Uncle D’s passion is D backbone of D museum

UNSA’Y mas delikado, pating o lubi? That’s Darrell Blatchley speaking in fluent Bisaya asking a group of tourists what is more dangerous, a shark or a coconut.

Fondly called by Dabawenyos as Uncle D (pronounced locally as ang-kol dee), Blatchley would further explain that in 2011, out of the six billion people in the world only six died of shark attack in the whole world while pointing at the jaw bones of various sharks species hanging in one of his many displays.

In the same year, he said, “Sa Pilipinas, 160 katao napatay tungod kay natagakan ug lubi.” Indeed, coconuts caused more death to human than sharks.

Uncle D loves to tell stories like this as well as the sad tales of “Alcoholic” and “Orbit.” Alcoholic is a false killer whale and Orbit is a pygmy sperm whale. Both are now attractions at D’Bone Museum.

When Alcoholic was found, she had a full stomach with six barracudas, one lapu-lapu and one maui maui. Also found inseide her is a green plastic bottle of rubbing alcohol that blocked her entestines, causing her to stave to death.

Like Alcoholic, Orbit was also found dead lying on the beach with white plastic bottle of Orbit chewing gum blocking her entestine. The actual bottles of  alcohol and gum are also displayed at the museum to serve as grim reminder that a piece of trash thrown into the ocean can be fatal to marine life.

Like the name of his museum suggests, Uncle D is a hardcore bone collector. He narrated another story. He once visited a bone museum in Manila and found out that he has more bones in his personal collection than the ones he saw in the said national musem.

“Naulaw ko kay mas daghan pa ko ug collection than the ones they have,” he said. But don’t get it wrong. Uncle D does not wish these heavenly creatures to die so that he can add them to his collection.

It is his advocacy to help preserve the environment and protect the endangered animals. Uncle D explains that the specimens that he collects are from generous friends whose pets have died or from people who find dead animals in the shorelines or in the wild.

His one sentiment, however, is that government agencies like the DENR would rather burn valuable artifacts like the elephant tusks than donate them to museums like the one he has.

Uncle D’s passion other than collecting bones is educating the young.  “I hope that through this museum, I can help educate people  on how we can preserve and conserve our remaining natural resources, particularly the animal species,” he said.

His animated stories and amazing collections make him one effective teacher. That is why everytime a group of students visit his museum, he makes sure that it is he, himself, that would entertain them.

And, of course, he loves to tell anecdotes such as there are unicorns in the ocean (bluespine unicornfish and  humpback unicornfish) and that the world’s longest species of venomous snake (king cobra or banakon) and most venomous snake (sea snake or walo-walo) can be found in the Philippines.

“The venom of the banakon can kill 100 people and the venom of the walo-walo can kill 1,000,” Benchley said. “So, anong gusto mo? Mapatay ka ng banakon o mapatay ka ng walo-walo? Just the same, patay ka pa rin,” he said, jokingly.

Uncle D is a  son of American missionaries from Idaho. The family moved to the Philippines  when he was 15. He is married to a Filipina, Mary Gay, with whom he has two sons.

His facination to the skeletal remains of animals began when he was five years old. Now he owns a museum which is currently under renovation to accomodate more collections that are slated to arrive.

Now he has more than 500 specimens in the museum. D’ Bone Collector Museum Inc. is located at San Pedro Ext. (Bucana). Brg 76-A, Family Circus Compund in Davao City.

Nakakita ka na ba ng clown knife fish?

NAGHIHINTAY sa inyo ang clown knife fish na ito sa Las Farolas. Ang clown knife fish o featherback at marami pang ornamental freshwater species na may iba-ibang anyo, laki at  katangian ay kinagigiliwan ng mga bumibisitang turista at mag-aaral sa naturang museo ng river monsters.

Ang Las Farolas ay  katabi ng Tiendesitas sa Frontera Verde Drive, Ortigas Ave., Pasig City. Ang makinis at maalong galaw ng clown knife fish, ang kanyang mahaba, tapered at laterally compressed na palikpik sa kanyang ilalim na gilid na kahintulad ng isang household knife at pattern ng mga spots sa kanyang gilid na dumarami habang siya’y lumalaki (kaya tinawag na clown knife fish).

Ang clown knife fish ay nagmula sa India, Thailand, Borneo, Malaysia at Singapore.  Para sa karagdagang kaalaman, tumawagsa 5717634-35, o bisitahin www.lasfarolas.com.

Tuloy ang mga  festival sa Mindanao

KAHIT pa may mga insidente ng pagsabog at pagbomba sa Mindanao ay magpapatuloy pa rin ang mga festival sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng rehiyon.

Noong isang linggo ay tagumpay na idinaos ang Kadayawan sa Davao City. Bagaman nagdalawang isip ang mga organizers at government leaders kung itutuloy ba ang naturang selebrasyon ay natuloy pa rin ang pinakaaabangang street dance at float parade.

Maging ang Department of Tourism sa Region 12 ay walang balak na ikansela ang Kalivungan Festival sa North Cotabato.
Humingi naman ng tulong ang DOT 12 sa pulis at militar para sa karagdagang seguridad para sa Kalivugan Festival.

Sa General Santos City, tuloy din ang Tuna Festival sa Setyembre 4-6 at ang Tourism Summit sa  Setyembre 24-26. Kasalukuyan na ring inaayos ang daan papuntang New Israel, Makilala kung saan matatagpuan ang isa sa pinakamahabang zipline sa bansa at jumpoff point ng mga umaakyat sa Mt. Apo.

Sa Cagayan de Oro City, mayroon din silang Kagay-an Festival kung saan ibinabandera ng mga taga-rito ang kanilang kultura, sining, produkto at pagkain.