Every morning with daylight
yet to ooze from the sky, a multitude of motorboats is heard roaring off the
coast of Mercedes town in Camarines Norte. Buoyed by a prayer and a resolve to
provide for their families, fisher folks head out to the abundant waters of San
Miguel Bay intent on taking home boatloads of fresh catch. Providentially, the
body of water that opens to the mighty Pacific Ocean isn’t called the “fishing bowl” of Bicol Region for
nothing—as each day, the fish market of Mercedes becomes a bustling scene of fish
trading activities.
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| Crates and crates full of the freshest catch can be seen at Mercedes Fish Market |
But amidst the chaos of the
fish-market scene of Mercedes, a traditional manner of bartering reigns over
every fisherman, fish brokers and marketgoers. They call this practice as “Bulungan sa Pandawan”
“Bulungan sa Pandawan”
Despite the usual market clatter
of fish brokers calling attention to their catch piled on the tiled floors of
the market, when it comes down to making a bid—the custom way of proposing an
amount to the broker is always done through whispering.
By following this hushed
practice, the broker then determines who the highest bidder is. Because of this continuous
tradition, Mercedes Fish Port became more known as the “Bulungan sa Pandawan”
(or Whispering at the Fish-market).
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| Whispered bids are kept in secret |
It was my first time
witnessing such unique trading practice after being exposed to a market culture
where buyers and vendors would quibble out loud—in this fish market, every deal
is sealed with a whisper.
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| A moment of quiet between a broker and a buyer |
Men and women of all ages
are seen engaging in this unusual habit of negotiations. The vibe at the market
is a synthesis of chaotic activities and moments of inaudible conversations—both
blending fascinatingly—creating a captivating market scene I am only witnessing
for the first time.
A Feast of the Freshest Catch
A few strides from the fish
market situates a few restaurants where you can have your procured fresh
seafood to be cooked on your recipe of choice. You can have it either grilled
or stewed in tomato sauce or simmered with sinigang or nilaga soups. After
spending more than an hour observing the novelty goings-on at “Bulungan sa Pandawan”, I joined our
hosts from the Camarines Norte Provincial Tourism office for a feast consisting
of the freshest seafood caught just that morning. We capped our visit to
Mercedes Fish Market by gobbling on grilled and sinigang fish of various types.
Preparing to leave, I again observed
the returning fishermen one last time as they unload crates and crates of their
morning catch from their boats to the fish market docks. I wondered about the richness
of marine life thriving in the waters of San Miguel Bay. While it is an aquatic
biodiversity that continues to supply livelihoods to the residents of Mercedes,
Camarines Norte, it remains to be seen how the seas can continue providing a
source of revenue for the local folks. I guess, the answer now rests on how our
generation can take care of our oceans to ensure that nothing will poison the
marine living things flourishing underwater—and in doing so, we can also guarantee
that the whispered dealings at Bulungan sa Pandawan will also continue for
generations to come.
