Albay

Province of Albay
Provincial seal of Albay
Map of the Philippines with Albay highlighted
Region	Bicol Region (Region V)
Capital	Legazpi City
Divisions
- Highly urbanized cities	0
- Component cities	3
- Municipalities	15
- Barangays	720
- Congressional districts	3
Population	22nd largest
- Total (2007)	1,190,823 (2007)
- Density	427 /km² (1,106 /sq mi) (10th highest)
Area	26th smallest
- Total	2,552.6 km2 (986 sq mi)
Founded	March 10, 1917
Spoken languages	Bikol, Tagalog
Governor	Joey Sarte Salceda (KAMPI)

Albay is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Legazpi City and the province borders the Camarines Sur to the north and Sorsogon to the south. Also to the northeast is Lagonoy Gulf leading to the Philippine Sea, and to the southwest is Burias Pass.

Mayon Volcano is the symbol most associated with the province. This nearly perfectly-shaped active volcano forms a scenic backdrop to the capital city of Legazpi 15 kilometers to the south.

People and culture

Population Based on the August 2007 census, Albay has a total population of 1,190,823, which makes it the 22nd most populous province in the country. There are 208,640 households in the province with an average size of 5.22 persons, significantly higher than the national average of 4.99.

Languages Bikol is the primary language spoken in Albay, being a part of the Bicol Region. There are other dialects spoken in the province, however, such as Bicolano Viejo, Daragueño, Legazpeño or Albayanon, Oasnon and others. The dialects spoken in the coastal areas of the province are similar to that spoken in Camarines Sur while those further inland are similar to each other but differs significantly from the coastal dialect. Majority of the inhabitants also understand Tagalog and English.

Economy

Traditional industries Agriculture is the main industry in Albay, which produces such crops as coconut, rice, sugar, and abacá. Handicrafts is the major source of rural income. It continuous to provide fairly large share in the small-scale industries of the province. Forestry and papermaking are another source of livelihood. The manufacture of abacá products such as Manila hemp, hats, bags, mats, and slippers is one of the main sources of income in the rural areas. Fishing is also done along both shores of the province. Tourism, primarily because of Mayon Volcano, also draws income for Albay.

Heavy manufacturing industries Of the total 6,369 manufacturing establishments of varied sizes in the Bicol Region, 48.6% are located in Albay. Bicol's largest industrial sites are in Albay: Tiwi and Manito boast geothermal energy plants, Camalig has the Goodfound Cement Factory, Daraga has its Isarog Pulp and Paper Company, Legazpi City has Bicol Hair, and Legaspi Oil Company and two other large coconut oil milling plants, making Albay a top foreign currency earner in this part of Luzon. [1]

Transportation Albay is also the region's principal trans-shipment point with its ports: Tabaco International, Legazpi National, Pio Duran Provincial, and the Pantao Regional Port (under construction in 2003). Legazpi City also has its own domestic airport which hopes to serve international flights in the near future. Legazpi Airport serves as Bicol's gateway to Manila and the Visayas.

History

Pre-Spanish Era

Albay and its surrounding areas were known as Ibalon when Juan de Salcedo and 120 soldiers explored it in 1573. Sawangan, a small settlement by a mangrove swamp, became a town called Albay bay (which means “by the bay”) in 1616. The town was first renamed Albay, then Legazpi, as Albay went on to refer to the province.

Spanish Colonialism

In 1846, the islands of Masbate, Ticao, and Burias were separated from Albay to form the comandancia of Masbate. Albay was then divided into four districts: Iraya, Cordillera or Tobacco, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes. In 1894, Sorsogon became a separate province and Catanduanes in 1945. The province of Albay itself was created on March 10, 1917.

In 1649, the natives rebelled against their recruitment to Cavite to build galleons. In 1814, Mayon Volcano erupted, killing 1,200 people and burying the town of Cagsawa. During the early 19th century, abacá hemp for shipping rope became a source of wealth.

Japanese Occupation

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded and entered Albay.

In 1945, Filipino and American troops with Bicolano guerillas fought against the Japanese and liberated Albay during World War II.

Geography

The nearly perfectly-shaped Mt. Mayon, serves as the backdrop for the city of Legazpi, Albay.

Albay has a total land area of 2,552.6 square kilometers, which makes it the 26th smallest province. Most of Albay is located on mainland Bicol Peninsula and it has four major islands to the east: Rapu-Rapu, Batan (part of Rapu-Rapu), Cagraray (part of Bacacay), and San Miguel (part of Tabaco City).

Lagonoy Gulf borders the province to the northeast, separating it from the province of Catanduanes. Burias Island in the province Masbate can be found to the southwest across Burias Pass.

The province is generally mountainous with scattered fertile plains and valleys. Mayon Volcano, standing at around 2460 meters, is the most famous landform in Albay, and in the whole of Bicol, in fact. This active volcano is nearly perfectly-shaped and is considered by many to be more beautiful than Mt. Fuji in Japan. Other mountains and volcanoes in the province are Catburawan, Masaraga, Malinao, and Pantao.

On January 18, 2008, Albay Governor Joey Salceda and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Estrella Alabastro relaunched one of the country's 4th upper-air receiving equipment in Albay worth P 18-million. The other upper-air receiving stations are in Laoag, Cebu, and Tanay, Rizal.^[1]

Political

Albay is subdivided into 15 municipalities and 3 cities. Three of them, Polangui, Daraga, and Guinobatan are classified as 1st class municipalities.

External links

• goBicol: Online Bicolano Community
• Albay.com.ph: The Albayano Online Community
• Legazpi City Website (Official)
• www.bicolanoes.com

References

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