Calbiga, Samar
Encyclopedia
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 18,890 people in 3,889 households.
History of Calbiga
In 1649, Calbiga was an annex or visita of Catbalogan; later in 1768, Calbiga was transferred to the jurisdiction of Umauas. All through Jesuit times, Calbiga remained a visita until 1772, when it had its first residential pastor, the Franciscan Fray Manuel Rico de Jesus. Calbiga was constituted as a separate unit under the advocacy of the Anunciation.In 1803, Fray Juan Caballero de Brozas built a wooden church but in 1808, a typhoon destroyed this church and was rebuilt by the same Fray Brozas. By 1840, Brozas's second church was in bad state.
In 1853, Fray Francisco Moreno de Montalbanejo had gathered enough material for a stone church. However, Redondo (1884, 217) that the church was wood roofed with thatch.
The Jesuits left no permanent architectural imprint in the town.
The present barrio "Binongto-an (meaning, "once a town) was the original Calbiga settlement. Legend - as recorded by Atty. Singzon - has it that the people of Calbiga originated from two brothers, Calpis and Bituan. Bituan established a village near the mouth of the river while Calpis stayed upstream the exact location of the town today. The descendants of Bituan later abandoned the coastal village to join the descendants of Calpis.
Barangays
Calbiga is politically subdivided into 41 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
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Schools
- Calbiga Western Samar College
- Easter Visayas Regional Science High School- Annex
- Calbiga National High School
- Calbiga Central Elementary School
- there are also other complete elementary and primary schools in some barangays.
Calbiga Caves and Natural Resources
Langun-Gobingob Caves (Barangay Panayuran): The largest cave system in the Philippines, reputed to be the second largest in Asia and the world's third largest karst formation, is 7 km. long with an area of 900 square km.Lulugayan Falls and Rapids (Barangay Literon): Hundreds of waterfalls cascade down the 14-kilometer rapids from the source at Lake Kalidongan to the Calbiga River. The most majestic and panoramic is the Lulugayan Falls at Barangay Literon. Approximately fifty meters wide, Lulugayan Falls has been dubbed by tourists as a Mini Niagara.
Kalidongan Lake (Barangay Literon): The eternal spring—the mythical crater-like lake, 90–100 meters in diameter, lined with clean white limestone. Its clear, fresh water endlessly flows down the rapids, onto the Calbiga River and Maqueda Bay.
Maqueda Bay and Mangrove Forests: The richest spawning grounds in Estern Visayas for Fish and crutanceans and one of the pillars of the island's economy.
Calbiga River: The river is the town's thriving lifeline. Small bancas daily go upstream abd downloaded with native merchandise. It serves 17 barangays as transport byway and water source.
Kanyawa Caves (Barangay Caamlongan): A little farther to the east is another huge caves system recently explored by French and Italian spelunkers. The caves system consists of fifteen galleries of distinctive features and underground rivers, and numerous stalactites and stalagmites.
Children's Play Area and Nature Park (Barangay Bacyaran): The first phase of the Calbiga Nature Park will also include a Visitor's Center, Multi-purpose Pavilion, Amphitheater, Boardwalk and many more.