PEBBLE BEACH

The Mabua Pebble Beach of Surigao City

Well clad in Barong Tagalog, it was disheartening to know that the Judge was out of town and that the hearing for my case is postponed. I was new to Surigao City and my boat back to Cebu City will leave past 8 p.m. and guess? it was still 8:30 in the morning. With nothing to do except to wait for my ride home, I’ve decided to talk to some locals and asked the nearest beach they could offer. The recommendation is the Mabua Pebble Beach.

I decided to take a hop on a tricycle and led me to the famous Mabua pebble beach of Surigao City. It was give or take 15 to 20 minutes ride and I arrived in no time. Upon arriving, a poster tells you that there are 380 steps to take to the Tourist Spot. Wait? What? Why would I climb if all I’m after is for the pebble beach?

Well, I decided to take the steps one at a time and after reaching the peak, the commanding majestic coastline of the Pebble beach appeared before me.

Instead of descending back, I decided to continue my short journey as there is a trail leading to somewhere. And, yes! It was a surprise. A shoreline inhabited with a few residents and all was there was me!

There were pebbles all over the place. It was a new experience walking barefoot at the shore. There are huts available for rent with the pleasure to stay overnight.

As I was gazing the beauty of the Pebble beach over a stormy sky, I was invited by nature itself to take a dip on the waters of the beach. After 2 hours, the tricyle driver I hired came back and brought me back to the City where my boat ride awaits for me to Cebu City.

Thrilling. Awesome. Paradise.

ELEPHANT SCULPTURE

THE ELEPHANT SCULPTURE

Art is Art. In its most contemporary sense, art conveys a message. Art are tools to express emotion, feeling, or sentiment. Most of it, seeks to educate the people of something, perhaps, for a greater purpose. Now, in the Philippines, there is an art secretly housed at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center located at Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is called "THE ELEPHANT SCULPTURE". 

The Elephant Sculpture was made to make a strong message of compassion of the Philippine Government in its fight against illegal ivory trade. Ivory is a source of medicine and, sadly, of art materials. Ivory is known for its healing attributes but most prestigious for its Ivory sculptures. Ivory comes, primarily, from Elephant tusks and the demand for Ivory is now ever increasing with markets mainly direct to CHINA and AFRICA and ASIA as suppliers.

While no Elephant is known to exist in the Philippine Archipelago, its drive to protect the exploitation of elephants and its by-products (i.e, elephant tusks) remains steadfast. It have been alert and have taken great strides to confiscate smuggled ivory with certainty of prosecution and eventually, punishment.

In 2013, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in its renewed call to end Ivory trading and make a clarion call to the public that importation, possession and use of Ivory is illegal commissioned an artist to make an art in what is now known today as THE ELEPHANT SCULPTURE".

The Elephant Sculpture

 Quoted hereunder is the dedication message of Secretary RAMON J.P. PAJE, DENR, to wit:

"This structure is a representation of the natural position of a mother African elephant protecting her calf. The upper Circles representing their faces symbolize the quest fro the continuation of the life of these magnificent creations. The dark color of the structure opposing the natural off-white color of the ivory tusk embodies the Philippines' strong support to the global efforts against elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade. The superimposed tusks, that are almost as high as their bodies, represent the beauty of the creatures with their tusks intact. This structure is made of concrete and part of the ashes from more than four tons of elephant ivory tusks that the Philippines crushed and burned on June 21, 2013.

May this sculpture remind us of the thousands of elephants killed for their precious tusks and that their continued existence still largely depends on how humans treat them.

RAMON J.P. PAJE (sgd)

Secretary

Department of Environment and Natural Resources"

Close-up view of the Elephant Sculpture

You can visit the Elephant Sculpture located at Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center located at Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City which opens from Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 5 pm.