CATANDUANES January 1, 2017
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Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES January 1, 2017 Page | 1 Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 Countryside in Figures: PROVINCE OF CATANDUANES ii Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY CATANDUANES PROVINCIAL STATISTICAL OFFICE Anavi F. Camacho OIC- Supervising Statistical Specialist Statistical Specialist II Jocelyn R. Uchi Statistical Analyst Danilo A. Lopez Statistical Analyst Christian John G. Delos Santos Registration Officer II Cecilia T. Castilla Administrative Officer I Miriam A. De La Providencia Administrative Assistant III Ma. Hazel B. Molod iii Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 FOREWORD As we see the growing relevance of evidence-based decision-making in both the public and private sectors, we felt all the more motivated to release this first and latest Countryside in Figures, Catanduanes 2017. The Countryside in Figures is divided into 10 Chapters of Catanduanes’ historical narration and local level statistics, with mostly municipal disaggregation. This publication is a commitment of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Catanduanes Provincial Statistical Office in making local level statistics more available and accessible to all Catandunganons. We would like to acknowledge the laudable contributions of partner agencies in accommodating our requests for collaborations. To our stakeholders, we thank you for continuously inspiring us with your interest in using our products and services. Anavi F. Camacho OIC Supervising Statistical Specialist iv Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 Acknowledgement Department of Education Provincial Engineer’s Office Provincial Health Office FICELCO Virac Water District San Andres Water District Department of Energy and Natural Resources Philippine Postal Corporation Department of Public Work and Highways, Region V/2015 RSET Bicol Region Land Transportation Office, Region V/2015 RSET Bicol Region 2015 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET) Bicol Region 2017 Regional Social and Economic Trends (RSET) Bicol Region v Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS MEN AND WOMEN OF PSA-CATANDUANES FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MAP OF CATANDUANES CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE PROVINCE CHAPTER 2: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS CHAPTER 3: POPULATION AND HOUSING CHAPTER 4: HEALTH AND WELFARE CHAPTER 5: EDUCATION CHAPTER 6: INCOME, PRICES AND POVERTY CHAPTER 7: AGRICULTURE AND FISHERY CHAPTER 8: TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION CHAPTER 9: ELECTRICITY AND WATER SUPPLY CHAPTER 10: TOURISM vi Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 MAP OF CATANDUANES Figure 1.Map of the Bicol Region vii Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 OVERVIEW OF THE 1 PROVINCE HISTORY OF CATANDUANES AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES The framing of the history of Catanduanes can be best gleamed to the story of Philippine Evangelization. During the early part of 1573, Catanduanes was first called Isla de Cobos by Spanish conquistadores when came upon several tribes living in thatched huts called cobos. Yet there are several legends that expound where the province really originated its name. Legend states that it came from the word ‘tandu’, a native click beetle and the ‘samdong’ tree which were both abundant throughout the island hence the appellation ‘Katanduan’ and ‘Kasamdongan’, a place where tandu and samdong thrives in abundance. This led to the coining of the word ‘Catanduanes’ which is the hizpanized term derived from both words. The first settlers in the island during the early part of 13th century are said to have come from Borneo, Malaysia and China. They were mostly traders and seafarers engaged in barter and trade in search of new lands for settlement. These groups of traders plus a few settlers are the people who started the population activity during the later period of the century. Page | 1 Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 In 1573, a group of Spanish conquistadors led by Juan de Salcedo arrived in the island while in pursuit of pirates plying their trade and conquered the natives. They are the ones who gave the island its first adopted name. Three years later a galleon from Acapulco “Espiritu Santo” was reported shipwrecked near the coast of the island province in April 1576. Among the survivors were Fray Diego de Herrera, a few Augustinian missionaries and some crew members. They were the first group to attempt a religious intrusion that led to an unfortunate event such as their brutal deaths. The Batalay Church in Bato marks this historical event. Twenty years later, the actual evangelization began when the soldiers of Spain came back with Franciscan missionaries after subjugating the Bicol mainland. From 1600 to 1857, the colonizers were able to put up nine centers of local governments through the establishments of parishes including Caramoran, Pandan, Viga, Panganiban, Virac, Bato and San Andres. During the early 1950s, Baras was created followed by Gigmoto and San Miguel. The struggle for independence from the Spanish colonizers was ended by the interference of the Americans. From then a civil government has replaced military government to where Catanduanes was made a sub-province of Ambos. During the term of Don Felipe as first Lieutenant Governor of Camarines, Catanduanes was annexed to the province of Albay. The American occupation did not last long though and three (3) months after the Philippine independence from the Americans, Catanduanes was finally recognized as a separate and independent province. Catanduanes gained its provincial autonomy when Congressman Francisco Perfecto filed House Bill No. 301. It was later on approved and enacted as Commonwealth Act No. 687 which makes the island of Catanduanes as one of the six provinces of the Bicol Region. Remigio Socito, the last Lieutenant Governor, was appointed as the first Provincial Governor. When the election was held in 1947 Alfonso V. Usero became the first elected Governor. Page | 2 Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 History of Bagamanoc Legend has been told that one day, a daring and adventurous young man from the tribe forced his way across the mouth of the river to look for rattan needed for the repair of his future bride’s family house. Going westward by the shoreline, he finally turned left for the business of venture but before he cut an uphill distance, he saw what appeared to be a chicken flying along Photo from http://www.ivoteph.com just above the tallest leaves of Pandan shrubs festooning the sea. Back in his tribe, he told the clan on what he saw of the beauty of the place, its abundance with food and building materials and the defense is offered from the pirate’s raid. But as the place has no name to say when referring to that “discovered land” every time anybody talk of the place, they would call it “BAGAMANOC” which means the place was like a “chicken” the very meaning of Bagamanoc. The municipality of Bagamanoc is a 5th class municipalityof Catanduanes which is created from barrios of Quigaray, Hinipagan, Sukhan in the island of Panay; Lati, in the island of Lati; Bacac, Hinipaan, Bugao, Minaili and Bagamanoc of the municipality of Panganiban by virtue of Republic Act No. 491 which was approved on June 12, 1950 that is now politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagamanoc,_Catanduanes History of Baras The municipality of Baras is a fifth class municipality of Catanduanes founded on May 11, 1897 which comprises twenty-nine (29) barangays of which six (6) are urban barangays and twenty-three (23) are rural barangays. Baras derived its name from “BADAS” plant that was once abundant in its location and used as a source of materials Photo from http://gocatanduanes.com for making spears, a weapon used by the native to repel the raiders and pirates during the early Spanish Colonization. Some elders recall that Baras, centuries back was once a progressive fishing village located over a small mountain projecting towards the sea on the western side of Baras Bay. The poblacion was its cemetery and the cemetery now was its former poblacion site. The old site was chosen because it was an elevated area overlooking the sea. The villagers could easily see approaching pirates that occasionally plundered the sea, giving them ample time to evacuate their families and prepare for the encounter. Several skirmishes had been caught in the present Page | 3 Countryside in Figures: CATANDUANES 2017 poblacion. Its original barrios were Tilod, Macutal, Paniquihan and Gigmoto. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baras,_Catanduanes#History History of Bato Bato is a fifth class municipality in the province of Catanduanes that is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. It got its name from Spanish colonizers who surveyed the early settlers of the area but as to why it is called Bato have few story versions. Some says that it came from the name of the “Water Photo from http://gocatanduanes.com Wells”, or it came from the Tagalog word bato, meaning “rock”. Another legend states that a Spaniard asked a settler woman the name of the settlement, and she replied “Bato”. There is no certainty whether the woman understood the question or not, whether she referred to her own name or the name of the settlement itself, or to their early occupations of the area. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bato,_Catanduanes History of Caramoran Caramoran is a third class municipality in the province of Catanduanes that is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. It was founded in 1676 side by side with the Catholic Church over a hundred years after Spanish Sovereignty was established in 1570. Photo from http://www.ugnayan.com There are at least two popular versions as to where Caramoran got its name. One story was told by the Old people of the town of Caramoan in Camarines Sur which theorized that since their town is only separated almost 2 kilometers by Maqueda Channel from Caramoran in Catanduanes, the place also abound in “cara”, the turtle’s precious shell made into combs, bowls and decorative articles. Hence, a place where turtle “cara” shells are found in abundance, as in Caramoan.