SINACABAN, Misamis Occidental—Briefly, for an afternoon, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo seemed to prefer the company of dolphins.
On Monday, away from nosy media people, Ms Arroyo spent about two hours on Dolphin Island near this coastal community to snorkel and scuba-dive and feed the fish.
She also took advantage of the occasion to set Liberty free.
Measuring 1.5 meters in length, Liberty was one of two dolphins rescued last year by local fishermen, who found the two marine creatures in the shallow waters of Iligan Bay and Panguil Bay.
Authorities gave the name Prosperity to the second dolphin. But Prosperity is still too weak to be given back to the sea, veterinarians said.
A government cameraman at the scene said Ms Arroyo was helped by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Misamis Occidental Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos in carrying Liberty on a stretcher before setting it loose.
Gentle creatures
Liberty had been rehabilitated at the Dolphin Island and Wildlife Sanctuary, a facility located 15 minutes away offshore. Prosperity is also temporarily kept there.
Dolphins, found in many parts of the Philippines, are gentle creatures regarded as among the most intelligent animals. Their playfulness has endeared them to humans.
They can grow up to 2.6 m in length and can weigh as much as 136 kg. They are carnivores that feed on fish, squid, crabs, shrimps and lobsters. They have powerful tails that propel them to high speeds.
Dolphin Island itself is a part of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park that features several pens housing dolphins, some of which were turned over by fishermen who had accidentally caught them in their nets.
Australian-funded project
Ocampos, who is also president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, said the dolphins were so named to signify two major pillars of the Arroyo administration: Liberty, which stands for the country’s efforts to liberate itself from poverty, and Prosperity, signifying the country’s quest to achieve First World economic status.
Ms Arroyo also went snorkeling and scuba diving with Ocampos and Australian Ambassador Rod Smith. She and Smith also inaugurated a marine finfish hatchery project.
Financed partly with Australian aid funds, the project seeks to boost aquaculture production in the region and diversify the economic base of the largely coconut industry-dependent provincial economy.
Livelihood checks
Ms Arroyo arrived mid-morning at the Ozamiz City airport and took a helicopter to Sominot, Zamboanga del Sur. She was in jeans and a floral blouse and stood on aqua slippers with inch-thick soles. She also wore shades.
At the nearby Midsalip town, she inspected an unpaved road and distributed checks representing livelihood support funds to various people’s organizations.
Later, she motored to the village of Tiaman in Bonifacio town to ceremonially jump-start the construction of a 6.5-km irrigation system, which is expected to serve over 2,000 hectares of rice lands when completed in six months.
Yap said the government was keen on setting up new and rehabilitating old irrigation systems in order to sustain agricultural productivity and move the country closer to food security.
Christmas festival
Ms Arroyo also attended the closing rites of the Christmas Symbols Festival in Tangub City.
It was Ms Arroyo’s fourth trip to Misamis Occidental since she assumed office. The province has been a major political base for her.
The President has scheduled several sorties in Mindanao’s western and northern regions until Jan. 8.
On Tuesday, after inaugurating a P161-million mall-type public market in Ozamiz, funded by the Asian Development Bank, Ms Arroyo will fly to Lanao del Sur to chair a Cabinet meeting.
Eco-tourism facility
The establishment of the Dolphin Island and Wildlife Sanctuary is a big leap from the practice of some people of butchering dolphins for their meat.
The marine rescue center sits atop a 50-hectare sandbar. It employs veterinarians who treat ailing and wounded sea mammals that are either caught by fishermen, are trapped in nets or have sought refuge in shallow waters.
Since 2005, the facility has treated 12 dolphins. Six have been released back to the sea, the latest being Liberty.
Dolphin Island operates an eco-tourism facility that offers marine adventure activities, like scuba-diving, snorkeling, fish-feeding, canoeing, dolphin watching, and glass-bottom boat ride, which allows one a view of the splendid marine ecosystem below.
Schools of dolphins can be regularly sighted near the area, especially from February toward summer.
Dolphin Island was developed as a joint venture between the provincial government and Iranian investor Foad Akhavan.
Under an ordinance, the net income of the aquamarine park forms part of funds intended for cheap medicines in the pharmacies of five provincial government-run hospitals.
In two years since its opening, the park has attracted over a million visitors. With Inquirer Research
Copyright 2009 Mindanao Bureau. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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