Geography

 

Topography

 

Siquijor Island is mostly made up of limestone material and fringed by mangroves, white sandy beaches and coral reefs. It has approximately 102 kilometers of shoreline. With the exception of relatively flat coastal plains in Lazi and San Juan, most of the island’s interior is either hilly or mountainous. The center of the island is elevated, the highest point of which is the Mt. Bandilaan, rising at approximately 557 meters above sea level.

 

Coastal Area

 

The coastal zone around the island is 84.46 square kilometers. Mangrove area is 3.82 sq. km., shore area is 15.49 sq. km. and coral reefs is 800 sq. km.

 

Aquatic Area

 

Major fishing grounds are found throughout Siquijor Sea, Bohol Strait, and Mindanao Sea. Inland fishery includes fresh and blackish water. The province has 15 hectares of fishponds and 71 hectares of swamp lands.

 

Population

 

The people of Siquijor numbered 81,598 (2000 census), with an average annual growth of 2.19%. Major population centers in the towns of Larena, Siquijor, and Lazi.

 

The province has a literacy rate of 92.5% (as of 1889). This figure places Siquijor among the highly literate provinces in the country, with its educated citizens trained for any suitable job. The province has a predominantly young population with about 81% aged 15 and above. Dependency rate is 49.45%. Population density is 237.55 sq. km. (as of 2002).

 

Climate

 

In most parts of the province, it is dry from January to May and wet the rest of the year. The southern part of the province is dry from November to April and wet the rest of the year. Annual rainfall is 1.305% ml. with mean temperature of 27.8°C and humidity of 78%. (WowPhilippines.com)

 

 

History

 

Very little is known about Siquijor and its inhabitants before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. It is thought that the island was once thickly covered with molave or “tugas”, thus the island was called Katugasan by early folks. The lush vegetation in the hilly lands attracted great swarms of fireflies, thus trees were all lit up with the luminous creatures. Perplexed by the trees aglow with fireflies, the Spaniards called the place Isla del Fuego or Island of Fire. The inhabitants on the other hand believed that the island rose from the sea amid fire, thunder, and lightning, hence the name Isla del Fuego.
Esteban Rodriguez of the Legazpi Expedition in 1565 led the first Spaniards to officially “discover” the island. He was captain of a small party that left Legazpi’s camp in Bohol to explore the nearby islands which are now called Pamilican, Siquijor, and Negros.

 

Founded in 1783 under the administration of secular clergymen, Siquijor became the first municipality as well as the first parish to be established on the island. Siquijor was, from the beginning, administered by the diocese of Cebu. As for civil administration, Siquijor was under Bohol since the province had its own governor. The first Agustinian recollect priest, Father Vicente Garcia, arrived in Siquijor in 1794. Several years thereafter, a priest of the same order founded the parishes of Larena (initially called Can-oan), Lazi (formerly Tigbawan), San Juan (Makalipay), and Maria (Cang-meniao). With the exception of Enrique Villanueva, all of the present six municipalities were established as parishes in 1877. From 1854 to 1892, Siqiujor became part of the province of Negros Oriental, and became a sub-province in 1901.

 

In 1971, Siquijor became an independent province by virtue of Republic Act No. 6398. The capital was officially transferred from Larena to Siquijor in 1972 through a plebiscite held on November 8, 1971 and confirmed through Proclamation No. 1075. (wowphilippines.com)