UPV's relevant researches and Roxas City's response reap results

The applied knowledge from relevant studies by UPV's high-caliber researchers and effective implementation of responsive policy by Roxas City's proactive local executives made for a winning collaborative and productive effort. The 'diwal' or angel wing clam has now re-surfaced and thrives in its natural habitat.

The angel wing, a sought after bivalve for its sweet, juicy and mouth-watering taste, which used to be found in abundance in the rich coastal waters of Roxas City, was lost in the market for almost a decade.

Unregulated harvest and trawling led to its diminished supply until the City Government of Roxas began the move to save its 'diwal' resources by declaring a closed season to allow the remaining stocks to reproduce.

A research/study on the biology and stock assessment to preserve and rehabilitate 'diwal's' natural habitat was conducted by Dr. Liberato V. Laureta and Prof. Evelyn T. Marasigan through the support of the Roxas City Local Government and the Department of Agriculture-Fisheries Sector Program. Dr. Laureta and Prof. Marasigan are both faculty members of the Institute of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences of UP in the Visayas.

The good news regarding the reappearance of 'diwal' in Roxas City was reported last year. Indeed, the seafood capital has been blessed with a bountiful harvest of the angel wing clam. Thus, on July 15-16, 2005, the Capizeños celebrated its full blast comeback in some of their coastal barangays.

A record harvest of five tons during the first day was truly a good reason to make merry. Bigger volumes are expected to be harvested in the next days and months. The Capizeños' Diwal Festival, the first in the region, offered a variety of delectable 'diwal dishes in Roxas City's public plaza.

Mayor Antonio A. Del Rosario was so grateful for this development in his city. “Truly this calls for a celebration...a thanksgiving celebration for having found what was lost” exclaimed the Mayor in his message to the Capizeños, who echo the elation. The city government is firmly doing its best to protect, preserve and prevent 'diwal' from being missed again in the market.

As one of the highlights of the Diwal Festival, Dr. Liberato V. Laureta and Ms.Lily Anne Peñosa delivered lectures about the angel wing clam on the first day of the event. They were awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Local Government of Roxas City for a job well done in the rehabilitation and conservation of the 'diwal'. Dr. Laureta, however, cautioned that further research has to be conducted to sustain resource production. Biology and Distribution

Pholas orientalis, or angel wings locally known as 'diwal' belongs to the Phylum Mollusca, under Family Pholadidae and Class Pelecypoda. The angel wing clam is found in the coastal waters of the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Central Philippines. It burrows into either muddy sand sub-stratum in the littoral zone or compact bluish-gray muddy sand in the sub-littoral zone, to a depth of over 0.3m, and once extracted can never return. In Roxas City, it can be found in the sub-littoral area to a depth of 8 meters during the highest high tide, the bed being bluish gray compact muddy sand. (SSGaribay with sources from Dr. LVLaureta and AKSYON News, June 2005)