Marinduque

Marinduque
Province
(From top, left to right:) Marinduque Island viewed from a RORO ferry in Tayabas Bay, the town of Gasan, Bakulong Beach in Boac, Boac River, and the Biglang Awa Shrine in Balanacan Harbor, Mogpog.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Heart of the Philippines
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.400°N 121.967°E / 13.400; 121.967Coordinates: 13°24′N 121°58′E / 13.400°N 121.967°E / 13.400; 121.967
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 (Marinduqueño dialect), Bicol, and English
Website	www.marinduque.gov.ph

Marinduque (Tagalog pronunciation: [marinˈduke]) is an island province in the Philippines located in MIMAROPA (Region IV-B) 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.

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.^[3] 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.^[4]:535

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.

Sixth Army Operations Mindoro and Marinduque Islands - 13 December 1944-24 January 1945

Battle of Marinduque Part of World War II Date 1945 Location Marinduque Result Allied Victory Belligerents  Philippines Philippine Commonwealth Army Philippine Commonwealth Navy Recognized Guerrilla Units  United States  United States Army  United States Navy  Japan  Imperial Japanese Army Casualties and losses 18,700 killed 27,600 wounded 37,000 killed 43,000 wounded 8,000 captured

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.

Geography

Physical

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.

Northern part

Southern part

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).^[5]

Administrative divisions

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

Demography

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 with 70%. The Aglipayan Church has 25% of the population and the rest belongs to the different denominations such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Iglesia ni Cristo, Members Church of God International (popularly called Ang Dating Daan) and various Mainline Protestant denominations which include Assemblies of God, Baptists, JIL, Methodists, Presbyterian, and Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA).

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.^[9]

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.^[10]

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:

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.^[11]

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.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.

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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marinduque.

• Geographic data related to Marinduque at OpenStreetMap
• Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay as of August 1, 2007

	Batangas / Tayabas Bay	Quezon Tayabas Bay
	Oriental Mindoro / Sibuyan Sea		Sibuyan Sea / Quezon
		Marinduque
		Sibuyan Sea Romblon

Province of Marinduque Boac (capital) Municipalities Boac Buenavista Gasan Mogpog Santa Cruz Torrijos

Mimaropa (Region IV-B) Southern Tagalog Islands MIndoro, MArinduque, ROmblon, PAlawan Regional Center Calapan Provinces Marinduque Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Romblon Highly Urbanized City Puerto Princesa Component City Calapan Provincial Capitals Boac Calapan Mamburao Puerto Princesa Romblon Municipalities Aborlan Abra de Ilog Agutaya Alcantara Araceli Baco Balabac Bansud Banton Bataraza Boac Bongabong Brooke's Point Buenavista Bulalacao Busuanga Cagayancillo Cajidiocan Calatrava Calintaan Concepcion Corcuera Coron Cuyo Dumaran El Nido Ferrol Gasan Gloria Kalayaan Linapacan Looc (Occidental Mindoro) Looc (Romblon) Lubang Magdiwang Magsaysay (Occidental Mindoro) Magsaysay (Palawan) Mamburao Mansalay Mogpog Narra Naujan Odiongan Paluan Pinamalayan Pola Puerto Galera Quezon Rizal (Occidental Mindoro) Rizal (Palawan) Romblon Roxas (Oriental Mindoro) Roxas (Palawan) Sablayan San Agustin San Andres San Fernando San Jose (Occidental Mindoro) San Jose (Romblon) San Teodoro San Vicente Santa Cruz (Marinduque) Santa Cruz (Occidental Mindoro) Santa Fe Santa Maria Socorro Sofronio Española Taytay Torrijos Victoria Luzon, Republic of the Philippines

Administrative divisions of the Philippines Capital Manila (National Capital Region) Island groups Luzon Visayas Mindanao Regions Administrative I – Ilocos region II – Cagayan Valley III – Central Luzon IV-A – Calabarzon IV-B – Mimaropa V – Bicol region VI – Western Visayas VII – Central Visayas VIII – Eastern Visayas IX – Zamboanga Peninsula X – Northern Mindanao XI – Davao region XII – Soccsksargen XIII – Caraga CAR – Cordillera Administrative Region NCR – National Capital Region NIR – Negros Island Region Autonomous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Provinces Abra Agusan del Norte Agusan del Sur Aklan Albay Antique Apayao Aurora Basilan Bataan Batanes Batangas Benguet Biliran Bohol Bukidnon Bulacan Cagayan Camarines Norte Camarines Sur Camiguin Capiz Catanduanes Cavite Cebu Compostela Valley Cotabato Davao del Norte Davao del Sur Davao Occidental Davao Oriental Dinagat Islands Eastern Samar Guimaras Ifugao Ilocos Norte Ilocos Sur Iloilo Isabela Kalinga La Union Laguna Lanao del Norte Lanao del Sur Leyte Maguindanao Marinduque Masbate Misamis Occidental Misamis Oriental Mountain Province Negros Occidental Negros Oriental Northern Samar Nueva Ecija Nueva Vizcaya Occidental Mindoro Oriental Mindoro Palawan Pampanga Pangasinan Quezon Quirino Rizal Romblon Samar Sarangani Siquijor Sorsogon South Cotabato Southern Leyte Sultan Kudarat Sulu Surigao del Norte Surigao del Sur Tarlac Tawi-Tawi Zambales Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga Sibugay Other subdivisions List of primary LGUs Legislative districts Metropolitan areas Cities Municipalities Barangays (by province) Poblacion Puroks Sitios Historical Former provinces Formally proposed provinces

Philippines articles History Timeline Prehistory Pre-colonial period (900–1521) Spanish colonial period (1521–1898) Revolution (1896–98) Spanish–American War (1898) American colonial period (1898–1946) First Republic (1899–1901) Philippine–American War (1899–1902) Commonwealth (1935–46) Japanese occupation (1942–45) Second Republic (1943–45) Third Republic (1946–65) Marcos era (1965–86) Cold War Korean War Vietnam War 1986 People Power Revolution Fifth Republic (1986–present) Civil conflict CPP-NPA-NDF Moro War on Terror OEF – Philippines By topic Demographic Discoveries Economic 1973-1986 Inventions Military Geography Bays Climate Desert Earthquakes Ecoregions Environment Extreme points Headlands Island groups islands Lakes Landmarks Mountains Ultras National parks Protected areas Rivers Volcanoes active potentially active inactive Wildlife World Heritage Sites Politics Government Executive President Executive Office Cabinet Civil service National Police Legislature Congress Senate Senate President President pro tem House of Representatives Speaker Judiciary Supreme Court Judiciary Court of Appeals Law Constitution Bill of rights Philippine legal codes Human rights Intelligence National Bureau of Investigation National Counter-Terrorism Action Group National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Uniformed Armed Forces of the Philippines Philippine Air Force Philippine Army Philippine Navy Philippine Marine Corps Philippine Coast Guard Administrative divisions Elections Foreign relations Local governments Political parties Economy Agriculture Business process outsourcing Central Bank Energy Fiscal policy National debt Labor Peso (currency) Stock Exchange Taxation Telecommunications Tourism Transportation Science and technology Water and Sanitation Society Culture Architecture Art Cinema Cuisine Cultural Properties Dance Fashion and clothing Festivals Historical Markers Languages Literature Media Music Mythology Public holidays Psychology Religion Sexuality (LGBT culture · LGBT rights · Women) Sports Traditional games Value system Symbols Anthem Coat of arms Arnis/Eskrima/Kali (martial art) Flag Name Narra (tree) Philippine eagle Sampaguita (flower) Outline Index Book Category Portal WikiProject