Ryan
Fauli's Yagting Cultural Heritage Collections
Yagtings are invited to contribute folktales/legend
about the island.
Folktales
On the very first day that Lolo Awing was left
alone by the buccaneers in that island, most of his time were spent praying to God for
help. Thinking that maybe these fish were sent by God to rescue him he slowly walked and
confronted the fish. He said to them "If you three were sent by Almighty God to
rescue me, go yonder to that horizon and come back again in this place."
The threesome obeyed his command. Lolo Awing was
still unbelieving, ‘could this be true?’, mesmerized him. Putting his trust and
fate to God, he slowly swim to the three fish waiting for him in the shallows. The three
seems to be ready for their journey back to Banton.
It was then a very calm day and the sea was
silent. Lolo Awing rides on the back of the biggest among the three fish. The remaining
two swim side by side along with them. It was told that upon returning to Banton they
never met any sailboat or ship along the way Even large and predatory kind of fishes such
as threatening sharks dared not cross their path.
Lolo Awing was safely transported
back home. They landed in Yanay - a sitio of Sibay between this barangay and Nasunogan,
another barangay made famous by her big wooden vessels and sailors. Still
unbelieving of what had happened, Lolo Awing fell unto his knees praying and praising God
for His mercy. Glory to God in the Highest.
~~~~The End~~~~
Lolo Awing story depicts the islanders' faith and reverence to God
and the will to survive. These kinds of stories were retold and retold by our parents to
the younger generation. Many incidents or shall I call them miracles that had happened of
which sometimes it's impossible to explain. All of these were attributed to the unseen
hands of the Lord. Such incidents were: A man fell from a coconut tree more than 30 feet
high and suffered dislocated bones and was almost paralyzed. With his faith to God and
with the help of our medicine man in the island the man survived, back to his form without
any trace of dislocated bones. In the island there is no hospital and sometimes when
somebody needs immediate hospital attention the patient must be brought to a hospital in
another remote island separated by rough seas. With the "rinamayan" spirit of
the islanders no storm and rough seas could stop them in bringing the patient to a
hospital even if it means a journey between life and death. There are many incidents like
these that only after such next to impossible feat is accomplished the islanders say,
"It’s a miracle. Glory to God in the Highest". Miracles do happen in the
island.
