Camarines Sur
Encyclopedia
Camarines Sur is a province
of the Philippines
located in the Bicol
Region
in Luzon
. Its capital is Pili
and the province borders Camarines Norte
and Quezon
to the north, and Albay
to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes
across Maqueda Channel.
Camarines Sur is the largest among the six provinces in the Bicol Region both in terms of population and land area. Its territory encompasses two cities: Naga City, the lone chartered city, is the province's and the region's most progressive city, also commercial, educational, financial, and cultural center, while Iriga City, a component city, is the center of the Rinconada area. Lake Buhi
is where the smallest commercially harvested fish can be found, the Sinarapan
(Mistichthys luzonensis).
, there is a total of 1,693,821 residents in Camarines Sur, making it the most populous in the region and the 15th most populous in the whole country. The same census also states that Camarines Sur has 288,172 households with an average household size of 5.37 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99. The annual growth rate is 1.86%, much lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%. This rate of growth will double the population of Camarines Sur in 38 years.
Languages. Being in the Bicol Region
, the main language spoken in Camarines Sur is Coastal Bikol, the other is Inland Bikol. Filipino linguist
s consider the dialect of Coastal Bikol spoken around Naga City, Bikol Central, the standard Bikol easily understood by all Bicolanos, also known as Bikol Central or Bikol Naga, not to be confused with Bikol Canaman, the purest dialect of Coastal Bikol according to Jesuit Anthropologist Frank Lynch, S.J.). Some of the other Bikol languages spoken in the province are Buhi-non (a language of Bikol Albay under the umbrella of Inland Bikol group of languages), spoken in the town of Buhi and around Lake Buhi
; and Riŋkonāda (also known as Rinconada Bikol, another member of Inland Bikol), which is used by most people in Rinconada District of the province specially in Nabua
and Iriga City
. A dialect of Coastal Bikol, called Bikol Partido is used in the eastern portion of the province around Lagonoy Gulf
. Most inhabitants understand Tagalog
and English
. Del Gallego is the only town in the province that has a majority of population that speaks Tagalog.
In 1574, Governor General Guido de Lavezarez referred Camarines Sur to the King of Spain as Los Camarines, after the abundance of camarins-rice granaries - which were conspicuous features of the area.
Spanish colonizers later subjugated its people and denominated the area into two distinct aggrupations. The southern portion comprising the area south of the present town of Camalig (in Albay), Sorsogon, the islands of Masbate and Catanduanes, and the area, which is now Partido in present day, then called “Partido de Ibalon”. The northern, upper portion, which included from the present day Camalig town in Albay, and all towns of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, was called “Partido de Camarines”.
Partido de Camarines was partitioned into Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte in 1829, and thereafter underwent fusion, annexations and re-partitions until March 19, 1919 when two provinces, jointly called Ambos Camarines, were finally separated with their present boundaries by decree of the First Philippine Legislature.
The Philippine Revolution started in Ambos Camarines when Elias Angeles and Feliz Plazo, Filipino corporals in the Spanish Army, sided with revolutionist and fought the local Spanish forces on September 17, 1898. Governor Vicente Zaidin capitulated to the revolutionist on the following day. With the arrival of General Vicente Lukban, the revolutionary government in the Bicol Region was established.
The American forces occupied the Bicol Peninsula in January 1900. In March of the same year. General John M. Bell was made the military governor of the southeastern Luzon. Civil government was finally established in Ambos Camarines in April 1901.
In December 1941, the air raid of the Japanese bombers and fighter planes was invading the province of Camarines Sur. In 1942, Japanese forces entered and occupied Camarines Sur.
At the outbreak of World War II. Guerilla units were organized by Wenceslao Q. Vinzons that waged underground operations against the Japanese troops stationed in Camarines Sur. After the capture of Vinzons on July 8, 1942, the guerilla movement was carried on by Lieutenant Francisco Boayes. In April 1945, Camarines Sur was finally liberated from the Japanese invaders against the combined Filipino and American troops in 1945.
On March 8, 1942, three months after Japanese Imperial Forces landed in Legazpi and Naga City, the famous Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit (TVGU) was organized in San Nicolas, Canaman with Juan Miranda as the Commanding Officer, Leon Aureus as the Executive Officer and Elias Madrid as the Finance Officer. Among the numerous Canamanons who joined-up soon afterwards either in the unit’s intelligence or combat components were Jose and Antonio Madrid, Mamerto Sibulo, Andres Fortaleza, Marcos Severo, Damaso Avenilla, Federico Crescini, Nicolas Vargas, Venancio Begino, Eugenio Ragodon, Juan Pachica, Santiago Amaro, Jose Gervas, Pedro Angeles, Aproniano Lopez, Andres Alzate, Modesto Sanchez, Blas Alcantara, Andres Aguilar, Florencio Frondozo, Alfredo de la Torre and Flaviano Estrada.
The establishment and built of the military general headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946 and the Philippine Constabulary was active on 1944 to 1946 in the province of Camarines Sur. The Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary was sending the local military special operations in Bicol Region include the province of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate and the engagements of the anti-Japanese Imperial military operations on 1942 to 1945 and aiding the Bicolano guerrilla resistance and the U.S. military forces against the Imperial Japanese military forces.
In 1945, Filipino and American troops along with the Bicolano guerrillas, liberated Camarines Sur from the Japanese forces towards the end of WWII. Local Filipino troops of the 5th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 55th, 56th and 57th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary recaptured and liberated the province of Camarines Sur and aided the Bicolano guerrilla resistance fighters and the U.S. liberation military forces against the Imperial Japanese military forces.
Naga City, the former capital of Camarines Sur, was founded in 1573 as “Nueva Caceres” – namesake of the Province in Spain and among the original five royal cities of the colony. It was designated as the Province’s Capital by virtue of Philippine Legislative Act No. 2711 approved on March 10, 1917 until June 6, 1955, when Pili, the adjoining town was declared the Provincial Capital by virtue of Republic Act 1336 up to the present time
Governor Juan F. Triviño, who assumed office in 1952, initiated the first move to transfer the Provincial Capitol. The Municipality of Pili, 15 kilometers south of Naga City was the chosen ground. On June 16, 1955, Republic Act 1336, known as "An Act Transferring the Site of the Provincial Capitol of the Province of Camarines Sur from the city of Naga to the barrio of Palestina, Municipality of Pili in the same Province" was approved. However, though a 16-hectare lot had been provisionally donated by Roberto Soler, financing for the construction of the actual edifice failed to materialize. When two years lapsed without construction starting, Soler cancelled the donation as per contract.
Under the next governor, Apolonio Maleniza, another resolution was approved. Republic Act 3407 came into existence, which gave authority to the President of the Philippines to select the new Capitol site to be recommended by a committee. The committee proved to be of great help. In 1962, 3 sites were considered, namely: the Hacienda Marasigan at Brgy. San Jose, a lot within the Poblacion, and an area along the Anayan-Partido road.
The selection was left to the discretion of the president of the Philippines and by virtue of Executive Order 41 issued by then President Diosdado Macapagal on June 16, 1953, the 67-hectare Hacienda Marasigan was declared as the new site for the Provincial Capitol. In 1964, eleven years after the declaration, the groundbreaking ceremonies and laying of cornerstone were held, graced by then President Macapagal, with construction of the building starting a year later. All could have gone well but on the same year for the beginning of the construction, a case had been filed in court questioning the validity of the construction. Because of the case and the reluctance of Governor Armando Cledera to resume the Capitol construction due to lack of funds, the provincial government's objective in building the new site for Capitol was temporarily halted.
In 1968, then mayor Jose B. Velarde of Pili had the Municipal Board pass a resolution which sought the gradual transfer of all the provincial government offices to the Capital town which was already Pili. The same decree also asked for the transfer of the Capitol site from the Marasigan lot to a site within the Poblacion or at Barangay Anayan but the move consequently caused the Marasigan family to decide not to donate their lot to the provincial government.
The Capitol Site Selection Committee was then organized. Six possible sites were deliberated upon. These six included: the Marcos Stadium (now the Freedom Stadium), a 4-hectare lot fronting the Marcos Stadium, Cadang-Cadang Area, Marasigan Site, Pawili-Anayan Junction and lastly the Don Susano Rodriguez donation of a 15 hectare lot. The committee finally voted upon the last site.
It was during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos when Executive Order 48 was issued, designating the site of the New Provincial Capitol. But before the commencement of the construction for the new Capitol site, on June 26, 1976, tragedy struck, a big fire torched the Provincial Capitol building, including important papers and public documents of the province. But also as a result, the construction of the Capitol building was hastened, a contract was signed by the Bensia Construction of Naga City, a 3-storey building with reinforced concrete, with twin RIB and corrugated galvanized iron roofing on steel and wooden roof framing came into completion. The Provincial Capitol measured 3, 528.18 square meters.
In addition, satellite buildings of the Regional Trial Court branches, Provincial Nutrition Center, the Post Office and the Kadiwa were also built.The 700-km access road from the Maharlika Highway was concreted.
The present Provincial Capitol Complex, with its impressive buildings and scenery, is considered a local tourist spot.
Entrepreneurs engage in trading, often branching out towards neighboring provinces in the south as local demand might be limited, indicated by its mostly 3rd-5th income class municipalities.
. The province is also the largest in the Bicol Region
with a land area of 5,266.8 square kilometers. At the center of the province is Bicol Plain. Surrounding it are mountains, two of which are Mount Isarog
and Mount Iriga
. The eastern part of the province lies on the mountainous Caramoan Peninsula
, which faces the island of Catanduanes
to the east.
The Bicol River
drains the central and southern parts of the province into San Miguel Bay
. Mt. Asog is surrounded by three lakes: Buhi
, Bato
, and Baao
.
of 25.8%. Based from Aera Tranquilo
have coral reefs, and white and black sand beaches. Pasacao is known for its beaches, hence, it was called as "The Summer Capital of Cam. Sur" Naga City is noted for its night life.
There is the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and the Eco Village at the Provincial Capitol located at Cadlan Pili Camarines Sur.
The Concocep Falls can be found in Hanawan, Ocampo. Libmanan has the Malinaw Nature Resort and Brgy and Palong's water source at the base of Mt. Libmanan (Tancong Vaca). In Del Gallego, in the Northwestern part of the province there is the Kilbay Park. It is here President Manuel L. Quezon hammered the golden nail into a big rock, symbolizing the connection and link of the Philippine National Railways going to Manila in the year 1937. Impig, Sipocot, has it's Susong Daraga Mountains, where Our Lady of Lourdes
Grotto and Impig Viewing Point are located, in the same Baranggay, the Mt. Talidong stood, it offers a good view of the San Miguel Bay, just below the Mt. Talidong, the Vigaan creek runs, this is a perfect spot for nature lovers. Between the boundary of Cam. Sur and Cam. Norte runs the magestic Bahi River, it runs through the forest of Napulidan National Park.
and 35 municipalities.
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
located in the Bicol
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
Region
Regions of the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 regions...
in Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Its capital is Pili
Pili, Camarines Sur
Pili is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Camarines Sur. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 76,496 people.-History:...
and the province borders Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte
Camarines Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Daet and the province borders Quezon to the west and Camarines Sur to the south.-Demographics:...
and Quezon
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
to the north, and Albay
Albay
Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf....
to the south. To the east lies the island province of Catanduanes
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first...
across Maqueda Channel.
Camarines Sur is the largest among the six provinces in the Bicol Region both in terms of population and land area. Its territory encompasses two cities: Naga City, the lone chartered city, is the province's and the region's most progressive city, also commercial, educational, financial, and cultural center, while Iriga City, a component city, is the center of the Rinconada area. Lake Buhi
Lake Buhi
Lake Buhi is a lake found in Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines.It has an area of 18 square kilometres and has an average depth of 8 meters. The lake lies in the valley formed by two ancient volcanoes, Mt. Asog and Mt. Malinao. It was created in 1641, when an earthquake caused a side of Mt. Asog to...
is where the smallest commercially harvested fish can be found, the Sinarapan
Sinarapan
The sinarapan is the world's smallest commercially harvested fish located in the Philippines. They are endemic to the Bicol Region, specifically in Lake Buhi, Lake Bato, Bicol River and other bodies of water in Camarines Sur province.Sinarapan are a type of goby and they are transparent, except...
(Mistichthys luzonensis).
People and culture
Population. According to the May 2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there is a total of 1,693,821 residents in Camarines Sur, making it the most populous in the region and the 15th most populous in the whole country. The same census also states that Camarines Sur has 288,172 households with an average household size of 5.37 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99. The annual growth rate is 1.86%, much lower than the national growth rate of 2.36%. This rate of growth will double the population of Camarines Sur in 38 years.
Languages. Being in the Bicol Region
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
, the main language spoken in Camarines Sur is Coastal Bikol, the other is Inland Bikol. Filipino linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
s consider the dialect of Coastal Bikol spoken around Naga City, Bikol Central, the standard Bikol easily understood by all Bicolanos, also known as Bikol Central or Bikol Naga, not to be confused with Bikol Canaman, the purest dialect of Coastal Bikol according to Jesuit Anthropologist Frank Lynch, S.J.). Some of the other Bikol languages spoken in the province are Buhi-non (a language of Bikol Albay under the umbrella of Inland Bikol group of languages), spoken in the town of Buhi and around Lake Buhi
Lake Buhi
Lake Buhi is a lake found in Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines.It has an area of 18 square kilometres and has an average depth of 8 meters. The lake lies in the valley formed by two ancient volcanoes, Mt. Asog and Mt. Malinao. It was created in 1641, when an earthquake caused a side of Mt. Asog to...
; and Riŋkonāda (also known as Rinconada Bikol, another member of Inland Bikol), which is used by most people in Rinconada District of the province specially in Nabua
Nabua, Camarines Sur
Nabua is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 75,422 people in 12,724 households....
and Iriga City
Iriga City
The City of Iriga is a 4th class city in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is located about 400 kilometers south of Manila, 37 kilometers south of Naga, and about 61 kilometers north of Legazpi City...
. A dialect of Coastal Bikol, called Bikol Partido is used in the eastern portion of the province around Lagonoy Gulf
Lagonoy Gulf
Lagonoy Gulf is a large gulf in the southeastern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at . It is separated from the Philippine Sea by Caramoan Peninsula in the north....
. Most inhabitants understand Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Del Gallego is the only town in the province that has a majority of population that speaks Tagalog.
History
Known centuries ago as the Tierra de Camarines, the province is distinctly Spanish-founded settlement. Its name having been derived from "camaronchones" or "camarines", a Spanish word for "kamalig" referring to small nipa or bamboo-made huts by the natives.In 1574, Governor General Guido de Lavezarez referred Camarines Sur to the King of Spain as Los Camarines, after the abundance of camarins-rice granaries - which were conspicuous features of the area.
Spanish colonizers later subjugated its people and denominated the area into two distinct aggrupations. The southern portion comprising the area south of the present town of Camalig (in Albay), Sorsogon, the islands of Masbate and Catanduanes, and the area, which is now Partido in present day, then called “Partido de Ibalon”. The northern, upper portion, which included from the present day Camalig town in Albay, and all towns of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, was called “Partido de Camarines”.
Partido de Camarines was partitioned into Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte in 1829, and thereafter underwent fusion, annexations and re-partitions until March 19, 1919 when two provinces, jointly called Ambos Camarines, were finally separated with their present boundaries by decree of the First Philippine Legislature.
The Philippine Revolution started in Ambos Camarines when Elias Angeles and Feliz Plazo, Filipino corporals in the Spanish Army, sided with revolutionist and fought the local Spanish forces on September 17, 1898. Governor Vicente Zaidin capitulated to the revolutionist on the following day. With the arrival of General Vicente Lukban, the revolutionary government in the Bicol Region was established.
The American forces occupied the Bicol Peninsula in January 1900. In March of the same year. General John M. Bell was made the military governor of the southeastern Luzon. Civil government was finally established in Ambos Camarines in April 1901.
In December 1941, the air raid of the Japanese bombers and fighter planes was invading the province of Camarines Sur. In 1942, Japanese forces entered and occupied Camarines Sur.
At the outbreak of World War II. Guerilla units were organized by Wenceslao Q. Vinzons that waged underground operations against the Japanese troops stationed in Camarines Sur. After the capture of Vinzons on July 8, 1942, the guerilla movement was carried on by Lieutenant Francisco Boayes. In April 1945, Camarines Sur was finally liberated from the Japanese invaders against the combined Filipino and American troops in 1945.
On March 8, 1942, three months after Japanese Imperial Forces landed in Legazpi and Naga City, the famous Tangcong Vaca Guerilla Unit (TVGU) was organized in San Nicolas, Canaman with Juan Miranda as the Commanding Officer, Leon Aureus as the Executive Officer and Elias Madrid as the Finance Officer. Among the numerous Canamanons who joined-up soon afterwards either in the unit’s intelligence or combat components were Jose and Antonio Madrid, Mamerto Sibulo, Andres Fortaleza, Marcos Severo, Damaso Avenilla, Federico Crescini, Nicolas Vargas, Venancio Begino, Eugenio Ragodon, Juan Pachica, Santiago Amaro, Jose Gervas, Pedro Angeles, Aproniano Lopez, Andres Alzate, Modesto Sanchez, Blas Alcantara, Andres Aguilar, Florencio Frondozo, Alfredo de la Torre and Flaviano Estrada.
The establishment and built of the military general headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was active on 1942 to 1946 and the Philippine Constabulary was active on 1944 to 1946 in the province of Camarines Sur. The Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary was sending the local military special operations in Bicol Region include the province of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon and the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate and the engagements of the anti-Japanese Imperial military operations on 1942 to 1945 and aiding the Bicolano guerrilla resistance and the U.S. military forces against the Imperial Japanese military forces.
In 1945, Filipino and American troops along with the Bicolano guerrillas, liberated Camarines Sur from the Japanese forces towards the end of WWII. Local Filipino troops of the 5th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 55th, 56th and 57th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 5th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary recaptured and liberated the province of Camarines Sur and aided the Bicolano guerrilla resistance fighters and the U.S. liberation military forces against the Imperial Japanese military forces.
Naga City, the former capital of Camarines Sur, was founded in 1573 as “Nueva Caceres” – namesake of the Province in Spain and among the original five royal cities of the colony. It was designated as the Province’s Capital by virtue of Philippine Legislative Act No. 2711 approved on March 10, 1917 until June 6, 1955, when Pili, the adjoining town was declared the Provincial Capital by virtue of Republic Act 1336 up to the present time
Capitol
A century ago, the seat of the provincial government was situated in downtown Naga, in a building of adobe and cement. With Naga becoming a chartered city on December 15, 1948, Camarines Sur's high-standing officials expressed the need for a new location for the seat of the provincial government.Governor Juan F. Triviño, who assumed office in 1952, initiated the first move to transfer the Provincial Capitol. The Municipality of Pili, 15 kilometers south of Naga City was the chosen ground. On June 16, 1955, Republic Act 1336, known as "An Act Transferring the Site of the Provincial Capitol of the Province of Camarines Sur from the city of Naga to the barrio of Palestina, Municipality of Pili in the same Province" was approved. However, though a 16-hectare lot had been provisionally donated by Roberto Soler, financing for the construction of the actual edifice failed to materialize. When two years lapsed without construction starting, Soler cancelled the donation as per contract.
Under the next governor, Apolonio Maleniza, another resolution was approved. Republic Act 3407 came into existence, which gave authority to the President of the Philippines to select the new Capitol site to be recommended by a committee. The committee proved to be of great help. In 1962, 3 sites were considered, namely: the Hacienda Marasigan at Brgy. San Jose, a lot within the Poblacion, and an area along the Anayan-Partido road.
The selection was left to the discretion of the president of the Philippines and by virtue of Executive Order 41 issued by then President Diosdado Macapagal on June 16, 1953, the 67-hectare Hacienda Marasigan was declared as the new site for the Provincial Capitol. In 1964, eleven years after the declaration, the groundbreaking ceremonies and laying of cornerstone were held, graced by then President Macapagal, with construction of the building starting a year later. All could have gone well but on the same year for the beginning of the construction, a case had been filed in court questioning the validity of the construction. Because of the case and the reluctance of Governor Armando Cledera to resume the Capitol construction due to lack of funds, the provincial government's objective in building the new site for Capitol was temporarily halted.
In 1968, then mayor Jose B. Velarde of Pili had the Municipal Board pass a resolution which sought the gradual transfer of all the provincial government offices to the Capital town which was already Pili. The same decree also asked for the transfer of the Capitol site from the Marasigan lot to a site within the Poblacion or at Barangay Anayan but the move consequently caused the Marasigan family to decide not to donate their lot to the provincial government.
The Capitol Site Selection Committee was then organized. Six possible sites were deliberated upon. These six included: the Marcos Stadium (now the Freedom Stadium), a 4-hectare lot fronting the Marcos Stadium, Cadang-Cadang Area, Marasigan Site, Pawili-Anayan Junction and lastly the Don Susano Rodriguez donation of a 15 hectare lot. The committee finally voted upon the last site.
It was during the term of former President Ferdinand Marcos when Executive Order 48 was issued, designating the site of the New Provincial Capitol. But before the commencement of the construction for the new Capitol site, on June 26, 1976, tragedy struck, a big fire torched the Provincial Capitol building, including important papers and public documents of the province. But also as a result, the construction of the Capitol building was hastened, a contract was signed by the Bensia Construction of Naga City, a 3-storey building with reinforced concrete, with twin RIB and corrugated galvanized iron roofing on steel and wooden roof framing came into completion. The Provincial Capitol measured 3, 528.18 square meters.
In addition, satellite buildings of the Regional Trial Court branches, Provincial Nutrition Center, the Post Office and the Kadiwa were also built.The 700-km access road from the Maharlika Highway was concreted.
The present Provincial Capitol Complex, with its impressive buildings and scenery, is considered a local tourist spot.
Economy
Agri-based, producing rice, corn, feedmeal, freshwater fish, livestock.Entrepreneurs engage in trading, often branching out towards neighboring provinces in the south as local demand might be limited, indicated by its mostly 3rd-5th income class municipalities.
Terrain
Camarines Sur lies at the center of the Bicol PeninsulaBicol Peninsula
Bicol is a peninsula of the Philippines. It is located on Luzon Island and is part of Bicol Region. The active Mayon Volcano is here....
. The province is also the largest in the Bicol Region
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...
with a land area of 5,266.8 square kilometers. At the center of the province is Bicol Plain. Surrounding it are mountains, two of which are Mount Isarog
Mount Isarog
Mount Isarog is a potentially active stratovolcano located in the province of Camarines Sur, Island of Luzon, Philippines.It was here that Bicolano guerillas hid during the Japanese Period...
and Mount Iriga
Mount Iriga
Mount Iriga, also known as Mount Asog, is one of the active volcanos in the Philippines, in the province of Camarines Sur, in the Philippines....
. The eastern part of the province lies on the mountainous Caramoan Peninsula
Caramoan Peninsula
Caramoan Peninsula is a hilly peninsula, with deep gorges and a rough, rocky terrain, located in north-east Camarines Sur, Bicol. The place has a National Park which has caves, limestone formations, white sandy beaches, an islet lake and a subterranean river, make it popular with tourists...
, which faces the island of Catanduanes
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first...
to the east.
The Bicol River
Bicol River
Bicol River is the eight largest river in the Philippines in terms of drainage basin size with an estimated catchment area of 3,770 km². The river drains the southwestern part of the island of Luzon and passes through Camarines Sur, Albay, and Camarines Norte provinces in the Bicol Region.The...
drains the central and southern parts of the province into San Miguel Bay
San Miguel Bay
San Miguel Bay is a large bay in the southern part of Luzon island, Philippines, at ....
. Mt. Asog is surrounded by three lakes: Buhi
Lake Buhi
Lake Buhi is a lake found in Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines.It has an area of 18 square kilometres and has an average depth of 8 meters. The lake lies in the valley formed by two ancient volcanoes, Mt. Asog and Mt. Malinao. It was created in 1641, when an earthquake caused a side of Mt. Asog to...
, Bato
Lake Bato
Lake Bato is a freshwater lake and the 7th largest in the Philippines. It is located in the town of Bato, approximately 9 km southwest of Iriga City, Camarines Sur Province, Southeastern Luzon, Philippines. It has extensive marshes and swamp forests. The lake drains into a tributary of the...
, and Baao
Lake Baao
Lake Baao is a shallow freshwater lake located in Baao, Camarines Sur in Bicol Region, Luzon, Philippines. It has an estimated surface area of 177 hectares and reaches an average of only 1 meter deep. The lake is fed by local run-off and several small rivers, the most important of which is the...
.
Climate
The climate in Camarines Sur, like most of the rest of the country, is very tropical. It is dry from March to May and wet the rest of the year Annual average rainfall is 2,565 millimeters. Camarines Sur has an average temperature of 27.0 °C and a relative humidityRelative humidity
Relative humidity is a term used to describe the amount of water vapor in a mixture of air and water vapor. It is defined as the partial pressure of water vapor in the air-water mixture, given as a percentage of the saturated vapor pressure under those conditions...
of 25.8%. Based from Aera Tranquilo
Tourist attractions
Our Lady of Peñafrancia Church in Naga. There are 19th century churches in Goa, San Jose and Sagñay. The world's smallest fish is found in Lake Buhi. There are two active (or considered dormant) volcanoes with trails: Mt. Isarog and Mt. Asog. The beaches of Sagñay and CaramoanCaramoan, Camarines Sur
Caramoan is a 2nd class municipality on the Caramoan Peninsula, in the province of Camarines Sur, Bicol Region, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 40,810 people.-History and geography:...
have coral reefs, and white and black sand beaches. Pasacao is known for its beaches, hence, it was called as "The Summer Capital of Cam. Sur" Naga City is noted for its night life.
There is the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and the Eco Village at the Provincial Capitol located at Cadlan Pili Camarines Sur.
The Concocep Falls can be found in Hanawan, Ocampo. Libmanan has the Malinaw Nature Resort and Brgy and Palong's water source at the base of Mt. Libmanan (Tancong Vaca). In Del Gallego, in the Northwestern part of the province there is the Kilbay Park. It is here President Manuel L. Quezon hammered the golden nail into a big rock, symbolizing the connection and link of the Philippine National Railways going to Manila in the year 1937. Impig, Sipocot, has it's Susong Daraga Mountains, where Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
Grotto and Impig Viewing Point are located, in the same Baranggay, the Mt. Talidong stood, it offers a good view of the San Miguel Bay, just below the Mt. Talidong, the Vigaan creek runs, this is a perfect spot for nature lovers. Between the boundary of Cam. Sur and Cam. Norte runs the magestic Bahi River, it runs through the forest of Napulidan National Park.
Cities and municipalities
Camarines Sur is subdivided into 2 citiesCities of the Philippines
A city is a tier of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies the administrative structure...
and 35 municipalities.
| City Cities of the Philippines A city is a tier of local government in the Philippines. All Philippine cities are chartered cities, whose existence as corporate and administrative entities is governed by their own specific charters in addition to the Local Government Code of 1991, which specifies the administrative structure... /Municipality Municipalities of the Philippines A municipality is a local government unit in the Philippines. Municipalities are also called towns . They are distinct from cities, which are a different category of local government unit... |
No. of Barangays |
Area (km²) |
Population (2007) |
Mayor (2007–2010) |
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| Baao Baao, Camarines Sur Baao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 52,466 people.-Barangays :Baao is politically subdivided into 30 barangays.-Schools:... |
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| Balatan Balatan, Camarines Sur Balatan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 26,679 people.... |
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| Bato Bato, Camarines Sur Bato is a rural municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 44,437 people.-History:... |
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| Bombon Bombon, Camarines Sur Bombon is a 5th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 14,083 people.-History:... |
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| Buhi Buhi, Camarines Sur Buhi, a town in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 70,756 people.According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Lake Buhi is home to the world's smallest edible fish locally known as "Sinarapan" .Notable Buhinons include Victor Wood... |
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| Bula Bula, Camarines Sur Bula is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 , it has a population of 62,024 people.... |
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| Cabusao Cabusao, Camarines Sur -History:Fishing still remains as the major industry in the Cabusao town in the first district of the province. There are attempts, however, to improve the rice production which can only be done if the farmlands can be improved despite the salty soil.... |
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| Calabanga Calabanga, Camarines Sur Calabanga is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is one of the biggest municipalities in terms of population and land area with an approximate 163.84 km². , which constitutes 3.1% of the province’s land area... |
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| Camaligan Camaligan, Camarines Sur Camaligan is a 5th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 19,188 people in 3,432 households.-Barangays:Camaligan is politically subdivided into 13 barangays.... |
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| Canaman Canaman, Camarines Sur Canaman is a landlocked 4th class municipality centrally located in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is bounded on the North by Magarao, on the South by Camaligan, on the East by Naga City, and on the Southwest by the broad Bicol River... |
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| Caramoan Caramoan, Camarines Sur Caramoan is a 2nd class municipality on the Caramoan Peninsula, in the province of Camarines Sur, Bicol Region, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 40,810 people.-History and geography:... |
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| Del Gallego Del Gallego, Camarines Sur Del Gallego is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is formerly called Danawin and located along Kilbay River. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 21,272 people.... |
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| Gainza Gainza, Camarines Sur Gainza is a 6th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 9,404 people.-Barangays:Gainza is politically subdivided into 8 barangays :* Cagbunga* Dahilig* Loob* Malbong* Namuat... |
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| Garchitorena Garchitorena, Camarines Sur Garchitorena is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 24,825 people.-History:... |
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| Goa Goa, Camarines Sur Goa is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 54,035 people. The current municipal mayor is Hon. Antero Silos Lim-History:... |
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| Iriga City | ||||
| Lagonoy Lagonoy, Camarines Sur Lagonoy is a town in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 46,093 people.-Barangays:Lagonoy is politically subdivided into 38 barangays.* Agosais* Agpo-Camagong-Tabog* Amoguis* Bocogan... |
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| Libmanan Libmanan, Camarines Sur Libmanan is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 92,839.-History:... |
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| Lupi Lupi, Camarines Sur Lupi is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 27,630 people. It is listed as a 4th class municipality.-History:... |
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| Magarao Magarao, Camarines Sur Magarao is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 22,515 people.-History:... |
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| Milaor Milaor, Camarines Sur Milaor is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 26,452 people.-History:... |
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| Minalabac Minalabac, Camarines Sur Minalabac is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 43,957 people. Note: Given Data as of August 2010 may changed... |
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| Nabua Nabua, Camarines Sur Nabua is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 75,422 people in 12,724 households.... |
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| Naga City | ||||
| Ocampo Ocampo, Camarines Sur Ocampo is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 39,759 people.-History:... |
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| Pamplona Pamplona, Camarines Sur Pamplona is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 31,895 people.-History:... |
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| Pasacao Pasacao, Camarines Sur Pasacao is the 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 41,533 people.-History:... |
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| Pili Pili, Camarines Sur Pili is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is the capital municipality of Camarines Sur. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 76,496 people.-History:... |
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| Presentacion Presentacion, Camarines Sur Presentacion is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 20,266 people.-Barangays:Presentacion is politically subdivided into 18 barangays.*Ayugao*Bagong Sirang... |
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| Ragay Ragay, Camarines Sur Ragay is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 52,021 people.-History:... |
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| Sagñay Sagñay, Camarines Sur Sagñay is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 29,082 people.-History:Sagñay is an old town established in the late 17th century by the Spanish friars... |
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| San Fernando San Fernando, Camarines Sur San Fernando is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it had a population of 30,697 people.-History:... |
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| San Jose San Jose, Camarines Sur San Jose is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 35,768 people.-History:The town of San Jose , then known as Danlog, was a barrio of Lagonoy in the early 19th century... |
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| Sipocot Sipocot, Camarines Sur Sipocot is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 57,861 people.- Geography :Notable hills include:* Susong Daraga Hill, located at Brgy... |
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| Siruma Siruma, Camarines Sur Siruma is a 4th class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 17,035 people.-History: Siruma belonged to several towns before it became an independent town of its own... |
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| Tigaon Tigaon, Camarines Sur Tigaon is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 45,509 people. It is located between Mt. Isarog and the Lagonoy Gulf. The economy is based on agricultural products like rice, corn, sugar cane, abaca fiber,... |
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| Tinambac Tinambac, Camarines Sur Tinambac is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 59,125 people.-History:... |