Alcantara, Romblon

Alcantara
Municipality
Municipality of Alcantara

Seal

Map of Romblon with Alcantara highlighted
Alcantara
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°16′N 122°03′E / 12.27°N 122.05°E / 12.27; 122.05Coordinates: 12°16′N 122°03′E / 12.27°N 122.05°E / 12.27; 122.05
Country  Philippines
Region Mimaropa (Region IV-B)
Province Romblon
District Lone district
Founded 1730 (as La Lauan)
Renamed 1870 (as Alcantara)
Incorporated March 21, 1961
Barangays 12 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
 • Type Sangguniang Bayan
 • Mayor Eddie C. Lota
 • Vice Mayor Jovito Gamul
 • Electorate 9,619 voters (2016)
Area [2]
 • Total 60.12 km2 (23.21 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
 • Total 16,351
 • Density 270/km2 (700/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code 5509
PSGC 175901000
IDD : area code  +63 (0)42
Climate type Tropical climate
Income class 5th municipal income class
Revenue (₱) 55,058,183.75 (2016)
Native languages Onhan language
Tagalog

Alcantara, officially the Municipality of Alcantara, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 16,351 people.[3]

History

Alcantara was first established in 1730 as La Lauan, a barrio of Looc town by migrants from Panay Island led by Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1855, the barrio was annexed from Looc and converted into a pueblo or town. However, in 1868, it was abolished and annexed as a barrio of Guintigui-an town (renamed Badajoz, now San Agustin) after a reorganization of municipalities resulting from the creation of Romblon province.[4][5]

In 1870, due to continuous intimidation from Muslim pirates, as well as the rugged terrain, the residents of La Lauan led by a certain Gaspar Guevarra transferred from its former site in Daan Banwa (or Old Town) and established a new barrio down south called Alcantara, after Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1885, it was annexed back as a barrio of Looc, and would remain so until after World War II.[4]

Alcantara was elevated to municipality status on 21 March 1961 by virtue of Executive Order 427[6] signed by then President Carlos P. Garcia.[4][5]

Former names and territorial changes

From Village/Barrio Town/Municipality/Pueblo Province
1730
La Lauan
Looc
Capiz
1855
La Lauan
11 January 1868
La Lauan
Badajoz
1870
Badajoz
1885
Alcantara
Looc
16 March 1901
Romblon
15 July 1907
Capiz
7 December 1917
Romblon
8 June 1940
Tablas
Province abolished
30 September 1942
Capiz
1 October 1946
Looc
Romblon
21 March 1961[6]
Alcantara

Geography

Alcantara lies in the southeast portion of Tablas Island. It is bounded to the north by the municipality of Santa Maria, to the west by Looc, to the south by Santa Fe, and to the east by the Sibuyan Sea. Most of Alcantara lies in plains along the coast with mountains in the interior to the west.[4][5]

Barangays

Alcantara is politically subdivided into 12 barangays:

  • Bonlao
  • Calagonsao
  • Camili
  • Comod-om
  • Madalag
  • Poblacion
  • San Isidro
  • Tugdan
  • Bagsik
  • Gui-ob
  • Lawan
  • San Roque

Demographics

Population census of Alcantara
YearPop.±% p.a.
1970 7,991—    
1980 9,351+1.59%
1990 11,061+1.69%
1995 12,246+1.93%
2000 14,144+3.14%
2007 15,370+1.15%
2010 15,428+0.14%
2015 16,351+1.11%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[3] [7] [8] [9]

According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 16,351 people. Just like in the neighboring municipality of Santa Maria, majority of the population speaks the Alcantaranon variant of Inunhan or Onhan where /l/ is used instead of /r/.[10]

Local government

Pursuant to Chapter II, Title II, Book III of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991,[11] the municipal government is composed of a mayor (alkalde), a vice mayor (bise alkalde) and members (kagawad) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan alongside a secretary to the said legislature, all of which are elected to a three-year term and are eligible to run for three consecutive terms.

Period Mayor
30 June 2013 - 30 June 2016
Eddie Lota

Eddie C. Lota from the Nacionalista Party, is Alcantara's incumbent mayor.[12]

Economy

Farming and fishing are the major sources of income in Alcantara. Fishing grounds along the coastal areas of the municipality abound with mackerel, sea bass, tuna, anchovies, tanguigue, sapsap, and commercial tropical fish for aquariums. Forest products such as nito and huwag are abundant in some of its barangays.[4]

Education

Romblon National Institute of Technology (RNIT) is located in Poblacion, formerly Alcantara National Trade School. The Municipality of Alcantara has 3 National High Schools offering quality education under DepEd.

People

Alcantaranhons are Onhan speakers.

Infrastructure

Utilities

The Tablas Island Electric Cooperative (TIECO) and NAPOCOR supply 57.75 percent of the 2,740 households Alcantara with electricity. As for water supply, Alcantara has one irrigation service with 37 service areas and three community irrigation with 75 service areas. Potable water supply comes from jet pumps, open wells, artesian wells and springs.[4]

Transportation and communication

Alcantara is home to Romblon's sole airport in Barangay Tugdan. Cebu Pacific offers daily flights to Tablas. Visitors going to Alcantara can reach Tablas Island via Odiongan where RORO vessels from Manila, Batangas City, and Roxas, Oriental Mindoro regularly stop by. From Odiongan, Alcantara is just an hour or two by jeepney.[5]

People in the town take public utility jeepneys (PUJ), pedicabs, tricycles, and motorcycles to and from neighboring towns. The Tablas Circumferential Road connects Alcantara with neighboring municipalities. PLDT, Smart, and Globe provide landline and cellular phone services in the municipality.[4]

Tourism

Because much of Alcantara's interior is made up of mountains covered in lush tropical rainforest, it is being promoted as a hiking destination for backpackers. There are freshwater springs located in Camili, Calogonsao, Bonlao, San Isidro, and Madalag which tourists can enjoy. Other tourist spots in Alcantara include:[4][5]

  • Calagonsao Beach: Located beside the National Highway in Barangay Calagonsao. The beach has a pebble-covered shoreline. Its ocean floor is sandy and dips abruptly about 6 meters from the shoreline. A cluster of boulders jutting from the shore to about 10 meters into the sea provides for a perfect diving spot.
  • Aglicay Beach Resort: This beach has a fantastic, scenic view. With palm-fringed white sand and clear blue waters.
  • Dranville Beach Resort: Located at Barangay Gui-ob. A place where you can feel fresh air and see the clear waters of the sea.
  • Tugdan Beach: This pebble-covered beach in Tugdan has a wide shoreline. The waters in this part of island are calm with a deep ocean floor.
  • Binay-we Beach: It is located 1.2 km from the town proper of Alcantara. It is located in a small cove with fine white sand and calm waters the whole year around. It is partly shielded from the public’s prying eyes by huge boulders.
  • Saginyogan: It is a local annual festival every March alongside the founding celebration of the Municipality of Alcantara.
  • Christmas lighting: Weeks before Christmas, the Municipality of Alcantara is building a massive Christmas tree in the main plaza and the lighting of the tree signifies the start of the festive season. People from other towns flock to witness such a once a year event.

References

  1. ↑ "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Province: Romblon". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Census of Population (2015). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fabula, Milex (2001). "Profile: Alcantara". Romblon Travel Guide. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alcantara, Romblon". The Official Website of the Provincial Government of Romblon. Archived from the original on 2014-08-13. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 http://www.gov.ph/1961/03/21/executive-order-no-427-s-1961/
  7. ↑ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
  9. ↑ "Province of Romblon". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  10. ↑ Zorc, R. David Paul (1977). "Inonhan". Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology: Glottolog Languiod Catalogue. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "An act providing for a local government code of 1991". 8th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "ALCANTARA - ROMBLON - City/Municipality Results - Eleksyon2016 - Results -". GMA News Online.
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