𝗞𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝘆𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼
The film “Firefly”, which won Best Film in the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival, depicts the sad state of these blinking bugs – they are fast disappearing.
Directed by Zig Dulay, the film is set in 1999 as narrated from the perspective of an adult Tonton (Dingdong Dantes) who reminisces about his childhood. A ten-year old Tonton (Euwenn Mikaell) goes on a search for the “Island of Fireflies”, a mystical island he learned from his single mother Elay (Alessandra De Rossi) during bedtime stories. He develops a talent for drawing through the nighttime stories of a firefly, which saves a butterfly from a vicious beast.
We are usually mesmerized by the presence of fireflies as they begin to glow in yellow, greenish yellow or orange hues during the witching hours of dusk. Lovely little creatures, glittering, sparkling, throwing fragments of light in the dark night skies.
Also known as “lightning bugs”, fireflies emit a bioluminescent glow from their light-emitting organs which are found in their abdomen.
Different species blink for different lengths of time, like the dots and dashes of Morse code. And like Morse code, the flashes are used to communicate, sometimes as a warning to predators they are toxic and sometimes to catch the attention of a desired mate.
A unique courtship quirk, the flashing patterns are used to attract a mate where the males usually fly above in search of a female, and when a female is interested, she flashes a light that draws the male to her.
Unfortunately, fireflies are slowly disappearing.
The most serious threat is habitat destruction as many forests and grasslands are converted to residential, industrial, agricultural and commercial uses. Suitable habitat has also been eroded due to more drought-like conditions caused by climate change.
Too much artificial light interferes with the fireflies’ mating rituals.
The last time I saw many fireflies was during one of my visits in Batad rice terraces in Banaue, Ifugao.
Batad Rice Terraces is part of five UNESCO World Heritage sites located in Ifugao, which also include the Bangaan Rice Terraces, the Mayoyao Rice Terraces, the Nagacadan Rice Terraces and the Hungduan Rice Terraces.
The UNESCO website noted: “The fruit of knowledge handed down from one generation to the next, and the expression of sacred traditions and a delicate social balance, they have helped to create a landscape of great beauty that expresses the harmony between humankind and the environment”.
The Ifugao complex of stone or mud walls and the careful carving of the natural contours of hills and mountains combine to make terraced pond fields, coupled with the development of intricate irrigation systems, harvesting water from the forests of the mountain tops, and an elaborate farming system.
Batad is a tiny, remote village in Banaue where the panoramic view of the rice terraces resembles an enormous amphitheater. The Batad terraces are considered the most well-preserved and the best among all rice terraces. Visitors trek along steep mountain trails and rocky or muddy terrain.
The first time I visited Batad was in the 1990s when there was no electricity and our source of light at night was petromax.
In his 1946 study “Mythology of the Ifugaos”, historian Roy Barton identified “Tayaban” as one of death deities that feasted on men’s souls. They revealed themselves to the world in the form of tiny, flying monsters covered with shiny scales, so that by night they look like fireflies.
“Batad” is a 2004 Cinemalaya film about a boy who wants more from life than what his small village can offer. While his father pursues the mission of repairing the rice terraces of adjoining Ifugao villages, he is obsessed with owning a pair of rubber shoes as he takes all odd jobs and ultimately becomes a tour guide. Upon possessing the long-desired rubber shoes, he attempts to leave his Ifugao roots and chase big city dreams.
The film depicts one of the causes for the deterioration of the terraces as identified by UNESCO: declining interest among the Ifugao youth to work on the land or turning away from farming and looking for higher-paying occupations elsewhere.
Rural-to-urban migration processes limit the necessary agricultural workforce to maintain the extensive area of terraces.
UNESCO stressed that pride of place and culture, including the long-term commitment of its indigenous Ifugao stakeholders, shall ensure the sustainability and conservation of this living cultural landscape over time.
May the fireflies continue dazzling the night with magical flashes of light.
(𝑃𝑒𝑦𝑢𝑝𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑡𝑡𝑦. 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑠 𝑅. 𝐺𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑠’ 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑜 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑧 𝐵𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝑙𝑎𝑤 𝑜𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑒-𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜@𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑧.𝑐𝑜𝑚, 𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 0917-5025808 𝑜𝑟 0908-8665786.)
