Catanduanes
Encyclopedia
Catanduanes is an island province
of the Philippines
located in the Bicol Region
in Luzon
. Its capital is Virac
and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur
across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.
Catanduanes, is a hispanized term derived from the word tandu, a native beetle and the samdong tree, which were both found in abundance throughout the island. Common reference to "katanduan" or "kasamdongan", meaning a place where the tandu or the samdong tree thrives in abundance, led to the coining of the word Catanduanes.
was shipwrecked near the island and the survivors were either killed or made servants. The Batalay Church in Bato, just several kilometers from the capital town of Virac, marks that historical event.
The Christianization of the island started some twenty years later. The conquistadores, after subjugating the Bicol mainland, came back to the island with Franciscan
missionaries. From 1600 to 1857, the colonizers were able to put up nine centers of local governments through the establishment of parishes.
, the local insurgents refused to recognize the sovereignty of the United States
. Most of them fled to the mountains. The American
occupation did not last long. In 1934, the Americans
had ceased control of the island.
Major Salvador Rodolfo (a.k.a. Phantom) organized the Catanduanes Liberation Forces.It was the back bone of the resistance movement in Catanduanes. It performed numerous ambuscades against the Japanese Imperial Army and conducted intelligence gathering, which was necessary in paving the way for the eventual liberation of the province by the combined American and Filipino troops. During his exploits as a guerilla leader, Rodolfo was rumored several times to have been killed in battle but time and again he keeps on coming back to destroy every vestige of enemy control in the province of Catanduanes, hence he was called "Phantom" or the Man who never dies.
On February 8, 1945, when Rodolfo was about to declare the independence of the province after he and his men killed every Japanese Imperial Army and burned every Japanese garrison in Catanduanes, one of his men approached him and said that there were Japanese reinforcements on board 2 vessels approaching the island. He then talked to his men, most of whom were wounded and exhausted, he said:
Japanese reinforcements are coming. I have two options for you, we can go to the hills and save ourselves and wait there until the joint American and Filipino troops was arrive, but I assure you that all civilians left behind will be massacred by the incoming Japanese, or we can repeat what happened in the Battle of Thermopylae and stand our ground. Most of us will die, but we will live forever in the pages of history as the men who fought for the liberation of Catanduanes"
With that, everybody decided to stand their ground and fight the incoming Japanese. They went to their posts to wait for the enemy’s arrival but then, as if by providence, American planes arrived and bombed the Japanese vessels. Rodolfo declared independence of the entire province on February 8, 1945.
When the local Filipino soldiers and officers of the 5th, 52nd, 53rd, 55th, 56th and 57th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was landing the beaches and captured the liberated from the island province of Catanduanes and helping the local guerrilla fighters and American liberating troops and defeated and fought against the Japanese Imperial armed forces during the Battle of Catanduanes and ending World War II.
, Catanduanes was finally recognized as a separate and independent province from Albay
by the Commonwealth Act No. 687. It was approved by Congress on September 26, 1945, signed into law by President Sergio Osmena, Sr. on October 24, 1945, and took effect on October 26, 1945. Catanduanes became the sixth province of the Bicol Region
with the signing of the Act.
: 13.3 to 14.1 degrees north latitudes and between 124.1 to 124.3 degrees east longitudes. The island bounded on the West by the Maqueda Channel, on the South by Lagonoy Gulf
, and on the North and East by the Philippine Sea
(Map 1). Several islands compose the province, but majority of these are physically small to be of relative significance. Its aggregate land area totals approximately 1,511.5 square kilometers or 151,150 hectares. The coastlines, that stretch to almost 400 km (249 mi) (248.5 mi) are mostly embayed and coiffed.
The topography is rugged and mountainous, becoming more pronounced towards the central portion of the island. The highest mountain peak is in Boctot, located between the municipalities of Virac
and San Miguel, Catanduanes
with an elevation of 803 meters (2,600 ft) above sea level. It is the premier mountain range with broadly spread old growth forests and watershed which exerts widespread influence over its immediate environs that include the municipalities of Virac, Bato
, and San Miguel. Other prominent mountain forms with important significance include the ranges: Obi in Caramoran
, Cagmasoso in San Andres
, and the Summit and Magsumoso ranges within the Viga
and Gigmoto
areas.
The lowlands include the Virac Plain, Viga Plain, San Andres Plain and the Bato River Flood Plain. The coastal municipalities with limited lowland agricultural areas are Pandan
and Caramoran. The more extensive lowlands are found in the southern parts of the province. The largest coastal plain is the contiguous wetlands of Viga, Panganiban
and Bagamanoc
over which lays the widest area of rice
paddies and nipa
mangroves.
The province is mostly rugged and mountainous terrain. Its slope characteristics are 13% gently sloping to undulating, 1% classified rolling to hilly, 2% very hills and mountains, 47% level to very gently sloping, 32% steep hills and mountainous, and 5% undulating to rolling. Ten of the eleven municipalities of the province are situated along the coastal fringes, over which locate its mostly fractured plains. The only landlocked municipality is San Miguel with its poblacion [town center] sitting in a location entirely devoid of flat lands. The majority of the built-up areas occupy zones that are classified as flat to rolling.
The number of households totaled 41,019 with an average household size of 5.25.
dialect is used. Tagalog
, by virtue of being officially taught in schools and the affinity of most Bicolanos to it, is the second most common dialect and easily the most understood by people of all walks of life. English
is the normal medium used in primary communications. The use of the spanish as a local language seems to have vanished after the turn of the XXI century.
Police Services - The Philippine National Police in the province is composed of the local police force and the fire brigade’s services. Among its objectives, the PNP organizes missions to protect lives and property, enforce laws and maintain peace and order; to prevent crimes and to investigate the commission of all crimes and offenses and to bring the offender to justice; And finally, to take the necessary measures to prevent and control fires and to maintain public safety.
The prevailing peace and order remains the best argument for promoting the province. The province crime rate is 6.39 in 2006. Crime volume over the same period was 191.
province, is needed to cover the 580 km (360 mi) distance. Several ferry services in Port of Tobacco offers connection to San Andres which takes about 2½ hours or go Virac Seaport, at 3½ hours.
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 the Philippines
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...
located in the Bicol Region
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Its capital is Virac
Virac, Catanduanes
Virac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of the province and the third largest town with a land area of 188 km2...
and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur
Camarines Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and Quezon to the north, and Albay to the south...
across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.
Etymology
"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first adopted name. It was earned as such during the early part of 1573 when Spanish conquistadores came upon several tribes living in the thatched huts called cobos.Catanduanes, is a hispanized term derived from the word tandu, a native beetle and the samdong tree, which were both found in abundance throughout the island. Common reference to "katanduan" or "kasamdongan", meaning a place where the tandu or the samdong tree thrives in abundance, led to the coining of the word Catanduanes.
Pre-Spanish Period
The scions of the then Bornean Datus who had moved on the island of Panay and then, spread out throughout the archipelago were the first settlers to have set foot in Catanduanes. The island was not spared from the adventurous raids of the Moros who came from the island of Mindanao. Because of these destructive raids, many records of the past were destroyed and lost.Spanish Period
Juan de Salcedo arrived in this island in 1573, hunting for pirates, and conquered the natives. Three years later, a galleon expedition from AcapulcoAcapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
was shipwrecked near the island and the survivors were either killed or made servants. The Batalay Church in Bato, just several kilometers from the capital town of Virac, marks that historical event.
The Christianization of the island started some twenty years later. The conquistadores, after subjugating the Bicol mainland, came back to the island with Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
missionaries. From 1600 to 1857, the colonizers were able to put up nine centers of local governments through the establishment of parishes.
American Period
During the American RegimeHistory of the Philippines
The history of the Philippines is believed to have begun with the arrival of the first humans via land bridges at least 30,000 years ago. The first recorded visit from the West is the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, who sighted Samar on March 16, 1521 and landed on Homonhon Island southeast of Samar...
, the local insurgents refused to recognize the sovereignty of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Most of them fled to the mountains. The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
occupation did not last long. In 1934, the Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had ceased control of the island.
World War II
During World War II, Catanduanes was not spared from Japanese invasion. The Japanese erected garrisons in different parts of the island. The Japanese committed so many atrocities in the island province.Major Salvador Rodolfo (a.k.a. Phantom) organized the Catanduanes Liberation Forces.It was the back bone of the resistance movement in Catanduanes. It performed numerous ambuscades against the Japanese Imperial Army and conducted intelligence gathering, which was necessary in paving the way for the eventual liberation of the province by the combined American and Filipino troops. During his exploits as a guerilla leader, Rodolfo was rumored several times to have been killed in battle but time and again he keeps on coming back to destroy every vestige of enemy control in the province of Catanduanes, hence he was called "Phantom" or the Man who never dies.
On February 8, 1945, when Rodolfo was about to declare the independence of the province after he and his men killed every Japanese Imperial Army and burned every Japanese garrison in Catanduanes, one of his men approached him and said that there were Japanese reinforcements on board 2 vessels approaching the island. He then talked to his men, most of whom were wounded and exhausted, he said:
Japanese reinforcements are coming. I have two options for you, we can go to the hills and save ourselves and wait there until the joint American and Filipino troops was arrive, but I assure you that all civilians left behind will be massacred by the incoming Japanese, or we can repeat what happened in the Battle of Thermopylae and stand our ground. Most of us will die, but we will live forever in the pages of history as the men who fought for the liberation of Catanduanes"
With that, everybody decided to stand their ground and fight the incoming Japanese. They went to their posts to wait for the enemy’s arrival but then, as if by providence, American planes arrived and bombed the Japanese vessels. Rodolfo declared independence of the entire province on February 8, 1945.
When the local Filipino soldiers and officers of the 5th, 52nd, 53rd, 55th, 56th and 57th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was landing the beaches and captured the liberated from the island province of Catanduanes and helping the local guerrilla fighters and American liberating troops and defeated and fought against the Japanese Imperial armed forces during the Battle of Catanduanes and ending World War II.
Independence Day
Three months after the Philippine independence from the AmericansFilipino-American Friendship Day
Filipino-American Friendship Day, July 4, is a day in the Philippines designated by President Diosdado Macapagal to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II....
, Catanduanes was finally recognized as a separate and independent province from Albay
Albay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....
by the Commonwealth Act No. 687. It was approved by Congress on September 26, 1945, signed into law by President Sergio Osmena, Sr. on October 24, 1945, and took effect on October 26, 1945. Catanduanes became the sixth province of the Bicol Region
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
with the signing of the Act.
Geography
Catanduanes is situated in the easternmost fringe of LuzonLuzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
: 13.3 to 14.1 degrees north latitudes and between 124.1 to 124.3 degrees east longitudes. The island bounded on the West by the Maqueda Channel, on the South by Lagonoy Gulf
Lagonoy Gulf
Lagonoy Gulf is a large gulf in the southeastern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at . It is separated from the Philippine Sea by Caramoan Peninsula in the north....
, and on the North and East by the Philippine Sea
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea east and north of the Philippines occupying an estimated surface area of 2 million mi² on the western part of the North Pacific Ocean...
(Map 1). Several islands compose the province, but majority of these are physically small to be of relative significance. Its aggregate land area totals approximately 1,511.5 square kilometers or 151,150 hectares. The coastlines, that stretch to almost 400 km (249 mi) (248.5 mi) are mostly embayed and coiffed.
The topography is rugged and mountainous, becoming more pronounced towards the central portion of the island. The highest mountain peak is in Boctot, located between the municipalities of Virac
Virac, Catanduanes
Virac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of the province and the third largest town with a land area of 188 km2...
and San Miguel, Catanduanes
San Miguel, Catanduanes
San Miguel is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 12,966 people in 2,387 households.-History:...
with an elevation of 803 meters (2,600 ft) above sea level. It is the premier mountain range with broadly spread old growth forests and watershed which exerts widespread influence over its immediate environs that include the municipalities of Virac, Bato
Bato, Catanduanes
Bato is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 18,738 people in 3,497 households.-Geography:...
, and San Miguel. Other prominent mountain forms with important significance include the ranges: Obi in Caramoran
Caramoran, Catanduanes
Caramoran is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 25,618 people in 4,293 households.-Geography:...
, Cagmasoso in San Andres
San Andres, Catanduanes
San Andres is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 33,781 people in 6,059 households.- The Town :...
, and the Summit and Magsumoso ranges within the Viga
Viga, Catanduanes
Viga is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 19,266 people in 3,431 households.-History:...
and Gigmoto
Gigmoto, Catanduanes
Gigmoto is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 7,569 people in 1,319 households.-Barangays:Gigmoto is politically subdivided into 9 barangays.-History:...
areas.
The lowlands include the Virac Plain, Viga Plain, San Andres Plain and the Bato River Flood Plain. The coastal municipalities with limited lowland agricultural areas are Pandan
Pandan, Catanduanes
Pandan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 19,005 people in 3,181 households.-Barangays:Pandan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.-History:...
and Caramoran. The more extensive lowlands are found in the southern parts of the province. The largest coastal plain is the contiguous wetlands of Viga, Panganiban
Panganiban, Catanduanes
The municipality of Panganiban is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, the Philippines. According to the 2007 Census, the municipal has 9,290 in population.-Geography:...
and Bagamanoc
Bagamanoc, Catanduanes
Bagamanoc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 10,183 people in 1,879 households.-Geography:...
over which lays the widest area of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
paddies and nipa
Nipa
NIPA, Nipa or nipah may refer to:* Nipa palm, Nypa fruticans* Nipa grass, Distichlis palmeri* Nipah virus, a Henipavirus* National Income and Product Accounts * National Institute of Public Administration...
mangroves.
The province is mostly rugged and mountainous terrain. Its slope characteristics are 13% gently sloping to undulating, 1% classified rolling to hilly, 2% very hills and mountains, 47% level to very gently sloping, 32% steep hills and mountainous, and 5% undulating to rolling. Ten of the eleven municipalities of the province are situated along the coastal fringes, over which locate its mostly fractured plains. The only landlocked municipality is San Miguel with its poblacion [town center] sitting in a location entirely devoid of flat lands. The majority of the built-up areas occupy zones that are classified as flat to rolling.
Weather and Climate
Without a pronounced dry season, precipitation is distributed fairly well throughout the year becoming wetter in the last quarter into the early months of the first quarter, when tropical disturbances and monsoon wind bring in heavy rains. Other months are characterized by short periods of dryer days and fine weather except in July and August, when the dry and gusty northwest monsoon winds intensify.People and Culture
As of May 2000, its total population is 215,356 with an annual growth rate of 1.3% from 1995 to 2000 and a population density of 142 per sq. kilometer. Almost all of the people of the province are natural born citizens. Naturalized citizens mostly Chinese and some other nationalities is only about one per cent of the population.The number of households totaled 41,019 with an average household size of 5.25.
Language
Two languages are being spoken locally. The northern accent has a very pronounced letter R that becomes a diphthong of non-vowel letters L and R in the southern towns. In written form, the conventional mainland BicolBikol languages
The Bikol languages are a group of Central Philippine languages spoken particularly on the Bicol Peninsula on the island of Luzon and parts of Catanduanes and Burias Island, Masbate Province...
dialect is used. Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, by virtue of being officially taught in schools and the affinity of most Bicolanos to it, is the second most common dialect and easily the most understood by people of all walks of life. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the normal medium used in primary communications. The use of the spanish as a local language seems to have vanished after the turn of the XXI century.
Ethnic Groups
More and more people from the neighboring regions are finding peace and security in Catanduanes. Migrants from Visayas and Mindanao regions far outnumber other ethnic groups. A good number of people of Chinese descent are also living in the province.Traditions
Traditions and inherited lifestyles are being slowly supplanted brought about by a high degree of exposure to the western culture. Significant shift in values, beliefs, morals and customs and outlook in life of younger and future generation will likely take place with the advent of digital information age. State-of-the-art technologies in Communication and Information unheard of in the last decade bring a wide range of information to an increasing number of island residents. Television sets link to satellite cable television system are now common in households notably in areas where local television broadcasts are not accessible, computers linked to the internet, satellite phone and cellular phone services are some of these technologies.Folk Festivals
The folk festivals celebrated as part of the local religious rituals are with unique traces of the Spanish colonization. Among these festivals are:- Kalbaryo or Calvary which is commonly staged during the Holy Week is a reenactment of the passion of Christ’s way of the cross.
- Kagharong is a native depiction of the nativity scene is held every year during the yuletide season.
- Pantomina is purely a native dance, popular on occasions of importance. It is a dance interpretation (pantomimePantomimePantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
) of a rooster courting a hen. Pantomina dance is mostly practice in rural areas. - Padadyao sa Tinampo is purely native cultural presentation of street dancing held every 24 October to commemorate the province‘s founding anniversary.
- Sugbo Festival is a very recent addition to these traditional festivals. The notable contemporary event is celebrated by the seven barangays of Hitoma in CaramoranCaramoran, CatanduanesCaramoran is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 25,618 people in 4,293 households.-Geography:...
that produces sugbo or tiger grass - a bamboo like perennial grass used to make brooms. Celebrated every month of May coinciding with the Hitoma barangay fiestaFiestaFiesta, a Spanish word that means "party", "feast" or "festival", may refer to:-Film:*Fiesta , a 1941 American film directed by LeRoy Prinz*Fiesta , a 1947 MGM film starring Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán-Music:...
, it is being institutionalized with the support of the provincial government, LGU of Caramoran and national line agencies to promote the commercial development of the local lasa or tiger grass industry and to create signature products from tiger grass.
Political Divisions
Catanduanes is subdivided into 11 municipalities.| Municipality Municipalities of the Philippines A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit... |
No. of Barangays |
Area (ha.) |
Population (2007) |
Pop. density (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bagamanoc Bagamanoc, Catanduanes Bagamanoc is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 10,183 people in 1,879 households.-Geography:... |
||||
| Baras Baras, Catanduanes Baras is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 11,787 people in 2,190 households.-Geography:... |
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| Bato Bato, Catanduanes Bato is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 18,738 people in 3,497 households.-Geography:... |
||||
| Caramoran Caramoran, Catanduanes Caramoran is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 25,618 people in 4,293 households.-Geography:... |
||||
| Gigmoto Gigmoto, Catanduanes Gigmoto is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 7,569 people in 1,319 households.-Barangays:Gigmoto is politically subdivided into 9 barangays.-History:... |
||||
| Pandan Pandan, Catanduanes Pandan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 19,005 people in 3,181 households.-Barangays:Pandan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.-History:... |
||||
| Panganiban Panganiban, Catanduanes The municipality of Panganiban is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, the Philippines. According to the 2007 Census, the municipal has 9,290 in population.-Geography:... (Payo) |
||||
| San Andres San Andres, Catanduanes San Andres is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 33,781 people in 6,059 households.- The Town :... (Calolbon) |
||||
| San Miguel San Miguel, Catanduanes San Miguel is a 5th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 12,966 people in 2,387 households.-History:... |
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| Viga Viga, Catanduanes Viga is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 19,266 people in 3,431 households.-History:... |
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| Virac Virac, Catanduanes Virac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of the province and the third largest town with a land area of 188 km2... |
Peace and Order
By comparison, the prevailing peace and order situation in the province is much better than that of the other provinces in the region. This is attributed to the inherent affable character of the Catandunganons, the all-out government support and a vigilant religious hierarchy. To arrest attempts of criminal elements to make the province a market for illegal drugs, the police force with the support of LGUs launched a massive information campaign for a better-informed citizenry.Police Services - The Philippine National Police in the province is composed of the local police force and the fire brigade’s services. Among its objectives, the PNP organizes missions to protect lives and property, enforce laws and maintain peace and order; to prevent crimes and to investigate the commission of all crimes and offenses and to bring the offender to justice; And finally, to take the necessary measures to prevent and control fires and to maintain public safety.
The prevailing peace and order remains the best argument for promoting the province. The province crime rate is 6.39 in 2006. Crime volume over the same period was 191.
Accessibility
By air, daily flights are available from Manila to Virac which takes less than an hour flight by commercial jet or an hour by propeller plane. Over land, a 12-hour bus ride from Manila to Tabaco in AlbayAlbay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....
province, is needed to cover the 580 km (360 mi) distance. Several ferry services in Port of Tobacco offers connection to San Andres which takes about 2½ hours or go Virac Seaport, at 3½ hours.
External links
- Official website of the Provincial Government of Catanduanes
- DILG Regional Office No. 5 (Bicol Region)
- Region V Local Government Units
- DILG Region V Provincial Offices
- Local / Bicolano Radio Stations Online
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- 2007 Philippine Census Information
- Discover Catanduanes
- Catanduanes Information Online