“La Isla Pangapuyan”

By Jocelyn P. Alvarez

ZAMBOANGA CITY, 16 Nov. (PIA) - - Like an incorporation of facets of sceneries, this small island called “Pangapuyan” is a canvas that tells stories of nature “untouched.”

 I say “untouched” because the place itself has not only shun herself from the sophisticated and almost complicated age of technology, but this beautiful, unexplored island was able to preserved her “virginity” for decades from the harassment of “irresponsible” travellers who cares less for the environment, that after enjoying and savouring nature, would not even move a muscle to pick up the pieces of trash brought.

  

PhotoAdventurers

Photo shoots 2012

Let me conceive the word photoAdventurers.

After minutes of pump boat ride, 20 photoAdventurers arrived in the island mid-morning that day, (Nov. 6, 2012) they were there for their “practicum” (or as they termed it, “photowalk”) as part of their two-day photography seminar and workshop.

Headed by International Master Photographer Rene Araneta, the group took striking photos of the island; the people; it’s pride - the “nameless” beach that vaunts of its white sand and crystal clear water and the mangroves that surround the area.

“We want to help promote the place as a tourist destination,” said Engr. Kates Allas, the event organizer.

Picturesque as may be, but this island is unknown to many, even to people from Zamboanga.

“Di pa natutuklasan na may magandang beach tayo dito sa Pangapuyan. Pag sinabi mong beach sa Zamboanga, Sta Cruz Island agad naiisip, pero itong beach dito sa Pangapuyan ay napakaganda, masasabi kong comparable sa Boracay” (This remain unexposed that we have lovely beach here in Pangapuyan. When people talked about beach in Zamboanga, it is always

the Sta Cruz Island that they have in mind, but here in Pangapuyan, we have this gorgeous beach that is comparable to Boracay).

Boracay is a small Island of the Philippines known to the world for its white-sand beaches and was named (in 2012) the Best Island in the World by an International travel Magazine.

“Pangapuyan is abundant in seafood, the people are friendly and you can literally breath fresh air there, the place is soothing and peaceful to the mind, ideal for relaxation, walang (no) pollution,” Allas said.

Introducing : Pangapuyan Island

A small barangay of the highly urbanized Zamboanga City, Pangapuyan is one of city’s eight island villages created upon the enactment of Commonwealth Act. No. 39, s. 1937.

A small round shaped island, Pangapuyan is surrounded by mangroves and is near the villages of Arena Blanco, Tumalutab, Manalipa and Tigtabon.

The island is 18km away from the city proper.

Pangapuyan’s Barangay Captain Khadafy M. Jailani said the village has approximately 800 registered voters, a figure close to 2007 census of 773 total population in the area with 110 household.

People living in the island are of Sama-Banguigui ethnicity that thrives on fishing and seaweed farming as primary source of living

The island has a lone elementary school, Mandrasan, and a Mosque as the only Infrastructure developments introduced in the area.

Back in time

Tell tale….

Several stories about the beginning of Pangapuyan Island have been told.  

One story narrates that the island started with very few houses built on her because when the tide is high, the houses (made of light materials) would

afloat together with the mangroves, so this made the people afraid to construct houses on the island.

“nakapagtataka, lumaki at kumapal paunti-unti ang sand dito, hanggang sa madami na ang nagtayo ng bahay dito sa isla,” (Bizarrely, the sand in the island grew little by little until such time many houses were already constructed on the island) narrated a Pangapuyan villager, a story retold from her grandparents.

Another obscure story traces the origin of its name. Accordingly, the name Pangapuyan is a derivative of two words.  One is "panga" which means lake and the other is "puyan" which means fish otherwise called "tulingan".

Story has it that at that time, whenever the tide is high, the tulingan fish would swim in harmony with the tide that carries the fish into the Panga lake area thus the legend of the name Pangapuyan was born. "panga" and "puyan" which means "fish in the lake".

  

Natural Hazards

Pangapuyan was reported to have a medium-low occurrence of periods with extreme drought. Flooding risk is medium.

  

Weather

September is on average the month with most sunshine. Rainfall and other precipitation peaks around November. The time around December is driest.

  

The 2011 development : water at last!

For decades, the islanders never experienced what other barangays in the mainland considered ordinary-- potable water system.

But in February 2011, the Island received completed potable water system project implemented by the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) Program, in partnership with the Coca Cola Foundation.

After a feasibility study, it was found out that the island is blessed with abundant rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year thus the AMORE-Coca Cola partnership constructed all over the island Eleven cisterns, measuring 8 cubic meters each, and able to store up to 8,000 litters of rainwater per structure.

“Until the construction of the rainwater harvesting structures, people in Pangapuyan relied on water ferried from the port of Arena Blanco, some 20 minute pump boat-ride from the island. An average of PhP80.00 is spent by a household every day for their water consumption,” the AMORE article reads.

To ensure that the collected rainwater is safe for drinking, AMORE also distributed bio-sand filters among the households

The bio-sand filter is a simple and low-cost sand filtration technology that is intended for the use of rural homes where naturally safe or treated water sources are not available.

The residents were also trained on the use of the bio-sand filters to enable them to use the simple technology properly and derive maximum benefit.

Try Pangapuyan

Today, Pangapuyan folks still live simply, cellular phone (cp) signal is even difficult there. But it’s like a sanctum, if one wishes to have a day or two off from the world’s buzz, the internet and the cp, or if one just wishes to “disappear” from civilization and go someplace where there is tranquillity or if you want to go nature tripping, or u want to have photo shoots, then visit Pangapuyan Island , eat all the fresh seafood you want and enjoy the cool ambiance.