In pictures: Life on the sinking islands of Bohol | ABS-CBN

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In pictures: Life on the sinking islands of Bohol

In pictures: Life on the sinking islands of Bohol

Greenpeace handout

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Updated Oct 16, 2023 12:18 PM PHT

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Residents of Batasan, Inanuran, and Bilangbilangan islands off the coast of Tubigon, Bohol are among the most affected by slow-onset sea level rise.

After the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Bohol on October 15, 2013 and caused the islands to subside, these sinking islands may already be, by the standards of previous studies, “uninhabitable.”

This was compounded by the devastation brought by a host of tropical cyclones, among them Super Typhoon Odette in 2021. Yet many homes still stand on these islands.

A peek into the lives of the islands’ inhabitants depicts the struggle of old and younger generations alike -- not just as they contend with the inflow of tides pooling into their houses like a constant visitor but also as they grapple with recollections of better days.

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A 45-year-old fisherman yearns for the simple life he grew up with, when the islands were safe and, in many ways, complete. A little girl covers her ears whenever it rains, a habit formed after she witnessed the wrath of Typhoon Odette.

Their narrative suggests nostalgia and solastalgia, a relatively recent term used to describe the distress caused by environmental changes and a future longing for their home, now inching towards the realm of memory.

Thoughts of this inevitable future pile up on top of compounding climate-related impacts. They seem to already affect the very things that drive the islanders’ determination to cope and adapt – attachment to place, a sense of pride and belonging, identity, and others. The question of how these invisible losses are accounted for, or who must be liable for such, remains.

Bilangbilangan Island in Bohol, Philippines, makes one imagine the beginnings of a real-life Waterworld. The island had been densely populated when its outer areas subsided following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2013, and residents had to scooch their houses farther inland.Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Students from Inanuran Island prepare to commute on a boat to the nearest school which is located on another island.The younger generation can’t imagine a future on their island, citing the dangers it poses. Tubiglon, Bohol. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Elzar Orcollo, a 45-year-old fisherman, prepares his fishnets before heading to shore. Elizar once tried his luck as a factory worker in Bulacan, only to return to the island, yearning for the simple life he was accustomed to. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Hazel Brum, a 26-year-old housewife, poses for a photo in her home in Inanuran Island, Bohol, Philippines. Most houses in Inanuran are huts made of bamboo poles and traditional woven panels that are raised on stilts, newly built after Super Typhoon Odette in 2021 washed out all structures on the island. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Virgilia Basar and her grandson pose for a portrait in their home, holding a thermos which she managed to save, during Super Typhoon Odette in 2021. Tubigon, Bohol. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

A fisherman prepares to take his boat out to sea in the early morning in Batasan Island in Tubigon, Bohol on October 1, 2023. Rising sea levels has deeply affected the amount of fish catch, It is said that areas in the tropics are predicted to see 40% declines in potential seafood catch by 2050. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

A group of kids peep through a classroom window in Bilangbilangan Island in Tubigon, Bohol. The younger generation can’t see a future on their island citing the dangers it poses. October 2, 2023. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Kagawad Annie Casquiejo, a resident of Batasan Island, Bohol, Philippines, poses for a photo holding religious statues, which are the only items she managed to save during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Odette in 2021. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

Elisa Panis, 67 Years old, raised all her 6 kids in Bilangbilangan island and has no plans of relocating. Tubigon, Bohol on October 2, 2023. Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

High tide in Batasan Island in Tubigon, Bohol on October 2, 2023.Geric Cruz, Greenpeace

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