Gasan, Marinduque-The Butterfly Capital of the Philippines

A Butterfly at our Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration in the Hands of Elaine King-my granddaughter from California.

Do you know that Marinduque is the butterfly capital of the Philippines? Gasan one of the six towns in Marinduque is considered as the butterfly capital of the Philippines, contributing 85% of the country’s butterfly and pupa exports. More than three-fourths of the butterfly breeders nationwide are based largely in this town and neighboring villages. Butterfly farming started only recently but is fast becoming an international growth industry with estimates of 100 million pesos worth of exports. Here's a little more information about Gasan, sometimes known also as the cultural center of Marinduque.
The New Butterfly Park in Gasan

Gasan is practically one of those overlooked towns in the country, unless you go out of your way and spend time to venture into this quaint little town. In fact its 11,830 hectares of land area is considered to be one of the cleanest municipalities in the country today. It is one of the six municipalities of the province of Marinduque.

Legend attributes the name to “Gasang-Gasang, the local term for coral stones, that once abounds near the mouth of the Matandang Gasan River. The bank of this old river is widely believed to be the site of the earliest settlements in the island. In time, the said coral stones would be used by the natives as fortification to the walls surrounding the church and convent built on a hill. These walls, fragments of which exists to this very day eventually formed into a baluarte where a church and convent was formed to create the town known today as Gasan.
Here's one of Marinduque's tourist impression during her tour to one of the Butterfly Farms in Gasan.

"We went to a cooperative butterfly farm, called Marinduque Lepidoptera Farms (gardenfairybutterfly@yahoo.com) in Barangay Uno Gasan where we found the butterflies so friendly. Mrs. Emer Sevilla, the person in charge of the butterfly cooperative, each gave us one live butterfly in a triangular envelope and said that based on a local legend, If I wanted to make a wish come true, I should whisper this wish to the butterfly before setting it free. The butterfly is supposed to take my wish to the heavens where it will then be granted. Be as it may, I made the ritual and instantly, gave me that feeling of hope".
Here's a music video that reminds me about Marinduque as the Butterfly Capital of the Philippines. I hope you enjoy this music video.

Getting Interested on Butterflies? Here's a short video on how to create a butterfly garden in your own yard.