#28 Daklis Fishing

Can you make a living fishing on land? Wait till you hear this story.

In the town of Currimao along the Ilocos coast, we found people lined-up along the shore, collectively pulling one end of a long net out from the sea. About half a kilometer away, but also on the same stretch of sand, is another group doing the same. Imagine them pulling in unison, until eventually the center of the net is pulled to shore. The net is called a Daklis, a long narrow floating net meant to sieve the shallows for fish.

Now this sounds like a cool way to fish, without getting wet and all, until you realize what they caught. After about 3 hours of collective heave-ho, the 50+ people gathered around the catch... which barely filled two 17-liter tin cans of sardine-sized fish! It was promptly sold to a fish vendor who arrived in a bike. We were told each person would make about P20 (US$0.40) that day!

In the photograph, a couple of boys crawled under the net to pick tiny fish whose heads got stuck in the weave. That would be their share for the afternoon's work. Rather sad really, so much work for so little pay, a reflection of the level of poverty in places like these. Yet they come back three times a week for more of the same. Sad.

#27 Sunrises in Heaven

Do you think there are sunrises in heaven?

Everyone hopes they will go to heaven, but none of us want to go right away. Is it because we'll miss our family and friends? Or is it because we'll miss sunrises like this one? Most likely it's because we're not yet ready.

I lost a friend last week. She loved life. Yet by the life that she had lived she was more than ready, at least more ready than the rest of us. This one's for you Beck, and just in case there are sunrises in heaven, do save us a photograph or two. Enjoy.

#26 Solitary Trees

Solitary trees growing in the middle of rice fields?

In barrio Sta. Ignacia in Pangasinan, the road is lined with rice fields on both sides. It was the tail-end of the harvest season when we came through and most of the fields were already brown and hallowed. So imagine our joy when we chanced upon this section of field still fully planted and green. And with painted hills on the horizon too! We're glad to pulled over. Enjoy.

#25 Photograpers@Work

What do photographers have to do to get the shot they want? Very often, whatever it takes.

On the Bolinao coast in the province of Pangasinan, we arrived at sunrise but found little to shoot. The usual foreground objects were not found, just an open sea with fishermen standing on the far edge of the reef. In knee-deep water and angling for the day's breakfast. they were too far from shore even for our longest lenses. They were fishing where the fish are, so as photographers we knew exactly what to do. Enjoy.