boracay's white sand

Boracay white-sand forms into ‘gold’

BORACAY ISLAND – The powdery white sand along the three-kilometer beachfront of this paradise island not just attracts domestic and foreign tourists but forms livelihood for some of the locals who are into sand-castle making.
Visitors would often pose for photo-taking along with the sand-castles while the makers could earn thousands of pesos after the day.
Sand-castle making has become a livelihood for some who choose to mold “gold” out of the attractive white sand which the resort island boasts of.
A can is being placed near the sand-castle where tourists drop pennies after having their picture taken with the sand-castle.
A sand-castle design which is being drawn only through imagination varies from day to day and should be destroyed at the end of the day, thus a new one will rise the next day, according to its so-called architects.
These Lenten holidays when tourists flocking the island are seen to be on their greatest number, sand-castle makers are on the zest too that their masterpiece would eventually rake in profits enough to meet their family’s needs.
“I was walking along the shores when I saw my friend forming sand-castle. I felt I wanted to build one. I offered some help to finish what he was doing and he taught me how to create one. Later on I am used to do it by myself,” recalled Gezer Gado while crafting his masterpiece out of the sand.
Gezer, a high-school student is among the hard-working individuals who choose to beat the heat of scorching sun just to earn money at the end of the day in this restless island which hosts to endless funs and parties.
Gezer said he initially tried his skills on making “lantern in the sand” which is just simple to do then crafting the more complicated sand-castle.
“It sells and I am happy that I have a source of money. I could earn as much as P1,500 a day or P500 at the least,” Gezer told this writer when asked about his sand-crafty trade.
Gezer said he has used the money for school as well as help his three siblings being the eldest while his mother is working as a househelp in Kalibo town.
He noted they are not native to Boracay but came from Concepcion Sur, Sta. Maria, Romblon while he went with his uncle two years ago for him to stay and study in the famous island.
“I usually construct the sand-castle when and where there are many tourists around. It’s all about imagination when you are constructing one, the designs differ,” Gezer said while noting the sand works would take about five hours.
He added he has to “display” his work of art from 12 noon up to 10 in the evening to woo tourists in exchange for some “donations”.
Gezer stressed he is more focused on this unique job during weekends and vacations considering the great number of tourists coming in the island would mean more chances of “selling” the sand-castle.
Another maker Bobby Canino, 23 left Cabuyao, Laguna upon prodding of his wife who lives in Boracay.
Bobby noted he first learned of the sand-castle thing together with his acquaintances and continues on his own. From then on, he commonly collects P800-P1,500 daily out of the sand and as much as P2,500 during Holy Week.
Bobby works from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon while tourists want to have their pictures shoot during the sunset. His “display” could last until 12 midnight to 1 in the morning.
“I devote all my time to sand-castle. If I work as construction worker (of buildings), I would be earning less than what I could get in this job as most of them complain of minimal take home pay,” Bobby explained.
Is it worth the sweats and burned skin?
“I could even have some savings and support my siblings out of my income. It’s rewarding when you see a lot of people want having pictures next to the sand-castle. The longer I do this, the more I enjoy,” Bobby told this writer in Filipino.
Can the sand-castle stand for a long time?
“Sometimes, I feel disappointed destroying the castle at the end of the day and build it the next day. But it can’t be left standing and you just have to start all over again everyday,” Bobby asserted.
Bobby pointed out that “unless I get a good job, I won’t stop making sand-castle even though I find it difficult to earn during off-season.”
Boracay’s off-season is noted during June-November period wherein tourist arrivals drop.
“I also used to get dollars mostly from Koreans. This is easy money during peak season,” Bobby exclaimed.
Elvi Fernandez who came from Mangaldan, Pangasinan said she has been “living in the sand” for more than 10 years already. She added she could fetch some P500-P2,000 out of this in a day.
“If we won’t make sand-castle, we have nothing to eat. This is our living and what would appear beautiful to the tourists is what we are designing. We just go to the shoreline and imagine the design,” Elvi stressed.