Vizcaya folk warned: Ants' eggs are ok but not bush fires

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – It’s breeding time for abuos, those large red ants that nest in trees in the mountains of Northern Luzon, but the local office of the environment bureau in this landlocked province reminded gatherers of abuos eggs to be cautious in using torches because these can cause forest fires. Abuos is a known delicacy among northern Luzon people due to its high protein content and supposed aphrodisiac properties. However, in the light of the current El Niño dry spell that induces mountain wildfires, the provincial government has expressed concern over the manner that the eggs are harvested. Ant egg gatherers use long poles with burning material secured at one end to drive ants out of their nests during hunting season that starts in January and extends up to June each year. According to a Philippine Information Agency (PIA) report, officials at the provincial environment office said that ant egg gatherers indiscriminately throw away their burning materials or cigarettes during the hunt, which may ignite dry grass and bush. Last week, over a hundred hectares including those planted to crops and fruit-bearing trees in Bagabag town, including about 10 hectares planted to medicinal trees, and another 50 hectares in the mountains of Bayombong town, were ravaged by wildfires. At night, creeping brushfires light up the mountains which can be seen from town squares. The fires, however, were attributed to kaingineros (slash-and-burn farmers) by caretakers of affected plantations, prompting the local Department of Environment and Natural Resources office to remind both kaingin farmers and ant egg gatherers alike of their responsibility towards the environment. Abuos-eating takes center stage during the province-wide annual Ammungan Festival in mid-May, which features traditional exotic foods that include ant’s eggs and ‘abal-abal’ (Philippine beetle) cooked in different ways.—JV, GMANews.TV