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Basic Facts-Albay
HISTORY
The
PROVINCE OF ALBAY
is located between the provinces of Camarines Sur on the north and
Sorsogon on the South. It is bounded on the east by the
Pacific Ocean, on the northeast by the Lagonoy gulf, and on the west and
southwest by the
Burias
Pass.
The island in the north under the jurisdiction of the province are
Rapu-rapu, Batan, Cagraray and San Miguel.
Albay has a land area
of 2,552.6 square kilometers, consisting of 14 towns, and a population
of 904, 382. The important products of the people are hemp, coconut,
sugar cane, pineapple, vegetables and rice.
The mountains of the
province are Mayon, Masaraga and Malinao in the northeast and Catburaun
in the west. Its forests are sources of timber, rattan, pili nuts and
gum elemi. There are also vast grasslands for pasturing horses, cattle,
carabaos, goats and sheep.
In 1569, Luis Enriques
de Guzman led an expedition from
Panay to the
Islands of Masbate and Ticao, and to the region named Ibalon. The
Augustinian missionary, Father Alonzo Jimenez, Christianized the first
inhabitants of Ibalon, camarines and Burias. He learned the Bicol
dialect and composed a Bicol catechism.
In July 1573, Juan de
Salcedo, with 120 soldiers, explored Ibalon and founded the town of
Santiago de Libong. Jose Maria Peñafrancia, a military engineer, was
made “ coregidor “ of the province on May 14, 1834. He
constructed public buildings and built roads and bridges.
Governor and Captain
General Narciso de Claveria issued a decree in 1846 separating Masbate,
Ticao and Burias from Albay to form the Comandancia of Masbate. Albay
was then divided into four districts: Iraya, Cordillera or Tabaco,
Sorsogon and Catanduanes.
Glicerio Delgado, a
condemned “ insurecto,” started the revolutionary activities in
the province. With headquarters in the
mountain of
Guinobatan,
he joined the revolutionary government of Albay as lieutenant of the
Infantry.
A unit of the
Philippine Militia was then organized by the Spanish military
authorities Mariano Riosa was appointed major of the Tabaco Zone which
comprised all the towns along the seacost from Albay to Tiwi, while
Anacleto Solano was also appointed as major for the Iraya Zone which was
made up of the towns from Daraga to Libon. Each town was organized into
sections of fifty men under the command of a lieutenant.
On September 22, 1898,
the provisional revolutionary government of Albay was formed with
Anacleto Solano as provisional president. Major General Vito Belarmino,
appointed military commander, reorganized the Filipinos Army in the
province.
During the
Filipino-American War, Brigadier General William Kobbe headed the
expedition that landed on the ports of Sorsogon, Bulan and Donsol. From
there, the Americans marched to Legazpi and captured the place.
Although a civil
government was established in Albay on April 26, 1901, Colonel Harry H.
Bandholtz, Commanding Officer of the constabulary in the Bicol region,
attested that Simeon Ola, with a thousand of men, continued to defy
American authority after the capture of Belarmino in 1901. Ola was
later captured with about six hundred men.
During the Second World
War, the Kimura Detachment of the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied
Legazpi on December 12, 1941. The region was defended only by the
Philippine Constabulary unit under Major Francisco Sandico.
By December 19, the
Bicol Peninsula up to Sipocot, Camarines Sur, with patrons towards Ragay
gulf and Daet, was already under the enemy.
Albay, a progressive
province with the capital city of Legazpi, has a large reservoir of
steam deposits in Tiwi, according to geothermal experts G.W. Gridley of
New Zealand. On August 14, 1970, Presidential Proclamation No. 739
authorized the National Power Corporation to exploit and develop the
Tiwi power plant project.
Mayon Volcano, major
tourist attraction of the province, is known for its symmetrical, almost
perfect cone that rises over 7,500 feet above sea level. It erupted 15
times, with the catastrophe of February 1, 1814 as the most
destructive. Its lava buried the town and church of Cagsawa.
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GEOGRAPHY
Located at the southern
tip of Luzon Island and about 550 kms. From Manila, Albay is
approximately 13 to 13.5 degrees north latitude and 123.25 to 124.25
degrees east longtitude. It is bounded by Lagonoy Gulf and the province
of Camarines Sur in the northwest, the Pacific Ocean in the east, the
Province of Sorsogon in the south, and the Burias Pass in the
southeast. It has a total land area of 2,552.6 kms., a total coastline
of 354 kms. Albay is composed of 3 cities and 15 municipalities grouped
into 3 congressional districts.
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
Albay has fourteen (14)
municipalities and three cities (Legazpi, Tabaco, Ligao). Legazpi has
been officially designated as the site of the regional offices.
The municipalities are
politically subdivided into three districts: namely, first district (Bacacay,
Malinao, Malilipot, Sto. Domingo, Tabaco City and Tiwi), second district
(Legazpi City, Camalig, Daraga, Manito and Rapu-rapu), third district (Guinobatan,
Jovellar, Libon, Ligao City, Oas, Pio Duran, and Polangui).
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CLIMATE
Albay has 3 types of
climate. The eastern areas experiences no dry season with a very
pronounced maximum rain period from December to January, the western
areas have more or less heavily distributed rainfall throughout the year
and the central areas have no pronounced maximum rain period with a
short dry season from November to January. The province has a yearly
average of2 20 typhoons ranging from 60-180 kph. Average rainfall is
233 millimeters with a lowest at 130 millimeters in April and the
highest at 389 millimeters during December. Average temperature is
33.15 Celsius high and 22.60 Celsius low.
POPULATION
As of May 1, 2000, the
Census of Population shows that Albay had reached 1,090,907 million
inhabitants. The urban population constitutes 19.6% of the entire
population, proving that Albayanos are predominantly living in rural
areas.
LANGUAGE/DIALECT
Bicol is the local
dialect. Surprisingly, it constitutes a strange variety inwords and in
diction among the seventeen municipalities compromising the province.
In some towns, there are clear distinctions of variable terminologies in
their use of words to convey their messages as compared with the nearest
neighboring towns. What puzzles visitors and tourists are the amazing
variations of many words of the same meaning for one object or concept
among the people in every town.
Generally, the Bicol
dialect spoken in Legazpi and Albay District is the common tongue used.
The big alteration of tone and of words arises as one travels away from
the city proper.
They also speak Tagalog
fluently. English is not difficult for them to communicate with liberal
stature.
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MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Like in recent years or
even in the early seventies, the
province
of Albay has continued to direct its efforts toward the development of
its industries. Agriculture, however, still accounts for the largest
share in the total production and employment.
Of the total 6,369
manufacturing establishments of varied sizes in the Bicol Region, half
is located in Albay.
On large-scale
manufacturing industries, 48.6 percent are operating in Albay. Among
them are the export-oriented establishments like Isarog Pulp & Paper
Mills and Albay Industrial Development Corporation.
Handicraft is the major
source of rural income. It continues to provide fairly large share in
the small scale industries of the province.
On Agriculture,
coconut, rice, abaca and corn are its major crops.
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POWER
Albay is a major
supplier of geothermal energy to the Luzon Grid with its Tiwi Geothermal
Plant in Tiwi, Albay with an energy generating capacity of 330 megawatts
and the Bacon-Manito (BacMan) Geothermal Plant at the boundaries of
Manito, Albay and Bacon, Sorsogon with an energy generating capacity of
210 megawatts.
Local electrification
is provided by the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO). All of the
municipalities and city of the and cities of the province are energized
for a 100% electrification coverage.
The province also
boasts of its coal resources in Batan Island now being tapped by private
firms.
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