Danajon Islet

Danajon Islet (also known as Dawahon Islet), is at the easternmost edge of the Danajon Bank. Despite being part of the Province of Bohol, it is only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the shoreline of the Province of Leyte.

The islet is only 5 hectares (12 acres), and has a population of about 10,000+, depending on the time & season of year.

The main & only cash crop for the locals living on the islet is the guso (seaweed), which is grown in the shallow waters of the Danajon Bank, upon which the islet sits. The islet is only 3 meters (10 feet) above sea level, but the Danajon Bank protects it somewhat. There are two large 1,000 feet bamboo docks, for the drying of the guso (seawee) before it is sold. The by-product of the guso (seaweed) is: Carrageenan which was scientifically found to be an excellent stabilizer for toothpaste making; thickener for fire fighting foam, shampoo and cosmetic creams; gel for shoe polish, ice cream, milk shakes, sweetened condensed milk, and sauces and many more. The guso is either sold in Cebu or Cagayan de Oro cities, after it is transported there. It is quite a lucrative cash crop for the islanders there.

There is an elementary school, a church, two basketball courts, one small road, and only one government medical clinic there. The high school children are sent to Hingutanan Island which is about 10 kilometers away by boat. There is a weekly ferry service from this islet to Bato, Leyte, which is 10 kilometers away.

The islet takes its name from the Danajon Bank. A relatively unknown natural treasure is the Danajon Bank, which is the Philippines only double barrier reef and one of the few documented double barrier reefs in the world. A very rare geological formation, it comprises two sets of large coral reefs that formed offshore on a submarine ridge due to a combination of favorable tidal currents and coral growth in the area.

Danajon Bank is home to a vast array of commercially valuable reef fishes, shellfish, crustaceans and invertebrates such as sea cucumbers and sea urchins. Its extensive seagrass beds are nursery and feeding grounds for various species of rabbitfish (siganids) and sea horses, while its mangroves are spawning habitats for crustaceans, shrimps and various fishes.

External links

• Searchable & Clickable Map of Dawahon (Danajon) Islet @ Wikimapia.
• Danajon Bank & islands facts & figures (this is a downloadable PDF)
• Pictures of the Dawahon (Danajon) Barangay Hall & the Dawahon (Danajon) Seawall
• Dawahon island fishermen’s information environment, awareness and coping mechanisms for typhoon-induced risks