This article refers to Ferrol, Romblon. For other uses, see Ferrol (disambiguation).

Ferrol (12°20′18"N 121°56′19"E) located in the province of Romblon, the Philippines

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...

, is a municipality of the 5th class. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 6,395.

The municipality was named after the city and naval station of Ferrol in Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 in 1978. Since the 16th century, Ferrol

Ferrol

Ferrol can refer to:* Ferrol, Spain, industrial city and naval station in Galicia * Ferrol, Virginia, town in the United States of America* Ferrol, Romblon, municipality in the Philippines* Ferrol, Peninsula, Peru, South America...

 has been closely associated with the Viceroyalty of New Spain for maritime defence purposes due to its role as a mayor arsenal and naval port

Structure of the Spanish Navy in the 21st century

The Structure of the Spanish Navy in the New Millennium - From the early years of the 21st century the structure of the Spanish Navy has changed, and under the new structure the Spanish Naval Force has been regrouped into four naval regions under the general command of the Spanish Admiralty The...

.

Onhan

Onhan language

The Onhan language is a Kinaray-a language spoken, along with the Romblomanon and Asi languages, in the province of Romblon, Philippines. The language is also known as Inunhan and Loocnon....

, together with Hiligaynon

Hiligaynon language

Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...

 and English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, is the medium of communication in business and trade.

History

From the early years of the 16th century, Spain administered this territory though the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was precisely from this part of the country that the famous Mexican hats travel to American soil as part of the cargo of the Manila Galleon

Manila Galleon

The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...

. Ironically, these days, the Mexican hat has become one of the main cultural emblems worldwide to represent its adopted country.
The arrival of the 19th will bring substantial changes not just to this region but to the whole of the country, particularly after 1821 when the Viceroyalty of New Spain disappeared completely and the entire country started to be administered directly from Spain.
And with the new administration, the traditional ways of making business in the region will became much easier, relax and open, and that will explain how people like George Tapps-Gervis

Sir George Tapps-Gervis, 2nd Baronet

Sir George William Tapps-Gervis, 2nd Baronet was a British politician and land developer.After inheriting his father's estate in 1835, Tapps-Gervis commissioned Christchurch architect Benjamin Ferrey to plan and design the development of the seaside village of Bournemouth into a resort similar to...

, an English land owner, would have been able to buy the local Tobacco factory which previously was run by the Villaverde-Grandes

Francisco Franco y Martínez-Bordiú, 11th Marquess of Villaverde

Don Francisco Franco y Martínez-Bordiú, 2nd Lord of Meirás, Grandee of Spain, 11th Marquis of Villaverde is a Spanish aristocrat and grandson of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.-Family:...

 family. This situation was unaltered till the very end of the 19th century when the tobacco factory and other local business were taken over by the revolutionary government during the Philippine–American War (1899-1902) as part of the war efforts. The war lasted only three years but the impact locally was particularly severe and the some of the local business suffered the consequences of a humiliating defeat. That will explain how three quarters of a century later in 1978, Spanish Constitution

Spanish Constitution of 1978

-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...

, the region will be branded with a new name, a name which was supposed to inspire a new beginning and that name was Ferrol.
It could have been any other name, but the whole truth is that the area, particularly its bay, resembles the Spanish military port fact pointed out to the locals when in 1972 the Spanish training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano visited the region in one of their world tours. On the other hand, the local mayor at the time was a serious fan of Manila-born Isabel Preysler

Isabel Preysler

María Isabel Preysler Arrastía, better known as Isabel Preysler, is a Filipina journalist, socialite, and television host.-Early years:Preysler was born in Manila, Philippines, the third of six children to a wealthy family...

 who married in 1971 the Spanish singer Julio Iglesias

Julio Iglesias

Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...

 who at the time was a football player a celebrity both in Spain and the Philippines.

Population of Ferrol at various times

Barrio/Barangay Name	Land Area (Hectares)	1894 /a	1896 /a	1903 /a	1918 /a	1939 /a	1948 /a	1960 /a	1970 /a	1975 /a	1980	1990	1995	2000	2007 /b
Poblacion (U)	591.85										1,470	1,637	1,548	1,577	1,869
Agnonoc	510.27	231	249	240	351	557	440	519	554	804	514	626	648	579	557
Balili (Bariri)		209	229
Bunsoran	167.26							423	344	460	596	653	780	875	837
Cabacungan		224
Can-ero		218
Claro M. Recto	594.16								360	435	544	622	594	620	592
Hinaguman	979.33			393	384	653	773	470	687	702	983	1,076	1,032	998	982
Lupog			209
Tingaray			261
Tubigon	615.58			270	127	136	270	566	594	668	733	1,077	1,170	1,275	1,558
Visita Ferrol		379	345	566	494	695	871	923	1,032	1,239
Total	3,458.45	1,261	1,293	1,469	1,356	2,041	2,354	2,901	3,571	4,108	4,840	5,621	5,772	5,924	6,395

/a – Part of Odiongan /b - 2007 NCSO Census

Barangays

Ferrol is politically subdivided into 6 barangay

Barangay

A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s:

• Agnonoc
• Bunsoran
• Claro M. Recto
• Poblacion (Corrugna)
• Hinaguman
• Tubigon

Geography

Ferrol is located on Tablas Island

Tablas Island

Tablas is the largest of the islands that comprise the province of Romblon in the Philippines.Odiongan, on the west central coast of the island, is a major port and the largest municipality of Romblon in terms of population...

. It is bounded on the north by Odiongan

Odiongan, Romblon

Odiongan is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 39,069 people in 8,624 households...

, on the west by the Tablas Strait

Tablas Strait

Tablas Strait is a strait in the Philippines, at . It separates the Mindoro and Panay islands. The approximate depth of the strait is 545 meters. It is known for being the place where the passenger ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with the oil tanker MT Vector killing 4000+ people on December...

, on the east by Santa Maria

Santa Maria, Romblon

Santa Maria is a 5th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 7,324 people in 1,476 households.-Barangays:Santa Maria is politically subdivided into 6 barangays.* Bonga...

 and on the south by Looc

Looc, Romblon

Looc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 19,898 people in 4,262 households.- Local officials :-Population of Looc at various times:...

. It has a total land area of 3,407 square kilometers. The town has the following soil classification: Laylay Sandy Loam, Laylay Sandy Clay Loam, Tuguis Clay, and Alogpog Clay Loam.

Government

• Mayors:
  • Jason Mayor Fabila (2004-current)
  • Pacifico Llorca Mayor (1998-2004)
  • Thelma Gabilo Dondi (1995-1998)
  • Jovencio Q. Mayor
  • Benedicto Gelito Fabila
  • Daniel Fabila

External links

• Municipality of Ferrol - Official Site
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information