Binis na Minas (Yaman ng Minas)

 Binis na Minas (Yaman ng Minas)

(Natural Resources: Bodies of Water)

Minas is formerly a mining site in Brgy. Sapang that has turned into a pond. Located near the old train railway system, the area is in the middle of farmlands planted with corn and rice, native trees and shrubs. Located a bit far from the main road, it can only be reached via a muddy and steep drive.

Approximately 270 square meters in area and at times up to 40 feet in depth, it is a private property but it is open to the public for swimming and fishing. It is currently under the supervision of Mr. Rudy C. Taguiang, the caretaker of the site for more than six years.

Currently the pond is only about 15-20 feet deep but still rich in fish such as tilapia, hito, and dalag. According to the locals, the water in Minas never runs out even during the dry season. Nearby residents can still harvest up to one banyera of fish.

The pond is used for bathing farm animals as well.

During the Japanese period, a group of Japanese men reportedly visited the area, and it served as their hide-out where they attempted to bury a treasure. Years passed, and information about this hidden treasure circulated around the area. A Filipino man named Franklin, together with his Japanese companions, reportedly were the very first to recover the treasure. They used different equipment to mine the treasure that lay underneath the grounds of Sapang. According to the elders in the area, the group of miners offered a sacrifice in exchange for the wealth -- the life of a young girl -- because it was strongly believed that, in order to acquire the treasure, a sacrifice was needed. After successfully doing so, they took off with the riches.

According to Taguiang, a young maiden now serves as a “bantay” (invisible guardian) and protects the area. Cases of drowning had taken place here, however, but there were no reported accidents other than those. Most recently, another group of miners allgedly attempted to acquire the treasure that was left beneath Minas.

The area around Minas is a calming vision of grasslands and pockets of wide spaces where one can enjoy fresh, cool breeze. Visitors use this site as location for photoshoots and landscape photography.

The Minas also serves as a catchbasin during the rainy season and thus helps control the ocassional flooding in the community and nearby barangays.

KEY INFORMANT/S: Mr. Rody C. Taguiang; 75 years old, caretaker of Minas

NAME OF PROFILER/MAPPER: Mrs. Rowena A. Delos Reyes, Ms. Jamilla S. Karim, Kirsten Gail G. Duque, Mica Pontaoe, Mikka Dianne Soriano, Rochelle Verseles, Jan Ivy Taluban

DATE PROFILED: June 9, 2019