Siquijor

Siquijor (Filipino:Sikwihor) Common pronounciation "Sēēk-ēē-hoar" is an island province of the PhilippinesCentral Visayas region. Its capital is the municipality also named Siquijor. To the northwest of Siquijor are Cebu and Negros, to the northeast is Bohol and to the south, across the Bohol Sea is Mindanao. located in the

Siquijor is the third smallest province in the country both in terms of population and land area, after CamiguinBatanes. For a time it was sub-province of Negros Oriental. Called Isla del Fuego or the “Island of Fire” by the Spanish before, Siquijor is considered by many Filipinos to be a mystical island, full of witches and other supernatural phenomena. and

Population. According to the 2000 census, there are a total of 81,598 Siquijodnons, as the residents of Siquijor call themselves. The same census also states that Siquijor has 17,351 households with an average household size of 4.70 persons. The annual growth rate is 2.19%, lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%.

Languages. The main language spoken in Siquijor is Cebuano. English as well as Tagalog is also spoken by many of the residents.

Education. Literacy rate, one of the highest in the country, at 92.5%.

HISTORY

The island was first sighted by the Spaniards in 1565 during Miguel López de Legaspi's expedition. The Spaniards called the island Isla del Fuego or “Island of Fire,” because the island gave off an eerie glow. This glow came from the great swarms of fireflies that harbored in the numerous molave trees on the island.^{[citation needed]} A folk legend also has it that many years ago when the magical island of Siquijor was still nowhere on the face of the earth, a great storm engulfed the Visayan region. Then there came a strong earthquake that shook the earth and sea. Amidst the lightning and thunder arose an island from the depths of the ocean’s womb which came to be known as the island of Siquijor, hence the name Isla del Fuego, or "Island of Fire." Oddly enough in the modern times highland farmers have unraveled giant shell casings under their farm plots, supporting the theory that Siquijor is indeed an island that rose from the sea.^[1]

Esteban Rodriguez of the Legazpi Expedition in 1565 led the first Spaniards to officially “discover” the island. He was captain of a small party that left Legazpi’s camp in Bohol to explore the nearby islands which are now called Pamilican, Siquijor, and Negros.

The Spaniards were drawn by the vision of the firefly illumination and as one version of the legend relays, they met the island’s ruler – the legendary King Kihod while they were docking their ship at one of Siquijor’s bays. When asked his name, the king replied “si Kihod” (I am Kihod). The Spaniards, thinking he meant it as the name of the island, adopted the name Sikihod which was later changed to Siquijor because the Spaniards found it too difficult to pronounce.^[2]

Founded in 1783 under the administration of secular clergymen, Siquijor became the first municipality as well as the first parish to be established on the island. Siquijor was, from the beginning, administered by the diocese of Cebu. As for civil administration, Siquijor was under Bohol since the province had its own governor. The first Agustinian recollect priest, Father Vicente Garcia, arrived in Siquijor in 1794. Several years thereafter, a priest of the same order founded the parishes of Larena (initially called Can-oan), Lazi (formerly Tigbawan), San Juan (Makalipay), and Maria (Cang-meniao). With the exception of Enrique Villanueva, all of the present six municipalities were established as parishes in 1877. From 1854 to 1892, Siqiujor became part of the province of Negros Oriental, and became a sub-province in 1901.

At the turn of the century, Spanish sovereignty in the Philippines came to an end and at the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. Siquijor island felt the presence of American rule when a unit of the American Cavalry Division came and stayed for sometime. The American Military Governor in Manila appointed James Fugate, a scout with the California Volunteers of the U.S. Infantry, to oversee and to implement the organization and development programs in Siquijor Island. Governor Fugate stayed for 16 years as lieutenant governor of Siquijor.

Without having been at the center of military action, Siquijor had not been spared by World War II. Japanese detachments occupied the island between 1942 and 1943. The Japanese announced their arrival to the island by heavy shelling. On November 10, 1942, Japanese warships started shelling Lazi town from Cang-abas Point. Properties and lives were lost in the bombardment. In Lazi, a garrison was established in the old Home Economics Building of the Central School. Philippine guerrillas engaged in sabotage and the interaction during this time to cause havoc on the Japanese lives and properties.

During this period, Siquijor was briefly governed by Shunzo Suzuki, a Japanese civilian appointed by the Imperial Japanese Forces until he was assassinated by the guerrilla forces led by Iluminado Jumawanin, of Caipilan, Siquijor in October 1942. Mamor Fukuda took over the control of Siquijor from June 1943 until the Japanese forces abandoned the island when the liberation forces came in 1944. At the outbreak of World War II, Siquijor, then a sub-province of Negros Oriental, was headed by Lieutenant Governor Nicolas Parami. Refusing to pledge allegiance to the Japanese Imperial Forces, Lt. Governor Parami was taken by Japanese soldiers from his residence at Poo, Lazi one evening and brought to the Military headquarters in Larena. He was never heard from again.

In 1943, the Japanese Puppet Government appointed Sebastian Monera of San Juan as governor of Siquijor. His administration however was cut short when he was executed presumably by Filipino guerillas operating in the mountains of Siquijor.

On September 30, 1943, the United States submarine USS Bowfin SS-287 delivered supplies to the people of Siquijor and evacuated people from the island.^[3] On February 21, 1945, the destroyer USS RENSHAW (DD-499), part of Task Unit 78. 7. 6, was escorting a convoy of about 50 various Landing Ship types (LSTs, LSMs, LCTs) with 12 other escorts. At 1059, RENSHAW's lookouts sighted a torpedo wake, then a submarine's periscope and part of a conning tower. The RENSHAW was attacked by a Japanese Imperial midget submarine off the coast of Siquijor, which caused extensive damage to the ship and killed nineteen of the crew.^[4] Famed United States WW2 B-17 pilot Captain Stanley M. Sabihon was born on Siquijor and later raised in Hawaii. He commanded a nine-man B-17 crew in 51 missions over Europe, tallying 280 combat hours,and was the first naturalized citizen from the Philippines to achieve an officer's rank in the U.S. Army Air Corps.^[5]

On September 17, 1971, Siquijor became an independent province by virtue of Republic Act No. 6396. The capital which was formerly Larena, was transferred to the municipality of Siquijor in 1972 with Proclamation No. 1075.

Political subdivisions

Siquijor is subdivided into 6 municipalities. Siquijor is the capital and most important port.

Six municipalities comprise the province.

• Enrique Villanueva is politically subdivided into 14 barangays.
• Balolong
• Bino-ongan
• Bitaug
• Bolot
• Camogao
• Cangmangki
• Libo
• Lomangcapan
• Lotloton
• Manan-ao
• Olave
• Parian
• Poblacion
• Tulapos
• Larena is politically subdivided into 23 barangays.
  
  

  Bontod Bagacay Canlambo Cangbagsa Helen (Datag) Nonoc Canlasog Cang-alias Taculing

  South Poblacion Sandugan Cangmalalag Balolang Catamboan Candigum Ponong Basac Bintangan

• Lazi is politically subdivided into 18 barangays.
  
  

  Campalanas Cangclaran Cangomantong Capalasanan Catamboan (Pob.) Gabayan Kimba Kinamandagan Lower Cabangcalan

  Nagerong Po-o Simacolong Tagmanocan Talayong Tigbawan (Pob.) Tignao Upper Cabangcalan Ytaya

• Maria is politically subdivided into 22 barangays.
  
  

  Bogo Bonga Cabal-asan Calunasan Candaping A Candaping B Cantaroc A Cantaroc B Cantugbas Lico-an Lilo-an

  Looc Logucan (Barangay Captain: Mr. Bangquiao) Minalulan Nabutay Olang Pisong A Pisong B Poblacion Norte Poblacion Sur Saguing Sawang

• San JuanAng Bayan ng San Juan ay nahahati sa 15 mga barangay.
• Canasagan
• Candura
• Cangmunag
• Cansayang
• Catulayan
• Lala-o
• Maite
• Napo
• Paliton
• Poblacion
• Solangon
• Tag-ibo
• Tambisan
• Timbaon
• Tubod
• 
  
• Siquijor is a 4th class municipality in the province of Siquijor, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Siquijor. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,150 people in 4,498 households.
  It is also a place of old churches, ports and private resorts.
  
  Siquijor is politically subdivided into 42 barangays:
  Banban
  Bolos
  Caipilan
  Caitican
  Calalinan
  Cang-atuyom
  Canal
  Candanay Norte
  Candanay Sur
  Cang-adieng
  Cang-agong
  Cang-alwang
  Cang-asa
  Cang-inte
  Cang-isad
  Canghunoghunog
  Cangmatnog
  Cangmohao
  Cantabon
  Caticugan
  Dumanhog
  Ibabao
  Lambojon
  Luyang
  Luzong
  Olo
  Pangi
  Panlautan
  Pasihagon
  Pili
  Poblacion
  Polangyuta
  Ponong
  Sabang
  San Antonio
  Songculan
  Tacdog
  Tacloban
  Tambisan
  Tebjong
  Tinago
  Tongo  

 GEOGRAPHY

Siquijor is an island province in the Visayas. It lies southeast from Cebu and Negros across Cebu Strait (in some references called Bohol Strait) and southwest from Bohol. Panglao Island which is part of Bohol province has a similar composition of the soil which was also found in the whole island of Siquijor.^{[citation needed]} Bohol is also located north of Mindanao separated by the Bohol Sea.

The island lies about 19 kilometers east of the nearest point on southern Negros, 25 kilometers southeast of Cebu, 30 kilometers southwest of Bohol, and 45 kilometers north of Zamboanga Peninsula of Mindanao. It is predominantly hilly and in many places the hills reach the sea, producing precipitous cliffs. At the center Mount Malabahoc (locally known as Mount Bandilaan) reaches about 628 meters in elevation, the highest point on the island. Three marine terraces can be roughly traced especially in the vicinity of Tag-ibo on the southwestern part of the island, a barrio of San Juan municipality from the seacoast up into the central part.

Siquijor is a coralline island, and fossils of the giant clam, Tridacna, are often encountered in the plowed inland fields. On the hilltops there are numerous shells of the molluscan species, which are presently living in the seas around the island. Siquijor was probably formed quite recently, geologically speaking. The ocean depths between Siquijor and Bohol and Mindanao are in the neighborhood of 350 fathoms

With a land area of 343.5 km² and a coastline 102 km long, Siquijor is the 3rd smallest province of the Philippines.

The climate in Siquijor, like most of the Philippines, is very tropical. It is dry from January to May and wet the rest of the year. Annual rainfall is 1000 to 1300 millimeters with November having the heaviest rainfall and April having the least. Siquijor has an average temperature of 28 °C and a humidity of 78%.

TOURISM

Siquijor's long ago reputation as a place of magic and sorcery both attracts visitors and keeps them away.^[6][7] Siquijor is also well-known for its festivals that focus on primitive healing rituals where incantations are sung while the old folks make potions out of herbs, roots, insects and tree barks. In hushed talks, locals would share a story or two about folk legends pointing to the existence of witchcraft and witches in the island. This peculiar occurrence lends more mystery and magic to the character that is Siquijor.

Among the many attractions are the beaches, caves, waterfalls, Bandilaan Natural Park, and butterfly sanctuary. White sand beaches make up most of the 102-kilometer coastline of the little island of Siquijor.

Siquijor is praised for its clean and plentiful beaches, and is hailed as one of the best sites for diving in the country, with its vast coral reefs that are ideal for scuba diving and snorkeling. Hidden beneath the sparkling blue waters is a diver’s playground where a breathtaking rainbow of life existsSiquijor was declared a marine reserve in 1978 and lays claim to untouched marine wildlife that beckons enthusiasts to explore its many secrets. A variety of lodging choices are available for visitors since the island has many beach and mountain resorts.

Siquijor is quickly becoming a prime destination in the Philippines because of it's natural beauty, warm people, high level of safety, and peaceful island lifestyle. During 2007, data from the Philippine Department of Tourism showed that Siquijor posted the highest growth in visitor arrivals among the four provinces in region 7. Tourist arrivals in the province rose 21.4 percent from the previous year.

TRANSPORTATION

Siquijor has 3 ports that are capable of servicing cargo and passenger craft. From the port of Larena you can travel to Dumaguete via Negros Navigation. In The Municipality of Siquijor you can travel by Delta Fast Ferries, Inc., a fast craft services company plies the route to/from the City of Dumaguete. Smaller vessels include the "Jaylan's 1 & 2". From Lazi, you can travel to Mindanao via the "MV Siquijor Island"

EYE DISTRACTION PLACES