ABOUT MASBATE
The City of Masbate(Bikol: Ciudad nin Masbate; Filipino: Lungsod ng Masbate) is a 4th class city in the province of Masbate, Philippines. It is the capital city of Masbate province. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 81585 people in 13,400 households.
The City of Masbate is a blessed land, with its innumerable bounty and few blights. It is situated strategically in the center of the Philippine archipelago between latitudes 12º 14' north 12º 29' north and between 123º 30' east and 123º 39' east, on the northern side of the island of Masbate facing northeast towards Ticao Island.
The city domain is bounded on the northeast by Masbate Pass; on the southwest by the municipality of Milagros and on the northwest by a portion of Asid River and the municipalities of Milagros and Baleno.
From Manila, the city is barely 212.5 aerial miles or 362 nautical miles. By plane, it takes more or less one hour to negotiate; by boat, 16 to 18 hours to ply.
The city is more or less situated at the center of Masbate province, too, taking the tip of Burias Island as its northern most part and the tip of Esperanza municipality as the southern most part.
The city serves as the dividing line between Luzon and the rest of the islands in the country.
To the neighboring islands, Masbate City is three hours away by boat from the nearest point in Bicol mainland; three hours away from the nearest point in Burias; three hours away from the nearest municipality in Ticao Island; five hours from the nearest point in the island of Cebu and five hours from the nearest point in Panay island.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The people of Masbate were formerly called "Visaya" but when the province was transferred to Bicol region during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos, they were called "Bicolanos" or "Masbatenos". Many of its people are immigrants from several provinces such as Romblon and Panay Island provinces. The people of Masbate are known as best in agriculture, history, politics and geography means. Major institutions of higher learning in the province include the Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa, Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology (DEBESMSCAT) in Mandaon and in Masbate City, Osmeña College, Masbate Colleges, Liceo de Masbate and Southern Bicol College.
ECONOMY
The province of Masbate is designated as a fourth class province.
GEOGRAPHY
Physically, Masbate lies exactly in the center of the Philippine archipelago north of the Visayas region. The main island looks like an arrowhead with its tip pointing north. Its southern portion encloses the Asid Gulf, while the Jintotolo Channel separates it from Panay Island. The Masbate Pass separates the two islands of Burias and Ticao from the main island of Masbate.
Ethnically, as well as geographically, the province is part of the Sibuyan Sea group of islands which includes Romblon, Marinduque, Sibuyan and many other small islands. There is an admixture of Visayan and Bicolano cultures in the area, and their language, Masbateño, is a Bisakol blend of Capiznon, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray-Waray, Cebuano, Romblomanon and Tagalog. Most of Masbate Island speaks Masbateño, but the peninsula which points towards Cebu speaks Cebuano and the peninsula which points towards Panay speaks Hiligaynon. All of Ticao Island and half of Burias Island speak Masbateño, but northern Burias speaks Central Bikol.
The islands of the Sibuyan Sea were well known to the Spanish explorers of the sixteenth century. Legazpi, from Cebu, had made exploratory trips to the islands of Masbate, Burias and Ticao. In later centuries Masbate had shipyards that built ships for the Manila-Acapulco trade. Other than this, there was not much development in the area during the Spanish regime. Names of places scattered over Masbate's 121 islands are reminders of the missionary journeys and church foundations that were made by the Spanish soldiers and missionaries long ago: San Pascual and Claveria in Burias, San Jacinto and Monreal in Ticao, Esperanza and Aroroy in mainland. Masbate town is the most important foundation however, and is now the seat of the diocese as well as the civil capital of the province.
HISTORY
Pre-Spanish Period During the pre-Spanish period, the province was part of the province of Sorsogon. The province is administrated by the Diocese of Sorsogon during the Spanish times. Masbate as an Independent Province During the year 1917, the province became an independent province from its mother province, Sorsogon. Pio V. Corpuz (now a municipality of the province) became its founding governor since the American times. The governor's name, Pio V. Corpuz was adopted as a name of a municipality of the province in honor of his name. |
