Aired (January 26, 2025): Join Biyahero Drew and Team Harabas as they immerse themselves in the charm and simplicity of life in Occidental Mindoro.
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00:00Do you crave fresh air?
00:07Aesthetic food?
00:10And freshly caught food?
00:14Definitely no bad taste, no unpleasant aftertaste.
00:23Sweet, crunchy, delicious ginger aftertaste.
00:29Or maybe you want to go on an adventure with the locals?
00:34Sometimes you just need to get your hands dirty.
00:38That's the biggest fish for sure.
00:40I removed the chalice and chopped it.
00:48Let's go, travelers!
00:53Let's go and have fun with the locals of Occidental Mindoro.
00:58Let's go!
01:07A fish weighing up to 8 kilos.
01:11In Occidental Mindoro.
01:20If we're talking about a rich sea, Occidental Mindoro is the best.
01:25Here in San Jose, you can buy big fish.
01:29You can buy it whole or in kilos.
01:34Today, I will help Ate Annalyn in preparing her dishes.
01:38This fish weighing up to 8 kilos.
01:42I'll take care of it.
01:45I'll remove the chalice first.
01:48That's the biggest fish for sure.
01:50I removed the chalice and chopped it.
01:53Wow, the bones are really hard.
01:57Then, I'll slice it.
02:05Is it okay?
02:06It's good, sir.
02:17To slice it, you need a hammer.
02:20A hammer.
02:27Looks like I need to call a friend.
02:29Ate Annalyn, help!
02:33There's a style.
02:34You need to cut the tip first on one side.
02:37And then, the tip on the other side.
02:39So, one side first, and then the other side first.
02:45When did you catch this?
02:47This morning?
02:50Yes.
02:55Right here, Ate?
02:57Yes, sir. One more, sir.
02:58One more.
03:00There you go.
03:02After more than 10 minutes with a partner,
03:06we finished slicing the fish.
03:09Thank you, sir.
03:17A type of fish is the yellow one that lives in the deep part of the sea.
03:21Longline fishing is the technique that fishermen do to catch it.
03:26First, they'll put a bait at the end of the line,
03:28which is 50 to 60 meters long.
03:31Then, they'll put it in the water.
03:34Then, they'll put a buoy as a reminder.
03:38They'll wait for up to 2 hours before they'll pull the bait again.
03:48Because of the difficulty of catching this fish,
03:51Ate Annalyn sells 1 kilo of longline fish for 260 to 280 pesos per kilo.
03:58Depending on the season, a longline fish can reach up to 10 kilos.
04:01Every day, they sell up to 700 kilos of different types of fish.
04:06So, if an expert is talking about slicing giant fish,
04:09Ate Annalyn is the expert.
04:11What about me? How was my performance?
04:14You really need to be patient.
04:16Especially when it comes to longline fishing,
04:18you need to start at the end.
04:20If I were to give you a score, I'll give you an 8.
04:23Because it's still a bit early.
04:25Because it's still new to longline fishing.
04:27Not bad.
04:28Not bad.
04:30Let me do it, Ate Annalyn.
04:32I'll show you how to slice a fish in 2025.
04:37But for now, let's go to Mangarin River,
04:40still in the town of San Jose.
04:45We found out that we can harvest something from these longline fish.
04:49It's not fruits.
04:51It's seeds.
04:53They call them seeds.
04:59They're down there.
05:01Ma'am, what are we looking for?
05:03Where are the seeds?
05:05They're down there.
05:07Under the tree.
05:09If the water is deep, they'll rise up from the tree.
05:12They have...
05:14They'll rise up from the tree.
05:16Why are they there?
05:18If the water is high.
05:20And you catch them in the morning?
05:23Early in the morning?
05:25No, in the day.
05:26No, you can't catch them in the dark.
05:29Because there's a lot of insects.
05:37You have to be careful when you go around the longline fish
05:40because it's submerged in the water.
05:42Longline fish also live on trees.
05:44They usually live on trees that are not yet dry.
05:48It looks like they're gathering around this tree.
05:51You're caught now.
05:53It's getting close, right?
05:54Yes.
05:56It's submerged in the ground.
05:58You can't see it.
06:00This is like an alternative if you can't catch fish.
06:04Yes.
06:06It's like a cycle of life.
06:09Aside from longline fish,
06:12what else do you catch here?
06:15Alamango.
06:17Alamango.
06:19Shrimps.
06:21You usually see longline fish in coastal areas
06:24or places near the sea.
06:26Here in Occidental Mindoro,
06:28longline fish are abundant.
06:30That's why it's considered to be the authentic food of Mindoro.
06:33We caught a few.
06:35This is what they caught earlier.
06:37Aside from longline fish,
06:40there are also a lot of fish that they can catch here in Bacawan.
06:46What's great about Bacawan is
06:47that it's a natural protection from the sea
06:51when the waves are strong.
06:53At the same time, it's still a great area to actually get resources or food.
06:59Fish, longline fish, shells, snails like this one.
07:05Local people like to cook longline fish in ginger.
07:18Let's taste it.
07:23Hello?
07:31Sir, that's not how you do it.
07:34Sir, that's not how you do it.
07:36How do you do it?
07:38You poke it.
07:40You poke it?
07:42It's really hard to get the meat of the longline fish.
07:44It's really hard to get the meat of the longline fish.
07:46That's why the style of the locals,
07:48they use carayom or perdible.
08:02Why did you eat the skin?
08:04This is not it?
08:06Why did you eat the skin?
08:08Is this what you're going to eat?
08:10Yes, just the meat.
08:15Is it good?
08:18It's sweet.
08:20Crunchy.
08:22Thank you, Ma'am.
08:25Definitely, there's no fishiness, no unpleasant aftertaste,
08:29sweet, crunchy,
08:31the ginger aftertaste is delicious.
08:36What time is it?
08:38Tourists are welcome here in Occidental Mindoro.
08:41You can go on a nature-tripping,
08:43or staycation with the fam.
08:47Even if there's an airport here,
08:49there's still a cheap way to go to Occidental Mindoro,
08:52by riding a Roro.
08:54From Calatagan Port in Batangas,
08:56it's a 2-hour trip from Roro to Calapan Port in Oriental Mindoro.
09:01While in Roro, you can do sightseeing,
09:04food trip,
09:06or get some sleep.
09:08From Oriental Mindoro,
09:09it's a 4-5-hour land travel to Occidental Mindoro.
09:17Aside from the adventure with the locals we did earlier,
09:23there are also aesthetic attractions here in Occidental Mindoro,
09:30just like this farm in Barangay San Isidro.
09:34Their flower garden is sold out to tourists.
09:39There's also a pick-and-pay for seasonal fruits.
09:43From January to May,
09:45you can harvest langka and kakao here.
09:48What we want to highlight here in the farm,
09:51first of all,
09:53our people are empowered.
09:56From a typical farmer,
09:58we taught them how to graft,
10:00what kind of flowers,
10:02what kind of fruit trees,
10:04that had an impact on the community.
10:05This is also the first flower farm in the entire province of Occidental Mindoro.
10:11They say they put their heart and soul into growing different flavors.
10:18Aside from the mixed fresh fruits,
10:20they also have unique flavors like chili,
10:22durian,
10:24and avocado.
10:26Our guests keep coming back,
10:28wherever they come from,
10:30to the other side of Mindoro,
10:32to Occidental Mindoro.
10:33They keep coming back here,
10:35because our mixed fruits are really delicious.
10:37You can buy mixed fruits from Php 80 to Php 200,
10:41depending on the size and flavor.
10:44But here's a tip,
10:46come here when the sun sets.
10:48You'll get the perfect sunset spot.
10:54Aside from beautiful scenery,
10:56and delicious food,
11:00Occidental Mindoro is also different,
11:01for those who want to visit.
11:05The locals of San Jose,
11:07is a group that has a special place in the hearts of the locals.
11:11Meet Team Harabas,
11:13a group of fishermen,
11:15who are loud and proud from Occidental Mindoro.
11:19From catching fish,
11:21fishing,
11:26fishing,
11:32woohoo!
11:34to cooking,
11:36and fishing,
11:38their followers are really hooked.
11:43Now, they have more than 2 million followers
11:46on their social media platforms,
11:48and their main YouTube channel
11:50already has 628 million views.
11:54Today,
11:56we'll take them to Mangarin River,
11:58where Malabanos eel is caught.
12:02At first glance,
12:04it looks like a snake,
12:06which is longer than a human,
12:08but it's not a snake,
12:10it's a type of eel,
12:12that lives in rivers connected to the sea,
12:14or in mangrove forests.
12:16It can grow up to 14 feet long,
12:18and can be eaten.
12:20To catch Malabanos,
12:22we'll dig under the river
12:24to find the hole where they live.
12:27We found a hole of Malabanos,
12:28so we'll dig under the river
12:30to catch Malabanos eel.
12:32We need to secure the bait well
12:34so that when Malabanos eats,
12:36it won't bite the bait.
12:38Once we have the bait,
12:40we'll put it in the hole
12:42in the Malabanos house.
12:44We'll hold it with our hands
12:46because the Malabanos hole is deep,
12:48we need to hold it
12:50so that when we put the bait in,
12:52it'll definitely bite it.
12:54Let's try it.
12:59After we put the bait in the hole,
13:03we'll get some wood
13:05and put it near the Malabanos hole.
13:11We're holding the bait
13:13so that when Malabanos eats,
13:15it won't bite the bait.
13:17We'll also put a white bait.
13:19Once it bites the bait,
13:21it means that Malabanos
13:23will eat the bait.
13:29To make sure,
13:31we'll repeat this process
13:33in other parts of the river.
13:35There's a hole!
13:37In the second hole,
13:39the team is in front of it.
13:43Even though it's a signal
13:45that Malabanos bit the bait,
13:47they still need to wait
13:49for 3 to 5 minutes.
13:51For now,
13:53it's still biting the bait.
13:55We'll wait for it to eat
13:56the bait before we put it in the hole.
13:58But after waiting,
14:00It bit the bait.
14:02Look, it cut its head off.
14:04It's smart.
14:06More than a dozen fish
14:08were caught here
14:10in the Mangarin River.
14:12But after 2 hours of waiting,
14:14none of the Malabanos
14:16bit the bait.
14:18Sometimes, there are holes
14:20that Malabanos left behind.
14:22Will they be successful
14:24in catching Malabanos?
14:26We're not sure
14:28if we'll be caught or not.
14:36To make it worth it,
14:38they also started
14:40to catch fish
14:42that they can eat.
14:45They also started to cook it
14:47to eat while waiting.
14:50But while cooking,
14:52there's a catch
14:54that dropped the bait.
14:57Because the Malabanos
14:59looks big,
15:01they need to climb on the boat
15:03to have more strength to pull.
15:05There!
15:07Catching Malabanos
15:09is a success!
15:11Even though it's almost
15:13as long as a human,
15:15it's just big in size.
15:17In the season of Malabanos,
15:19we caught a lot
15:21and now,
15:23we're not that lucky.
15:24But still, we're together.
15:26Malabanos' catch
15:28was also repeated
15:30on their YouTube channel.
15:33That's why it's considered
15:35as their favorite
15:37because they still receive
15:39millions of views
15:41every time they upload it.
15:44They also tried to cook
15:46a lot of dishes in Malabanos.
15:50But for us,
15:52Sweet and Sour
15:54we'll make a fillet
15:56of Malabanos.
15:58We'll dip it in egg,
16:00add breading,
16:02and fry it.
16:04In a pan,
16:06we'll saute ginger,
16:08garlic,
16:10and onion.
16:12We'll add bell pepper,
16:14carrots,
16:16and sweet and sour sauce.
16:18We'll also add oyster sauce
16:20and next,
16:22we'll add Malabanos fillet.
16:24Sweet and Sour Malabanos
16:26will be included in the boodle fight
16:28that we'll celebrate.
16:30There's also Alimango,
16:32Sugpo,
16:34and Tocino Pa.
16:36Yummy!
16:38Because of my trip here in Occidental Mindoro,
16:40I have a meet and greet with Team Harabas.
16:44Freshly caught food.
16:46We won't go back like that.
16:48So,
16:50just watch us eat.
16:52Let's go back to Team Harabas of Occidental Mindoro.
16:55To make it worth it,
16:57we'll talk here in Matangkob River.
16:59This is also one of the places
17:01that their group visits.
17:03As you can see,
17:05there's a picturesque view of natural rock formations
17:07that can be seen at the foot of Mountain Ridge
17:09in Sitio Imoc.
17:11The best thing to do here
17:13is to rent floating cottages
17:15while eating and enjoying
17:17the fresh air.
17:19Let's talk about
17:21how Team Harabas started.
17:23Actually, Harabas is my codename.
17:25Harabas is a slang term
17:27that can be used anywhere.
17:29Anytime, anywhere?
17:31Yes.
17:33So, if you're wearing flip-flops,
17:35you can use it as Harabas.
17:37Correct.
17:39There are 11 members of Team Harabas
17:41that are often featured in vlogs.
17:52We are Team Harabas!
17:55So, you started fishing?
17:57Yes, we fish.
17:59Our family has a fishing background.
18:01I used to take classes
18:03so that I can fish.
18:05My parents thought
18:07that I was in school.
18:09I was absent, but I still caught fish.
18:11That's how I like it.
18:13The truth is,
18:15Jeff's brothers,
18:17aka Harabas,
18:19are some of the members of Team Harabas.
18:21Their parents
18:23helped them finish their studies.
18:25Before going to vlogging,
18:27the brothers worked
18:29in different parts of the world.
18:31I'm a professional accountant.
18:33Accountant? So, you're a CPA?
18:35I'm not a CPA yet.
18:37But still, I'm an accountant.
18:39We went abroad for 4 years.
18:42I was also an accountant in Dubai.
18:44In Dubai?
18:46They came back to the Philippines
18:48when they realized
18:49that they lost their family.
18:51It was unfortunate.
18:53They lost their family
18:55and when we came back,
18:57we needed a bed rest.
18:59So, we went home.
19:01I told them that
19:03I wanted to do something different.
19:05Because it's a bit of a burnout.
19:07So, you were a bit stressed
19:09working in Dubai?
19:11Yes, in Dubai.
19:15After coming back to the Philippines,
19:17Jeff thought
19:19that he can't fish.
19:21Not even one fishing rod?
19:23But this time,
19:25he thought of vlogging.
19:27What's up, Harabas?
19:29In this episode,
19:31you'll join us
19:33to catch some fish.
19:35Before I came back here,
19:37when I was still in Dubai,
19:395 months before,
19:41I already planned it.
19:43You already had a master plan?
19:45Yes, a bit.
19:46He's the one who asked for the budget.
19:48So, you really didn't start...
19:51Okay, let's just shoot this.
19:53You really thought that
19:55we can make money from this?
19:57Yes, I really planned it.
19:59We were just there in Dubai.
20:01At first, it was just me,
20:03my brother, and my cousin.
20:05And then, after a month,
20:07I added more people.
20:09After a year, we were complete.
20:11We don't have a winner here.
20:13It took 7 months
20:15and now,
20:17they earn 6 digits per month.
20:19Since we like what we're doing,
20:21and the river and the sea are available,
20:25we don't have much pressure.
20:28Actually, before,
20:30we upload every 3 days.
20:32And then, our viewers
20:34requested to do it daily.
20:37So now, we're doing it daily.
20:39Their group also has a division.
20:41We have a river team and a sea team.
20:42Okay.
20:44The sea team are the ones
20:46who really like the sea.
20:48And for the river team,
20:50our brother is one of them.
20:52He doesn't really like the sea.
20:54And my brother, he doesn't know how to swim.
20:56So, they're just in the river.
21:02What has changed
21:04in your life,
21:06in your outlook, overall?
21:09Financially,
21:10somehow,
21:12we're able to provide for each family.
21:14Yes.
21:16But the most significant
21:18change for us,
21:20especially for our siblings,
21:22is that we don't have to
21:24separate.
21:26Because before, we used to be separated.
21:28They're in Marikina.
21:30Harabay,
21:32Manche,
21:34he's in Marcosia.
21:36How many months, a year, right?
21:38Yes.
21:40But now, we're together.
21:42So, we don't have to,
21:44you know,
21:46we're just focused on vlogging.
21:48So, we're together.
21:50That's one of the good things
21:52about vlogging.
21:54The good thing is that
21:56you're okay.
21:58Because we know a lot of people
22:00who are not okay,
22:02especially when they're old
22:04and they're talking about money.
22:06But the important thing is
22:08when it comes to that,
22:10who would have thought
22:12that these content creators
22:14are sharing their livelihood
22:16in the province?
22:18There's a literal solid brotherhood.
22:20Nice one, team.
22:24Have you tried lechong manok
22:26but with tocino?
22:28Hey, I think you can.
22:30They have that here in Occidental Mindoro.
22:32Tourists also invite them here
22:34so we thought,
22:36why don't we make the whole lechong manok
22:38into a tocino flavor?
22:40You can buy it for P320
22:42and P165 for half of the chicken.
22:45The lechong manok we used
22:47is the same as the tocino in San Jose.
22:51Have you heard of chicken tocino?
22:53Of course.
22:55Have you heard of lechong manok?
22:57Of course.
22:59But have you heard of chicken tocino lechon?
23:01Let's try that.
23:03Wow, it's still alive.
23:06Aha, that's it.
23:08That's what I thought of.
23:10Think about it.
23:12Your favorite is the lechong manok
23:15but it became sweeter.
23:20So, if you like tocino
23:24and you want a healthier alternative
23:28because it's lechon.
23:30Like they say,
23:32when it comes to processed food,
23:34be careful.
23:36But lechong manok
23:38is marinated in sweet tocino.
23:42Alright.
23:44Be patient.
23:46From the last bite
23:48to the adventures that will follow.
23:52As long as you're patient,
23:54there will be good results.
23:56Like this trip to Occidental Mindoro.
23:58Although long,
24:00due to the warm reception
24:02and welcoming of the locals,
24:03it's still worth it.