Wail much?
Oslob is in the limelight once again, because we showed the “Oslobanon hospitality” to the five visiting Miss Universe candidates: China, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand (who turned out to be halfPinay) and the Philippines, by letting them “bond” with the whale sharks.
A mix of irritation, sadness and amusement filled our hearts upon hearing and reading negative comments from environmentalists and netizens who showed concern and worry over what they perceive as harm done to the gentle giants.
Oslob has since been exercising utmost caution and care in interacting with the whale sharks and following what experts and authorities have been telling the residents, especially the boatmen, on what and what not to do.
So it’s quite surprising why these old issues have been taken up again. Are the concerned citizens new to the scene? Most probably.
As a backgrounder, the whale sharks have already been roaming the shallow waters of Oslob and nearby areas (remember the stranded whale shark in the adjacent town of Boljoon?) since way back when. The whale shark watching area is not fenced or whatever, and so the migratory characteristic of the whale sharks is well preserved.
In my pre-school years, I can still recall vividly how my late fisherman uncle Biyong would grumble upon returning home for having zero catch due to the presence of the whale sharks, as the latter prey on the smaller fishes which my uncle was targeting to catch.
The planktons that experts say abound in Oslob and other factors—and certainly not the tiny shrimps which the boatmen throw to the water to lure (not exactly to “feed”) the whale sharks to surface—are the reasons why the friendly giants “stay” in Oslob.
In addition, their staying close to the shores of Oslob protect them from being butchered by fishermen from other places who could not care less about preserving endangered species but are only after the money they can make out of their catch.
The whale sharks are gifts of nature and the Almighty and, as such, they are being nurtured and taken care of. For sure, other places have also their own gifts that residents may not be aware of or may just have taken for granted.
Look around you and discover, then find ways how these gifts can be packaged to draw excited tourists to watch them. As Department of Tourism Undersecretary Kat de Castro said on TV, “let’s stop bickering,” as what they are doing is to promote the entire country to the world.
It’s now sure. Vice Ganda will be in town on Sun., Dec. 18, and will meet his fans at Ayala Center Cebu at 4 p.m. to thank them for patronizing his and Coco Martin’s latest movie The Super Parental Guardians.
Meanwhile, Joshua Garcia, Julia Barreto and Ronnie Alonte, the leads of Vince & Kath & James which is Star Cinema’s entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival, are also coming to Cebu on Thursday, Dec. 22. They’ll be at SM Seaside City Cebu at 4 p.m. See you there! Vince & Kath & James will open on Dec. 25.
Marco Gallo, the Filipino-Italian ex- Pinoy Big Brother Teen housemate, is the celebrity guest of Ms. Rosemarie Gaisano on Dec. 23 for the A Million Thanks raffle promo. Marco is going to pick out the lucky ticket of the shopper who’s going to win, if I’m not mistaken, a brand new car.
Marco is also going to delight the crowd with a couple of songs at the Gaisano Country Mall during the raffle.
Jordan Herrera made good on his promise to come back to Oslob after the basketball match between the Celebrity Team versus Oslob’s Tuki Team. He participated in the first Mayor Jun Tumulak Motocross competition. I’m not sure if he made it to the winners circle though.
Casa Gorordo reopened last Nov. 29 after undergoing enhancements for almost three years. It has additional artifacts and now has interactive presentations.
The museum shop, which also underwent enhancements, offers Casa Gorordo branded merchandise that are not available elsewhere. Visiting the museum and the shop can prove to be a memorable experience.