Milkfish, dubbed bangus, is known to be the national fish of the Philippines. One can be pretty confident that everyone knows it to be, as everyone knows carabao or kalabaw is the countries’ national animal―Pinoys won’t forget. However, what we ought to know is ‘why?’ Of the thousands and thousands of fishes in the sea, why is bangus considered as the national fish? Some say, 1it represents the versatility of the Filipinos, as it can be cooked in a number of ways. Bangus is also not unique to the Philippines. Accordingto the Food and Agriculture Organization (FOA) of the United Nations, bangus farming started in the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia 400 to 600 years ago. So much for uniqueness or even credit as origin. So what makes bangus deserving the honor? Neither. Bangus is not, and there is no official national fish declared.
National symbols are declared by law. Sampaguita and narra were declared national flower and tree, respectively, by Governor-general Frank Murphy through Proclamation No. 652, in 1934 when the Philippines was still an American colony. The monkey-eating-eagle was renamed Philippine eagle by President Fidel V. Ramos through Proclamation No. 615 in 1995 and declared the Philippines’ national bird. Arnis was declared the national sport via Republic Act. No. 9850 during the term of Gloria Arroyo. But there was never any law that names bangus as the national fish of the Philippines. In fact, there is no law that names any fish as the national fish of the Philippines.
Moreover, “there are many big fish in the sea,” literally. Since the national fish is meant as a symbol, if we go by name and irrespective of geographic origin, we might as well choose the grouper for our national fish. Grouper is lapu-lapu in the Philippines. It was named after Lapu-Lapu, a 16th century ruler of the island of Mactan in the Visayas, known for being the first native to resist Spanish colonization. His resistance gave way to the Battle of Mactan where Ferdinand Magellan was killed.
But if we go by uniqueness, if we are to choose a fish is found nowhere in the world except the Philippines, then, there is only one choice. Tawilis. Tawilis is endemic to Taal Lake in the Philippines. Its existence is part of the mystery and romance surrounding Taal Lake and Volcano.
If a poll were conducted to choose the Philippines’ national fish, I’d vote for tawilis.
That doesn’t mean I don’t like bangus. That firm texture with a mild, sweet taste, suitable for most cooking techniques from soup to frying and grilling. We just love it! And of course, that bangus belly makes it hard to resist!
Well, there are number of reasons to love bangus not just as food.
Although not much is recorded about how these fish communicate with each other during mating or how they interact in their natural habitat. Just like all fish, the milkfish has well-developed sensory organs, including a lateral line system and a great sense of vision. They are mostly open to attacks in the egg, larval, and fry stages. To lessen the effect of predation, milkfish generate large amounts of eggs in deep water. A milkfish’s rate of development seems to be faster at higher temperatures, and those lower than lower than 20°C and up to 22.6°C can cause juveniles to look weak and inactive, making them an easy food for their predators.
Based on studies, parental involvement does not exist once the eggs are released in the water. The shortest documented lifespan of a bangus is three years, and the longest is 15 years.
They are members of the Ostariophysi, thus they create and react to an alarm substance produced when their skin has been injured, mainly by their predator. This substance also serves as a warning for other fish to hide in order to avoid being eaten. How thoughtful!
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