San Julian Eastern Samar

My hometown customarily holds its fiesta every July 15th-16^th in celebration of the feast of Our lady of Seven Dolors.

San Julian being the town proper is politically subdivided into 16 barangays which are also observing their respective fiesta celebration yearly.

photo courtesy of Ken Nicart | https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanjuliananon/

“Patron” in waray-waray dialect is an annual gathering observed by San Juliananons to celebrate the feast of San Julian town proper.

San Julian Parish Church

San juliananons are true to itself as Filipinos known for being hospitable especially during fiesta; this is where relatives, friends, and even a stranger from nearby barangays would ask to dine in and a very much eager host is willing to entertain and share the blessing of the food prepared for visitors. 

Patron is a 2 days celebration, July 15^th or the Vesper Day is opened by an “Alba” or a morning serenade processioned around  town as early as 5:00AM and at around 8:00AM a parade is held around town participated by beautifully dressed children in Grade school level as well as High school students, other recognized organization in the community and the Local Government Officials

The parade is closed by a program at the municipal plaza where contests among schools and band exhibitions are held. And Vesper night is where the famous dance “sarayaw” is enjoyed at the town plaza. “Kaadlawan” or the 2^nd day of Patron is for hosts to welcome their visitors and share a hearty meal. A host will never let a visitor go out of the house hungry :)

After a tiring fiesta celebration San Juliananons are accustomed to still celebrate “liwas” or the 17^th of July at the famous rocky beach spot "Liliputan" with the food left from Patron.

Liliputan Rocky beach resort is an unexploited spot  ideal for diving, snorkeling, kayaking and can even be a haven for surfing enthusiasts.

Interested in visiting San Julian? feel free to leave a comment and I will be more than willing to answer your questions and refer you to the assigned tourism representative in our town.

How to get here:

by plane book your flights here bound to Tacloban airport, trips are scheduled daily

Cebu Pacific| http://www.cebupacificair.com/

Zest Air | http://www.flyzest.com/

Airphil & PAL express |  http://www.flypalexpress.com/index.php/

Tiger Airways | http://www.tigerairways.com/ph/en/

from Tacloban airport take a jeepney bound to downtown Tacloban and asked to drop you off at van terminal bound to Borongan Eastern Samar. 

van transport from Tacloban to Borongan:

Van-vans transport | 

Grandeur transport | (053)3216954 +1415-671-6208

Duptours | phone #: (055) 560-9747

Travel time: approx. 4 hours

from Borongan take a tricycle bound to San Julian

Travel time: 20-30mins

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2nd option: from Tacloban airport take the jeepney bound to downtown Tacloban, from downtown Tacloban ride another jeepney/multicab to Abucay Terminal

from Abucay terminal ride the Mia bus Line bound to Borongan

this route is different from where van transports way are taking, in this route you can get off first at San Julian before Borongan.

Travel by Land from Manila to Borongan:

This is approx. is a 20hrs travel | fare: ranging to Php 1,500.00

take either of this buses from either Dimasalang, Cubao or Pasay terminal choose between with AC or ordinary buses.

**SLEX bound including RORO travel in Matnog Sorsogon

Eaglestar bus Co.

Silverstar bus Co.

Accommodation: You can stay overnight at Casa Oliva San Julian or stay overnight at lodging houses in Borongan.

Copper Mining port ruins (Sulat Eastern Samar)

Growing up in a small town of San Julian Eastern Samar where community is geographically located along the coastline and modestly lurking along the cove of Sulat Eastern Samar and San Julian bay facing the vast Pacific Ocean is quite humbling. Those were the days when we were kids where we used to be amazed at seeing huge tankers docking along “Punta”. 

I can vividly remember how we find the solid honk of an approaching Ship amusing that we hear the ships horn not just signaling the other vessels around but also the children who regale at the view of a massive tanker.

My mom used to tell me that there were ship docking because it collects copper that were mined which I have not paid much attention back then until I noticed somewhere 1988 that I no longer see the port busy.

remains of the port

The copper mining activity was stopped due to environmental hazard. The way in which copper has been traditionally mined has resulted in the production of toxic waste and negative changes to the immediate mine environment and the consequence of the mining process have both acute and chronic effects on the geography, water, vegetation and biological life in the surrounding areas.

photo courtesy of  www.ryot.org mine tailings in a copper mining site in Burma

Some areas within Taft and Sulat Eastern Samar may have experienced the damage but the advantage of the early ceasing of the copper mining activity is now relished by the locales especially fishermen. 

Punta a Spanish term has been named to the port and for someone who is a nature lover like me will appreciate the rustic image of Punta’s ruins. During my vacation this July I tag along with me two of my friends with my old crappy bike to visit Punta for the first time which is roughly 17kms away from our town San Julian…

the bumpy trail

Oh by the way, back then we only use to see the tankers from San Julian’s shoreline to Punta’s shoreline which can be reached by boat for about 15 mins at a 10km distance.

the red dot is where Punta is located while A marks our town San Julian

Here we go....