Marinduque

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Marinduque (disambiguation).
Marinduque
Province

Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): The Heart of the Philippines

Map of the Philippines with Marinduque highlighted
Coordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.400°N 121.967°ECoordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.400°N 121.967°E
Country Philippines
Region MIMAROPA (Region IV-B)
Founded February 21, 1920
Capital Boac
Government
 • Governor Carmencita Reyes (Liberal)
 • Vice Governor Romulo Baccoro (Liberal)
 • Representative Regina Ongsiako Reyes (Liberal)
Lone District
Area[1]
 • Total 952.58 km2 (367.79 sq mi)
Area rank 75th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Malindig) 1,157 m (3,796 ft)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 227,828
 • Rank 68th out of 81
 • Density 240/km2 (620/sq mi)
 • Density rank 38th out of 81
Divisions
 • Independent cities 0
 • Component cities 0
 • Municipalities 6
 • Barangays 218
 • Districts Lone district of Marinduque
Time zone PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code 4900 to 4905
Dialing code 42
ISO 3166 code PH-MAD
Spoken languages Tagalog and English
Website www.marinduque.gov.ph

Marinduque (Tagalog pronunciation: [marinˈduke]) is an island province of the Philippines located in Region IV-B MIMAROPA region. Its capital is the Municipality of Boac. Marinduque lies between Tayabas Bay to the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. It is west of the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon province; east of Mindoro Island; and north of the island province of Romblon.

The province of Marinduque resided by its peace-loving people was ranked number 1 by the Philippine National Police and Philippine Security Forces as the 2013 Most Peaceful Province of the country due to its low crime rate statistics conversely ranking with the province of Batanes yearly. Furthermore for almost 200 years, the province is home to one of the oldest religious festivals of the country: the unique and colorful Moriones Festival celebrated annually every holy week.

Physical geography

Marinduque is considered as the geographical center of the Philippine archipelago by the Luzon Datum of 1911, the mother of all Philippine geodetic surveys. The province is a "heart-shaped" island with a total land area of 95,258 hectares (235,390 acres). It is situated between Tayabas Bay in the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. It is separated from the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon by the Mompong Pass. West of Marinduque is Tablas Strait, which separates it from Mindoro Island. Some of the smaller islands to the northeast are Polo Island, Maniwaya Island, and Mompong Island. Southwest portion includes the Tres Reyes Islands and Elephant Island.

The highest peak in Marinduque is Mount Malindig (formerly called Mt. Marlanga), a potentially active stratovolcano with an elevation of 1,157 metres (3,796 ft) above sea level, located at the southern tip of the island. Various cave systems occupy the province, which include the grand Bathala Cave; the newly discovered San Isidro Cave with its complex subterranean river; and Talao Caves with its 12 series of caves overlooking the western part of the island.

Climate

Marinduque is categorized on the Type III climate having rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year with no clear boundary between dry and wet seasons. The annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures were calculated at 27.0 °C (80.6 °F), 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) respectively. Humidity average is 78% year-round with an average annual rainfall totaling 2,034.6 millimetres (80.10 in).[3]

Subdivisions

Marinduque is divided into 6 municipalities and 218 barangays.[4]

Northern part
Southern part

History

Legend has it that the island of Marinduque was formed as a consequence of a tragic love affair between two people: Mariin and Gatduke. Mariin's father, a local chieftain, did not approve of this affair and ordered the beheading of Gatduke. Before this could be done, the couple sailed out to sea and drowned themselves, forming the island now called Marinduque.

During the Spanish and early American occupations, Marinduque was part of Balayan Province (now Batangas) in the 16th century, Mindoro in the 17th century, and had a brief period as an independent province in 1901, when the Americans arrived.

During the Philippine-American War, Marinduque was the first island to have American concentration camps.[5] Marinduque is the site of the Battle of Pulang Lupa, where 250 Filipino soldiers under Colonel Maximo Abad, defeated a smaller force of 54 American Infantrymen. Col. Abad surrendered in 1901.[6]:535

Battle of Marinduque
Part of World War II
Date1945
LocationMarinduque
Result Allied Victory
Belligerents

 Japan

Casualties and losses
18,700 killed
27,600 wounded		 37,000 killed
43,000 wounded
8,000 captured

In 1902, the US-Philippine Commission annexed the islands of Mindoro (now two separate provinces) and Lubang (now part of Occidental Mindoro) to the province.

Four months later, the province became part of the province of Tayabas (now Quezon).

On February 21, 1920, Act 2280 was passed by the Philippine Congress, reestablishing Marinduque as a separate province.

In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces landed in Marinduque.

In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops attacked from the Japanese Troops liberated to the Battle of Marinduque in the Second World War.

Archaeological finds

Archaeology in the Philippines began in Marinduque. Prior to 1900, only one important archaeological investigation had been carried out in the country: the Antoine-Alfred Marche ’s exploration of Marinduque from April to July 1881. According to anthropologist Henry Otley Beyer, while many other accidental finds have been recorded from time to time and a few burial caves and sites had been casually explored by European or local scientists, no systematic work had been done anywhere else prior to these explorations. After Marche, the next important archaeological work was undertaken by Dr. Carl Gunthe in the Central Visayan Islands in 1922.

An abundant yield of Chinese urns, vases, gold ornaments, skulls and other ornaments of pre-Spanish origin was what Marche finds represented. He brought back to France the Marinduque artifacts he uncovered in 40 crates. Part of it now said to be housed at the Musée de l'Homme in France. The finds also included a wooden image of the Marinduque anito called ‘Pastores’ by the natives.

One of these artifacts also found its way into the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (Catalogue No. A127996-0, Department of Anthropology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution). These fragile jarlets traveled from China to the pre-colonial Philippines. Buried in a cave in Marinduque for centuries, excavated in the late 19th century, brought to Paris and eventually one ended up at the Smithsonian Institution museum.

Part of Marinduque's history lies at the Marinduque Museum in Poblacion,Boac, Marinduque and in museums abroad. It will take some time to analyze these artifacts to piece together its pre-colonial past.

Demography

Population census of Marinduque
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 185,524—    
1995 199,910+1.41%
2000 217,392+1.81%
2007 229,636+0.76%
2010 227,828−0.29%
Source: National Statistics Office[7]

Marinduqueños are said to be very hospitable in nature and are very welcoming. One such custom reflecting this is putong or tubong, which is a custom of welcoming and honoring friends and visitors. The honoree (or honorees) are seated and crowned with flowers while local women dance and sing for them. Other well-wishers throw coins and flower petals for long life. Marinduqueños are known to speak a dialect of Tagalog known as the Marinduque Tagalog.

Religion

Marinduque is resided by various religious groups, with Catholics belonging to the Latin Rite predominantly making up the greatest number. Several congregations of Aglipay, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Iglesia ni Cristo, Members Church of God International (popularly called Ang Dating Daan) are also established in the province and various Protestant- Born Again- are also present on the island.

Some Protestant denominations include Assemblies of God, Baptists, JIL, Methodists, and Presbyterian.

Language

The version of Tagalog spoken in Marinduque has been described as "the root from which modern national forms of speech have sprung," where remnants of archaic Tagalog could be found, spoken in a lilting manner by its inhabitants. If this linguistic theory is accurate, Marinduque's Tagalog has contributed significantly to the development of the official Philippine national language.[8]

To this day, Marinduqueños speak an old variation of the Tagalog language that is very close to the way Tagalog was spoken before the Spanish colonization. According to language experts , the Tagalog dialects of Marinduque are the most divergent, especially the Eastern Marinduque dialect, perhaps due to the relative isolation from the Tagalogs of Luzon and also perhaps due to the influence of the Visayan and Bikol migrants.[9]

Linguist Rosa Soberano's 1980 The Dialects of Marinduque Tagalog goes into great depth concerning the dialects spoken there. The following is a verb chart which outlines the conjugation of the Eastern Marinduque dialect of Tagalog:

Infinitive Contemplative

(future actions)

 Progressive

(past and present actions)

 Completed

(past actions)

 Imperative
Actor Focus 1 -um-

(gumawa) (future actions)

 má-

(mágawâ)

 ná-

(nágawâ)

 -um-

(gumawa)

 0

(gawa)

Actor Focus 2 mag-

(magbigay)

 (ma)ga-

([ma]gabigay)

 naga-

(nagabigay)

 nag-

(nagbigay)

 pag-

(pagbigay)

Object Focus 1 -in

(kainin)

 a-

(akainin)

 ina-

(inakain)

 -in-

(kinain)

 -a

(kaina)

Object Focus 2 i-

(isulat)

 a-

(asulat)

 ina-

(inasulat)

 i- -in-

(isinulat)

 -an

(sulatan)

Object Focus 3 -an

(tawagan) (future actions)

 a-...-an

(atawagan)

 ina- ... -an

(inatawagan)

 -in- ... -an

(tinawagan)

 -i

(tawagi)

Linguist Christopher Sundita observed that some of the affixes in Marinduque Tagalog, particularly "a-" and "ina-," are affixes used in Asi (Bantoanon), a Visaya language spoken in Romblon, just south of Marinduque. Marinduque Tagalog, like the Tagalog spoken over two centuries ago, had an additional verb category, the imperative, which was used for commands and requests (e.g., Matulog ka na - Go to sleep). Even then, the imperative and the infinitive were used side by side in expressing commands; but in standard Tagalog, apparently the infinitive became used exclusively. And in the Eastern Marinduque dialect, the imperative affixes are very much alive.[10]

Economy

Marinduque is an agricultural province, primarily growing rice and coconuts. Handicrafts from Marinduque are also exported to dıfferent parts of the world, and fishing is another important part of the economy. Mining was once an important player in the economy until a mining accident (the Marcopper Mining Disaster) occurred, bringing the industry to a standstill on the island and causing enormous damage to the people and the island. The provincial government has just recently sued Marcopper's parent company, Placer Dome, for $100 million in damages. Placer Dome was purchased in 2006 by Barrick Gold, who has now been joined in the lawsuit.

A significant role in Marinduque's economy is also played by tourism, especially during the lenten season. While this is not one of the larger parts of the island's economy, it has shown great growth. Recently, some residents are now engaged in butterfly farming. Butterflies are raised for export to countries in both Europe and the Americas. Locally, live butterflies are released in celebration on different occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, and some corporate events.

Culture

Festivals
The Moriones Festival also plays a prominent role in Marinduque's culture. Marinduque is famous for this annual festival locally known as "Moryonan". During the month of March or April, parades and celebrations can be seen on the streets. In Santa Cruz, Gasan, Boac, and Mogpog, a parade of people dressed as "Moryons" can be seen on the main road connecting the towns of the island. Boac and Sta. Cruz, the biggest towns in the province, shows a reenactment in the evening of the actual event when Longinus, a blind soldier, punctures Jesus with his spear and blood droplets from the wound restores Longinus'sight.[11]
Music
The Marinduque is also home to a musical instrument called the Kalutang. The Kalutang is an instrument made of two pieces of wood that produce different note ranges depending on its size. A band of 10 to 12 can create music with this instrument.
Putong
The province welcome ceremony treating the guest like royalty.

Governors

Marinduque has had its own Governor since becoming a sub-province of Tayabas (now Quezon) in 1902 and after gaining its independence from Tayabas in 1920.

Period Governor
1898-1901
(sub-province under Tayabas)
Martin Lardizabal
1901-1907
(sub-province under Tayabas)
Ricardo Paras
1907-1916
(sub-province under Tayabas)
Juan Nieva
1916-1919
(sub-province under Tayabas)
Pedro Madrigal
1919-1922
(sub-province under Tayabas until 1920)
Vicente Trivino
1922-1925
Miguel Villamayor
1925-1929
Damian J. Reyes
1929-1933
Leon Pelaez
1933-1936
Pedro Del Mundo
1936-1938)
Leon Pelaez
1938-1941
Ramon Reynoso
1941-1945
Jose L. Basa
1945-1946
Ricardo Nepomuceno
1946-1951
Cesar L. Nepomuceno
1951-1963
Miguel M. Manguera
1963-1967
Celso L. Preclaro
1967-1988
Aristeo Marasigan Lecaroz
1988-1995
Luisito Mercader Reyes
1995-1998
Jose Antonio Nieva Carrion
1998-2007
Carmencita Ongsiako Reyes
2007-2010
Jose Antonio Nieva Carrion
2010–present
Carmencita O. Reyes

Transport

By Air

Currently, Marinduque is served by direct daily flights to-and-fro Manila by Zest Airways (formerly Asian Spirit). The Marinduque Airport is located in Barangay Masiga, roughly between Gasan and Boac.

By Water

Montenegro Lines - plying the sea routes from Dalahican Pier in Barangay Talao-Talao in Lucena City to Marinduque via Balanacan Port in Mogpog (5 trips daily going to Marinduque including the Cawit Pier in Boac or 10 to 14 trips daily back and forth)).(See Schedule of Montenegro Shipping Lines - Source: Google or MSLI Website)

Star Horse Shipping Lines - plying the sea routes from Talao Talao Port in Lucena City to Balanacan, Marinduque - (See Schedule of Star Horse Shipping - Source: Google or SHSLI Website).

JAC Liner Inc. serves a direct bus route from Cubao in Quezon City to Marinduque via roll-on/roll-off ship.

Schools/Educational institutions

Tertiary

Secondary

Private schools
Public schools

References

  1. ↑ "List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  3. ↑ Birtle, Andrew J. (April 1997). "The U.S. Army's Pacification of Marinduque, Philippine Islands, April 1900 – April 1901". The Journal of Military History (AT JSTOR) (Society for Military History) 61 (2): 255–282. doi:10.2307/2953967. JSTOR 2953967.
    Jessup, Philip Caryl (1938). Elihu Root. Dodd, Mead, & Co./Reprint Services Corp. ISBN 0-7812-4908-2.http://www.namria.gov.ph
  4. ↑ "Province: Marinduque - Municipalities and Cities". Philippine Standard Geographic Code. Retrieved on 2014-09-18.
  5. ↑ Birtle, p. 272
  6. ↑ Foreman, J., 1906, The Philippine Islands, A Political, Geographical, Ethnographical, Social and Commercial History of the Philippine Archipelago, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons
  7. ↑ "Population and Annual Growth Rates for The Philippines and Its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities" (PDF). 2010 Census and Housing Population. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
  8. ↑ http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Marinduque/blog-462972.html
  9. ↑ http://salitablog.blogspot.com/2007/03/tagalog-verbs.html
  10. ↑ http://salitablog.blogspot.com
  11. ↑ http://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Imahen:Moriones_festival1.jpg

12. ^ http://www.philstar.com/breaking-news/796944/unveiling-other-treasures-marinduque

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marinduque.
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Tayabas Bay
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Sibuyan Sea
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