Romblon
Encyclopedia
Romblon rɒmˈbloʊn is an island
province
of the Philippines
located in the MIMAROPA region
. It lies south of Marinduque
and Quezon
, east of Mindoro
, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate
. Its capital is also named Romblon
.
Romblon Province consists of 20 islands in the Sibuyan Sea
. The province's three major islands are also its largest: Romblon Island, Tablas Island, and Sibuyan Island. Romblon Island
is the group's third-largest island yet gave its name to the province due to its central location and mineral wealth, namely marble. Tablas Island
is the largest in the group, and Sibuyan Island
the second-largest and easternmost. Other islands include: Banton Island
, the northernmost of the group; Maestro de Campo Island
, the westernmost; Simara Island, situated between Tablas and Banton; and Carabao Island
, the southernmost island of the province. The northern islands of the province, collectively known as the Maghali group or Tres Islas, form with the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque clear, deep channels, much frequented by Filipino boats; the islands are indented with well-sheltered inlets and bays.
Romblon is currently included under the country's MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) in the Luzon
island group
. Previously, Romblon had been considered the northernmost of the Visayan island cluster
, and formed part of Western Visayas
(Region VI).
Romblon is the country's leading producer of high-quality marble
, comparable to that of Italy
.
into a politico-military district in 1853 and made a sub-province of Capiz
. In 1917, it was converted into a separate province. On October 1, 1946, Romblon was made into a special province with four municipalities, namely Tablas, Romblon, Sibuyan and Maghali. On January 1, 1947, the regular provincial status of Romblon was restored.
Romblon's early inhabitants were the Negrito
s from Panay and Mangyan
tribes from Mindoro. Ancient hanging coffins and aboriginal artwork was discovered in caves of Banton Island signify a rich ancient civilization and culture.
Romblon is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. Aside from marble, the islands are rich in granite, nickel, silica, mercury, zinc, copper, silver, limestone, sulfide, ores, kaolin, clay, magnesium and quartz. Gold panning sites have sprouted in some of the mountain stream areas in Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island. The fertile soil nurtures varied agricultural crops—like coconut, rice, corn, bananas, rootcrops, fruit trees, vines and many others. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on the migratory path of fishes from the Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.
There are three distinct languages spoken as a native language by Romblon's inhabitants; they are Romblomanon
or Tiyad Ini including many variant Sibuyanon dialects, Bantoanon or Asi
, and Inunhan or Onhan
. Hiligaynon
, Tagalog
, and English
are also used depending on the situation.
The people of the province are mostly Christians- 75% belongs to the Roman Catholic and 25% to the Philippine Independent Church
, Iglesia ni Cristo
, Seventh-day Adventist Church
, Baptist churches, Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines
and other Christian denominations.
Most of the residents of Romblon today are descendants of Malay settlers, who are believed to have arrived in the Philippines sometime in 1200 AD. Spanish conquistadors, who set foot in the Philippines in 1582, administered the province. Some old Spanish forts and churches, built with unique coral blocks, inlaid with intricate design works, still stand.
FM Radio Stations
Print Media
Romblon Provincial Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan
Provincial SK Federation President
Situated at the center of the archipelago, Romblon links the supply areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Tugdan Airport in Tablas Island is only 45 minutes away by light aircraft from Metro Manila's Financial districts. Direct ship routes from Manila as well as the southern Luzon ports of Batangas and Lucena intensify its linkages with industrial CALABARZON
region, making the province an ideal location for supply distribution and light manufacturing ventures. The Capital town of Romblon and the port town of Odiongan are the province's trade and commercial centers.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
province
Provinces of the Philippines
The Provinces of the Philippines are the primary political and administrative divisions of the Philippines. There are 80 provinces at present, further subdivided into component cities and municipalities. The National Capital Region, as well as independent cities, are autonomous from any provincial...
of 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...
located in the MIMAROPA region
Regions of the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions are administrative divisions that serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. Currently, the archipelagic republic of the Philippines is divided into 17 regions...
. It lies south of Marinduque
Marinduque
In 1945, combined American and Philippine Commonwealth troops attacked from the Japanese Troops liberated to the Battle of Marinduque in the Second World War.-Archaeology:...
and Quezon
Quezon
-History:Originally, what now forms Quezon was divided among the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Nueva Ecija. The area was first explored by Juan de Salcedo in 1571-1572, during his expedition from Laguna to Camarines provinces....
, east of Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate
Masbate
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...
. Its capital is also named Romblon
Romblon, Romblon
Romblon is a 3rd class municipality which is capital of the Romblon province, Philippines. , it had a population of 37,544.-Barangays:Romblon is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.* Agbaluto* Agpanabat* Agbudia* Agnaga* Agnay* Agnipa...
.
Romblon Province consists of 20 islands in the Sibuyan Sea
Sibuyan Sea
The Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon.-Description:It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island.The...
. The province's three major islands are also its largest: Romblon Island, Tablas Island, and Sibuyan Island. Romblon Island
Romblon Island
Romblon is one of the three major islands of the Romblon Province in the Philippines; the other two are Sibuyan Island and Tablas Island. The island is part of the seat of government for the Romblon province, also named Romblon municipality....
is the group's third-largest island yet gave its name to the province due to its central location and mineral wealth, namely marble. 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...
is the largest in the group, and Sibuyan Island
Sibuyan Island
Sibuyan is a crescent-shaped island of Romblon Province, Philippines. It has an area of 445 km². The island has two prominent peaks, Mount Guiting-Guiting with a height of 2,058 m and Mount Nailog with a height of 789 m...
the second-largest and easternmost. Other islands include: Banton Island
Banton Island
Banton Island is an island in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. It has one municipality named Banton.It is the most northerly island of the province; the surface is rugged except in the southeast; the soil is sterile and few crops are raised; the chief industry is the mining of gypsum....
, the northernmost of the group; Maestro de Campo Island
Maestro de Campo Island
Maestro de Campo Island or in some records Maestre de Campo Island is the westernmost island in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. It has one municipality named Concepcion. The island is also called Sibale and its inhabitants call themselves Sibalenhons...
, the westernmost; Simara Island, situated between Tablas and Banton; and Carabao Island
Carabao Island
Carabao Island can refer to two islands in the Philippines:* Carabao Island, the former name of San Jose, the southernmost island in the province of Romblon* Carabao Island, an island in the province of Cavite...
, the southernmost island of the province. The northern islands of the province, collectively known as the Maghali group or Tres Islas, form with the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque clear, deep channels, much frequented by Filipino boats; the islands are indented with well-sheltered inlets and bays.
Romblon is currently included under the country's MIMAROPA Region (Region IV-B) in the Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
island group
Island groups of the Philippines
The Philippines is divided into three island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon and Mindanao are named after their main islands of the same names, while the Visayas is an archipelago.- Divisions :...
. Previously, Romblon had been considered the northernmost of the Visayan island cluster
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
, and formed part of Western Visayas
Western Visayas
Western Visayas, one of the regions of the Philippines, is designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces; Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo and 16 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities. Iloilo City is the regional center...
(Region VI).
Romblon is the country's leading producer of high-quality marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, comparable to that of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
The province of Romblon was formerly called Lomlon (an act of a hen nesting to warm her eggs, based on the fact that when a Spanish soldier was ordered to ask the natives the name of the island and accidentally pointed to a place where a hen is nesting, the native answered lomlom, hence the misinterpretation) and later corrupted to the word Domblon. It was organized by the SpanishSpain
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...
into a politico-military district in 1853 and made a sub-province of Capiz
Capiz
Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
. In 1917, it was converted into a separate province. On October 1, 1946, Romblon was made into a special province with four municipalities, namely Tablas, Romblon, Sibuyan and Maghali. On January 1, 1947, the regular provincial status of Romblon was restored.
Romblon's early inhabitants were the Negrito
Negrito
The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines....
s from Panay and Mangyan
Mangyan
Mangyan is the generic name for the eight indigenous groups found in the Philippine island of Mindoro, each with its own tribal name, language, and customs...
tribes from Mindoro. Ancient hanging coffins and aboriginal artwork was discovered in caves of Banton Island signify a rich ancient civilization and culture.
Geography
Approximately 187 nautical miles (346 km) south of Manila, the islands of Romblon lie on Sibuyan Sea, South of Marinduque Island and North of Panay. To the east is the island of Masbate and in the west is Mindoro.Romblon is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. Aside from marble, the islands are rich in granite, nickel, silica, mercury, zinc, copper, silver, limestone, sulfide, ores, kaolin, clay, magnesium and quartz. Gold panning sites have sprouted in some of the mountain stream areas in Magdiwang, Sibuyan Island. The fertile soil nurtures varied agricultural crops—like coconut, rice, corn, bananas, rootcrops, fruit trees, vines and many others. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on the migratory path of fishes from the Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.
Demography
The majority of the inhabitants of the province are Visayan; some Negritos are found on the interior of Tablas and Carabao and Manguianes or May-as in Sibuyan mountains.There are three distinct languages spoken as a native language by Romblon's inhabitants; they are Romblomanon
Romblomanon language
Romblomanon is a Visayan language spoken, along with the Asi and Onhan languages, in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. The language is also called Ini, Tiyad Ini, Basi, Niromblon, Sibuyanon, and Bisaya....
or Tiyad Ini including many variant Sibuyanon dialects, Bantoanon or Asi
Asi language
The Asi language is a Visayan language spoken, along with the Romblomanon and Onhan languages, in the province of Romblon, Philippines. The language is also known as Bantoanon, Calatravanhon, Odionganon, Sibalenhon, Simaranhon, and Bisaya.Specifically, it is spoken on the following islands within...
, and Inunhan or 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....
. 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,...
, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
, 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...
are also used depending on the situation.
The people of the province are mostly Christians- 75% belongs to the Roman Catholic and 25% to the Philippine Independent Church
Philippine Independent Church
The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, The Philippine Independent Church, (officially the or the IFI, also known as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church or in Ilocano: Siwawayawaya nga Simbaan ti Filipinas (in in Kinaray-a/Hiligaynon: Simbahan Hilway nga...
, Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
, Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, Baptist churches, Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines
Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines
The Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Philippines is a Christian Pentecostal Group in the Philippines. The CFGP is the national church body of International Church of the Foursquare Gospel originated in Los Angeles California...
and other Christian denominations.
Most of the residents of Romblon today are descendants of Malay settlers, who are believed to have arrived in the Philippines sometime in 1200 AD. Spanish conquistadors, who set foot in the Philippines in 1582, administered the province. Some old Spanish forts and churches, built with unique coral blocks, inlaid with intricate design works, still stand.
Media
Romblon takes pride in having a number of media entities.FM Radio Stations
- DZVG Radyo Natin 101.3 MHz in Odiongan, Romblon owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
- DWGM Radyo Natin 104.5 MHz in Romblon, Romblon owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
- Hot FM in Looc, Romblon owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
Print Media
- Romblon Sun
1st District
- Hon. Samuel R. Romero
- Hon. Abner R. Perez
- Hon. Gil L. Moreno
- Hon. Nelson R.Lim
2nd District
- Hon. Felix F. Ylagan
- Hon. Jim G. Fondevilla
- Hon. Venizar R. Maravilla
- Hon. Fred R. Dorado
Ex-Officio Members
- President
- Philippine Councilors League – Romblon
- Hon. Gerry Tansiongco
- President
- Association of Barangay Captains
- Hon. Mark Philip P. Tandog
- President
Romblon Provincial Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan
- Clinton Solidum
Provincial SK Federation President
Economy
The province of Romblon is classified as a third class province.Situated at the center of the archipelago, Romblon links the supply areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Tugdan Airport in Tablas Island is only 45 minutes away by light aircraft from Metro Manila's Financial districts. Direct ship routes from Manila as well as the southern Luzon ports of Batangas and Lucena intensify its linkages with industrial CALABARZON
CALABARZON
CALABARZON is one of the regions of the Philippines. It is also designated as Region IV-A and its regional center is Calamba City in Laguna...
region, making the province an ideal location for supply distribution and light manufacturing ventures. The Capital town of Romblon and the port town of Odiongan are the province's trade and commercial centers.
Municipalities
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- Romblon Provincial Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan