WHALE SHARK AND SUMILON ISLAND

Waiting for the shark to arrive...

The tremors of the recent quake rattled our senses and made unpleasant thoughts of a world's end. For this reason, another getaway for me was given a nod by the management. haha!

In my last posts, I've mentioned being in Tan-awan, Oslob for whale shark watching twice already, but have not seen the giants. The first time was a wrong time--we arrived in the afternoon and the feeding is in the morning. The second time was a wrong time still for it was a holiday--even if we arrived at dawn, people near and far have their tickets. 

And since anything that happens twice is likely gonna happen again, I went there again. This time I was able to experience and had the bragging rights for it.

I remember "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold...

Briefing with the do's and don't's... The way she reads the reminders is entertaining... :))

Tan-awan shoreline...really, the south is the place where mountains and beaches meet...

Here's Lukas... The fishermen named the sharks. This one is identified through the scars near its mouth. 

They come and follow outriggers for a treat of smelly krill...

See??? Here's a proof I've been there...


After a few minutes watching, we opted to hire a motorized boat to take us to Sumilon, the island nearby.

Sunflower...yeah, that's the boat...

SAN GUILLERMO DE AQUITANIA MAY NOT BE DALAGUETE'S PATRON SAINT!!! .

The Bearded Defender... According to legend, a giant bearded guy, believed to be San Guillermo, stood at the shore carrying a cannon which prompted the Japanese soldiers to land in another town during WWII.

SAN GUILLERMO DE ERMITANIO in the niche found in the second level of Dalaguete church facade... He is holding a cross, skull, and a chain... Below his niche is The Royal Coat of Arms of Spain... Symbolizes the Patronato Royal extended by His Majesty to the pueblo of Dalaguete... Below the royal seal is the emblem of the Augustian Order who ordered the church construction... It shows a flaming heart pierced with arrows adorned with a friar's hat and tassels...

Who is the San Guillermo venerated in Dalaguete? This question has always been raised by Dalaguetnons. Is he St. William of Gellone, Duke of Aquitania? Or is he St. William of Maleval, the Hermit?? 

The last two questions above are very legitimate. This is primarily because of this confusion: our parish is called SAN GUILLERMO DE AQUITANIA, but our feast day is February 10 which is the feast of St. William of Maleval (St. William of Aquitania has his feast day every May 28). Would you just scratch your head and say, "I-reconcile nalang na!" No, no, I'm afraid we have to think it over and decide who is really our town patron saint... IS HE WILLIAM OF AQUITANIA OR WILLIAM OF MALEVAL???

Let me answer this question, and I beg our church officials to consider, and you to decide. 

My answer is just simple. Read the "Gozos" or sing if you are so inclined. All information about the epic-proportioned life of Guillermo is found in there. 

THE GOZOS TALKS ABOUT: 

- a man whose philosophy is eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die, an epicurean philosopher who loves vices 

- a man who was converted and was ordered by a pope (Eugenio/Innocencio) to visit the Holy Land 

- a man who lived in caves after contrite repentance for sins as a hermit (ermitanyo) 

- a man venerated as a saint by the Augustinian Friars 

NOW READ THE FOLLOWING LIVES: 

ST. WILLIAM OF GELLONE DUKE OF AQUITANIA 

(http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2134) 

Feastday: May 28 

Knight and Benedictine monk, the son of Count Thierry of Toulouse. William was a member of the famed court of Charlemagne (r. 768-814). He was named duke of Aquitaine and chosen to lead a campaign against the Saracens in southern France. He defeated the Islamic Saracens in this campaign. Throughout his military career, he displayed exemplary chivalry and was honored as the ideal knight. However, he gave up the sword and became dedicated to the promotion of the faith. William founded a monastery at Gellone, near Aniane, and with Charlemagne's permission, entered the cornmunity as a monk. The abbey was later renamed SaintGuilhem-du-Desert in his honor. William was also the subject of several medieval romances, including La Prised Orange and Aliseans. He was canonized in 1066. 

ST WILLIAM OF MALEVAL / THE HERMIT / THE GREAT (http://www.midwestaugustinians.org/saints/s_williamhermit.html) 

Feast day: February 10

William was a holy hermit and lover of contemplative prayer. 

Born in France, William led a life of sin as a young man. Following his conversion to Christ, made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Upon his return, he sought a place of solitude in Tuscany, Italy, where he lived as a hermit. He unsuccessfully attempted to bring about reforms in the hermit life there. 

After this failure, he moved to a hermitage at Malavalle, Grossetto, Italy. He remained there, living a life of prayer, silence, fasting and penance until his death February 10, 1157. 

He neither founded a Religious Order nor wrote a Rule of life. But two of his followers formed the Order of Saint William, also known as Williamites, shortly after William's death. One of them, named Albert, composed a Rule, which h

e entitled The Rule of St. William. 

At the time of the Augustinian Grand Union in 1256, when many diverse religious groups were incorporated into the Augustinian Order, the Williamites were among those who became Augustinians. 

However, this union did not work well, and many former Williamites withdrew from the Augustinians a short time later. Nevertheless, Augustinians have venerated Saint William since the thirteenth century. 

William the Hermit is also known as William of Malavalle and William the Great. Pope Innocent III canonized him in 1202. 

You will see that the gozos refer largely to William of Maleval not of Aquitania... 

"Ermitanyo kang tinipigan sa mga langub ug kalanguban... 

Bulak ka nga dili malaya sa kang San Bernardo'ng tanamanan..." 

To compare the two, William of Aquitania is a knight, a person of noble character. Unlike William of Maleval who is just well-off, William of Aquitania cannot afford to live a life of sin for he is an adored public figure. Thus, William of Aquitania could not possibly be our happy-go-lucky William... 

Another thing, the Friars who constructed the church and founded our town are Augustinians. In their pantheon, William of Maleval has a very special spot, not William of Aquitania... 

Now, I guess we have to call our parish PAROQUIA DEL SAN GUILLERMO DE MALAVALLE or ST. WILLIAM THE HERMIT PARISH or ST. WILLIAM THE GREAT PARISH and not PARROQUIA DE SAN GUILLERMO DUQUE DE AQUITANIA... Forgive me if I think I am in the light of reason for saying this... :)

#Only recently, a friend of mine from Iponan, Cagayan de Oro posted that their town fiesta is this coming February 10 in honor of San Guillermo de Maleval... :)))