Bagasbas Beach is not Boracay.
Clearly, Boracay had been the country’s most famous tourist island and that being said, the time has come for its closure because of what the President said, “overzealous” development of the beach by the local government and the residents due to the opportunities it have in hand.
Yes, being Filipinos, we are concerned about what is happening in one of the country’s most precious jewel but being Daeteños, we are all called to set our visions in what we have in our place, our very own Bagasbas Beach in Daet, Camarines Norte.
Not like the picture perfect fine white sand and calm crystal clear water of Boracay, ours is a place known for adventure. Bagasbas beach is famous for its beach and waves. Aside from being a surfing destination, it also becoming more and more famous for aerosports such as kiteboarding and paragliding.
Bagasbas also offers not just adventure, it also has its fair share of eye and soul candy. Locals of the province, even tourists and foreign visitors may have their own stories of how they set their alarm clock early in the morning during their stay in Daet so they can witness the captivating sunrise by the beach, feel the morning glow with a cup of coffee while having their skin kissed by the morning air.
Everyone also have their stories on how they enjoyed bathing at the water and tagging along with the playful waves until the sunrays started hitting their skins.
When the night falls, group of friends, families and acquaintances gather at the seawall for unwinding and relaxation. Catching up with them with a beer and good food along the seawall won’t hurt right?
Definitely, Bagasbas Beach isn’t Boracay at some sense but like all beaches in our country, or even in the whole world, it is in danger. We might not be able to notice but we all pose a risk to our very own beach.
Good thing is, we still have time. We can do countless things in order to protect our very own beach and in some ways help boost our tourism without exploiting the place.
Some are ways on how we can our beach:
1.Take care of our trashes properly. The packagings we bring to the beach can be brought back to our home for disposal. If we cant do so, we can make sure that our trashes were thrown properly in the garbage bins found in the area. When bringing packed foods, we may refrain from using disposable plastic containers to decrease the chance of leftover packages littering the shre.
2.Join a clean-up or adopt a beach. Clean-ups in our beach has been done almost regularly by our local government with the help of various organizations and it wont hurt if we tag along or do it on our own. Our little efforts joined together can create big outcomes.
3.Be an ocean friendly pet-owner. If we bring our pets by the beach, make sure we clean after them.
4.Be the voice and spread the word. Be the voice of the beach for it cant speak for itself. Educate others about saving and protecting what we have so our future sons and daughters can also enjoy what we have today. Other measures may not be written here and if you have more, your opinion is highly appreciated and it will be a pleasure if you share it to others.
In the end, it all takes a responsible citizen/tourist towards sustainable tourism. Bagasbas isn’t Boracay, but it needs saving as well, and it needs us to move now.
Charlotte V. Marco
Camarines Norte News
