AEMILIANUM COLLEGE

Aemilianum College,Sorsogon City

The A.I. of Sorsogon was called Sts. Peter and Paul Technical Institute when the Somascan Fathers took it over from the Diocese of Sorsogon. It was the school year 1985-86 . The first Somascan religious to settle in the school was Fr. Valerio Fenoglio in April 1985; in June of the same year he was joined by Fr. Giovanni Tarditi. They were warmly welcomed by the Bishop, Jesus Y. Varella and the clergy of Sorsogon as well as by the Educational Institutions of Sorsogon Province. The name St. Jerome Emiliani and the Somascan Fathers spread very fast in the Diocese thanks to the well known apostolic, missionary spirit of Fr. Valerio and Fr. Tarditi. In the school they emphasized the celebrations of Mary Mother of Orphans in September and St. Jerome in February. Meanwhile the Major Superiors assigned Fr. Grato Germanetto to the community of Sorsogon when he arrived on April 18, 1986. Few weeks later, May 3, Fr. Tarditi left for Lubao, Pampanga. Fr. Grato was appointed Dean of College. In those days, they were offering only High School and General Radio Comunication (GRCO). For the school year 1986-87 they were expecting to offer also Automotive and Practical Electricity. The facilities were very poor. On September15, 1987, Fr. Ernesto Rusconi became a member of the Community and was appointed Financial Officer of the school. Fr. Ernesto was keen on the practical sides of Administraton and was assigned to Sorsogon in view of the rehabilitation projects already proposed by the Community. The buildings needed repair, but it became a question of life and death just two months later, November. The school administration was dealing with an unpleasant labor problem caused by some teachers who, without any previous signs of dissatisfaction for their employment nor any communication with the administration, requested the Department of Labor and Employment to investigate the school for alleged irregularities. It was November 25, 1987, when the destructive Typhoon Sisang started howling and roaring at 260 Km per hour while the sea, already brimming over, was refusing to receive the downpour of rain from the dark sky. During the night, all the roofs were lifted in the sky and thrown far away, leaving the classrooms and the offices under torrential rains.

At the sight of the collapsing A.I., the teachers dropped their complaint and rolled up their sleeves. Particularly dramatic was the situation of the library and the offices. Mrs. Fabiosa Tan, now at the Provincial Library, is often reminding us the extra long hours in the library trying to rescue the flooded books.
Caught in the dilemma of a drastic decision between rehabilitation or closure, our Superiors had the courage to choose rehabilitation. The whole Somascan Congregation from all over the world joined hands with the community of Sorsogon and the rehabilitation, or better called reconstruction, started. Fr. Ernesto was given the great task of supervising the works.
The reconstruction of the buildings was going on, thanks also to donations from Propaganda Fide, Misere or (from Germany), the SVD Generalate and friends. Also the facilities were replaced . In the field of academics and technology, the Aemilianum Institute started its pioneering mission in Sorsogon, opening the way for Information Technology, November 1988: application for offering Computer Science and license for Radio station. In March 1989, the first Computer Lab was ready with six units.

In In April 1989, the first contacts were taken for the construction of the so-called AIT department, a project realized by the Somascan Fathers with the participation (49%) of the NGO ELIS, under the management of Dr. Maggi and Dr. Magturo, and MERALCO, in order to avail funds from the Italian Government, sector for International Cooperation.

The buildings of the A.I. improved very fast and expanded; also a new Convent, residence for the religious community, was approved and put up. In January 1992, when the new Convent was blessed by Bishop Varela, the Aemilianum was completely reconstituted.

The year 1992 has to be for ever remembered by the A.I. and the Somascan Fathers. On May 14, Bro. Michael Paulete renewed his religious vows at the presence of Fr. General. On July 12, solemn Ground Breaking for the construction of the Technical Dept. was blessed by the Msgr. Varela, Bishop of Sorsogon, at the presence of Doctor Magturo, representing ELIS and Msgr. Francisco Monje, Vicar General. Beginning of December, works started in Pang-Pang for the construction of Casa Miani. But suddenly the death of our Brother, Michael Paulete tested our faith.
Bro. Mike was hit by a bus in a dangerous curve in Putiao, Sorsogon, while he was driving to Legazpi together with Bro. Eugene. They were on their way to Bicol University for their Masteral course. Bro. Mike was the driver and was smashed with the car in the clash; he died two hours later in Albay Hospital. In those days, Fr. Provincial, Gabriele Scotti, was visiting our communities together with Fr. Ernesto Rusconi. According to an old saying, a family doesn't belong to a land till one of its members is buried in it, Bro. Michael is the first Somascan religious buried in Filipino soil.
We must be very thankful to those teachers and personnel who have been loyal to the A.I. almost since its beginnings. We can name: Helen Liao(now Mrs Yuson)1986, Jocelyn Magas(now Mrs De Ramos)1987, Antonio Ebuenga 1988, Sylvia Lasala 1989, Veronica Balgamino (now Mrs Naz) 1989. We cannot forget the loyal part timers like Lydia Aninipot 1986, Dulcissimo Espinola 1986 and Cecil Meneses 1989. To replace Fr. Valerio, the Superior sent Fr. Richard Germanetto, who arrived on November 10, 1995.
At present the Aemilianum community is composed of the following: Fr. Lino Juta,crs, superior; Bro Eugene Libut,crs, director of the school, Fr. Auguto Dingal,crs, principal elementary dept.; Fr. Romeo Sabayton,crs, guidance couselor; Fr. Abraham Arganiosa,crs; Fr. Manuel Quizon,crs; Bro. Federico Balsomo,crs; and Bro. Roland Manago,crs.

Somascan Fathers and Brothers

St. Jerome Emiliani: A Different Kind of Saint
Born in Venice in 1486, the youngest of four brothers, Jerome Emiliani went through an adventurous youth. In 1531 he decided to abandon any military, political, and economical career. Though a layman, he dedicated himself to a unique mission: to share his life with the poor and to build a community with homeless children. His Christian experience took shape inside the Catholic Reformation through the movement of the Divine Love, under the guidance of such illustrious people as Cajetan Thiene (Founder of the Theatines), and John Peter Carafa (Pope Paul IV).
As a member of the Confraternity of the Divine Love, Jerome became a valuable organizer of the works of Charity in Venice (the Hospital of the Incurables and the Shop of St. Rocco). The fame gained in this field took him through the cities of Northern Italy such as Verona, Vicenza, Brescia, Bergamo, Milan, Como, and Pavia. The Bishops of these towns invited Jerome to organize works of mercy in their dioceses.
Around Jerome a group of cooperators started to take shape and some of them decide to take up his lifestyle. Consequently the "Company of the Servants of the Poor" was born. Today, it is called the Congregation of the Somascan Fathers and Brothers. Jerome died in Somasca, February 8, 1537, after having contracted the plague from the sick he was assisting during the epidemic. It was his last supreme gesture of love, according to the command of the Lord to lay down one's life for the others.

IROSIN

HISTORY
Earlier than 1847, Irosin was a far inland valley unspoiled by human settlers and covered by vast forest expanse teeming with wild animals. Irosin was among the last places in the Philippines to be populated. Most of the natives during the early 1800s lived along the coastal areas where it was more accessible to commercial, travel and communication activities at the time.
The place had been an undisturbed sanctuary for wildlife until settlers from Bulusan came in search of wild quarry and rattan. These pioneers, using the slash-and-burn method, cleared a settlement beside a river which gave birth to a clearing called Hin-ay, an Albayanon word which denotes the arrangement of the abaca yarn or tupos into a zigzagging pattern (hinan-ay) in preparation for its actual weaving. Accordingly, the hin-ay or the pattern was the image drawn to connote the waving rivers crisscrossing from the mountains down the valley. In yet another account, the word hin-ay was purported to have been derived from the term an-hay which means gradually ascending. The original settlement which is now called San Agustin is located east of the town proper at a higher elevation, thus the gradual ascent from the lower villages to the then barrio center of San Agustin.
It was in 1847 when Hin-ay was declared a barrio of Bulusan.  The Gobernadorcillo of Bulusan visited Hin-ay and appointed Apolonio Capido as the first barrio lieutenant. Deeply influenced by Catholicism brought by the Spanish friars, the natives of Hin-ay constructed a makeshift chapel and dedicated it to their patron Saint Michael Archangel. As years passed, the original clearing has grown into a bustling community and eventually the settlers requested the church authorities to bestow upon San Miguel a status independent and separate from that of Bulusan. The petition was granted and Holy Masses on Sundays and holidays of obligations were held regularly. In 1876, the Parish of San Miguel was officially recognized with Father Mariano Miranda as its parish priest and consequently, the name Hin-ay was changed to San Miguel. On December 12, 1879, through a Royal Decree executed by the Governor General Domingo Moriones y Murillo, San Miguel became a duly constituted pueblo or town.
During those years Pedro Fruto (1881-1882), Domingo Gamba (1883-1884) and Juan Gallarda (1885-1886) were the public officials who were addressed as Capitanes del Pueblo.  From the year 1880, the town of San Miguel flourished as an independent political unit under the Province of Albay when Sorsogon, until October 10, 1894, was not yet separated from its mother province. The first Guardia Civil came to Irosin in 1883.  Its members were Filipinos headed by a Spanish Captain.  With the spread of the underground movement called by the Spaniards hombres rebeldes in 1894, more Spanish forces called casadores had been dispatched to Irosin.  They imposed curfew hours in a bid to curtail the local uprisings.
It was during the incumbency of Father Esteban Rivera in 1887 when the name San Miguel was again changed to Irosin. The word was derived from the local term iros which means to cut-off a part. The word was traced to have come from an old tailor's term synonymous with tabas as in "irosi an hiniro" or cut a part of the cloth. Iros was the image most probably drawn to connote the gush or flow of floodwaters eroding riverbanks and cutting through lands to eventually form another river or river route.

.PRODUCTS.
Irosin economy is basically agricultural
.rice.copra.citrus.vegetables.rootcrops.fruits


St. Michael, the Archangel (the Patron Saint)
Feast Day: September 29
Patron Saint of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness
St. Michael, the Archangel, "Who is like to God?" and was the wary of the good angels in the battle of faught in heaven against satan and his followers. Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as "one of the chief princes", and leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell. He has been especially honored and invoked as patron and protector by the church from the time of the Apostles.

IROSIN ---Tourism and Historical Spots

The popular tourist attraction in the municipality of Irosin are the
. St. Michael Archangel Roman Catholic Church built on top of the Hill.
















. Mateo Hot and Cold Spring Resort

. Nature Spring

. Tropical Hot Spring Resort

. Valley View

. municipality of irosin