SIQUIJOR
Area & Zip code
Enrique Villanueva 6230
Larena 6226
Lazi 6228
Maria 6229
San Juan 6227
Siquijor 6225
SIQUIJOR
Area & Zip code
Enrique Villanueva 6230
Larena 6226
Lazi 6228
Maria 6229
San Juan 6227
Siquijor 6225
Municipalities Siquijor, Larena, Enrique
Villanueva, Maria, Lazi and San Juan.
Barangays 134
Congressional District 1
Land Area 27,887 hectares
Population 73,790+
Households 15,382+
Annual Growth Rate 0.5%
Climate The island receives an annual
rainfall of 1,000 to 1,305.3 mm. with November having the heaviest rainfall
while April has the least. It has a temperature of 27.8 degrees Celsius
and a relative humidity of 78%.
Due to its protected location,
the island is safe from the full force of typhoon winds.
Accessibility By air, Siquijor
is 10 minutes from Dumaguete City and 40 minutes from Cebu City.
The province has five seaports located at Larena,
Lazi and Siquijor; with Larena as the major port. It can accommodate ships
up to 600 tonnes and serves as the gateway to Cebu and Mindanao. Other
boats ply the Tagbilaran and Dumaguete routes.
The municipal port in Lazi has a docking space
for one vessel of up to 200 tonnes, while the Siquijor wharf, also a municipal
port has a docking space for motorized bancas and launches plying the Siquijor-Dumaguete
route daily.
Other motorized bancas plying the
Siquijor-Dumaguete route are served by the Solong-on and Tambisan causeways
in Siquijor and San Juan towns respectively.
Road Network 405 linear kms.
Seaports 5
Airports 1
Communications Telephone Stations
(Domestic & Int’l.) (PLDT and MTPO) Fax (at every MTPO), Radio Telegraphic,
Stations,
Post Offices, Local Newspapers
Labor Force 52,000
Languages English, Cebuano, Filipino
Power Supply 1,500 KW
Banks Allied Banking Corp., Land
Bank of the Phils., Rural Bank of Larena
Agricultural Products Coconut,
rice, corn, peanuts, cassava, fruits, vegetables
Industrial Establishments Wood
furniture, metalcraft, handicraft, wood-craft, garments, fashion accessories,
phosphate mining, manganese mining
Attractions Tubod Beach, San Juan
Salagdoong Beach, Maria Dumanhog Beach, Siquijor Calalinan Beach, Siquijor
Bitaug Beach, Siquijor Sandugan Beach, Larena Minalulan Beach, Maria Candanay
Beach, Siquijor Laiton Beach, San Juan, Mt. Bandilaan Park the province’s
highest peak
Historical Attractions Belltower of St. Francis
of Assisi Church, St. Isidore Labradore Convent, Centuries old Catholic
churches in different municipalities
The first Spaniard to officially "discover" the island of Siquijor was Esteban Rodriguez of the Legaspi Expedition in 1561. He was the captain of a small party, which left from Legaspi's camp in Bohol to land on the nearby islands of Pamilacan (Bohol), Siquijor and Negros. In Looc, Maria there is a wooden image of Santo Nino engraved "1571".
A glimpse into the past helps us to know about the religious history of Siquijor. Our religious customs and traditions are similar to those of the Boholanos because Siquijor was once upon a time an affiliate of Bohol as a Recollect province. It is mentioned on page 33 of the book, "Philippine Islands", Volume 23, 1637-1638 that the "towns of this Recollect province are the following: Loon with 3,097-1/2 tributes and 17,202 souls ... the island and village of Siquijor, with 1,740 tributes and 7,082 souls; Canoan (now Larena), with 1,465 tributes and 7,800 souls; Lazi with 1,180-1/2 tributes and 5,403 souls and San Juan with 1,143 tributes and 5,280 souls."
Fr. Blas Montenegro, OSA (1963) in his book, "A Study of the Contributions by the Recollect Fathers to the Education of the Philippines" made mention about the towns of Bohol and Siquijor. Siquijor was founded on December 19,1780 and was under the Recoletos in 1795. Canoan was founded in 1836. Maria was founded in 1877; San Juan in 1863, and Lazi in 1857.
Since the arrival of the Spaniards in the island, Catholicism was introduced. In "Album de la Orden de Agustines Recoletos", 1931 (Zaragoza) was recorded the establishment of the different parishes in the island of Siquijor. Siquijor was the first parish to be established in 1780.
The Larena (initially Cano-an) parish was established in 1836. Since then until 1898 and after the revolution, the parish was administered by the Recollect Fathers. They built a good church and a beautiful convent. Unfortunately these 2 religious edifices were burned and were replaced with two modern ones.
The 3rd parish to be established was Laci (formerly Tigbawan) thru the recommendation of Fray Juan Felix de la Encarnacion. It was founded in 1857. Here in this parish the "espiritu emprendedor" (enterprising spirit) of the missionaries was manifested. Notable accomplishment of the Recollects included the construction of the church, convent, schools, municipal house, cemetery, bridges, irrigation canal and others. Most notable among these Recollects was Fray Toribio Sanchez under whose supervision the church and convent were constructed. The church was constructed in 1884. The construction of the convent was started in 1887, using indigenous coral stones and local hardwood. The spacious convent was completed and blessed in 1891.
The San Juan (Macapilay) parish was established in 1863. The first priest was Recollect Nicanor Archiniego who in his 23 years stay endowed to the town the church and convent. He also made the municipal house and schools for boys and girls out of grass. He opened two roads: one to the north towards Siquijor, 4 kms in length and another 13 km towards Lazi. The place was name in honor of Fray Juan Felix de la Encarnacion.
The parish established on October 16, 1880 was Cangmeniac (now Maria). With the exception of Enrique Villanueva, all of the present 5 municipalities had been established as parishes by 1877 by the Recollect missionaries.
Aside from Catholicism, other religious sects
have also found roots in the island. Missionaries from Silliman University
first established Protestantism in the town of Larena in the middle of
the 1920s. The Seventh Day Adventist was introduced in Larena in 1909 by
two pastors, Tiburcio de la Calzada and Mamerto Urac. In 1904, preachers
of the Aglipayan Church arrived in Siquijor. The Philippine Independent
Church was brought to the town of Lazi by two Aglipayan priests who said
their first mass in a makeshift altar in the tennis court of the town on
17 October 1936.
PROVINCE HOOD OF SIQUIJOR
During the early part of 1969, Republic Act No. 4851 was enacted. This act changed the designation of the Lieutenant Governor to Governor of the Sub-province of Siquijor, Province of Negros Oriental. All official communications from the office of the lieutenant governor bore the imprint "Office of the Governor."
Congressman Lamberto L. Macias of the 3rd district of Negros Oriental, (Siquijor was then part of the district) authored House Bill No. 652. He followed this bill up to the Senate and made sure that it was passed into Republic Act No. 6398. Before this bill Siquijor remained a sub-province of Negros Oriental until the enactment into law of House Bill No. 652, known as Republic Act No. 6398, dated September 17, 1971, which provided for the separation of Siquijor as a regular province and independent of Negros Oriental. The province is then composed of the municipalities of Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor, and Larena.
One can say that Congressman Macias is the "Father of Siquijor Province". This is Congressman Macias' legacy to the Siquijodnons.
By virtue of Proclamation No. 1075 signed on September 12, 1972, the capital was transferred from Larena to the town of Siquijor where it remains today. This was the result of a plebiscite that was held throughout Siquijor allowing the voters to settle once and for all which town is designated as the provincial capital.
The schedule of SUPERCAT as follows:
Departure
Via
Arrives
Cebu 3.30 pm
Tagbilaran on Bohol and Dumaguete on Negros
Larena 7.45 pm
Larena 6.00 am Dumaguette on Negros Tagbilaran on Bohol Cebu 10.45 am
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