Trip to island village of Pugad

It was a cloudy Sunday morning, the sun is hardly up, but i was already at the old Hagonoy Public market where the passenger boat for the coastal village of Pugad is anchored.

  

The boat can fit 60 persons and supposed to leave by 7AM, but 30 minutes before, it was almost full.  The pilot and his two men were busy loading cargoes of their passengers on the boat.

I asked the guy on the steps, and he confirmed that its the first trip for Pugad, which at least one hour boat ride from the Hagonoy town proper.

I stepped on the boat and found an empty seat in front, just behind the cargoes.  I thought it was a good seat. I can shoot a lot of photos along the way and see a different perspective of how people on riverside and coastal communities lives.

But my excitement was coupled with some concerns as more people and cargoes came. The pilot said they will fit, but some older passengers expressed concern that we may capsize along the way.  Some even cited their sad experience.

I didnt say anything.  I just listened to them.  One even teased a gay passenger saying "ikaw lang ang bumigay sa Pugad." I secretly smiled knowing that an island village is a close knit community, each one knows another, eve in the boat, and Im the odd man.

I was born and raised in the coastal town of Hagonoy, and as journalist I have travel almost all places in my home province of Bulacan, but this trip was my first to Pugad, one of the two coastal villages of Hagonoy.

As the engine of the boat roared away from the river bank, I mind wondered what will I see in the next three hours.