Camotes Islands

The Camotes Islands are a group of four islands that form part of the province of Cebu, in the Philippines. The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island.

The Camotes is composed of the following five islands and municipalities:

• Poro: the municipalities of Poro
• Tudela.
• Pacijan: the sole municipality of San Francisco.
• Ponson: the sole municipality of Pilar.
• Tulang: part of the barangay of Esperanza, which is part of San Francisco.

The islands of Pacijan and Poro are connected by a paved road. Ponson is separated by the Camotes Sea, lying about four kilometers northeast of Poro. Tulang is located off the northern tip of Pacijan.

The Camotes are low-lying islands. There is only one hill on Pacijan and another hill on Poro. These hills are used by a telecommunications company for relay stations. Pacijan has a fresh-water lake around two kilometers in length. Palm trees are the dominant plant on the islands. There are also numerous native varieties of fruit trees and other plants.

History

In 1942, the occupation from the Japanese forces taked in Camotes Islands in Cebu.

In 1945, the liberation was taken by the Philippine Commonwealth troops landed in Camotes Islands in Cebu we fronted the battles against the Japanese forces in the Battle of Camotes Islands during World War II.

Economy

The predominant industries on the Camotes Islands are farming (including corn, rice, pigs, chicken and cattle), fishing and tourism.

A number of tourist resorts have been established, catering to both domestic and international visitors. These include Santiago Bay Garden & Resort, Mangodlong Rock Resort and Greenlake Park.

Origin

The word camotes is Mexican for sweet potatoes.

Languages

Porohanon or Camotes Visayan is spoken in the town of Poro only. The dialect is very similar to the dialect of Cebuano which is spoken in the rest of Camotes Islands and throughout the province of Cebu, Northern Mindanao and other parts of the Visayas. Porohanon is distinguished by the way the locals substitute the /y/ sound for /z/. Example: Maayong buntag (good morning) in Cebuano would be changed to Maazong buntag in Porohanon.

External links

• [1] TourCamotes.Com: Tourist guide to the Camotes Islands
• [2] Camotesresorts.com: Resort guide

10°40′N 124°24′E