THE WHOLE of Sorsogon province is actually a tourism goldmine. Of the province's 16 municipalities, 15 are coastal towns. Sorsogon is surrounded by water — Burias and Ticao Passes on the west, the Pacific Ocean on the East, the San Bernardino Strait on the south, and the Albay Gulf on the north. There is also Sorsogon Bay on a western pocket of the province.

	Sorsogon is a tourism gold mine.

There are white-sand beaches galore. Those in the old town of Bacon, now a district of Sorsogon City, could rival Bali's. Similar beaches can be found in the towns of Gubat, Prieto-Diaz, and the islands of Matnog. There is Mount Bulusan, Sorsogon's highest peak, and its breath-taking danao or lake, which are a mountaineers' delight. All over the province are waterfalls and cold and hot springs.

A tourism master plan prepared by the province shows why a Sorsogon trip may yet be a tourist's ideal escapade. It enumerates the projected focal points: "The Sorsogon Aquamarine and Pacific Adventure which spans all 15 coastal municipalities and includes whale- and dolphin-watching tours; Bulusan Nature Trek which centers on Mount Bulusan, Bulusan Lake, and the springs; waterfalls and mineral spas lying at the foot of the volcano; and Kasanggayahan Historico-Cultural Pilgrimage which explores the well-preserved Spanish era churches, turn-of-the-century mansions, and ruins of ancient forts, murallas, and baluartes."

Having all these in just one province is a bonanza for the tourism department. Sorsogon, however, is one of the farthest provinces from Manila. Until a few years ago, driving to Bicol meant going through an obstacle course of bad roads and missing bridges. Now at least practically the whole stretch from Manila to here is cemented highway. Still, to reach Sorsogon, tourists have to take either a tiring 10-hour drive by private car or 12-hour ride by public transport, or a costly P6,000-plane ride to Legazpi and then another hour's drive to Sorsogon.

Accessibility remains a problem. Older generations of Filipinos may remember a time when a Philippine National Railways (PNR) line ran to and from Legazpi, offering local tourists a chance to see the Bicol region. Today, that line is practically nonexistent, although there are trains that haul cargo to the region. The long or costly travel discourages tourists, and until the government finds a way to bring Sorsogon closer to potential visitors, it may remain nothing more than a dream destination for most.

THAT IS, if it doesn't turn into an environmental nightmare first. The absence of a comprehensive plan that would address proper land use, tourism management, and accessibility is only one of Sorsogon's emerging problems. Indeed, if the government fails to act fast and decisively, several other threats may ruin the rich natural attractions that tourists flock to Sorsogon to enjoy.

	Commercial vessels like the pangulong are proving to be a greater menace for small fishers and the butanding alike.

Some have even gone past being threats and are already wreaking havoc on the livelihood of local fisherfolk, as well as damaging the butanding's habitat and feeding grounds. On Sorsogon's western side are fishers who engage in dynamite and cyanide fishing. But pangulong or groups of large commercial vessels usually seen along the eastern coast off Donsol and Pilar towns have proved to be a greater menace. The pangulong is like a vacuum cleaner — it sucks up everything in its way and leaves nothing for ordinary fishers. Worse, whale sharks get trapped in them. In some cases, rather than being freed, the trapped butanding are slaughtered.

Each pangulong is usually composed of five boats and bancas. The main boat is a steel-hulled vessel with a huge pulley. To this pulley are attached hundreds of feet of black fishing nets that penetrate deep waters. A barge or skip pulls the nets down and lays them on the water. A third vessel called the carrier bears the banyeras into which the fish are loaded. The carrier has powerful "superlights," which are basketball-sized bulbs, each 3,000- or 4,000-watts, that light up the night sky and attract the fish. Carriers also have sonar equipment that spot and track down the fish. Smaller wooden bancas then drive the fish into the nets.

	Photo by Karina Escudero

A pangulong may catch as many as 1,000 banyeras or 50,000 kilos of assorted fish worth millions of pesos in just one night. "What we catch in a year, they get in one night," says fisher Ramir Balala. And when the pangulong are around, fishers say they most likely end up empty-handed. Says Balala: "They get everything, even the little fishes."

Sightings of pangulong have preoccupied local fishers like Balala, in the same way that butanding sightings attract tourists. Fisherfolk say they spot as many as five to 10 a night all over the Burias and Ticao Passes that separate Sorsogon from Masbate province.

Balala says the pangulong have been known to ram and destroy the fisherfolk's puny bancas. Sometimes, the big ships would capture and slash their small-time rivals' fishing nets. Losing a banca and a net means a loss of P100,000 to the banca owner and a loss of livelihood to the fisher.

Commercial vessels like the pangulong are banned from fishing in municipal waters, which stretch 15 kilometers from the shore. They are supposed to be fishing out in the open sea. But that can be dangerous especially in stormy weather, so they gravitate toward the calm and rich waters of Donsol and Pilar, where they often dock. "Their mere presence is not illegal," says Philippine National Police provincial director Arne de los Santos. To arrest and impound them, these pangulong and their crew must be caught in the act of large-scale fishing in municipal waters.

On July 8, the government did manage to catch a pangulong fishing in the waters of Donsol. But while the arresting party was on board the catcher, the boat sped off toward Masbate, taking the police with them. The other smaller vessels that were part of this pangulong unit escaped.

In his report, de los Santos said, "The boat captain employed a modus operandi (sic) by diverting the course of the vessel, making it appear that they caught outside the jurisdiction of Donsol, a matter that would greatly affect the outcome of the case."

There is another factor in the pangulong's favor. The vessel's owner was identified as Rodolfo Apuli. De los Santos says Apuli has long been "untouchable" because of his "alleged connections with some prominent personalities." Another owner of illegal fishing vessels is a Naga-based businessman, who locals say recently bought San Miguel Island in Masbate, an hour away from here. San Miguel has a spectacular coral garden, a scenic lighthouse perched on a cliff, and limestone caves that equal those in Palawan. But many Donsol residents believe the island was bought mainly for use as a docking station for pangulong.

People interviewed by i magazine say that both Apuli and this Naga-based businessman could be working together, with the blessings of the most powerful politicians in Sorsogon, Masbate, and Camarines Sur. Rep. Francis Escudero of Sorsogon believes that illegal fishing is in fact more lucrative than jueteng in this part of the country, and will continue to flourish because of the protection given by local politicians.