Kota Park Sunset
Less than half an hour further north is the Kota Park. This place holds a lot of appeal for history buffs as the Kota Ruins is located in the park. Though our attention were on the coast where a large portion of the reef were exposed during the afternoon low-tide. A 187 meter Bontay Baywalk footbridge leads to a watch tower, the same place where the original watchtower dating back to the Moro marauders era where natives would yell “Bantay! Bantay!” to oversee their approach. With the low-tide, it was easy to walk over the exposed reef towards a small lighthouse. A rugged landscape of water-filled shallow cavities and sea grass covered rocks. Look closer and there are shells scoured by locals and tiny colorful fishes tracked by local kids to fill their transparent aquarium-like bottles.
Madridejos is a fascinating portrait of a community living by the bounty of the sea. I was enliven by the local kids at play, the adults turning to the sea for their day’s meals and simply sitting by the boardwalk and enjoying the view overlooking the landscape of a thriving fishing village along its coast.
About Oceana Philippines
Oceana Philippines seeks to restore the health, richness, and abundance of the Philippine oceans. By working closely with civil society, academics, fishers, and government, Oceana Philippines will promote the use of sound science based policies to help ensure sustainable fisheries and vibrant marine ecosystems.
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Ferdz Decena is an award-winning travel photographer, writer and blogger. His works has found print in publications such as Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris, Philippine Airlines’ Mabuhay, Cebu Pacific’s Smile and Seair InFlight. He has also lent his expertise to various organizations like the Oceana Philippines, Lopez Group Foundation, Save the Children and World Vision, contributing quality images for their marketing materials.
