1.
Municipalities of the Philippines
–
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also usually called towns and they are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided into cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays, as of June 2015, there are 1,490 municipalities across the country. A municipal district is a local government unit, previously certain areas were created first as municipal districts before they were converted into municipalities. Municipalities have some autonomy from the National Government of the Republic of the Philippines under the Local Government Code of 1991 and they have been granted corporate personality enabling them to enact local policies and laws, enforce them, and govern their jurisdictions. They can enter into contracts and other transactions through their elected and appointed officials and they are tasked with enforcing all laws, whether local or national. The National Government assists and supervises the local government to make sure that they do not violate national law, the Judicial Branch of the Republic of the Philippines also caters to the needs of local government units. Local governments, such as a municipalities, do not have their own judicial branch and these responsibilities shall be under approval of the Sangguniang Bayan. The vice mayor shall sign all warrants drawn on the municipal treasury, in circumstances where the mayor permanently or temporarily vacates the position, he shall assume executive duties and functions. While vice mayor presides over the legislature, he cannot vote unless the necessity of tie-breaking arises, laws or ordinances proposed by the Sangguniang Bayan, however, may be approved or vetoed by the mayor. If approved, they become local ordinances, if the mayor neither vetoes nor approves the proposal of the Sangguniang Bayan for ten days from the time of receipt, the proposal becomes law as if it had been signed. If vetoed, the draft is sent back to the Sangguniang Bayan, the latter may override the mayor by a vote of at least two-thirds of all its members, in which case, the proposal becomes law. A municipality, upon reaching a certain requirements – minimum population size, first, a bill must be passed in Congress, then signed into law by the President and then the residents would vote in the succeeding plebiscite to accept or reject cityhood. One benefit in being a city is that the city government gets more budget, but taxes are much higher than in municipalities
2.
Philippines
–
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. The Philippines has an area of 300,000 square kilometers, and it is the eighth-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world. As of 2013, approximately 10 million additional Filipinos lived overseas, multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelagos earliest inhabitants and they were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Exchanges with Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Islamic nations occurred, then, various competing maritime states were established under the rule of Datus, Rajahs, Sultans or Lakans. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Homonhon, Eastern Samar in 1521 marked the beginning of Hispanic colonization, in 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. With the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi from Mexico City, in 1565, the Philippines became part of the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. This resulted in Roman Catholicism becoming the dominant religion, during this time, Manila became the western hub of the trans-Pacific trade connecting Asia with Acapulco in the Americas using Manila galleons. Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until after World War II, since then, the Philippines has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a dictatorship by a non-violent revolution. It is a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It also hosts the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank, the Philippines was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, during his expedition in 1542, named the islands of Leyte, eventually the name Las Islas Filipinas would be used to cover all the islands of the archipelago. Before that became commonplace, other such as Islas del Poniente. The official name of the Philippines has changed several times in the course of its history, during the Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Congress proclaimed the establishment of the República Filipina or the Philippine Republic. From the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the name Philippines began to appear, since the end of World War II, the official name of the country has been the Republic of the Philippines. The metatarsal of the Callao Man, reliably dated by uranium-series dating to 67,000 years ago is the oldest human remnant found in the archipelago to date and this distinction previously belonged to the Tabon Man of Palawan, carbon-dated to around 26,500 years ago. Negritos were also among the archipelagos earliest inhabitants, but their first settlement in the Philippines has not been reliably dated, there are several opposing theories regarding the origins of ancient Filipinos
3.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
4.
Regions of the Philippines
–
In the Philippines, regions, ISO 3166-2, PH) are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the republic of the Philippines is divided into 18 regions. Most government offices are established by region instead of individual provincial offices, the regions themselves do not possess a separate local government, with the exception of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which has an elected regional assembly and governor. The Cordillera Administrative Region was originally intended to be autonomous, since that time, other regions have been created and some provinces have been transferred from one region to another. June 22,1973, Pangasinan was transferred from Region III to Region I, july 7,1975, Region XII created and minor reorganization of some Mindanao regions. July 25,1975, Regions IX and XII declared as Autonomous Regions in Western, august 21,1975, Region IX divided into Sub-Region IX-A and Sub-Region IX-B. Minor reorganization of some Mindanao regions, november 7,1975, Metropolitan Manila created. June 2,1978, Metropolitan Manila declared as the National Capital Region, july 15,1987, Cordillera Administrative Region created. August 1,1989, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao created, Region XII reverted to an administrative region. October 23,1989, First creation of Cordillera Autonomous Region, ratification rejected by residents in a plebiscite. October 12,1990, Executive Order 429 issued by President Corazon Aquino to reorganize the Mindanao regions, february 23,1995, Region XIII created and minor reorganization of some Mindanao regions. Sultan Kudarat transferred to Region XI,1997, Minor reorganization of some Mindanao regions. December 22,1997, Second creation of Cordillera Autonomous Region, ratification rejected by residents in a plebiscite. December 18,1998, Sultan Kudarat returned to Region XII, september 19,2001, Most Mindanao regions reorganized and some renamed. May 17,2002, Region IV-A and Region IV-B created from the former Region IV region, may 23,2005, Palawan transferred from Region IV-B to Region VI, Mimaropa renamed to Mimaro. August 19,2005, Transfer of Palawan to Region VI held in abeyance, may 29,2015, Negros Island Region created. Negros Occidental and Bacolod from Region VI and Negros Oriental from Region VII transferred to form new region, july 17,2016, Republic Act No.10879 established the Southwestern Tagalog Region from the former Region IV-B. As of May 2015, the Philippines comprises 18 administrative regions and these regions are geographically organized into the three island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
5.
Central Visayas
–
Central Visayas is a region of the Philippines, designated as Region VII. It is located in the part of the Visayas island group. Cebu City is the regional center, the region is dominated by the native speakers of Cebuano. The land area of the region is 10,102 square kilometres, on May 29,2015, the region was redefined, when Region VII lost the province of Negros Oriental to the newly formed Negros Island Region. By virtue of Executive Order No.183 issued on May 29,2015 by President Benigno Aquino III, in the 2013 electoral roll, it had 4,114,046 registered voters, meaning that 68% of the population are aged 18 and over. According to the 2015 census, it had a population of 6,041,903, the 2015 census showed an average annual population growth rate of 1. 76% from 2010 to 2015, slightly higher than the national average of 1. 72%. Cebuano is the dominant language of the region, the Central Visayas region consists of 3 provinces and 3 independent cities, Negros Oriental was formerly a part of Region VII. President Benigno Aquino III signed the Executive Order No.183, Cebu City is the main media hub for both the region. Most of these stations broadcast local news and public affairs as well as entertainment, aside from the 24 national daily newspapers available, Cebu City also has 20 local newspapers. Among the widely read are the Sun Star Cebu, the countrys main Islamic news journal, The Voice of Islam, was founded in 1961 and published in this city. The Port of Cebu is the main gateway. There are also ports in Tagbilaran in Bohol and Larena in Siquijor, inter-island shipping is served by numerous shipping lines, two of them fastcraft companies which serve all the provinces in the region. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City, is the second busiest airport. It is the airline hub of Cebu Pacific, and secondary hub for Philippine Airlines and its subsidiaries. It also serves international flights to other Asian and intercontinental destinations, other airports in the region are Tagbilaran Airport, serves Tagbilaran and Bohol with flights to Manila. Media related to Central Visayas at Wikimedia Commons Central Visayas travel guide from Wikivoyage
6.
Provinces of the Philippines
–
The provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 81 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities, the National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are independent of any provincial government. Each province is governed by a legislature called the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. The provinces are grouped into 18 regions based on geographical, cultural, fifteen of these regions are designated with numbers corresponding to their geographic location in order from north to south. The Cordillera Administrative Region, National Capital Region, Negros Island Region, each province is a member of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, an organization which aims to address issues affecting provincial and metropolitan government administrations. A provincial government is autonomous of other provinces within the Republic, each province is governed by two main elected branches of the government, executive and legislative. Judicial affairs are separated from provincial governance and are administered by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, the provincial governor is chief executive and head of each province. The vice governor acts as the president for each Sangguniáng Panlalawigan, every SP is composed of regularly elected members from provincial districts, as well as ex officio members. The number of regularly elected SP members allotted to each province is determined by its income class, first- and second-class provinces are provided ten regular SP members, third- and fourth-class provinces have eight, while fifth- and sixth-class provinces have six. Exceptions are provinces with more than five congressional districts, such as Cavite with 14 regularly elected SP members, every SP has designated seats for ex officio members, given to the respective local presidents of the Association of Barangay Captains, Philippine Councilors League, and Sangguniáng Kabataan. The vice governor and regular members of an SP are elected by the voters within the province, ex officio members are elected by members of their respective organisations. National intrusion into the affairs of each provincial government is limited by the Philippine Constitution, the President of the Philippines however coordinates with provincial administrators through the Department of the Interior and Local Government. For purposes of representation, each province is guaranteed its own congressional district. One congressional representative represents each district in the House of Representatives, senatorial representation is elected at an at-large basis and not apportioned through territory-based districts. Those classified as highly urbanized or independent component cities are independent from the province. Local government units classified as component cities and municipalities are under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, the provincial government does not have direct relations with individual barangays. Supervision over a government is the mandate of the mayor. Provinces are classified according to annual income based on the previous 4 calendar years
7.
Negros Oriental
–
Negros Oriental, also called Oriental Negros or Eastern Negros, is a province in the Philippines located in the Negros Island Region. It occupies the half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the northwestern half. It also includes Apo Island, a dive site for both, local and foreign tourists. Negros Oriental faces Cebu to the east across the Tañon Strait, the primary spoken language is Cebuano and the predominant religious denomination is Roman Catholicism. Dumaguete City is the capital, seat of government and most populous city of the province. Negros Island, the fourth largest island in the Philippines, is believed to have once been part of a larger landmass, among the early inhabitants of the island were Negritos and later the Austronesians, as well as Han Chinese, who are mainly merchants. They called the island Buglas, a word which is believed to mean cut off. Spanish explorers on the expedition of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi first came to the island in April 1565, Legazpi dropped anchor in Bohol and sent his men to scout the island. Because of the currents of the Tañon Strait between Cebu and Negros, they were carried for several days and forced to land on the western side of the island. They reported seeing many dark-skinned inhabitants, and they called the island Negros, the island was sparsely settled at the time, except for a few coastal settlements including Ilog and Binalbagan. In 1571, Legaspi assigned encomiendas on the island to 13 of his men, augustinian friars began the Christianization of the island the next year. The island was administered as part of the jurisdiction of Oton until 1734 when it became a military district, the capital was transferred to Himamaylan in 1795. Negros became a province in 1865 and the capital was transferred to Bacolod. Due to its proximity to Mindanao, the coasts of Negros was in constant threat from Moro marauders looking for slaves. The Moro raids and Negros Orientals distance from the Negros capital of Bacolod induced 13 Recollectionist priests to petition for the division of the island in July 1876. The island of Negros was then divided into the provinces of Negros Oriental, Dumaguete was made the first capital of Negros Oriental. In 1892, Siquijor became a part of Negros Oriental, having previously been administered by Spain under the province of Bohol. The Philippine Revolution reached the province in 1898, disrupting government functions but without extreme violence, revolutionary troops in the province were composed mostly of farm labourers and other prominent people of the province of Negros Oriental, who were organized and led by Don Diego de la Viña
8.
House of Representatives of the Philippines
–
The House of Representatives of the Philippines, is the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines. It is often informally called Congress, Members of the House are officially styled as Representative and sometimes informally called Congressmen/Congresswomen and are elected to a three-year term. They can be re-elected, but cannot serve more than three consecutive terms, around eighty percent of congressmen are district representatives, representing a particular geographical area. There are 234 legislative districts in the country, each composed of about 250,000 people, there are also party-list representatives elected through the party-list system who constitute not more than twenty percent of the total number of representatives. The House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker, currently Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, the official headquarters of the House of Representatives is at the Batasang Pambansa located in the Batasan Hills in Quezon City in Metro Manila. The building is simply called Batasan and the word has also become a metonym to refer to the House of Representatives. At the beginning of American colonial rule, from March 16,1900, william Howard Taft was chosen to be the first American civilian Governor-General and the first leader of this Philippine Commission, which subsequently became known as the Taft Commission. This bicameral legislature was inaugurated in October 1907, under the leadership of Speaker Sergio Osmeña and Floor Leader Manuel L. Quezon, the Rules of the 59th United States Congress was substantially adopted as the Rules of the Philippine Legislature. It is this body, founded as the Philippine Assembly, that would continue in one form or another, in 1916, the Jones Act, officially the Philippine Autonomy Act, changed the legislative system. The Philippine Commission was abolished and a new fully elected, bicameral Philippine Legislature consisting of a House of Representatives, the legislative system was changed again in 1935. The 1935 Constitution established a unicameral National Assembly, but in 1940, through an amendment to the 1935 Constitution, a bicameral Congress of the Philippines consisting of a House of Representatives and a Senate was adopted. The Liberal bloc of the Nacionalistas permanently split from their ranks and these two will contest all of the elections in what appeared to be a two-party system. This set up continued until President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, the 1987 Constitution restored the presidential system of government together with a bicameral Congress of the Philippines. Corazon Aquino who nominally had no party, supported the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, with the victory of Fidel V. This also meant the restoration of Lakas-NUCD as the top party in the chamber, the same would happen when Benigno Aquino won in 2010, which returned the Liberals into power. The presiding officer is the Speaker, the members of the House of Representatives who are also its officers are also ex officio members of all of the committees and has a vote. The Speaker is the head of the House of Representatives, the speaker is elected by majority of all the members of the house, including vacant seats. The speaker is elected at the convening of each Congress
9.
Barangay
–
A barangay, formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In colloquial usage, the term refers to an inner city neighbourhood. The word barangay originated from balangay, a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they migrated to the Philippines, as of June 2015, there were 42,029 barangays throughout the Philippines. When the first Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, the name barangay originated from balangay, a Malay word meaning sailboat. The first barangays started as small communities of around 50 to 100 families. By the time of contact with Spaniards, many barangays have developed into large communities, some of these barangays had large populations. In Panay, some barangays had 20,000 inhabitants, in Leyte,15,000 inhabitants, in Cebu,3,500 residents, in Vitis,7,000 inhabitants, there were smaller barangays with less number of people. But these were generally inland communities, or if they were coastal and these smaller barangays had around thirty to one hundred houses only, and the population varies from one hundred to five hundred persons. According to Legazpi, he found communities with twenty to thirty people only, traditionally, the original “barangays” were coastal settlements of the migration of these Malayo-Polynesian people from other places in Southeast Asia. Most of the ancient barangays were coastal or riverine in nature and this is because most of the people were relying on fishing for supply of protein and for their livelihood. They also travelled mostly by water up and down rivers, trails always followed river systems, which were also a major source of water for bathing, washing, and drinking. The coastal barangays were more accessible to trade with foreigners and these were ideal places for economic activity to develop. Business with traders from other countries also meant contact with cultures and civilizations, such as those of Japan, Han Chinese, Indian people. These coastal communities acquired more cosmopolitan cultures, with developed social structures, during the Spanish rule, through a resettlement policy called the Reducción, smaller scattered barangays were consolidated to form compact towns. Each barangay was headed by the cabeza de barangay, who formed part of the Principalía - the elite ruling class of the municipalities of the Spanish Philippines and this position was inherited from the first datus, and came to be known as such during the Spanish regime. The Spanish Monarch ruled each barangay through the Cabeza, who collected taxes from the residents for the Spanish Crown. When the Americans arrived, slight changes in the structure of government was effected. Later, Rural Councils with four councilors were created to assist, now renamed Barrio Lieutenant, it was later renamed Barrio Council, the Spanish term barrio was used for much of the 20th century until 1974, when President Ferdinand Marcos ordered their renaming to barangays
10.
Sangguniang Bayan
–
The Sangguniáng Bayan is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality and its powers are defined by the Local Government Code, passed by the Congress in 1991. The municipal vice mayor is the ex officio presiding officer of the Sangguniáng Bayan, in the absence of the vice mayor, a temporary presiding officer is elected by the Sangguniáng Bayan councilors present at the session. All municipalities in the Philippines, with the exception of Pateros in Metro Manila, have eight members or councilors elected at-large. In the case of Pateros, its Sangguniang Bayan is composed of elected councilors. Elected or regular members of the Sangguniang Bayan must at least be 18 years old on election day and they are elected for a three-year term and may serve up to three consecutive terms. Elections are held simultaneously with the elections held every three years since 1992. The term begins at noon of June 30 following election day, a permanent vacancy among the regular Sagguniang Bayan members is filled in by an appointment of the governor of the province the municipality is a part of. Appointees are also limited to only the unexpired term. In the case of vacancies among ex officio members the next ranking official of the Liga ng mga Barangay or Pederasyon ng Sangguniang Kabataan assumes the vacancy, an ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Bayan is sent to the municipal mayor for approval. Once approved, it is transmitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province to which the municipality belongs, since Pateros is not part of any province, any ordinance or measure it adopts is not subjected to any Sangguniang Panlalawigan review. Any veto action must be communicated with the Sangguniang Bayan within ten days otherwise the ordinance is considered approved, but if no action is taken by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan within 30 days, it is presumed to be compliant and deemed valid. Municipalities of the Philippines The Local Government Code of the Philippines
11.
Philippine general election, 2016
–
At the top of the ballot is the election for successors to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay. The ARMM elections pushed through, as scheduled, barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were scheduled for October 2016, but were postponed to 2017. Bautista replaced Sixto Brillantes, while Guanzon and Abbas replaced Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, all appointees will serve until February 2022. A few days after the announcement, it was revealed that Abas is a nephew of Mohagher Iqbal, bautista said the Abas confirmed to him that the latter is Iqbals nephew. Iqbal neither confirmed nor denied their relationship, calling it is a non-issue, the commission started voter registration for the elections on May 6,2014, to October 31,2015. Under the law, the 9.6 million registered voters who do not have attached their registration will not be allowed to vote. Voter registration was suspended from October 12 to 16 to give way to the filing of candidacies, from October 17 to 31, the commission would extend its hours up to 9,00 p. m. to accommodate last minute registrants. Voter registration was suspended in Puerto Princesa from April 20 to May 17,2015, the Voters Registration Act prohibits voter registration during recall elections. In June 2015, the commission denied reports that some voters biometrics were lost saying that they were degraded. A month later, the commission opened booths in Metro Manila, by that time, there were still 4.3 million voters with incomplete biometrics. The commission, seeing the turnout for registration at the malls. The commissions en banc had already approved in principle the mall voting process, near the end of the month, the commission said that the number of voters without biometrics has decreased to 3.8 million. By mid-August, the announced that they had purged 1.5 million. This was despite a petition to the Supreme Court by the Kabataan party-list to extend registration until January 8,2016, acting on the said petition, the Supreme Court issued a restraining order on the No Bio, No Boto mandatory voters biometrics campaign on December 1. It was later lifted after 16 days, the Philippines began using technology to streamline vote counting in 2010 when it automated its general elections. During the 2013 Mid Term elections it used the same technology, the court said that the commission failed to justify its resort to direct contracting. Two months later, the Commission conducted an election where a hybrid system of manual counting. Senator Francis Escudero disapproved of the use of the hybrid system, a few days later, the Commission informed the House of Representatives Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms that they had decided not to use the hybrid system
12.
Philippine Standard Time
–
Philippine Standard Time, also known as Philippine Time and informally Juan Time, is the official name for the time in the Philippines. The country only uses one time zone, and for a short period, geographically, the Philippines lies within 116°40′ and 126°34′ east of the Prime Meridian, and is physically located within the UTC+08,00 time zone. Philippine Standard Time is maintained by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, the Philippines shares the same time zone with Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, most parts of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, central Indonesia, and Western Australia. Philippine Standard Time was instituted through Batas Pambansa Blg,8, approved on 2 December 1978 and implemented on 1 January 1983. The Philippines is one of the few countries to officially and almost exclusively use the 12-hour clock in non-military situations. From 1521 to 1844, the Philippines had the date as Mexico. Monday,30 December 1844 was immediately followed by Wednesday,1 January 1845 and this meant that International Date Line moved from going west of the Philippines to go on the east side of the country. At the time, local time was used to set clocks, meaning that every place used its own local time based on its longitude. Television and radio stations in the Philippines display the time, in September 2011, the Department of Science and Technology proposed to synchronise time nationwide in an effort to discourage tardiness. On May 15,2013, President Benigno Aquino III signed Republic Act No,10535, better known as the The Philippine Standard Time Act of 2013 as a last step to finally implement the Juan Time. Effective June 1,2013, all government offices and media networks will be required to use Philippine Standard Time as a basis to set their timepieces, in addition, the first week of January will be regularly observed as the National Time Consciousness Week. The IANA time zone database contains one zone for the Philippines in the file zone. tab, hapon starts at 1,00 PM and ends 5,59 PM. Gabí starts at 6,00 PM and ends 12,00 AM which is Hatinggabi, madalíng Araw starts at 12,01 AM and ends 4,59 AM. Except in very formal situations, Filipinos rarely use the numbers in telling time. - Alas otso kwarenta y uno ng gabí or Apatnapút-isá makalipas ng ikawaló ng gabí5,30 A. M, - Alas singko y medya ng umaga or Tatlumpûng minuto makalipas ng ikalimá ng umaga or ikalimá at kalaháti ng umaga 3,00 P. M. - Alas tres ng hapon o Ikatló ng hapon 12,00 P. M, - Alas dose ng tanghalì o Ikalabíndalawá ng tanghalì12,00 A. M. - Alas dose ng hatinggabi o Ikalabíndalawá ng hatinggabí2,00 A. M
13.
Telephone numbers in the Philippines
–
Telephone numbers in the Philippines follow an open telephone numbering plan and an open dial plan. Both plans are regulated by the National Telecommunications Commission, an agency under the Department of Information. The Philippines is assigned an international dialling code of 63 by ITU-T, telephone numbers are fixed at seven digits, with area codes fixed at one, two, or three digits. Mobile phone numbers are always 10 digits, when making long-distance calls in the Philippines, the prefix 0 for domestic calls and 00 for international calls are used. Some smaller carriers concentrated within a geographic area may issue four- or five-digit area codes. Occasionally, an area may change area codes. For example, the City of Bacoor in Cavite has been included in the coverage area of area code 2 per the National Telecommunications Commissions Memorandum Order No. 08-09-2011, although almost all fixed-lines in the city use the old 46 area code due to the poor compliance of PLDT. Sometimes area codes are shared by a number of government entities to maximise their use. In extreme cases, area codes are shared across an island like in Leyte and Samar, or even entire regions, in order to identify the calls point of origin, the three-digit telephone exchange prefix is checked. Since the Philippines employs an open plan, telephone numbers dialled within a given area code do not require the area code. When dialling other area codes, the long distance access prefix 0 is added, but when dialling from overseas. However, the code indicates the service provider and not necessarily a geographic region. Unlike fixed-line telephones, the telephone dialling format is always observed when using a mobile phone. Therefore, mobile phone numbers always have the format +63 xxx-xxxx for international callers and 0 xxx-xxxx for domestic callers. Some of the first area codes to be assigned for mobile phones were 912 for Mobiline/Piltel,915 for Islacom,917 for Globe Telecom,918 for Smart Communications, and 973 for Express Telecom. As service began growing rapidly since the 1990s, new codes have been added to meet demand as existing codes have since been exhausted, newer codes often come immediately after the last code exhausted, but this might not be the case if the next code is already in use. 955/956 are the latest codes and are used for Globe & TM, areas codes are grouped by provider with no single contiguous block of codes for a single provider
14.
Tropical climate
–
A tropical climate in the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures of at least 18 °C. In tropical climates there is only two seasons, a wet season and a dry season. Tropical climates are frost-free and changes in the angle are small. In tropical climates temperature remains constant throughout the year. Within the tropical climate there are distinct varieties based on precipitation, In the Tropical rainforest climate. These climates usually occur within 5–10° latitude of the equator, in some eastern coast areas, they may extend to as much as over 26° away from the equator. This climate is dominated by the doldrums Low Pressure System all year round and it is dominated by the monsoon winds which change direction according to the seasons. This climate has a driest month with less than 60 millimetres. Examples, Southern part of Arabian Peninsula, mountaintops within the tropics, e. g. Mount Kenya, can be cold. However, like lowlands in the tropics, there is seasonal variation of temperature. Because of the effect of sun angle on climate most areas within the tropics are hot year-round, the ITCZ is shown, for July average, in the graphic. Areas of ascending air have heavy rainfall, areas of descending air are dry, the ITCZ somewhat follows the solar equator throughout the year, but with geographical variations, and in some areas is heavily influenced by local large-scale monsoons
15.
Municipality of the Philippines
–
A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also usually called towns and they are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided into cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays, as of June 2015, there are 1,490 municipalities across the country. A municipal district is a local government unit, previously certain areas were created first as municipal districts before they were converted into municipalities. Municipalities have some autonomy from the National Government of the Republic of the Philippines under the Local Government Code of 1991 and they have been granted corporate personality enabling them to enact local policies and laws, enforce them, and govern their jurisdictions. They can enter into contracts and other transactions through their elected and appointed officials and they are tasked with enforcing all laws, whether local or national. The National Government assists and supervises the local government to make sure that they do not violate national law, the Judicial Branch of the Republic of the Philippines also caters to the needs of local government units. Local governments, such as a municipalities, do not have their own judicial branch and these responsibilities shall be under approval of the Sangguniang Bayan. The vice mayor shall sign all warrants drawn on the municipal treasury, in circumstances where the mayor permanently or temporarily vacates the position, he shall assume executive duties and functions. While vice mayor presides over the legislature, he cannot vote unless the necessity of tie-breaking arises, laws or ordinances proposed by the Sangguniang Bayan, however, may be approved or vetoed by the mayor. If approved, they become local ordinances, if the mayor neither vetoes nor approves the proposal of the Sangguniang Bayan for ten days from the time of receipt, the proposal becomes law as if it had been signed. If vetoed, the draft is sent back to the Sangguniang Bayan, the latter may override the mayor by a vote of at least two-thirds of all its members, in which case, the proposal becomes law. A municipality, upon reaching a certain requirements – minimum population size, first, a bill must be passed in Congress, then signed into law by the President and then the residents would vote in the succeeding plebiscite to accept or reject cityhood. One benefit in being a city is that the city government gets more budget, but taxes are much higher than in municipalities
16.
Philippine Statistics Authority
–
The Philippine Statistics Authority was created on September 12,2013 when the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013 was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III. It collects, compiles, analyzes and publishes information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs. Likewise, it enforces the civil functions in the Philippines. The organization assumed its responsibilities when Commonwealth Act No.591 was approved on August 19,1940 and it was then known as the Bureau of the Census and Statistics. It became the National Census and Statistics Office in 1974 until was renamed to be the National Statistics Office, the emergence of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics was spurred by government efforts to improve the agricultural data base in the country. In the past, the data system suffered from significant gaps, some duplications. The BAS has assumed most of the functions of its predecessor and this law designates BAS as the central information source and server of the National Information Network of the Department of Agriculture. Census in the Philippines Demographics of the Philippines Official website, old URL Philippine Statistics Act of 2013 Implementing rules and regulations of the Philippine Statistics Act of 2013
17.
Cebu
–
Cebu is a 1st provincial income class island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consisting of the main island itself and 167 surrounding islands and islets. Its capital is Cebu City, the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines, Cebu City forms part of the Cebu Metropolitan Area together with four neighboring cities and eight other local government units. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Mactan Island, is the second busiest airport in the Philippines, Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the Philippines, with Cebu City as the main center of commerce, trade, education and industry in the Visayas. In a decade it has transformed into a hub for shipping, furniture-making, tourism, business processing services. The name Cebu came from the old Cebuano word sibu or sibo and it was originally applied to the harbors of the town of Sugbu, the ancient name for Cebu City. Alternate renditions of the name by traders between the 13th to 16th centuries include Sebu, Sibuy, Zubu, or Zebu, among others, Sugbu, in turn, was derived from the Old Cebuano term for scorched earth or great fire. The Rajahnate of Cebu was a native kingdom which existed in Cebu prior to the arrival of the Spaniards. It was founded by Sri Lumay otherwise known as Rajamuda Lumaya and he was sent by the Maharajah to establish a base for expeditionary forces to subdue the local kingdoms, but he rebelled and established his own independent Rajahnate instead. The arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 established a period of Spanish exploration and colonization, losing favor for his plan of reaching the Spice Islands from king Manuel I of Portugal, by sailing west from Europe, Magellan offered his services to king Charles I of Spain. On 20 September 1519, Magellan led five ships with a crew of 250 people from the Spanish fort of Sanlúcar de Barrameda en route to southeast Asia via the Americas and they reached the Philippines on 16 March 1521. Rajah Kolambu the king of Mazaua told them to sail for Cebu, arriving in Cebu City, Magellan, with Enrique of Malacca as translator, befriended Rajah Humabon the Rajah or King of Cebu and persuaded the natives of allegiance to Charles I of Spain. Humabon and his wife were given Christian names and baptized as Carlos, the Santo Niño was presented to the native queen of Cebu, as a symbol of peace and friendship between the Spaniards and the Cebuanos. On 14 April Magellan erected a wooden cross on the shores of Cebu. Afterwards, about 700 islanders were baptized, Magellan soon heard of datu Lapu-Lapu, a native king in nearby Mactan Island, a rival of the Rajahs of Cebu. It was thought that Humabon and Lapu–Lapu had been fighting for control of the trade in the area. On 27 April the Battle of Mactan occurred where the Spaniards were defeated, according to Italian historian and chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, Magellans body was never recovered despite efforts to trade for it with spice and jewels. Magellans second-in-command, Juan Sebastián Elcano took his place as captain of the expedition and sailed their fleet back to Spain, survivors of the Magellan expedition brought tales of a savage island in the East Indies with them when they returned to Spain. Consequently, several Spanish expeditions were sent to the islands but all ended in failure, in 1564, Spanish explorers led by Miguel López de Legazpi, sailing from Mexico, arrived in 1565, and established a colony
18.
Samboan, Cebu
–
Samboan is a 5th municipal income class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines,150 kilometres south of Cebu City. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 20,884, in the 2016 electoral roll, it had 12,577 registered voters. Samboan is an abbreviation of the word sinamboang, which was a dance performed by the people of the village. Samboan is a town on a hill. But it used to be a bigger town, with Oslob. In fact, people of Alegria were made to render forced labor for the construction of the Samboan church and it was only some time during the middle of the 1880s that those two towns were separated from Samboan. Samboan comprises 15 barangays, In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 12,577 registered voters, meaning that 60% of the population are aged 18, one aspect of interest is that of Samboans cultural heritage left by the Spanish conquerors. St. Michael Archangel Church is one of the oldest Spanish-built churches in Cebu, the Watch Tower is another Spanish structure, also made up of blocks of coral stones. It was built on the side of the hill to watch out for Moro invaders approaching the island and it is the tallest watch tower in the entire island of Cebu, and best preserved. Connecting the beach area with the Spanish Watch Tower is St. Jacobs Ladder and it is a flight of 147 stone steps built in 1878, which leads to the old watchtower on a plateau 65 metres above the town. From here, one can get a view of the Tañon Strait, the Samboan WWII Volunteers Monument, at the center of Poblacion on the National Highway, was built in honor of the many volunteers who fought for the freedom of the Philippines. The San Sebastian Stone Walls are old stone structures near San Sebastian Parish Church and this may be why this barangay is popularly known as Bato. Another Spanish structure is an old coral stone believed to be a Spanish Boundary Post and it stands along the highway in Tangbo beside the Tangbo—Bonbon River Bridge. It was believed that it used to mark the limit of old poblacion. Samboan is known for its crystal clear waters with a rich marine ecosystem along its coastal barangays. Aguinid Waterfalls in Tangbo comprises five different tiers along Tangbo river, each tier has a unique waterfall. One can never reach the peak or last waterfall without climbing the walls of each waterfall from the lowest to highest. Bonbon Hidden Falls to the south of Poblacion which some visitors call the Triple Drop Falls
19.
Water supply and sanitation in the Philippines
–
Water supply is the process of providing water in a systematic way through installed pumps and pipe lines. Before water is provided to an area, it undegoes a process called sanitation to ensure that the quality of water received is safe for human consumption. The Philippines’ water supply system dates back to 1946 after the country achieved its independence, the Philippines’ main sources of water are rivers, lakes, river basins, and groundwater reservoirs. The longest and largest river, Cagayan River, discharges approximately 53,943 million cubic meters of water annually and its groundwater reserves are 47,895 million cubic meters replenished by rainfall and seepage from rivers and lakes. The lakes are utilized mainly for fish cultivation, the four major groundwater reservoirs are in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Agusan, and Cotabato. There are 438 major dams and 423 smaller dams, dams and reservoirs are mainly used for, water storage, water supply, irrigation, regulation of flood, and hydropower. Agricultural water management in the Philippines primarily focuses on the subject of irrigation, the country has 3.126 million hectares of irrigable land, 50% of which already has irrigation facilities. 50% of irrigated areas are developed and operated by the government through the National Irrigation System, the use of water for industrial purposes include the utilization of water in factories, industrial plants and mines, and the use of water as an ingredient of a finished product. Industries that are found to be water-intensive are involved in the manufacturing of food and dairy, pulp and chemical products and these industries are usually found in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, and Region III. In a study by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in 1999, thousands of tons solvent wastes, heavy metals, lubricants, and intractable wastes are improperly disposed of annually in Metro Manila. According to a study by David and Inocencio, the medium of water provision is dependent on the class of a certain household. Higher income brackets usually rely on private waterworks as a source of water, lower income households pay much higher water prices than higher income households because of their lack of access to water service providers. In 2000, the water production was 175 liters per day per capita. According to the National Water Resources Board, the consumption of water was 118 l/d/c in 2004. The highest consumption was recorded in the East Zone of Metro Manila with 232 l/d/c, according to a 2005 World Bank study, approximately 5,000 service providers exist in the Philippines. Most of them only provide water, while sanitation is still expected to be a private responsibility, the water infrastructure provided is classified into three levels. According to the Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation of UNICEF and WHO, most households in the Philippines are provided water by their Local Government Units, either directly through a city or municipal engineering department or through community-based organizations. CBOs involved in water supply include 200 cooperatives,3,100 Barangay Water, cBOs usually operate Level I or Level II water supply systems with support from the national government or non-governmental organizations
20.
Amlan, Negros Oriental
–
Amlan is a fourth class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 23,624 people, Amlan was formerly known as New Ayuquitan. Nineteenth-century chronicler Licinio Ruiz mentions Amblan, a settlement said to have named after a superior kind of guava. The town was made an independent of Tanjay in 1848, was renamed New Ayuquitan in 1912. Amlan is a leisurely 15-minute cruise from Dumaguete City and its Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, completed in 1853 is the centerpiece of the town’s tourism picture while providing photo-opportunists with a colonial period backdrop. For nature attractions, there is the serene Tambojangin River for freshwater swims, amlan’s economy is anchored on fishing, copra and sugar cane, and its bustling Tandayag wharf, which is the seaport-of-call for Tañon Strait crossers from Cebu. The Province’s fuel and LPG supply is stored in depots nearby, cottage industries produce mats, baskets, bamboo furniture, and buricraft
21.
Santander, Cebu
–
Santander is a 4th municipal income class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 17,857, in the 2016 electoral roll, it had 11,577 registered voters. Santander is the southernmost municipality of Cebu, at 137 km by road, and it is the location of sea ports that connect to Negros Oriental. Fast craft ferry passengers to Sibulan, with trips taking 20 minutes, roll-on roll-off barges travel to Amlan, with trips taking one hour. It is known for its Tostado Festival, Santander is at the southernmost tip of Cebu. The town was originally called Tañong, but with the coming of the Spaniards, the town was established in 1867, the parish in 1897. Santanders terrain is dominated by a backdrop of rugged ranges which raise from a narrow coastal plain to an average elevation of 200 metres. Strongly sloping to sleepy sloping contours are scattered throughout the municipality, Santander comprises 10 barangays, In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 11,577 registered voters, meaning that 65% of the population are aged 18 and over. The death rate is 3.06 per 1000 people, or 0. 306%, most of the Tañonganons speak Cebuano. In schools, Filipino and English languages are taught and used as an instruction in all subjects. Santander may be a smallest town in Cebu, but it has turned out many professionals, majority of the people depend on the sea for livelihood – fishermen who continually explore the vast Palawan and East Philippine seas in search for rich fishing grounds. The method of fishing used is the destructive muro-ami technique, which has been banned on several occasions due to its effects on marine life. Before, there were four wholesale enterprises, one superstore and few sari-sari stores, an improvised market composed mostly of talipapas serves as satellite mater. This were located along Jose Rizal Street beside the Municipal building, by the year 2001, the business establishments began to grow and develop. Many larger businesses have established in Santander such as LGC Marketing. The major agricultural produce in Santander is corn, copra, most people especially those living in mountain barangays plant corns as a source of their income and livelihood. Santander was the only 5th class municipality in Cebu that was promoted its income class from 5th to 4th class, before, there were only two ports in Santander serving barges and boats bound for Dumaguete City. Now there are 4 ports connecting to Negros Island – three are located at Liloan and one at Talisay, there are 8 elementary and 3 high schools in Santander
22.
Sibulan
–
Sibulan, officially the Municipality of Sibulan is a second-class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental in Negros Island Region, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 59,455 people, Sibulan is bordered to the south by the provincial capital of Dumaguete City. It is the location of the Dumaguete Airport, the airport for Negros Oriental. Sibulan is also the location of the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, composed of Lake Balinsasayao, the site, managed by the provincial government, is located 1,047 metres above sea level on Mount Talinis. Sibulan is politically subdivided into 15 barangays, Sibulan has six coastal barangays, from north to south they are Ajong, Looc, Poblacion, Cangmating, Maslog, Agan-an and Boloc-boloc. The provincial airport, known as the Dumaguete Airport, is actually in Agan-an, Sibulan, there is a growing number of guest houses and beach resorts from Cangmating southward to Dumaguete and the coral reefs of Ajong are attracting more dive boats. The municipal seat is in barangay Poblacion, approximately midway along the coast of the town, the main municipal port facility is in Poblacion, where a fast ferry runs every hour to Santander on the tip of Cebu island. There is also a fishing and freight port in barangay Looc, Sibulan has two small Marine Protected Areas, which are coral reef areas that prohibit fishing, swimming and diving. One is in Agan-an, just north of the airport, the other is in Cangmating and these were established to improve the sustainability of the local fishery. The inland barangays are primarily agricultural and residential with minimal business, most commercial development is along the national highway, which runs the length of the town from Dumaguete in the south to San Jose at the north. Most business and light industry is along the highway in Boloc-Boloc, Maslog, Agan-an and this is largely urban sprawl from Dumaguete seeking the advantageous tax rates in Sibulan. Sibulan also boasts a golf resort, perched on the foothills in barangay San Antonio. Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System
23.
Dumaguete
–
Dumaguete, officially City of Dumaguete and often referred to as Dumaguete City, is a component city in the Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Oriental, having a total of 131,377 inhabitants as of 2015 census, it is the most populous city in the province. The city is nicknamed The City of Gentle People, Dumaguete is referred to as a university city because of the presence of four universities and a number of other colleges where students of the province converge to enroll for tertiary education. The city is also a popular destination for students of surrounding provinces and cities in Visayas. The city is best known for Silliman University, the countrys first Protestant university, there are also 18 public elementary schools and 8 public high schools. The citys student population is estimated at 30,000, Dumaguete is listed 5th in Forbes Magazines 7 Best Places to Retire Around the World. The power source of the city comes from the power plant in Palinpinon. The city has redundant fiber optic lines and is a point for telecommunications. It is the point for fiber optic cables linking it to Manila. Dumaguete was coined from the Cebuano word dagit, which means to snatch, the word dumaguet, meaning to swoop, was coined because of frequent raids by Moro pirates on this coastal community and its power to attract and keep visitors, both local and foreign. In 1572, Diego López Povedano indicated the place as Dananguet, the city has a land area of 3,362 hectares, situated on the plains of the southeastern coast of the island of Negros near the mouth of the Banica River. Of the provinces 19 municipalities/towns and 6 cities, Dumaguete is the smallest in terms of land area and it is bounded on the north by the town of Sibulan, on the south by the town of Bacong and on the west by the town of Valencia. As a coastal city, it is bounded on the east by the Bohol Sea, the citys topography is generally flat from two to six kilometers from the shoreline. It slopes gently upwards to the municipality of Valencia. The highest ground elevation is located at the boundary of the municipality of Valencia, about 93% of the land have slopes of less than 3%. The remaining areas have 3% to 5% slope, Dumaguete is politically subdivided into 30 barangays, all classified as urban. The eight barangays in the downtown area are known primarily by number. The smallest barangay is Barangay 4 with an area of only 5.11 hectares, Dumaguete has two seasons, namely, the dry and the wet seasons
24.
Ayungon
–
Ayungon is a second class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 46,146 and it is said that Ayungon is derived from the name of a deaf man, “Ayung, ” who cut down a “dungon” tree. Of only three virgin forests said to be still remaining on Negros Island, one is located in Banban, nature lovers will be regaled by sightings in the Karalaon Bird Sanctuary, the subterranean drama of the Mabato Caves, and the postcard-pretty Pagsalsalan Twin Falls. Ayungon is located on the midriff of Oriental Negros’ northern stretch, Ayungon is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Official Website Local Governance Performance Management System
25.
Bacong, Negros Oriental
–
Bacong is a fourth-class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 36,527 people, Bacong was the hometown of the Visayan hero of the Philippine Revolution, Pantaleon Villegas, better known as León Kilat. Bacong is politically subdivided into 22 barangays, the Province’s first town to the south of the capital may be its smallest, but it has some big things going for it. The only other pipe organ of similar provenance is found in Bohol, barrio Isugan was site of a battle between Filipino and American soldiers. Beginning the Second World War, Japanese Imperial forces were entered and occupied in Bacong in 1942, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas were encounter by the Japanese Imperial forces start the conflicts from 1942 to 1945 during occupation. When Allied forces liberated in Bacong was fought against the Japanese Occupation until the end in World War IIin 1945, the general headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary was active in 1945 to 1946 in Bacong during and aftermath in World War II. One of the town’s bigger barangays, San Miguel, marks its local fiesta with a unique Sinulog de San Miguel, Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System
26.
Basay, Negros Oriental
–
Basay is a fourth class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 24,913 people, upon its separation from Bayawan in 1971, Basay became Oriental Negros’ westernmost town, with Negros Occidental at its rear. Diocesan chronicles reveal that it was already a far-flung outpost in the nineteenth century and it perked up in the 70s when CDCP and INKO arrived to mine its copper and iron magnetite. Basay is agricultural, with cane, rice, corn. Fringing its shoreline is the Mindanao Sea, considered the richest fishing waters in the country, three major rivers running parallel from north to south traverse the town. Balatong Point, also known as Punta Tambongon, was the site of a submarine bearing the biggest shipment of WWII ammunition for Negros Oriental. The party was headed by Col Jesus Villamor, acting on the direction of Gen Douglas McArthur who was then in Australia. The coves and shallow caves on the shoreline of Nagbo-alao are said to be enchanted, the Negros cave frog is endemic to Basay. Its Pagatban River is home to the alligator, bal-os and Cabcaban springs are important sources of potable water as well as sunny picnic sites. Yardahan is a village with fine swimming areas and game-fishing activities. Basay is approximately a two-hour-and-a-half drive from Dumaguete City, Basay is politically subdivided into 10 barangays
27.
Bindoy
–
Bindoy is a third class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 39,416 people, Negros Oriental’s lone municipality named after a native of distinction, Bindoy started out as barrio Payabon of Manjuyod. In 1949, President Elpidio Quirino separated it as the Municipality of Bindoy, hermenegildo “Bindoy” Villanueva was, at various times, governor of Negros Oriental, congressman of the First District, Labor Secretary of the Quezon cabinet, and senator of the Republic. Less than two hours’ drive from Dumaguete City, Bindoy is known as the hub of the Negros Oriental I Electric Cooperative, which energizes the northern towns. Its principal produce are copra, rice and corn, sugar cane, mangoes, bindoy’s Bulod flatstones are weighty export items, their quarrying makes for an interesting sight. Bindoy’s mangroves salute nature conservationists, as do dainty Mantahaw Falls, the annual Libod-Sayaw sa Bindoy, with streetdancing based on folk dances, is a colorful highlight of the town fiesta. Bindoy is politically subdivided into 22 barangays, list of renamed cities and municipalities of the Philippines Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System
28.
Dauin
–
Dauin, officially the Municipality of Dauin is a fourth-class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental in Negros Island Region, Philippines. It is bordered on the north by Bacong, on the south by Zamboanguita, the municipality is a coastal town, the Bohol Sea forming its eastern border. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 27,786 people, there are three versions, the first two being interrelated, first, there was a majestic tree that towered over all trees that the Spaniards asked for its name, which was Calawin. Second, the believed that the Calawin was the home of the supernatural beings, called “Dawinde”. The third, natives used to cultivate the lands into banana plantations, the bananas were sold not by bunch or by fingers but by hands, which were locally called “Lawing”. An association of Japanese divers once named Apo Island of Dauin town one of the ten best dive sites in the world, the 72-hectare volcanic outcrop on Negros Oriental’s eastern horizon has placed Dauin in the world tourism map. It is a favorite, attracting large numbers of scuba and snorkel enthusiasts to its magnificent underwater gardens. Occasional sorties to Dauin’s marine reserves can also be arranged, the town’s largely unspoiled hinterlands roll up into the Mt Talinis Geothermal Reserve, where fumarolic activity can be observed on Mag-Aso and the Malungcay Hot Springs. Dauin’s colonial Church of San Nicolas is regarded as the Province’s oldest, in front of the church and along the beach are the ruins of two dome-shaped watchtowers said to have been used to warn against pirates. Dauin is politically subdivided into 23 barangays, Dauin hosts several popular beach resorts with both local and foreign tourists. The coast of Dauin offers scuba dive sites with both coral reef and muck dive opportunities, the municipality has established several sanctuaries, within which fishing and boating is absolutely prohibited. This includes sites such as Mainit sanctuary, Luca sanctuary, Dauin sanctuary and these sites are well preserved and offer a huge variety and quantity of life forms. Dauin also offers Muck diving, which on a point of view of biodiversity can be compared to the dives in Lembeh Strait in Indonesia, Apo Island is part of the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin. The island is also a site for scuba diving. As it is surrounded by coral reefs, the whole island is a dive site. Popular dive sites include Coconut Point, Mamsa, Cogon, Rockpoint, bigeyed Jacks, turtles, bumphead parrotfish and sea snakes are inhabiting the reefs of the island. It is accessible by boat,30 minutes from the mainland, another tourist attraction of Dauin is the Baslay Hot Spring. The hot spring is located in Barangay Baslay, the water from the hot spring contains natural sulphur which is known to have health benefits
29.
Jimalalud
–
Jimalalud is a 4th class, partially urban municipality in the first congressional district of the province of Negros Oriental, Negros Island Region, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 29,044 people, Jimalalud has a land area of 139.50 square kilometres. Jimalalud was founded in 1797 as part of Tayasan, in 1910, it was separated from Tayasan and became an independent municipality. Boundless sugar cane fields, typical of the landscape, fill the lush lands of Jimalalud most months of the year. It has reported rich deposits of coal, copper, iron and related compounds of magnetite, pyrites and marcasite, a Spanish soldier was said to have asked a native the name of the place, indicating the area. The native thought he was referring to a tree, and so informed the soldier that the tree was called a “hambabalud. In the late 1800s the Recollects built here a convent of hardwoods, the Revolution against Spain compelled the friars to leave and the convent fell into disrepair. Jimalalud was made an independent of Tayasan in 1910. In 1944 World War II guerillas burned down the entire town, barrio Bankal was the seat of the 7th District Government during World War II. The pageantry of its revived Sinulog keeps Jimalalud’s religious and cultural heritage alive in a colorful way, fiesta time and other special occasions usually bring on the town’s stallions for the exciting, if brutal, spectacle of the Paaway sa Kabayo. Most times, Jimalalud is serene and green, and the plaza is the public space for imbibing the town’s pastoral ambience. Jimalalud is politically subdivided into 28 barangays, Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Department of the Interior and Local Government Local Governance Performance Management System
30.
La Libertad, Negros Oriental
–
La Libertad is a third class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 38,904 people, La Libertad is politically subdivided into 29 baraŋgays. Such is the history of a small barrio turned into a beautiful town and this is a brief history of La Libertad, a town 105 kilometers north of Dumaguete City. Hugging closely the coasts of Tanon Strait, and nesting cozily in the wide and fertile valley swept by the Hinoba-an River lines and it bears a Castillan name which connotes freedom and whose yesteryears are filled with tender memories. Barrio Hinoba-an During the Spanish Regime, the place was then inhabited by the primitive tribes who were mostly Negritos. Several enterprising families from neighboring towns and distant provinces came to settle in this barrio, among the first pioneers was a certain Pedro Absin. He came from the distant province of Camarines Sur with the Spanish friars and he married a lovely lass who later was baptized as Mauricia. This was the beginning of the large and progressive Francisco Acar Absin clan, the other families were the Facturans from Jimalalud, the Carinals from Tayasan, and the de Paduas form Ilo-ilo. These people were the pioneer families of the old Hinoba-an. Most of them were engaged in farming and fishing, the fertile valleys of Hinoba-an were so enticing that several families immigrated to this barrio in the later part of the Spanish period. One of the prominent families that moved in was the Libo-on family, the head of this family was an Ilonggo. However, he did not come directly to Hinoba-an, a certain Maestro Tomas Libo-on of Miag-ao, Iloilo, arrived at the barrio of Jimalalud where he was employed as a private tutor by some families. He was a widower when he came but he brought him his only son, Luciano. They lived in the barrio for several years, later, Luciano was married to Bernabela Facturan, a native of the place. However, they were attracted by the richness of the soil of the barrio of Hinoba-an. They bought a pave of land at the mouth of the Hinoba-an River, another family worthy of mention is the Banogon family. The head of this clan was Pio Banogon, born on May 5,1876 in Tanjay, another town of this province, Pio grew to be a promising young man. After he finished school, his parents sent him to Manila to study at San Juan de Letran for two years
31.
Mabinay
–
Mabinay, officially the Municipality of Mabinay is a first-class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental in Negros Island Region, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 78,864 inhabitants and its location roughly halfway between Bacolod and Dumaguete makes it the regional center of the Negros Island Region, along with neighbouring Kabankalan City to its north-west in Negros Occidental. Mabinay is situated roughly in the part of the island of Negros abutting the western side of the provincial boundary. Mabinay is politically subdivided into 32 barangays, folklore has it that the beautiful Binay fell in love with the son of her father’s rival chieftain. Her father ended the affair by having her lover killed, mother Nature took the weeping maiden into her bosom. Where Binay was laid to rest, a spring broke forth and she weeps to this day, feeding Mabinay Spring, one of the town’s many alluring attractions. A more intimate visit to Mabinay will indeed take you to her bosom and this is a spelunker’s haven, over 100 known caves, including the popular Pandalihan, Panligawan and Gasidlak, each one with its own distinctive features ranging from fascinating to awesome. A team of Belgian and Dutch cavers determined Odloman Cave to be the second longest in the Philippines, Mabinay was carved from barrios of Bais and created a municipality in 1960. In 1966 more barrios of Bais and Manjuyod were annexed to enlarge it, Mabinay produces rice and corn, copra, soybeans and peanuts. Its principal crop, sugar cane, makes it an important member of the north’s sugar district and it is a border town, the Provincial Highway runs through it and links Negros Oriental with its sister province. A rolling terrain makes exploration of this town a ruggedly charming experience. Travel from Dumaguete City is about two hours, the Mabinay National High School is a high standard accredited institution according to the Philippine Department of Education. Mabinay Science High School is a Secondary Public Science High School system that is a DepEd-recognized institution, the Santo Niño High School is a private Catholic institution located at Barangay Lumbangan. Mabinay is known for its caves, the Odloman Cave is one of the largest cave in the Philippines with 8,870 metres long and Cayaso Cave, the ninth longest cave in the country measuring 2,222 metres long. Aside from the caves, Mabinay also has rivers and natural springs, one of its known natural spring is located at the heart of the municipality, the Mabinay spring. Ideal for family outing, swimming, kayaking, it serves as the main water resource of the main town. It is about a 3 to 5 minute ride with tricycle, Mabinay itself has a small government-run hospital. Mabinay Medicare Community Hospital provides both in emergency services and inpatient services
32.
Manjuyod
–
Manjuyod is a second class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 41,107 people, Manjuyod is politically subdivided into 27 barangays. Saint Francis of Assisi is the saint of Manjuyod. The fiesta is an official non-working holiday for the town, Philippine Standard Geographic Code Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System
33.
Pamplona, Negros Oriental
–
Pamplona is a third class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 37,596 people, originally the place was called “Tampa”, named after a big shady tree located at the heart of the town. The naming of the place into Pamplona has two versions, According to professor Timoteo Oracion, a historian of Silliman University, Pamplona was named after the town in Spain called Pamplona. According to his version, the first Spanish priest who was assigned to the place was amazed by the terrain which resembles to that of Pamplona. So that Tampa was renamed into Pamplona, other history told by the old people of the place is that the place was called after a certain priest named Fr. Santiago Pamplona, the first Spanish Curate assigned in area, the municipality of Pamplona is located 38 kilometres north-west of Dumaguete City, the capital City of Negros Oriental, and 7.5 kilometres west of the city of Tanjay. Tanjay bounds it on the north, on the east by the municipality of Amlan, Pamplona is politically subdivided into 16 barangays. Pamplona, then a barrio of Tanjay, was created into a municipality by virtue of Republic Act No.535 enacted on June 16,1950, the law was authored by Pedro Bandoquillio, elected congressman in 1947. Since its creation, it has been administered by six municipal mayors and they were the late Juan Cañaveral, Sergio Aniñon, and late Apolinario P. Arnaiz, Sr. who managed to hold the reign for more than 22 years. The late Wenceslao E. Duran, the politician, took hold of the administration for a brief period. He died of cardiac arrest while delivering his address during training in the municipality on December 18,1999, ricarte R. Valencia, who was then the vice mayor took office up to June 30,2001. He ran for the post and lost in the election, winning in the three elections in 2001. On May 2016 election, Janice Vallega Degamo won as the first lady mayor of the municipality, there are 243 food establishments operating in the municipality,218 or 90% which have sanitary permits. There are 10 sand and gravel companies operating in the municipality,6 Copra Buyer and 5 Hog Buyer, agriculture continues to be the main economic activity in Pamplona as it played an important role in the development of the town. The main crops raised in the place are sugar, coconuts, other crops such as corn, rice and other root crops grows in areas where accessibility to farm to market roads is rare. Coconut is the largest crops raised accumulating 3,676 hectares, followed by sugar 3,432 hectares, only 107 hectares are irrigated rice land while 643 hectares are upland rice. Of the total areas of the municipality,11,395 is strategic areas for development of Agro-industrial crops,1,925 hectares for food crops while 925 for High Value Crops. Other agri-related economic activities which helped in the increase of farmer’s income is livestock raising
34.
Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental
–
Santa Catalina is a first class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 73,306 people, the town of Santa Catalina got its name after the supposedly miraculous image of the patron saint, Santa Catalina de Alejandria, installed in the community chapel. The topography of Santa Catalina is predominantly rolling hills, 25% is flat. There are 8 rivers and 27 springs, dry season, November to April Wet season, May to September Average temperature,36 °C Santa Catalina is politically subdivided into 22 barangays. Spanish Regime The town of Sta, in about 1572, Captain Miguel de Laorca, a member of Legaspi’s expedition, sent the first Spanish mission led by Adrien Lajot, a Belgian mercenary in order to take possession of Negros Island. During that period, there existed settlements at Lunsod, Secopan and it was said that these warring chieftains were settled and amicably fused by the Spaniards as a single settlement at Daan Lunsod. In the process of settling, the Spaniards referred to the chieftains as “Kamo Tolon”, hence, the name TOLON, and then eventually TOLONG. Santa Catalina Parish Church According to the Definatorio of June 11,1580, because of the lack of priests, the secular priest of the Diocese of Cebu undertook the spiritual administration of Negros Island. He placed Dumaguete, Siaton, Marabao, and Manalongon under the Ministry of Tanjay, in 1751, Tolong and the settlements further down south were taken over by the Recollect Friars because of the distance and difficulty of transportation. Before 1855, the Recollect Friars who took over the mission of Tolong constructed a convent, a church, a cemetery, the church was built of light materials but the convent and the Tribunal House were made of lime and limestone. In that same period, the poblacion of Tolong was moved and resettled from the old site, Daan Lunsod, to a site further down the coast where the church was built, the present location of Sta. Even today, a famous landmark can be seen in the form of a tree growing on what was left of a portion of a wall of the old Tribunal House. Catalina, which has become a symbol of the town, an adjacent town, Bayawan, became formally organized in the year 1872. The occupation of Negros Island increased rapidly, and agriculture progressed in an inconceivable manner, American Regime In the new regime of the American occupation, sometime in the year 1903, the Poblacion of Tolong and Bayawan could not meet the minimum requirement to qualify for a municipality. So the two poblacions were fused together making Bayawan as the main Municipality, calling it Tolong Nuevo, Japanese Regime When world war II broke out, the Japanese occupied Dumaguete on May 26,1942. The province was liberated on April 26,1945 by the forces of the United States Army, Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary. Post World War II After the war, in 1945, Congressman Enrique Medina, on December 17,1947, President Manuel Roxas issued executive order No. Catalina the 26th municipality of Negros Oriental, after which, Tolong Nuevo immediately passed a resolution to rename their municipality Bayawan reviving the former name
35.
Valencia, Negros Oriental
–
Valencia is a first class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. It is located 9 kilometres west of Dumaguete City, the largest city, according to the national 2015 census, it has a population of 34,852 people. The municipality was voted as the greenest and cleanest town of Negros Oriental in 2007, the mayor of Valencia is Edgar Teves, who was elected in 2013. Our Lady of the Abandoned is the patroness of Valencia, the fiesta is an official non-working holiday for the town. Valencia occupies an area of 14,749 hectares, 35% of which are classified as plains. The town is 65% mountainous, with elevation averaging from 200 to 500 metres above sea level, the climate in the municipality is relatively cool, especially at higher elevations. The region is also the most critical watershed area of Negros Oriental, providing abundant drinking water to Valencia, the town is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Valencia was originally named Ermita, which means a secluded place, in 1856 it was renamed to Nueva Valencia by Spanish colonizers, in honor of its parish priest Fr. The town was renamed Valencia in 1948, by virtue of Republic Act No.252, during World War II, Malabo was the headquarters of the Free Government and resistance movement in Negros Oriental. In 2007, its Municipal Police Station was adjudged the “Municipal Police Station of 2007” in the best unit awards category, the Cebuano language is the common vernacular in Valencia. Hiligaynon, Tagalog, and English are also widely spoken, the economy of Valencia is largely based on agriculture. Major products include abaca, copra, corn, flowers, vegetables, root crops, the municipality is also the site of a geothermal power station operated by the Energy Development Corporation. It generates electricity that supplies the needs of Negros, Panay, the municipal government receives royalties from the power station. Valencia, specifically, has a 20-megawatt Palinpinon 2 Geothermal Optimization Project in Sitio Nasuji, valencias 192-MW Palinpinon I and II geothermal field ranks 4th in installed capacity nationwide. The Palinpinon field contributed $457.8 million in 2004 foreign exchange savings for 2004, many residents also work in the nearby city of Dumaguete. The Filipino-Japanese Amity Memorial Shrine is located in Valencia, eco-tourism sites include, Tejero Highland Resort and Adventure Park - is the newest attraction in Central Philippines to offer the best value-for-your-money relaxation and recreation facility. It features a speed dual zipline, ATVs, segway, Aquazorb, slide, natural pools, restaurant, located only 3 kilometers from town proper of Valencia, Tejero is the nearest natural attraction from Dumaguete, and considered the most popular of tourist destinations. Casaroro Waterfalls - as the province’s most photographed body of water, it is enclosed by lush greenery
36.
Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental
–
Vallehermoso is a third class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 36,943 people and it is situated just between the border lines of both Oriental and Occidental Negros. It is in the center of three cities,29 kilometres north from the City Of Guihulngan,21 kilometres south from the city of San Carlos,29 kilometres west from the City of Canlaon. Main source of livelihood is fishing and farming, while the vast majority is still dependent upon third hand expenditures. Currently, the town has been dubbed as a 4th class municipality mainly for its lack of opportunities to alleviate income, Vallehermoso is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. The town was the residence of the revolutionary leader and hero of Negros Oriental. Don Diego de la Viña shaped the beginnings of the municipality, in 1881, Don Diego de la Viña came from Negros Occidental in search of territories to conquer. The land he saw a top the mountains was the wilderness called Bagawines, Bukidnons, known to be unfriendly aboriginals inhabited the area. However, de la Viña sought the tribal chief, named Ka Saniko, for lands on coastal Bagawines, de la Viña offered wondrous articles from Iloilo, such as fine canes, well-crafted bolos and colorful patadyongs. Ka Saniko then moved further to Pinokawan, De la Viña with a number of Bukidnons cleared the land and constructed his residence, a casa tribunal and a chapel. In less than five years they transformed the valley into a hacienda of sugar cane, tobacco, coconut, rice and he called it the “beautiful valley, ” Vallehermoso. He opened a road to Negros Occidental, which paved the way for his involvement in the local revolution against Spain. Don Diego de la Viña was an illustrado being born from a Spanish-Chinese parentage and he grew up in Binondo, Manila but went to Basque, Asturias in Spain to earn his bachelors degree in Arts. Upon his return to Manila, he married a “Tagala” with whom he had four children and he brought them with him when he settled in Negros. Endowed with a pioneering spirit he searched for a place where he could establish a residence, when he resided in Bagawines, he influenced the way of life of the bukidnons. They became civilized and tempered their warring tendencies and he inculcated to the bukudnona the love of work and the idea of religion. In the hacienda that De la Viña established, unemployment was not known and his work in the plantation made him physically strong and spiritually active. When his wife died, he remarried an Ilongga Dona Narcisa Geopano from the landed Geopano Clan and he sired three children with his second wife
37.
Zamboanguita
–
Zamboanguita is a fourth class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 27,552 people, about 28 kilometres from Dumaguete City, Zamboanguita is at the southern tip of the province of Negros Oriental and across from the island province of Siquijor. To the west of Zamboanguita is the municipality of Siaton, Zamboanguita is politically subdivided into 10 barangays. One day, a group of Moro fishermen fishing in the area found a coguita caught in their fishing net, which they then separated from their fish catch as it had tentacles and had no gills. The leader of the Moro group then ordered one of his men to go to the beach, find a tree and “isab-ong ang coguita”. ”Since then, every time an octopus was caught, it was hung on that particular tree. The local people started calling the place “Sab-ongan ug coguita. ”When the Spaniards descended on the town, they called the town “Zamboangaguita”. On the other hand, local stories that circulated among the town mentioned that Zamboanguita acquired its name from its neighbor down south across the sea. Modest compared to the 6th largest city in the Philippines with 98 barangays, fiesta – San Isidro Labrador, May 15 It is part of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental, which is currently represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines by Arnolfo A. Teves
38.
Cities of the Philippines
–
A city is one of the units of local government in the Philippines. As of December 12,2015, there are 145 cities, Cities are entitled to at least one representative in the Philippine House of Representatives if its population reaches 250,000. They are allowed to use a common seal, only an Act of Congress can create or amend a city charter, and with this city charter Congress confers on a city certain powers that regular municipalities or even other cities may not have. A citys local government is headed by an elected by popular vote. The vice mayor serves as the officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Upon receiving their charters, cities also receive a full complement of executive departments to serve their constituents. Some departments are established on a basis, depending on the needs of the city. Source, Local Government Code of 1991, Cities, like municipalities, are composed of barangays, which can range from urban neighborhoods, to rural communities. Barangays are sometimes grouped into officially defined administrative districts, examples of such are the cities of Manila, Davao, Iloilo, and Samal. Some cities such as Caloocan, Manila and Pasay even have a level between the district and barangay levels, called a zone. However, geographic districts and zones are not political units, there are no elected city government officials in these city-specific administrative levels, rather they only serve to make city planning, statistics-gathering other administrative tasks easier and more convenient. Cities are classified according to annual income based on the previous four calendar years. There are currently 33 highly urbanized cities in the Philippines,16 of which are located in Metro Manila, Component Cities, Cities which do not meet the preceding requirements are deemed part of the province in which they are geographically located. If a component city is located along the boundaries of two or more provinces, it shall be considered part of the province of which it used to be a municipality, majority of the remaining cities are considered component cities. The five exceptions are listed below, independent Component Cities, Cities of this type have charters that explicitly prohibit their residents to vote for provincial officials. These cities are considered independent from the province in which they are geographically located, there are five such cities, Cotabato, Dagupan, Naga, Ormoc and Santiago. There are 38 independent cities in the Philippines, all of which are classified as highly urbanized or independent component cities. Some independent cities are still grouped with their provinces for the purposes of representation in the Congress of the Philippines
.svg)
Philippines
San Jose
