Each of these kids planted two mangrove propagules on the muddy shores of the Bojo River in Aloguinsan. If their parents permit, they would love to come back next year to see how much the plants have grown. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/FRAULINE MARIA S. ABANGAN)
(Conclusion)
They were children aged 5 to 11 who found a new sense of adventure when they took part in the first two I See Kids Tours held in December last year and in early January.
Those who were brought to have a taste of the farm life in Mantalongon in the southern Cebu town of Dalaguete relished the experience with gusto.
Lunch back at the Manguerra Summer House in Mantalongon was welcomed with enthusiasm by the ravenous kids who had earlier burned off their potato snacks with more walking and playing games.
They were served pumpkin soup, fried rice, chicken pandan, adobao (pork dish) and garden greens of lettuce, passion fruit, cucumber, malacopa flowers, grated carrots and sayote.
Maria Elena Besin, a 45-year old sari-sari store owner who is in charge of the food preparation, said that if the kids get picky and refuse to eat the salad, they would tell them to just eat the fried rice.
Unlike the normal fried rice, theirs was packed with vegetables — baguio beans, cabbage, sayote, carrot, onion, and a little bit of garlic — and tuna.
After lunch, the kids had an arts and crafts activity where they made their own lanterns from pine tree leaves. An “obstacle course” or Experience Field was also prepared in the garden to awaken and enhance the children’s 12 senses.
Story-time was another favorite activity as the I See Kids Tour staff presented it through a puppet show.
Afternoon snacks were hot turon (banana wrapped in lumpia wrapper and fried) drizzled with chocolate and another round of kamote and lemongrass juice.
I SEE KIDS Tour staff and local guides play with city kids in the cool mountains of Mantalongon in Dalaguete above. (CONTRIBUTED BY Frauline Maria S. Abangan)
When the tour ended, the children had one very important question to their parents — “When can we go back?”
Bojo River Tour
A short ceremony involving smoke or pahalina in Cebuano was conducted before seven kids set off to ride in a large paddle boat during their tour of the Bojo River in Aloguinsan on Jan. 9.
Wearing orange and black life vests, the kids were brimming with excitement. Those without hats were given huge leaves to use as an umbrella, but they ended up using them as oars because they wanted to row the boat too!
Local guides struggled a bit in getting the children’s attention as the river itself proved to be more captivating. Seated at the back portion of the boat, the parents asked follow-up questions at the guides who pointed out the different species of mangroves.
The guides were finally able to enthrall the kids with the tale of a fairy named Maria Tang-an.
The story was told near the mouth of the river where it meets the sea. It has a cliff face that looked like a huge boulder was covering the passageway to an enchanted land. The kids put their little banana boats in the water as an offering to Maria Tang-an.
Lunch was waiting as soon as the kids returned to the shore. All loved the humba (pork stew) and the chicken tinola soup. The parents also enjoyed the ampalaya salad and the big grilled fish. Sweetened kamote (sweet potato) juice and fresh ripe bananas completed the meal.
Snack preparation was another activity that the kids enjoyed. They helped make “kiping” or “cabcab” which is like a huge crispy chip made from cassava. Kids peeled the cassava, grated it, squeezed out the juice, mixed the dried cassava pulp with some water and flattened it out on a banana leaf. This was then steamed until cooked and dried out by the ISKT staff. Later on, the cook deep-fried the dry cassava patties.
Planting mangroves was another experience they’ve never had before. With the assistance of fishermen, each kid planted two mangrove propagules on the muddy shores of Bojo River.
The most awaited part was undoubtedly swimming in the river. Kids frolicked in the water while their parents sat in the shade.
But all good things eventually come to an end. After a quick wash and a change of clothes, the kids had their snacks of cassava chips with latik (sweetened coconut milk) and boiled sweet potatoes.
To relax them before going back to the city, the kids were asked to reflect on the tour and express their thoughts with crayons on paper. They posted their artwork proudly and the parents dutifully praised them for their creativity.
Six-year old Madi shared she will miss swimming in the river. For five-year old Vivienne, the river cruise was her favorite.
Seven-year old Obe wanted to come back next year specifically because he wanted to check the growth of the mangroves he planted.
For more information on how to book the I See Kids Tours, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ISeeCebu/ or contact Teresa Ruelas at [email protected] or 09156474666.
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