Suluan Island
Encyclopedia
Suluan Island is a small island in the Philippines
, in the province
of Eastern Samar
. It lies east of Leyte Gulf
, near Homonhon Island
and Calicoan Island
.
It was the first ever landing place of Ferdinand Magellan
's Armada after their 98 days Pacific crossing although Samar was their first land sighting. Samar did not have a safe harbor. "They headed to Suluan and dropped anchor for a few hours of respite." (source: Laurence Bergreen's Over the Edge of the World). They then next dropped anchor at Homonhon Island, where they spent a week with the natives, and then to Limasawa, where the 1st ever Christian mass was held March 31, 1521. The name of the Suluan Island might be derived from the Sulu People - from the word Suluan or Suan meaning to light the lamp or candle. Suluan is also name to the People living in Sulu Archipelago - the Tausug together with the ethnic tribes here. (The term "Sulu" means a torch, the one used to give light. Since the island of "Suluan" functions as a Lighthouse island in that part of the Pacific Ocean, thus, the name "Suluan" means appropriately as the place where the lighthouse is,,,and more specifically " The Lighthouse Island". Naming the island according to the Sulu people, The Tausog, is quite far from the truth, except otherwise if the island was once a territory of this tribe. But history says otherwise since the Tausog tribe inhabits the far southwest part of the Philippine Islands, that is, at the westernmost area of the Island of Mindanao.)
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, in the province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar
Eastern Samar is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Borongan.-Location:...
. It lies east of Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, near Homonhon Island
Homonhon Island
Homonhon Island is an island in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines, on the east side of Leyte Gulf. It is about 20 km long.-History:...
and Calicoan Island
Calicoan Island
Calicoan Island is a Philippine island, and is part of the town of Guiuan, in the province of Eastern Samar. It lies east of Leyte Gulf, off the southeast point of Samar.The island can be reached from Tacloban City by a two-hour bus ride.-External links:*...
.
It was the first ever landing place of Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
's Armada after their 98 days Pacific crossing although Samar was their first land sighting. Samar did not have a safe harbor. "They headed to Suluan and dropped anchor for a few hours of respite." (source: Laurence Bergreen's Over the Edge of the World). They then next dropped anchor at Homonhon Island, where they spent a week with the natives, and then to Limasawa, where the 1st ever Christian mass was held March 31, 1521. The name of the Suluan Island might be derived from the Sulu People - from the word Suluan or Suan meaning to light the lamp or candle. Suluan is also name to the People living in Sulu Archipelago - the Tausug together with the ethnic tribes here. (The term "Sulu" means a torch, the one used to give light. Since the island of "Suluan" functions as a Lighthouse island in that part of the Pacific Ocean, thus, the name "Suluan" means appropriately as the place where the lighthouse is,,,and more specifically " The Lighthouse Island". Naming the island according to the Sulu people, The Tausog, is quite far from the truth, except otherwise if the island was once a territory of this tribe. But history says otherwise since the Tausog tribe inhabits the far southwest part of the Philippine Islands, that is, at the westernmost area of the Island of Mindanao.)