The Lost Boys of Palawan know exactly where they are heading. Doracotan Island is visible on the blue horizon. They can spot its tall palm trees, white powdery beach and a row of bamboo huts, which grow larger and larger as the Bangka boat glides through the ocean waves.
Aboard the Bangka, a local name for the native wooden boat with two outriggers, 20 or so explorers are soaking themselves in the last day of an expedition cruise. They are travellers from various parts of the world who want to get lost in the raw and secluded nature of Palawan islands, while keeping a good distance from mainstream tourism.
Leading the expedition is a small Filipino with a big smile named Aneil Raniel. He oversees both the travellers and the crew. They are the Lost Boys of Tao Philippines a social enterprise that empowers Palawan communities through sustainable tourism.
Aneil himself is one of the Lost Boys. These are young Filipino islanders, both male and female, recruited by Tao for apprenticeships and stable jobs in community-based tourism. They bring travellers on rustic sea journeys to the most remote islands in Palawan for off-the-beaten-track experiences through untouched nature, local people and culture.
Like Aneil, many Lost Boys come from families of fisherfolk a traditional but struggling occupation in the present-day Philippines.
Before, you could do fishing just in front of your house and you could get 1,000 kg. But now, you need to go out in the middle of the sea for 3-7 days, or a month. They’re really hard to find, said Aneil, 34, an ex-fisherman from Coron in northern Palawan.
Dwindling fish catches have made life in the island province difficult. Although Palawan is one of the Philippines’ richest fishing grounds, small-scale fishermen find it hard to compete with big commercial fishing companies and their advanced tools.
Data from the Philippines Statistics Authority shows a steady decline in fisheries production from 4.69 million metric tonnes in 2014 to 4.35 million metric tonnes in 2018. Last year, municipal fisheries also recorded a drop in the third quarter from the same period in the previous year, the government reported.
Besides overfishing, reduced fish yields are also linked to higher sea surface temperature and changes in ocean circulation, according to the 2017 Philippine Climate Change Assessment.
The situation has forced many fishermen to find new jobs. But options are restricted in the remote western province of Palawan, at least for islanders with no degrees or skills outside everyday island life. Here, poverty is also widespread and children grow up with limited opportunities. Many youths are stuck in their villages with nowhere to go or jobs to do.
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