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Popular Destinations Bulusan Barcelona Sorsogon City Matnog Prieto Diaz Gubat Sta Magdalena Pilar Magallanes
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East Sorsogon Whaleshark
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Considered the biggest fishes in the world, a large pod of Whale Sharks (scientific name: Rhincodon typus), locally known as Butanding, converge annually just at the mouth of the long and winding Donsol River in the Municipality of Donsol. This phenomenon occurs starting October of each year, and peaks during the months of February, March, April and May. It is believed that these Whale Sharks, about 30 to 40 of them at any one time, converge off the Donsol waters to feed on plankton, krill and juvenile fish, which are the only food of these giant fishes. In spite of their awesome size, the Whale Sharks are gentle and harmless and allow humans to swim or interact with them. This phenomenon, found only in the waters off Sorsogon, particularly Donsol, has attracted hundreds of tourists around the world eager to interact with these gentle giants of the sea. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Astillero
Astillero is Spanish for ‘shipyard’. And the Astillero of Donsol, located in Barangay Dancalan, just across the Donsol wharf, is believed to be one of the biggest shipyards in this part of the country during the time of the Spaniards. But what is even more interesting about this Dancalan Astillero is that it doubled as a metalworks site, which makes it the only one of its kind discovered so far in the country to this day. This, according to archeologists from the National Museum. The archeological excavation, which started December 1995, and the discovery of the shipyard and the metal factory on the site was made through the joint efforts of the Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Council, the Sorsogon Arts Council and the National Museum, with funding from the Department of Tourism. Uncovered on the site is a rectangular concrete structure, believed to be the remains of what was once the metalworks factory or smelting shop. Many artifacts and ecofacts were unearthed from the site by archeologists of the National Museum. This only proves the folk story that once upon a time in the past, Donsol was populated by expert metalworkers and smelters. The name Donsol itself is an old Bikol word for “anvil”, the heavy metal block used by smithies to hammer and fashion iron sheets into nails, bolts, blades, spears, etc. Even the name of the barangay where the Astillero is located – Dancalan – refers to the Dancalan Tree, a hardwood tree preferred by shipbuilders for the construction of those magnificent Spanish galleons. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Panlatuan Panlatuan, in Pilar town, is another Spanish Astillero or shipyard, and presumably, another metalworks factory, similar to that of Dancalan in Donsol, although smaller in scale. At the site are the ruins of what looks like a fort – thick stone walls all around. In the middle of this surrounding walls is a domed stone structure that appears like a kiln that can fire either clay or stoneware, or metals. This kiln-like structure is still intact. Documented historical accounts show that it was here where the revolt of the Sorsogon people against Spain started. It was sometime in August 1898 when the workers at the shipyard cried “Revolution!”, took up arms, and killed the shipyard’s Spanish administrator, together with his four assistants. From Panlatuan, revolutionary activities rapidly spread throughout the province, forcing the Spaniards to hastily abandon the province and the rest of the Bicol Region. |
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