphins were doing their slow chore of nudging him to shore, and woke up on the beach of Barangay (Village) Luzviminda where he was finally assisted by local residents there.
Dabal’s unique experience is made more special by the fact that aside from owning a small motorized boat which he uses mainly as his main source of livelihood catching tuna, he is a deputized dolphin warden on a part-time basis having been trained by the Palawan NGO Network and ABS CBN Bantay Kalikasan Foundation. The two groups are helping the city government in promoting dolphin and whale shark watching as a tourist attraction in Puerto Princesa.
“He is warden and a spotter, whom we tap to locate the presence of dolphins whenever there are guests on dolphin watching tours. He is also involved mainly in collecting garbage around the areas frequented by the dolphins to prevent the animals from eating them and being poisoned by plastics that float around,” Dr. Gerry Ortega of ABS CBN Foundation said.
Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn was so elated by Ronnie’s account that he vowed to ratchet up his administration’s support to the fishing communities around Puerto Bay that were helping promote dolphin and whales tourism by being volunteer wardens and spotters.
“Ronnie’s experience is the greatest proof that what we are doing to protect our marine environment is worth all the effort that we are putting into it. I’d like to think that this is the animals’ way of also thanking us for helping protect their habitat,” said Hagedorn.
The cynic in me suggests this fish story is really a FAIRY TALE disguised as a news story.
5 comments:
Hahah! One more well publicised superstition won't do Luzviminda, Palawan bad.
Seriously, did The Inquirer double check the story?
No they did not double check the story, but that is not impt to them. It's meant to be a modern parable...
I had heard a similar story from a teenage boy in the visayas. Their outrigger's engine broke and went adrift for a couple of days until it was turned over by waves. They lost their paddles.
The boy was in and out of consciousness. He was rescued by Dolphines from sharks and pushed to shore.
Was his experience true? Of course, the boy may believe his experience to be true in his own mind. I see no reason why he should lie.
Whether it really happened or not is another question. I, however would like to believe the story to be true.
Hi Dean and fellow commenters at Philippine Commentary!
Despite the bleak economic, political and security outlook, I hope one and all will take time to enjoy Christmas and the New Year.
Wishing one and all good health, peace and renewed prosperity for the coming year.
(Will be taking a break and will be back after 1st Jan 1 2009)
DJB
The scientists that we are, we are sceptical but these kinds of stories are needed in Pinoy society. They are functional and reflects the importance of environment in the public consciousness.
At least we have not yet seen a deluge of Virgin Mary apparition tales or aswang tales that sociologists say is a coping mechanism during hard times. We have always the Divine and Supernatural in our consciousness.
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