Sorsogon

Sorsogon is a province in the Philippines. It is the southernmost of the six provinces of the Bicol region. The capital of Sorsogon City is the only city in the province.

Geography

The Sorsogon province occupies the southeastern part of the Bicol Peninsula. It is bordered on the north by the province of Albay and the Gulf of Albay, while it is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean and to the southeast of the San Bernardino Strait. In the southwest of the waterway Ticao lies passage to the island of Ticao. The province has a total area of ​​2119.01 km ² and its coastline stretches 336 kilometers.

Sorsogons topography can be described as very different. In the province there are two large mountain ranges, the Pocdolberge in the north- west and the mountain range of the active volcano Bulusan in the southeast, both mountain ranges are separated by the Bay of Sorsogon. The mountains fall away to the shores and form smaller plateaus, vast lowlands and numerous on the coast marshes. The highest mountain is the Bulusan, the 1,560 m rises above the sea level and known as the " Switzerland of the Orient" is called.

Almost the entire province is surrounded by water, only in the northwest, there is a land connection to the neighboring province of Albay. To follow all the villages have with the exception of the community Irosin access to the sea and are connected by solid and paved roads.

The Sorgoson province is considered the gateway to the southern Philippines. Through its ferry ports in the communities Matnog and Bulusan Sorsogon City and the province is a major hub for the traffic on the highway Maharlia.

Demography and language

In the province of life, according to the census of 2007, a total of 709 673 people in 125 191 households. Thus, it is the 37th most populous provinces of the Philippines.

The vast majority of residents of the province ( 96.84 %) belong to the ethnic group of the Bikol or Bicol. Approximately 0.38% feel the Tagalog belonging, 0.22 % belong to the Kankanai ( Kankaney or Kankanaey ), while the rest is occupied by other ethnic minorities.

The most common languages ​​are thus Bikolano and Bisakol. Due to the fact that the province is an access from the Visayas, the dialect spoken has developed as a unique mix of Bikol and Vasayan dialects. Most locals also speak the languages ​​Filipino and English. In some parts as Spanish phrases are heard, the main dialect itself is filled with many Spanish words.

The inhabitants of the province are mostly Roman Catholic. For this reason, they celebrate various festivals in honor of Catholic saints, such as the Fiesta of the cartridge Peter and Paul, which is celebrated in every June in the city of Sorsogon City.

During Holy Week, the people flock to barefoot Peter and Paul Cathedral. Here begins a procession, in which the participants carry cards in front of them, on which Jesus is pictured on his way of the cross.

Administrative divisions

Sorsogan be political in a city and 14 autonomous communities divided managed.

The City and the municipalities are in turn subdivided into a total of 541 barangays ( districts ). The province will continue to be assigned two congressional districts.

City

• Sorsogon City

Communities

• Barcelona
• Bulan
• Bulusan
• Casiguran
• Castilla
• Donsol
• Gubat

• Irosin
• Juban
• Magallanes
• Matnog
• Pilar
• Prieto Diaz
• Santa Magdalena

Economy

Sorsogon is a very poor province. According to data of the National Statistical Coordination Board ( NSCB ) from the year 2003 indicate that 43.5 % ( 12,452 people ) live below the poverty line. In 2000, there were still 51.4 %.

The economic center of the province is located in the capital of Sorsogon City. In addition, only the port communities Matnog and Bulan are to be designated as an economic focal points.

In February 2012 it was announced to be built a wind farm with a capacity of 420 MW to the municipality of Prieto Diaz.

History

Between 1565 and 1570, the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi dispatched from its base on the island of Panay from an expeditionary force under the command of Capitan Luis Enriquez de Guzmancon, which should explore that part of the island, which is now occupied by the Province of Sorsogon. In their conduct there was the Augustinian monk Alonso Jimenez, the chaplain of the group. The object of the expedition was to collect food for the starving Spanish groups on Panay. Another objective was the Christianization of all native settlements, to which they would encounter on their journey. The group finally arrived at the mouth of Ginangra Rivers on a small fishing village named Gibalong, which now forms a part of the municipality of Magallanes. The village Gibalong thus became the first Christian settlement on the island of Luzon, and here the first Christian mass was Alonso Jimenez thus held on the northern island of the Philippines. In some Spanish maps, the entire district or parts of it still under registration Tierra de Gibalong get ..

1570 a chapel was built on Gingara River in Magallanes. The missionaries arrived after the village of Pilar, in the Abuca - Catamlangan Mission was founded. Other places were founded at this time Casiguran in 1600 and Bulusan 1601.

Due to the urgent need to establish in this period of galleon ships, the ship was built as one of the most important industries in the province. In 1669 again invented Father Pedro de Espellargas the paring knife for Abacafrüchte that revolutionized fiber production and industrial Tauherstellung drove forward in this area in particular.

The Muslim raids on coastal towns Sorsogons in the years 1737, 1740, 1749 and 1781 prompted Captain Pedro de Gastambide a fort in Sirangan to build. Several watchtowers were then in the course of this objective in Gubat, Bacon, Bulusan, Sta. Magdalena and Matnog built. Sorsogon belonged to in the year 1894 to the province of Albay, from which it was then spun off on October 17. The headquarters of the provincial government was awarded the village of the same name, which owes its name to the province.

The Spaniards have Sorsogon abandoned during the Philippine Revolution in 1876 and the responsibility of the provincial government in the meantime, transmitted by Father Jorge Barlin, the Vicar of Sorsogon, who had to hand over the province later to the revolutionary troops.

On January 20, 1900 U.S. troops occupied under the command of General William Kobbe Sorsogon and installed a provisional military government in the province. The resistance movement against the U.S. occupation became extinct with the seizure of Emeterio Funes, the head of the revolutionary forces in this region. Like many revolutionary leaders, he vowed in the wake of the United States, the loyalty and thus ended the Philippine commitment to this province.

Origin of the name

The name was originally pronounced as Sorsogon Solsogon and is listed as such in the most ancient Spanish maps. The basic word Solog comes from the language Bikol and is going against the flow, suggesting, is to follow the river upstream. There is this different form of this name, as Sogsogon or Sososgon, which has both the same meaning, which is to follow a river, a road or path.

According to an old legend, once a settlement called Gibalong was founded, whose territory now occupying the town of Magallanes. From there swarmed the Spaniards from which to explore the area, one group came across a small river that emptied into the present bay of Sorsogon. Tired, lost and without a clue where they were, the Spaniards asked a local for the name of this place. Because of this one thing, not the stranger understood, on the other hand could be unsettled by their appearance and their armor, he thought, would ask him for directions to his settlement. He pointed to the river and said Solsogon, they should follow the flow upwards. Over time, this name was eventually adhere.

Climate

The tropical climate of Sorsogon is largely influenced by two air flows, the northeast and the southeast monsoon, which occur from June to September. In the region there is no rainy season, rainfall can rather occur throughout the year. The largest rainfall values ​​are to be expected between the months of November to January. November is the wettest month in this case, whereas the April and May are relatively dry.

Attractions

• The Bulusan Volcano National Park
• The Bulusan Mountain Lake
• Tolong - Gapo Beach Resort
• The hot and mineral springs of Irosin
• The Rizal Beach Resort Gubat at
• The island Picturesque Islands of Matnog
• Cave of Puerto Diaz
• If Palogtoc