The Fishponds of Malabon

There was a time when the bangus (milkfish) fishponds of Malabon nearly dominated its landscape.

So much so that some long-time residents even think, at some point, the area covered by fishponds might have been almost the same or perhaps even a little more than the non-fishpond area.  This may just be perception, of course, or a belief based on a flawed or biased memory.

But no one could dispute the fact that back then, up to perhaps the 1960s -- a wide expanse of fishponds existed in Malabon, as far as the eye could see.  In fact, of the four major roads going out of Malabon, three used to be flanked on both sides by fishponds:  Letre Road and Governor Pascual Avenue, both going to Caloocan City, and Dampalit Road going to Obando, Bulacan.

Dagat-Dagatan fishponds along Letre Road in 1966  (Photo from S. T. Cajucom)

What made Malabon a natural environment for fishponds?  The first and most important reason is obvious:  proximity to Manila Bay with its rivers going inland, gives Malabon access to saltwater that could be used in fishponds.

Another is that the pond soil found in Malabon is fertile and suitable for the growth of natural fish food.  It is also the right kind of muddy soil called "labon" (thus, "Malabon" denoted a place of soft mud 1/) that could be made into fishpond dikes and at the same time was a natural habitat for mangrove trees (bakawan) with its spread-out roots serving to reinforce the dikes.


A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON WHAT USED TO BE ONE OF MALABON'S PRIMARY INDUSTRIES

The first fishpond was established in 1863 in Barrio Concepcion, Malabon, Rizal, by one Domingo Cornel.  His method became successful, that it was eventually followed not just by his townmates, but by neighboring towns and provinces as well:  Caloocan, Navotas, Obando, Polo, Bulacan, Hagonoy, and later in other coastal towns of Luzon.  Fishponds were constructed in all the municipalities bordering Manila and Lingayen Gulf. 2/

In the old days, local fishpond operators followed the traditional way of culturing bangus, where they would feed their stocks with natural food known as lablab (a type of algae). However, it was a tedious process.

To prepare a pond for growing the algae, water is drained first from the pond, then tobacco dust is scattered on the pond bottom in order to purge it of fish predators. The pond is then sun dried, and afterwards scattered with chicken manure with a little water let in from the river to moisten it.

When the algae growth is already satisfactory, more water is let in and the bangus fry or fingerlings are then transferred to that pond.  There are usually three kinds of divisions within a fishpond - nursery pond, formation pond and rearing pond - which is why you will see that most fishponds have divisions or boxes within them.

The bangus are transferred from one pond to the next, as they grow in size.  When the bangus have reached the desired size, they are harvested and sold through brokers at the fish market in Bayan or years ago, also in Hulo. 3/


At present, most fishpond operators (the few left in Malabon and those from Bulacan, Pangasinan and other areas involved in bangus farming) use commercial feeds for their stock, thus skipping the long and laborious pond preparation for growing algae.  It is said, however, that milkfish that grew on natural food is better-tasting.


WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE FISHPONDS OF MALABON?

You don't even need to go around Malabon nowadays to know that the bangus farming industry in Malabon is a dying industry.  A simple ride through either Letre Road or Governor Pascual Avenue alone will tell you so.  I can only think of one reason, which is the usual reason why a business closes down or does not thrive:  bangus fishpond farming is no longer as profitable.  After all, what businessman would give up a business if it were profitable?

But why is it happening in Malabon, and not to the many other fishpond operations in  Bulacan, Laguna, or Pangasinan?  Pollution is believed to be a likely major factor.  Because of the pollution in Manila Bay and the rivers of Malabon, the quality of the saltwater coming from them is no longer suitable for growing bangus.

Another likely reason we could think of is that, because of Malabon's proximity to Manila, the increase in the value of land now makes it more viable to turn fishponds into residential or commercial land.

There may be other factors unique to the individual fishpond operators that might have brought about the near-disappearance of the industry. But the result is the same: there are now only a few fishponds left in Malabon.  And I expect that it is only a matter of time before those fishponds also go the way of the many vanished fishponds before them.



A VANISHING SIGHT: MALABON FISHPOND AT DUSK

One late afternoon I decided to find myself some fishponds and take pictures.  Yes, find.  Unlike before when we used to see fishponds left and right whenever we headed out through Letre Road or Governor Pascual Avenue, now we have to go to some out-of-the-way place.

And yes, take pictures.  You see, I'm afraid that time will come when these pictures are all that our great grandchildren will ever get to see of the fishponds of Malabon...

Fishpond along Muzon road.  The sky at day's end and birds in flight combine with the fishpond to create a  stunning scene. 

What a peaceful scene.  Just one of the many reasons why I grew up loving Malabon.

Short stretch of road in Muzon with fishponds on both sides - one of the remaining few...  (I wanted to take the picture from the middle of the road so I could show the fishpond on the right side as well.  But I was afraid of getting run over!)

1/    From Tambobong to City of Malabon by Nonoy Marcelo, 2004
2/    History of Malabon-Navotas by Salvador Sevilla, Santos Tiangco, 1976 (quoting Census of the Phil. 1918, Vol. IV, 
       Part 1, page 588).
3/    Info on pond preparation procedures provided by my husband.

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