AT THE CENTER of Asia’s second largest freshwater basin is an “insulated island” where some 40,000 people hardly feel the sense of belonging insofar as government attention is concerned.
With an estimated area of 1,500 hectares, the people living in the island are experiencing dispossession of its natural resources – the lake and its hills.
The hilly island, which was formed out of a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago, is under the jurisdiction of two municipalities with the western side forming part of the municipality of Binangonan, and the eastern section within the radar of Cardona.
The island consists of 24 shoreline barangays — 17 of which form part of Binangonan and seven to Cardona.
EVERYTHING NATURAL
For one, most of the people living in Talim are highly dependent on the natural environment, thus, whatever happens to the natural elements like water and land would significantly alter the social and economic conditions.
Interestingly, Talim has the charm of becoming a tourist destination. In fact, I have received reports about frequent visits of groups of businessmen wanting to buy shorelands possibly for the development of resorts. To date, there are already eight private resorts on the island.
However, I find it rather imperative that the government come up with a study to prevent ecological degradation just like what happened to Boracay which suffered an environmental crisis in view of the absence of facilities designed to address an anticipated surge in solid waste.
The local folks are dumping their waste in an open trash dump located at the volcanic craters located at the hilly portion of the island.
CONCERNS OF FOLKS
Sometime last month, I took a ferry boat to visit the Cardona side of the Talim Island where I had the privilege of talking to residents whose revelations made me worry — the daily struggle for electricity.
According to an elderly resident living just beside the house where I stayed for a couple of days, power outages are taking place on a daily basis.
As I roam around six of the seven barangays at the Cardona side of the island, I also noticed the absence of many amenities usually provided by the local government unit.
Transportation is also limited until 4:00 in the afternoon. In the event of a medical emergency, chances are slim because there is no hospital at the Cardona side of the island.
Hours before my scheduled departure, I saw a ferryboat carrying a coffin. The sight triggered my curiosity, and so I asked a boatman. He told me – “walang punerarya dito. Pag may namamatay, bumabyahe pa yung bangkay papunta sa mainland… tapos dun papa-embalsamo, dadamitan, pupusturahan at ikakahon. Saka lang ibabalik dito sa amin. Pero meron naman kami sementeryo.”
20-YEAR OLD PROPOSAL
On my way home, I also noticed the sad plight of local fishermen as sprawling commercial fish pens, sanctioned by the Laguna Lake Development Authority, have literally taken over the communal fishing ground of the lake.
If my memory serves me right, a proposal to make Talim Island a separate municipality was discussed 20 years ago. The proposal however didn’t prosper as residents expressed desire for the island to maintain its unique culture and way of life.
The proposal to make Talim Island a separate municipality would require further discussions and considerations about the potential benefits and drawbacks of such a move.