What the Lives of Fireflies Tell Us

Originally Published May 30, 2022

On my most recent trip at the province of Sorsogon, I witnessed a phenomenon that almost felt like a plot twist of a suspense/thriller film that turned into a romantic sci-fi. The municipality of Donsol—aside from being the Whale Shark Capital of the World—hides a grandiose show of light. As a creaky boat carried us through a journey across the brackish water of Ugod river, an eerie feeling filled the air. With the moon being our only source of light, the vessel's engine was shut, and I heard nothing but the boatmen paddling in the same path where the freshwater from the Mayon Volcano and the saltwater of Ticao Pass are shared. It is almost deafening. A piece of peace that any city boy would buy.

While the stars beamed above us, little challengers flickered from afar. Despite it being a trillion times smaller than tons of celestial bodies, it appeared the same before my eyes. Fireflies! I was “starstruck” for the lack of a better term. Then I told myself, “At last! A picture-perfect view that my camera couldn’t capture”. The synchronicity of thousands of lights going on and off almost looked like it was Christmas in May. Too bad, it is a celebration that fireflies would rather miss as their larva stage take 1 to 2 years to complete; only to live for 2 months!

This is when the way of life shook me down to my core. These tiny beings reminded me that no matter how small we are compared to the darkness that surrounds us, our glimmer of hope—regardless of what we go through—must never go bust. For a couple of times, our guide tried to capture a firefly but as he kept it in his hands, its light switch off. A successful act of deception! We thought that it died so we had to let it go. This just proves that the most used language works. It is not English nor Mandarin or Spanish. It is bioluminescence. An ability found in many organisms including bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, and sharks to name a few. There are more than 1,500 known species that luminesce in fish alone. If we compare the number of mankind to bioluminescent organisms, we may finally look cute.

Fireflies’ light is the most efficient light in the world. Almost 100% of the energy in their bodies’ chemical reaction are emitted as light. One of the elements that enable them to produce light is Luciferase; a chemical that is proven to be useful in different scientific research including forensic tests and food safety testing.

As much as we want fireflies to be everywhere, light pollution and habitat destruction are two of the reasons why their population is declining. Again, it exposes how manmade marvels can be harmful to flora and fauna. Let us be mindful that if a community of fireflies gets paved over by modernization, they don’t just move and migrate to other places, they fade forever.

Unlike fireflies, our inner light doesn’t ignite and just die out. It will continuously dazzle until it is seen, felt, and understood by fellowmen. Keep in mind that the brightest spotlight may cause stage fright, but the light that comes from within can blind the darkness around us. Not by quantity but by intensity. Not by popularity but by purpose and not by selfish intent but by the selfless driving force.

As I write this part before my flight back to Manila, one thing is for sure. As simple as it seems, fireflies can spark an inspiration to fight for what is right. No combustible cause can spread like a wildfire until we start illuminating someone at arm's length. You call the shots, blaze, and fly firefly!

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