BACOLOD, Philippines – Cadiz City in Negros Occidental has transformed a once-threatened marine area into a thriving sanctuary for giant clams.
Located in the village of Cadiz Viejo, some 50.3 kilometers north of Bacolod, the 1.3-hectare marine reserve, known as GC Ville, has become a refuge for 2,050 giant clams, called by locals as manlot or taklobo, and is now being considered for designation as a protected area on Negros Island.
The GC Ville project began by chance during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Hereliza “Yhen” Osorio, a resort cashier from Sara, Iloilo, found herself stranded at the Lakawon Island Resort due to lockdown restrictions. During that period, Osorio and her friends engaged in seashell gathering to pass the time and sustain their needs.
Among the shells they collected were three small, colorful mollusks that Osorio kept in a glass bottle with seawater. Enchanted by their beauty, she called them her “babies” and later discovered they were endangered giant clams.
“They’re so beautiful to see each morning. They brighten my day every time,” Osorio said.
Wanting to protect them, Osorio sought advice in Iloilo but was advised to contact Cadiz’s City Agriculturist Office. There, agriculturist Enrique Escares III and Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante recognized the clams’ value and hired Osorio to care for them.
Osorio’s careful work paid off, and within a year, the clams grew large enough to inspire the city government to transform a 1.3-hectare area of the Lakawon seascape – formerly affected by illegal fishing – into GC Ville.
Equipped with a fiberglass boat for daily monitoring, Osorio continued to nurture the clams, which now include four species: Tridacna crocea, Tridacna maxima, Tridacna squamosa, and Hippopus hippopus. The largest clam, a Tridacna giga, weighs 500 kilograms.
Osorio‘s transformation from a resort cashier to a recognized local marine conservationist is a story of dedication. Named an “Outstanding Cadizeño” in 2023, she now sees Cadiz as her home and the clams as her beloved “babies.”
Escalante described Osorio as a “heaven-sent” force for Cadiz, whose work embodies the city government’s campaign for environmental preservation and against illegal fishing.
He said the local government and Osorio were advocating to have GC Ville’s declared as a protected area in the Visayas by the national government. He said they were committed to enhancing the area and turning it into a premier eco-tourism destination and conservation haven. – Rappler.com