Inside Bilangbilangan

Written By Jayla Pardenilla, Operation Blessing Volunteer

On the map of Bien Unido on the northern part of Bohol, you could see the town is surrounded by islets. A pump boat or ferryboat can easily take you to any of these islets. Ask them to take you to Bilangbilangan and it will take you a two-hour sea trip from Talibon town to a beautiful islet which, at first sight, could get you excited thinking it’s a paradise. But take a closer step and you’ll realize it’s only a façade. 

Inside the attractive island is a small barangay where you could spot a lot of barefooted ragamuffins. But don’t be scared, for behind those ragged and confused expressions of every kid, you see, lies a golden smile that warms your heart like the golden ray of sunshine. 

This sunshine symbolizes hope, and Operation Blessing was there to celebrate and let them enjoy Happy Kids Camp. It’s not about the toys nor the delectable treats and goodies; it’s about giving hope and restoring their eternal sweet smiles back into life.  

With their perspired faces, they answered every question enthusiastically, numb from the hunger and thirst, just knowing a great prize awaits them. They danced while they sang, they prayed with strong faith and a personal wish in their fragile hearts, firmly believing that it will be given.

After the gift-giving, kids couldn’t conceal their smiles and excitement as they exited and called on to their friends to share their toys. Surely Woody and Buzz would have approved such enthusiasm and the kids’ strong bonds. 

This islet is divided into two: Bilangbilangan Dako (big) and Bilangbilangan Diyot (few). Bilangbilangan is named after the plant that thrives around the beaches known as bilang, followed by the names dako and diyot in reference to the population of the island.

Dako consists of more than 300 kids; Diyot only has less than 200. It’s the more peaceful part of the island where people are busy drying guso (K. striatum), a type of seaweed cultured along the deeper parts of the sea near the shores. They tie these algae into a straw (mainly used because it is cheap) or any type of string and then inserted into cut pieces of polystyrene (Styrofoam) used as floats so they could easily shake off sea particles that might eat or release toxin to the algae. This is sold for P7 per kilo to the merchants in Talibon. They are classified according to quality and sold to business corporations that manufacture toothpastes, shampoos and conditioners, liquid bath soaps, and more. 

In Bilangbilangan Dako, however, they rely mainly on fishing to sell to the nearby islet of Hingotanan. Located about 1.5 kilometers away from Bilangbilangan Diyot, Hingotanan is a larger and much populated islet which also relies on guso as a source of livelihood. Since most of the people in the different islets rely on guso, Bilangbilangan Dako has to maintain their fishing practice as a source of food for themselves, and which could also sell well on other islets.

The women of the community said they have mother’s classes which talk about family planning and child rearing, four sessions a month. That’s why people like 42-year-old Elsidita, who has 10 children, has big problems when it comes to food consumption. She couldn’t even remember her kids’ ages; she had to get their live birth certificates to make sure. 

At 42, Elsidita had three miscarriages. Her five-year-old son Gabriel is a cross-eyed child. He and his siblings were obviously suffering from malnutrition. They have to consume at least six kilos of rice a day, which they couldn’t acquire. Elsidita carries and delivers gallons of water for her neighbors and gets a little payment from them for the service rendered. Her husband fishes when he only feels like it.

Elsidita couldn’t promise not to get pregnant anymore because the only contraceptives allowed for her are condoms and Depo-Provera (a three-month shot contraceptive). But she and her husband couldn’t afford them. So they always rely on the traditional or calendar method. Other contraceptives like ligation, pills and so on are not allowed because she has certain different diseases that could aggravate her condition. 

Elsidita is only one of the many people who suffered difficulties in their lives in this islet. Leonila Milliang, 59 years old, is another case. Seven years ago, she had a fight with one of her neighbors, which she refuses to mention. She was hit and fell to the ground.

To her unfortunate surprise the next day, Leonila had a hard time standing up. Day by day, her legs became weak. After a few months, her speech was affected and she couldn’t use her hands. She went to the health center, which is only a few meters away from her house in Diyot. The doctor told her she needs a total body check-up and X-ray, a physical test which is impossible to acquire in their nearly isolated place. The doctor then prescribed her a medicine, which she couldn’t afford and she couldn’t buy on the island.

Leonila’s husband doesn’t live with her anymore, so she has nothing but her four daughters to turn to. They are now married and each has her own children. 

Once, medical practitioners from South Korea came by on their small island, took a good look at Leonila and injected her with something. She hoped it would totally cure her, but to her discouragement, it did not. 

Her granddaughter has a cleft palate, while Ronil, an eight-year-old boy, also suffers from a cleft in his lip. He doesn’t go to school because his classmates would tease him. Because of his ordeal, he is highly sensitive, and he easily cries when he sees strangers looking at him. His mother hopes there would be offers to help his son restore his self-image, especially now that he’s growing up. Operation Blessing will try its best to help Ronil.

The children of the island would like to extend their gratefulness for the little gifts they received. Although they were pretty shy to say it out in detail, the smile shows that it is something beyond expression.

While our televisions back home lure us into food deliveries, some kids as young as five years old are forced to fish with their fathers.

While we sulk and become discontented with our jobs in the city, the people in the islet think they are hopeless for not having any skills and training development. They long for a stable and decent job.

While we remain ungrateful for the cluttered and small flats we rent, these people live in huts so shabby you can mistake them for comfort rooms.

While we complain about our water and electric bills, these people gather water from the rain through their roofs and then drained on a very big cemented jar located at the side of their homes. They even drink the water without filtering it. When the water goes stagnant for how many days, they only have deep wells with water that is still salty, so it is only used for washing soiled materials.

Another means is getting water in gallons from Talibon, a town in the mainland, and delivered by pump boats. For their electricity, they only have it starting 6 p.m. and only until 10 p.m. through a generator that uses crude oil to supply power. Every night, each resident has to pay P10 for a single light bulb, and additional P15 per appliance and electric gadgets.

While we curse every morning for having to go to school, the kids in the islet are excited just so they can learn how to read and write, with the hope they will be different and not just mere fishermen, which most kids usually end up. They only have two preschools and one cramped elementary school. 

While we turn to vices and rebel against our parents and blame them for not giving us enough attention, the children in the islet are left on their own without food. They even run around with the discomfort of skin wounds, bearing the pain and nurturing themselves on their own. They simply crave for a warm touch, even if it lasts only half a second.