The island communities celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist (San Juan) every 24th of June by going out to the sea with their families. Despite knowing that their home would also be flooded while they are away, Servillana’s family continue to cheerfully observe the long-standing tradition. They reveal their resilient spirit, assured by the thought that the tide will inevitably ebb at the end of the day.
Although the mass migration theory claims that communities living in low-lying islands will inevitably relocate away from their homes as a result of sea level rise, the communities of Tubigon so far continue living on their islands, striving to maintain their cultural practices and social relations despite the challenges of tidal flooding. This shows that, compared to sea level rise, the communities’ sense of identity and attachment to place could play a greater role in their final decision to relocate or not.