Monitoring the seas

Our tour of Bureau of Fisheries-Fisheries Resource Management Projects (BFAR-FRMP) in Misamis Oriental included meeting fishermen of Talisayan who are committed to protecting their sea waters from illegal poachers and dynamite fishers. They are aptly called "Bantay Dagat" or deputized fisheries workers.

Sulpicio Budbod, who is one of 67 fishermen also engaged in the culture of bangus in cages told us that in the past the "enemies" were perpetrators of Muro-Ami, and those fishing with explosives. "We have been watching out for these guys," he said. "We bring them to jail. We’re not afraid of those guys. They’re the ones scared of us."

Thanks to Sulpicio and his team mates, there are hardly any illegal fishermen to clap into the town jailhouse.

From Talisayan, we drove off to Gingoog City, which is one of two municipalities in Mindanao which have a comprehensive city fisheries ordinance. The ordinance was passed by the city council under the leadership of City Vice Mayor Wayne T. Militante. The ordinance regulates the fishing industries and/or fisheries for the sustainable management, development, and conservation of the municipal waters and coastal resources of Gingoog City.

Genevieve Cruz, fishery officer, showed us the city’s computerized profile of the fisheries situation in the 17 coastal barangays of Gingoog city. Gingoog in turn is one of five local government units making up Gingoog Bay, the others being Magsaysay, Medina, Talisayan, and Balingoan.

Through the computerized monitoring system, or the Philippine Fishery Information System (FILFIS) Genevieve said fishermen and types and sizes of fishing boats or bancas are registered and issued licenses, and correspondingly charged the mayor’s and certification permits.

So far, 774 fishermen are registered for this year. Fishermen watch out for persons fishing without permits. These make up the "Bantay Baybay" teams, or "assets". Genevieve said that these assets contact her from the seas to wherever she is by cellphone. "I’m eating in a restaurant, and then the cellphone rings, and I know there’s an unregistered fisherman out in the sea."

I’ve been amazed at the genius of Stevie Wonder, a blind musician who plays several musical instruments and composes songs, one of which is the hit, "Lady in Red".

But now I have reason to be doubly amazed at the genius of our very own blind Filipino artist – Carlos Alberto (Chuckie) Ibay, a 24-year-old virtuoso who has mesmerized his audiences with his extraordinary piano performances and his singing ability.

Carlos’ story is a celebration of life. When his mother was pregnant with him, her doctor suggested that she undergo an abortion because she had a difficult and complicated pregnancy. But she persisted, and trusted her life and the baby in her womb to the Lord. She gave birth to a premature two-pound baby. But because of overexposure to oxygen while in the hospital incubator, Carlos lost his vision.

No matter. The baby survived, and how. At age two, he was playing the piano, and at 7, he auditioned to play at the Fair Public Library Concert Series, inspiring a Braille piano teacher, Mrs. Doris Trott, to come out of her retirement to help the young boy develop his natural ability. At age 9, Carlos was under the tutelage of Thomas Schumacher of the Levine School of Music.

At age 12, Carlos won first place at the Peabody Conservatory spring Festival and second place in the Steinway Piano Scholarship Competition of the Mid-Atlantic as well as in the Merlin-Engle Piano Competition at the Levine School of Music.

He has received many awards from different competitions. Two years ago, he performed at the opening of the Rachmaninoff Center of Musical Culture in Novgorod, Russia, and played with the Bessier Quartet and Brazilian pianist Virginia Hogan for the performance of Saint-Saens‚ "Carnival of the Animals" in Rio de Janeiro.

Versatile in piano, he is a gifted organist too, and possesses the voice of a bel canto tenor. He has a gift for languages, speaking as he does in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Japanese.

He lives in New York City where he continues his studies in voice and piano lessons at the Mannes College of Music.

Listen to this genius at the Philippine Cultural Center tomorrow at 8 p.m., and at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, on Sunday, from 3 p.m. He performed at the Podium, Ortigas Center, February 14, and the Ceremonial Hall of Malacanang Palace and at the UST on February 17.

Carlos’ performances here have been made possible by Sinagtala and the John Paul II International Center for Family and Communication.

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