Brief Historical Background
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The story of Catanduanes has always been linked with its religious past because church records were the only reliable data source available chronicling its early beginnings. However, many of documented accounts like the “LibrosCanonicus” were either destroyed in the numerous forays by pirates or lost during the many unrecorded natural calamities that frequented the island. This explains to a large extent the dearth of early historical information on Catanduanes.
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Pre-Spanish
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the first settlers believed to have set foot in Catanduanes were seafarers from Borneo who had come from the island of Panay and whose other companions were settled in Albay during the latter part of the 13th and 14th centuries. They were largely engaged in barter and trade with nearby islands, in search of new prospects for commerce and new lands for agriculture and probably for settlement.
The following periods were characterized by relative stability in population movement and much of the activities were limited to trading with neighboring islands and the establishment of population centers. The uneventful gap between the turn of the 14th to the middle of the 15th centuries illustrates the doldrums in the island’s early history.
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The Spanish Era
During the early part of 1573, a group of Spanish conquistadores led by Juan de Salcedo set foot in Catanduanes while in pursuit of pirates plying their trade along the coastal villages of many of Bicol and southern Luzon’s coastal communities.
This event sparked a vigorous influx of the many religious missionaries into the tribal communities, eventually subverting many of the tribal natives into Christianity not only by the sword but also by the cross.
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In April 23, 1576, the galleon “Espiritu Santo”, in route to Manila from Acapulco, Mexico was wrecked off the coast of Batalay, Bato by an off-season weather disturbance. Among the survivors were Father Diego de Herrera, a few Augustinian missionaries and some crew members. With this group came the first attempt to proselytize; a form of religious intrusion, which later became the major source of conflict with the natives that led to their violent deaths, according to some legends. Over the grave of Fr. Herrera, the first Christian cross in Catanduanes was erected. The cross, which can be found in Barangay Batalay of the municipality of Bato, is a mute testimony to efforts of Spain’s religious mission towards bringing Christianity into this remote and isolated location.
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The Naming of Catanduanes
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The actual Christianization of the island started some twenty years later. The conquistadores, after subjugating the Bicol mainland, came back with Franciscan missionaries and came upon several tribes living in the thatched huts called cobo by the natives. Hence, “Isla de Cobos” became its first adopted name. But how the island came to be known by its present name – Catanduanes; evokes a legend handed down by word of mouth through generations but popularly taken as part historical and part legendary. The name was probably derived from the word “tandu”, a native click beetle or from “samdong”, a tree species; both of which are found in abundance throughout the island, hence “katanduan” or “kasamdongan”. The word was ultimately Hispanized to Catanduanes.
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The Origin
Before its independence as a separate province, Catanduanes was once a part of "Ambos Camarines", also known as "Ibalon". In 1636, the Spanish colonizers later split Ibalon into two: Partido de Camarines and Partido de Ibalon (comprising what are now Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Masbate, and the islands of Ticao and Burias). Catanduanes as a municipality, together with Tabaco (Tabaco City) later comprised the 2nd Congressional District. In 1905, Catanduanes was made a sub-province of Albay, and subsequently, in 1945, it was separated and finally organized into a separate province.
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Creation of the Local Government Units
From 1600 to 1857, the colonizers were able to put up nine centers of local governments through the establishment of parishes: Caramoran (1601), Pandan (1650), Viga (1661), Panganiban (1663), Virac (1775), Bato (1830), and Calolbon (San Andres) in (1853.
During the early 50’s several municipalities were created. Baras was created in 1950. Bagamanoc, a thriving municipality during the Spanish period was reduced to a mere barangay of Viga and later of Panganiban, during the American regime. It formally became a municipality on June 12, 1950 followed by Gigmoto in 1951, and San Miguel in 1952. It was during this period that the island saw the development of an organized local authority and economic growth, as interlinking roads were built and trading centers created.
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Commonwealth Act No. 687 or House Bill 301, authored by Congressman Francisco Perfecto, was enacted to create the island of Catanduanes as one of the six provinces of the Bicol Region and officially established Catanduanes as a province independent from Albay. It was approved by Congress on September 26, 1945, signed into law by President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. on October 24, 1945. On October 26, 1946, three months after the Philippine independence from the Americans, the island was finally recognized as a separate and independent province.
Remigio Socito, the last Lieutenant Governor, served as the first Provincial Governor. When elections were held in 1947, Alfonso V. Usero became the new Governor.
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Political Districts
Catanduanes is a lone congressional district with a population count of 232,757 people as of 2007 NSO Census. It has two provincial districts, namely: West District and East District.The West District is composed of the three (3) municipalities of Virac, the capital town and the biggest of all municipalities with sixty three (63) barangays; San Andres with thirty eight (38) barangays, and Caramoran with twenty seven (27) barangays. The East District is composed of eight (8) municipalities, namely: MLGU Pandan, twenty six (26) barangays; MLGU Bagamanoc, eighteen (18) barangays; MLGU Panganiban, twenty three (23) barangays; MLGU Viga, thirty one (31) barangays; MLGU Gigmoto, the smallest town with nine (9) barangays; MLGU Baras, twenty nine (29) barangays; MLGU Bato, twenty seven (27) barangays, and MLGU San Miguel, the only interior town, twenty four (24) barangays.
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The Provincial Capitol of Catanduanes, Seat of the local government of the Province.
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