Something fishy? Maybe not...

I don’t know if the fish vendors in Minglanilla were just pulling my hair, but when I asked them where the mall-mall in the market came from, they answered ‘just there,’ meaning just off Cebu island. For so many years, seafood in Cebu markets were claimed to have come from neighboring Bohol, where the descendants of Dagohoy thrive and are not only gentler and brighter, but are also not arrogant like Cebuanos. Maybe the vendors were telling the truth to my tortured face. Maybe some good things are being done to restore the productivity of Cebu marine life. Maybe the efforts of Tony Oposa and the deceased Mario dela Victoria are really paying off.

Actually, it is not so difficult to imagine, especially if government gets the incentives right and enforces the rules. In a recent BBC documentary, the heroic efforts of dela Victoria, Tony, and Mayor Osmena were acknowledged. I hope this is not a mirage induced by bacteria from the fish, shrimps, squid, and crabs I ate during the visit. When I was a grade schooler in the sixties, the waters off Talisay were teeming with all kinds of marine life, from jelly fish and all sorts of molusks, and shallow water fish. And then the feces and other waste from the exploding population in the city drifted to where we used to swim and cavort in the water.

By the way, when you are in Cebu, you should try out the fare at ZONE360 in Grill Avenue on Mango avenue. It is operated by friends, but my judgment is not clouded even if they served me free wine and lechon Cebu .