The Forgotten Boats of Basco

At the back of National Food Authority rice building, down a side street in the quiet area of Basco pier, there sits three forgotten boats that are crumbling at the edges, rusty in the corners, and scarred on its facade.

Abandoned to be hugged by the waves time and again, it attracts birds and possibly fishes underneath, making it their temporary home for the time being.

However, the boats don’t seem to be always alone in the port. When we dropped by one windy Thursday afternoon, we noticed a few things in the biggest boat: clothes hanging on the front perch and a hammock swaying up and down as if someone unseen is bothered by our presence. At that moment, we left.

According to locals, the demise of the boats must be blamed on the sudden tidal waves. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded except for one: the captain of the ship of the biggest boat encountered a heart attack while his boat was being eaten by waves.

One can only wonder about the current situation of the people who once filled these structures, and the sadness that these boats must feel for every boat and people, arriving and departing on what was once their territory.