Sorsogon
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| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| Region : | Bicol region |
| Capital : | Sorsogon City |
| Population : | 792.949 August 1, 2015 census
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| Population density : | 374 inhabitants per km² |
| Area : | 2,119.01 km² |
| PSGC : | 056200000 |
| Governor : | Raul R. Lee |
| structure | |
| - Highly urbanized cities | |
| - provincial cities | 1 |
| - municipalities | 14th |
| - Barangays | 541 |
| - electoral districts | 2 |
| Location of the province in the Philippines | |
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Coordinates: 12 ° 50 ′ N , 123 ° 55 ′ E Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines . It is the southernmost of the six provinces in the Bicol region . The capital Sorsogon City is the only city in the province.
geography
The province of Sorsogon occupies the south-eastern part of the Bicol peninsula. It borders the province of Albay and the Gulf of Albay to the north, while the Pacific Ocean to the east and the San Bernardino Strait to the southeast . In the southwest lies the waterway of the Ticao Passage with the island of Ticao . The province has a total area of 2119.01 km² and its coastline extends over 336 kilometers.
Sorsogon's topography can be described as very different. There are two large mountain ranges in the province, the Pocdol Mountains in the northwest and the mountain range of the active volcano Bulusan in the southeast, both mountain ranges are separated by the Bay of Sorsogon . The mountain ranges drop to the coasts and form smaller high plateaus , extensive flatlands and numerous marshland areas on the coasts . The highest mountain is the Bulusan , which rises 1,560 m above sea level and is known as the "Switzerland of the Orient".
Almost the entire province is surrounded by water, only in the northwest there is a land connection to the neighboring province of Albay. Thus, with the exception of the municipality of Irosin , all villages have access to the sea and are connected to one another by solid and paved roads.
Sorgoson Province is considered to be the gateway to the southern Philippines . With its ferry ports in the communities of Matnog and Bulusan and Sorsogon City , the province is an important hub for traffic on the Maharlia Highway .
Demographics and language
According to the 2007 census, a total of 709,673 people in 125,191 households live in the province. This makes it the 37th most populous province in the Philippines.
The vast majority of the province's population (96.84%) belong to the Bikol or Bicol ethnic group. About 0.38% feel they belong to the Tagalog, 0.22% belong to the Kankanai (Kankaney or Kankanaey), while the remainder are taken by other ethnic minorities.
The most common languages are thus Bikolano and Bisakol. Due to the fact that the province is an entrance from the Visayas , the spoken dialect has developed as a unique mix of Bikol and Vasayan dialects. Most of the locals also speak Filipino and English . In some parts Spanish sentences can also be heard, with the main dialect itself being filled with many Spanish words.
The majority of the province's inhabitants are Roman Catholic . For this reason, they celebrate various festivals in honor of Catholic saints, such as the fiesta of the patrons Peter and Paul , which is celebrated every June in the city of Sorsogon City.
During Holy Week , people flock barefoot to the Peter and Paul Cathedral . A procession begins here in which the participants carry cards in front of them showing Jesus on his way of the cross .
Administrative division
Sorsogon is politically divided into a city and 14 independently administered municipalities.
The city and the communities are in turn divided into a total of 541 barangays (districts). The province will continue two Congress - districts assigned.
city
Communities
economy
Sorsogon is a very poor province. According to data from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) from 2003, it shows that 43.5% (12,452 people) live below the poverty line. In 2000 it was 51.4%.
The economic center of the province is located in the capital Sorsogon City . In addition, only the port communities of Matnog and Bulan can be described as economic hotspots.
In February 2012 it was announced that a wind farm with a capacity of 420 MW is to be built in the area of the municipality of Prieto Diaz .
history
Between 1565 and 1570, the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi sent an expeditionary force from his base on the island of Panay under the leadership of Capitan Luis Enriquez de Guzmancon, who were supposed to explore the part of the island that is now occupied by the province of Sorsogon. In their company was the Augustinian monk Alonso Jimenez, the chaplain of the group. The task of the expedition was to collect food for the starving Spanish groups on Panay . Another goal was the Christianization of all native settlements that you would come across on your foray. The group finally met a small fishing village called Gibalong at the mouth of the Ginangra River, which is now part of the Magallanes municipality . The village of Gibalong thus became the first Christian settlement on the island of Luzon and it was here that Alonso Jimenez held the first Christian mass on the northern island of the Philippines. In some Spanish maps the entire district or parts of it is still preserved under the entry Tierra de Gibalong.
In 1570 a chapel was built on the Gingara River in Magallanes. The missionaries then reached the town of Pilar , where the Abuca-Catamlangan Mission was founded. Other places founded at this time were Casiguran in 1600 and Bulusan in 1601.
Due to the urgent need to manufacture ships during this period of the galleon trade, shipbuilding was established as one of the most important industries in the province. In 1669, in turn, Father Pedro de Espellargas invented the paring knife for abacá fruits, which revolutionized fiber production and promoted industrial rope production, especially in this area.
The Muslim raids on the coastal towns of Sorsogon in 1737, 1740, 1749 and 1781 prompted Captain Pedro de Gastambide to build a fort in Sirangan. Various watchtowers were then built in Gubat, Bacon, Bulusan, Sta. Magdalena and Matnog erected. Sorsogon belonged to the province of Albay until 1894, from which it was split off on October 17th. The headquarters of the provincial government was assigned to the town of the same name, from which the province owes its name.
The Spaniards gave up Sorsogon during the Philippine Revolution in 1876 and in the meantime transferred the responsibility of the provincial government through Father Jorge Barlin, the vicar of Sorsogon, who later had to hand over the province to the revolutionary troops.
On January 20, 1900, American forces under the command of General William Kobbé occupied Sorsogon and installed a provisional military government in the province. The resistance movement against the American occupation died out with the capture of Emeterio Funes, the head of the revolutionary troops in the area. Like many other revolutionary leaders, he subsequently swore allegiance to the United States and thus ended the Filipino engagement in this province.
Origin of name
The name Sorsogon was originally pronounced as Solsogon and is recorded as such in most ancient Spanish maps. The basic word Solog comes from the Bikol language and stands for going against the current , which should indicate following the river upstream. There are different forms of this designation, such as Sogsogon or Sososgon , which both have the same meaning, namely to follow a river, a path or a path.
According to an old legend, a settlement called Gibalong was founded, the area of which is now occupied by the town of Magallanes. From there, the Spaniards fanned out to explore the area, when one group came across a small river that emptied into what is now the Bay of Sorsogon. Tired, lost and with no idea where they were, the Spaniards asked a local for the name of this place. Since he did not understand the strangers on the one hand, and let himself be unsettled by their appearance and armor on the other, he thought he would be asked for directions to his settlement. So he pointed to the river and told Solsogon to follow the stream upwards. Over time, that name eventually stuck.
climate
The tropical climate of Sorsogon is largely influenced by two air currents, the northeast and southeast monsoons that occur from June to September. There is no rainy season in the region, rainfall can occur throughout the year. The greatest precipitation values are to be expected between the months of November to January. November is the wettest month, while April and May are relatively dry.
Attractions
- The Bulusan Volcano National Park
- The Bulusan mountain lake
- Tolong-Gapo Beach Resort
- Irosin hot and mineral springs
- The Rizal Beach Resort near Gubat
- The Picturesque Islands by Matnog
- Puerto Diaz cave
- Palogtoc Falls
Web links
swell
- ↑ Poverty statistics from (NSCB)
- ↑ 700 MW of wind projects get nod
- ↑ In his book, From Ibalon to Sorsogon: A Historical Survey of Sorsogon Province to 1905 (New Day Pub. QC, Philippines, 1991), Dr. Luis C. Dery writes