THE EARLY CATCH – Samal Fish Landing
It’s 4:30 in the morning, the chilly air is biting into my skin as the trike travels down the empty provincial road at a fast but comfortably safe speed. My mind is still a bit sluggish, slightly regretting why I’m up at this time when I’m supposed to be on vacation. But lately I’ve been enjoying waking up early just to explore the areas where we are staying. Good thing manong trike driver was up for it as well. I double-check my camera settings as I notice the ride slow down. In a few moments we arrive at the local fish landing in Peñaplata.
So how does an unannounced visitor who looks different from everyone else blend into the scene like this? Do I ask permission? Do I try to be discreet? It really depends, you just have to read the room. Every once in a while, I’d lock eyes with some of them and smile. They smile back then get back to their work. I also focus on what I’m here for.
The small area is abuzz with energy as they weigh their catch, list them down, and arrange them for the morning trade. Soon the customers will start coming in, and the early ones get the freshest fish!
Outside the facility, however, the mood is still quiet. Hushed conversations over warm instant coffee patiently await the first rays of the sun. A few silhouettes can be seen over in the distance with their fishing lines cast, hoping for an early bite.
Like the fresh catch of the day, this moment is fresh for me, still raw and unrefined. With coffee in hand, I enjoy the quiet for a few minutes. Slowly, the summit of Mount Apo gets illuminated by the warm morning light. Oh what a majestic sight. Speaking of morning light, I should head back into the facility, the scene should be much more interesting now.
Some customers are already browsing what’s on display. You can tell by the way they pick and choose, and the way they haggle that they are not buying for an ordinary household. An assistant follows closely and collects the purchased goods. Soon enough the place gets packed and the energy shifts. What happened next was a semi-frantic mixture of choosing, weighing, paying, and packing. It went on for almost an hour and much of the fresh catch was sold in a short span of time.
One has to be an early riser to catch an activity such as this, which I am not. But somehow I still find myself choosing something like this and enjoying every minute of it. On top of that, it is also the time when the light is best.
Afterwards, I head back to my trike and the driver brings me back to where I was staying. I see beside him a slab of tuna with some smaller fish in a plastic. The people here must really enjoy their fish, and I totally get it, it’s pretty fresh! An order of tuna kinilaw for lunch later is starting to feel like a good idea.
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