At the time, there were no resorts or designated beaches in the area. It was just us. No one else. Sabang beach on the Philippine Sea was like a private beach.

I remember going there when I was young, maybe I was 10 (or 11) with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and lola. We’d go to Sabang beach to go swimming or to picnic. Because some of us didn’t know how to swim, we’d fill car inner tubes with air and use them as floating rafts. Some of us were small and two of us could fit in one. One time, we stayed out for so long I remember coming back with sun blisters.

I remember seeing the fishermen from the market along the beach too. They’d walk slowly with a big distance in between them where the net would drag slightly behind them. The water was quite warm too. It was a nice green and blue colour and quite calm.

Now, the beach is almost gone because of the rising tide. The river and the sea have flooded closer together washing away the beach.