Carlos Aga is one of the best surfers in Borongan — a legend in Eastern Samar surfing folklore.

A pioneer and pillar of the local surfing community, Carlos is a keeper of secrets — of breaks and surfing spots from the channels to the outer islands, a lifetime of discoveries made by exploring the 100-kilometer stretch of coastline of Eastern Samar since the 1990s.

“There is a need to change the image of the surfer. People used to look down on surfing because they couldn’t see what it was for. They thought we were just being reckless.”

#ProjectLarawan. Profiles of the Filipino. One portrait at a time.

Project Larawan is an initiative of Gabriel “Gabby” Malvar, a documentary filmmaker, writer and photographer, whose narratives are nuanced with unique, inventive perspectives to provoke an inquisitive look at his favorite subject, the Philippines. Become a part of Filipino identity every other Saturday on the DAILY TRIBUNE.

The third largest lake in Mindanao located in Maguindanao/Sultan Kudarat is the source of tilapia and other fresh fish found in Gensan. The lake is dominated by fish-pens and houses on stilts. It is said that the use of static structures for fishing along with deforestation could threaten the long-term prospects of the lake.