Marinduque

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, seeMarinduque (disambiguation).

Marinduque(/ˌmærənˈduːkeɪ/;Tagalog pronunciation:[maɾinˈduke]), officially theProvince of Marinduque,is anislandprovincein thePhilippineslocated inSouthwestern Tagalog RegionorMimaropa,formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality ofBoac,the most populous in the province. Marinduque lies betweenTayabas Bayto the north andSibuyan Seato the south. It is west of theBondoc PeninsulaofQuezonprovince in mainlandLuzon;east ofMindoro Island;and north of the island province ofRomblon.Some parts of theVerde Island Passage,the center of the center of world's marine biodiversity and a protected marine area, are also within Marinduque's provincial waters.

Marinduque
Province
(Clockwise from top:) Northern section of Marinduque a street inMogpog Marinduque Island viewed from a passenger ship inTayabas Bay a street inBoac
Flag Seal
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates:13°24′N121°58′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Founded	May 1, 1901
Annexation toTayabas	November 10, 1902
Reestablished	February 21, 1920
Capital and largest municipality	Boac
Government
•Governor	Presbitero J. Velasco Jr.(PFP)
•Vice Governor	Adeline Marciano-Angeles (PFP)
•Legislature	Marinduque Provincial Board
Area
• Total	952.58 km2(367.79 sq mi)
• Rank	76th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Malindig)	1,157 m (3,796 ft)
Population (2020 census)
• Total	239,207
• Rank	69th out of 81
• Density	250/km2(650/sq mi)
• Rank	37th out of 81
Demonym(s)	Marinduquehin, Marinduqueño/a, Marindukanon
Divisions
•Independent cities	0
•Component cities	0
•Municipalities	6 Boac Buenavista Gasan Mogpog Santa Cruz Torrijos
•Barangays	218
•Districts	Legislative district of Marinduque
Time zone	UTC+8(PHT)
ZIP code	4900–4905
IDD : area code	+63 (0)42
ISO 3166 code	PH-MAD
Spoken languages	Tagalog(Marinduqueño dialect) English
Website	www.marinduque.gov.ph

The province of Marinduque was ranked number 1 by thePhilippine National Policeand Philippine Security Forces as the 2013 Most Peaceful Province of the country due to its low crime rate statistics alternately ranking with the province ofBatanesyearly. Furthermore, for almost 200 years, the province is home to one of the oldest religious festivals of the country, theMorionescelebrated annually everyHoly Week.

Etymology

The most accepted theory of the etymology of the province's name is a Hispanized corruption of eithermalindigormalindug,which means "stand tall" or "elegant", in reference to a potentially active volcano in the southern section of the island, theMount Malindig.

In 1676, Domingo Navarette wrote inTratados historicos...,"The island which the people from there callMinolois namedMindoroby the Spaniards, and that ofMalindicwe callMarinduque."(trans. by E.H. Blaire and J.A. Robertson)

History

Historical affiliations

Spain1521–1898
United States of America 1898–1942
Japan 1942–1945
Philippines 1946–present

Middle ages

The island was called Malindig in Tagalog and Malindog in Visayan languages. It was likely a constituent of the Kingdom of Luzon, due to the immediate Spanish claims to the island after the fall of Manila in May 1570.

It is possible that there were nobility who ruled Malindig since there are principalia or princely figures in Marinduque during Spanish rule.

Spanish rule

From the Visayan name Malindog, Marinduque became the name of the island in Castilian.

In 1571,Governor-GeneralMiguel López de Legaspihad entrusted (encomienda) Marinduque to Fr. Pedro de Herrera, the firstAugustinianpriest who introduced Christianity to Marinduqueños.

Marinduque was part of the province ofBalayan(now Batangas) in the 16th century, and ofMindorofrom the 17th to 19th century.

Antoine-Alfred Marche,a French naturalist, carried out an archaeological investigation in Marinduque from April to July 1881. An abundant yield of urns, vases, gold ornaments, skulls, and other ornaments were found. He brought these to France in 40 crates. Part of it is said to be housed at theMusée de l'Homme( "museum of man" ) in France. The finds also included an image of wooden polytheistic religious statues (anito) which at the time were already calledpastoresby Marinduqueños.

One of the artifacts found by Marche also found its way to theNational Museum of Natural Historyof theSmithsonian Institutionin Washington, D.C. (Catalogue No. A127996-0, Department of Anthropology, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution). Fragile jarlets that were found were said to have travelled from China to Marinduque. Buried in a cave for centuries and excavated in the late 19th century, these were brought to Paris and one was then brought at the Smithsonian Institution museum.

First Philippine Republic

Marinduque, governed through the province of Mindoro, was a constituent of the first Philippine Republic from January 1899 to April 1901 under Pres.Emilio Aguinaldo.

During thePhilippine–American War,Marinduque was the first province where American invaders establishedconcentration camps.In theBattle of Pulang Lupa,under the direction of ColonelMaximo Abad,250 Filipino soldiers defeated 54 American infantrymen.

American rule

Col. Abad after capturing the Americans later surrendered on 15 April 1901, upon orders from Pres. Aguinaldo and due to the capture of Gov. Martin Lardizabal and two other officials who were held hostage by the Americans atFort Santiago.

On 23 June 1902, by virtue of Act No. 423, the US-Philippine Commission annexed the islands ofMindoro(now two separate provinces) andLubang(now part ofOccidental Mindoro) to the province. Four months later, on the 10th of November, Marinduque was annexed to the province ofTayabas(now Quezon) by virtue of an Act No. 499.

On 21 February 1920, Act No. 2280 was passed by thePhilippine Congress,reestablishing Marinduque as a separate province.

According toHenry Otley Beyer,an American anthropologist, while many other accidental discoveries and finds have been recorded from time to time and European and Filipino scientists had casually explored a few burial caves and sites, no systematic work had been done anywhere else prior to these explorations. After Marche, the next important archaeological work was undertaken by Dr. Carl Gunthe in theVisayas Island Groupin 1922.

Commonwealth of the Philippines

In November 1935, Marinduque became a province of the Commonwealth of the Philippines under Pres. Manuel Quezon. ThePhilippine Commonwealth Armywas stationed in the province; the general headquarters was active from 1935 to 1942.

Japanese occupation

In 1942, during theSecond World War,Japanese Imperial forceslanded on Marinduque.

Second Philippine Republic

In October 1943, Marinduque became a province of the Second Philippine Republic under Pres. Jose Laurel. The sovereign, however, was the Japanese emperor.

In 1945, combined American and Filipino troops liberated the province from Japanese forces, returning the province to the Commonwealth of the Philippines under Pres. Sergio Osmeña. In addition to the return of thePhilippine Commonwealth Army,thePhilippine Constabularywas also stationed in the province. These were active from 1945 to 1946.

Third Philippine Republic to present

Archaeological findings that help inform Marinduque's history are exhibited at the Marinduque Museum in Poblacion at Boac and in foreign museums. The artifacts are to be analysed to aid the historiography of the island and the province.

Geography

Northern section

Southern section

Marinduque is considered as the geographical center of the Philippine archipelago by theLuzon Datum of 1911,the mother of all Philippine geodetic surveys.The province is a "heart-shaped" island with a total land area of 952.58 square kilometres (367.79 sq mi),situated betweenTayabas Bayin the north andSibuyan Seato the south. It is separated from theBondoc Peninsulain Quezon by the Mompong Pass. West of Marinduque isTablas Strait,which separates it fromMindoro Island.

Some of the smaller islands to the northeast are Polo Island, Maniwaya Island, and Mompong Island. Southwest portion includes the Tres Reyes Islands and Elephant Island.

The highest peak in Marinduque isMount Malindig(formerly called Mt. Marlanga), a potentially activestratovolcanowith an elevation of 1,157 metres (3,796 ft)above sea level,located at the southern tip of the island.

Cave Systems

Various cave systems occupy the province, including:

• Bathala Cave located near Barangay Ipil in Sta. Cruz town;
• Tarug Caves located at Barangay Tarug, in the town of Mogpog, a three-chambered caves of limestone formation. It rises steeply to 270 feet above the ground and is located 331 ft above sea level. Pinnacle is barely 3 square meters.
• Bagumbungan Cave, a cave system in San Isidro and Punong with complex subterranean river
• Talao Caves, a 12 series of caves overlooking the western part of the island.

Climate

Marinduque has aType III climate,having rainfall more or less evenly distributed throughout the year with no clear boundary between dry and wet seasons. The annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures were calculated at 27.0 °C (80.6 °F), 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) and 22.3 °C (72.1 °F) respectively. Humidity average is 78% year-round with an average annual rainfall totaling 2,034.6 mm (80.1 inches).

Administrative divisions

Marinduque comprises 6municipalities,further subdivided into 218barangays.Adouble legislative districtsencompasses all towns.

Political map of Marinduque

	Municipality		Population			±% p.a.	Area		Density (2020)		Barangay
			(2020)		(2015)		km2	sq mi	/km2	/sq mi
	Boac	†	23.9%	57,283	54,730	+0.87%	212.70	82.12	270	700	61
	Buenavista		10.9%	26,043	23,988	+1.58%	81.25	31.37	320	830	15
	Gasan		15.1%	36,197	34,828	+0.74%	100.88	38.95	360	930	25
	Mogpog		14.4%	34,516	34,043	+0.26%	108.06	41.72	320	830	37
	Santa Cruz		22.9%	54,692	56,408	−0.59%	270.77	104.54	200	520	55
	Torrijos		12.7%	30,476	30,524	−0.03%	178.92	69.08	170	440	25
	Total			239,207	234,521	+0.38%	952.58	367.79	250	650	218
		† Provincial capital					Municipality

Boac

The capital of the province. The most populous town in the province Boac remains the center of industry, culture, economy, and education. Most government and private offices are in the municipality of Boac. It also borders all five municipalities. Mogpog to the North, Santa Cruz to the Northeast, Torrijos to the East, Buenavista to the South, and Gasan to the Southwest. Boac is named after the Tagalog word,biak,which means divided, due to the Boac River dividing the town in the geographic north and south.

Gasan

The Cultural Nerve Center of the province. Dubbed as one of the cleanest and greenest municipalities in the Philippines, Gasan's land area covers a forest reserve in the eastern part. It is also the gateway to the island of Mindoro. Handicrafts and the famous Kalutang boasts from the town of Gasan. It was named aftergasang-gasang,a local term forcoralsfound in the municipality.

Buenavista

The smallest of the six municipalities. It was once part of the municipality of Gasan known as Sabang. It was named such because of the "good view" of the Tablas Strait and offshore islands.

Torrijos

Named after three purported origins; 1) from Gen. Torrijos, 2) fromtorrillos,referring to the cows which pastured in its vast plains, and 3) fromtorre y hijos,referring to the watchtower men guarding theparish.Torrijos is deemed to be the summer capital of the Province and known for locally-grown strawberries.

Santa Cruz

The largest of all the six municipalities in terms of land area and the second most populous town after Boac. It is considered as a secondary municipality after Boac (since it is the capital). Together with Boac, it is also a first-class municipality with established industries and commercial routines.

Mogpog

The Primary Gateway of the Province through the Balanacan Port. It is the original home of the Moriones Lenten Rites and Kangga Festiva. Mogpog was named after the Tagalog word,mag-aapogor kiln makers abundant in the municipality.

Demographics

Population census of Marinduque

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 51,674 — 1918 56,868 +0.64% 1939 81,768 +1.74% 1948 85,828 +0.54% 1960 114,586 +2.44%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 144,109 +2.32% 1975 162,804 +2.48% 1980 173,715 +1.31% 1990 185,524 +0.66% 1995 199,910 +1.41%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2000 217,392 +1.81% 2007 229,636 +0.76% 2010 227,828 −0.29% 2015 234,521 +0.55% 2020 239,207 +0.39%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

The population of Marinduque in the 2020 census was 239,207 people,with a density of 250 inhabitants per square kilometre or 650 inhabitants per square mile, hence, it is the most densely populated province in theMimaropaRegion.

Religion

Marinduque is resided by various religious groups, withCatholicsmaking up the greatest proportion with 70%.TheIglesia Filipina Independientehas 25% of the populationand the rest belongs to the different denominations such asthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,Iglesia ni Cristo,and various MainlineProtestantdenominations which include Assemblies of God,Baptists,JIL,Methodists,Presbyterian,Seventh-day Adventist Church(SDA), and the non-denominational Evangelical churches also known as Born-Again Christians. Muslims,Anitists,animists, and atheists are also present in the province.

Language

The version ofTagalogspoken in Marinduque, known as theMarinduque Tagalog,has been described as "the root from whichmodern national forms of speechhave sprung, "where remnants ofarchaic Tagalogcould be found, spoken in aliltingmanner by its inhabitants. If this linguistic theory is accurate, Marinduque's Tagalog has contributed significantly to the development of the officialPhilippine national language.

To this day, Marinduqueños speak an old variation of the Tagalog language that is very close to the way Tagalog was spoken before the Spanish colonization. According to language experts,the Tagalog dialects of Marinduque are the most divergent, especially the Eastern Marinduque dialect, perhaps due to the relative isolation from the Tagalogs of mainland Luzon and also perhaps due to the influence of the Visayan and Bikol migrants.Many educated Marinduqueños speak version of Tagalog during Spanish colonial era and with English terms, closer to modern Filipino or standard Tagalog, because of mass media and modern versions of Tagalog Bible, and retaining Visayan and Bikol influence.

Linguist Rosa Soberano's 1980The Dialects of Marinduque Tagaloggoes into great depth concerning the dialects spoken there. The following is a verb chart which outlines the conjugation of the Eastern Marinduque dialect of Tagalog:

	Infinitive	Contemplative (future actions)	Progressive (past and present actions)	Completed (past actions)	Imperative
Actor Focus 1	-um- (gumawa) (future actions)	má- (mágawâ)	ná- (nágawâ)	-um- (gumawa)	0 (gawa)
Actor Focus 2	mag- (magbigay)	(ma)ga- ([ma]gabigay)	naga- (nagabigay)	nag- (nagbigay)	pag- (pagbigay)
Object Focus 1	-in (kainin)	a- (akainin)	ina- (inakain)	-in- (kinain)	-a (kaina)
Object Focus 2	i- (isulat)	a- (asulat)	ina- (inasulat)	i- -in- (isinulat)	-an (sulatan)
Object Focus 3	-an (tawagan) (future actions)	a-...-an (atawagan)	ina-... -an (inatawagan)	-in-... -an (tinawagan)	-i (tawagi)

Linguist Christopher Sundita observed that some of the affixes in Marinduque Tagalog, particularly "a-" and "ina-," are affixes used in Asi (Bantoanon), a Visaya language spoken in Romblon, just south of Marinduque. Marinduque Tagalog, like the Tagalog spoken over two centuries ago, had an additional verb category, the imperative, which was used for commands and requests (e.g., Matulog ka na - Go to sleep). Even then, the imperative and the infinitive were used side by side in expressing commands; but in standard Tagalog, apparently the infinitive became used exclusively. And in the Eastern Marinduque dialect, the imperative affixes are very much alive.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Marinduque

10 20 30 40 50 2006 40.51 2009 33.58 2012 32.91 2015 16.95 2018 14.72 2021 15.60 Source:Philippine Statistics Authority

Marinduque is an agricultural province, primarily growing rice and coconuts. Handicrafts from Marinduque are also exported to dıfferent parts of the world, and fishing is another important part of the economy. Mining was once an important player in the economy until a mining accident (theMarcopper Mining Disaster) occurred, bringing the industry to a standstill on the island and causing enormous damage to the inhabitants. The provincial government has just recentlysued Marcopper's parent company,Placer Dome,for $100 million in damages. Placer Dome was purchased in 2006 byBarrick Gold,who has now been joined in the lawsuit.

A significant role in Marinduque's economy is also played by tourism, especially during theLenten season.While this is not one of the larger parts of the island's economy, it has shown great growth. Recently,some residents are now engaged in butterfly farming. Butterflies are raised for export to countries in both Europe and the Americas. Locally, live butterflies are released in celebration on different occasions, such as birthdays, weddings, and some corporate events.

Culture

Festivals

TheMoriones Festivalis an annual festival, locally known as "Moryonan", celebrated in Marinduque from March to April. InSanta Cruz,Gasan,Boac,andMogpog,a parade of people dressed as "Moryons" can be seen on the main road connecting the towns of the island.BoacandSanta Cruz,the biggest towns in the province, shows a reenactment in the evening of the actual event whenLonginus,a blind soldier, punctures Jesus with his spear and blood droplets from the wound restores Longinus's sight.

Music

Marinduque is home to thekalutang,a musical instrument made of two pieces of wood that produce different note ranges depending on its size. A band of 10 to 12 can create music with this instrument.In 2011, thekalutang instrumentwas cited by theNational Commission for Culture and the Artsas one of the intangible cultural heritage of the Philippines under the traditional craftsmanship category that the government may nominate in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

Government

Marinduque has had its ownGovernorrunning a sub-government under Tayabas (nowQuezon) in 1902 and as a provincial government after gaining its independence from Tayabas in 1920. The Governor is assisted by theVice Governor,who presides over theMarinduque Provincial Board.

Transport

Marinduque is served by directCebu Pacificflights to-and-fromManilaandMarinduque Airportwhich is located in Masiga, roughly betweenGasanandBoac.The province is also served by a seaport in Balanacan transporting cargo and passengers to and fromLucenainQuezonprovince. There is also a daily boat trip fromGeneral LunainQuezonprovince to Santa Cruz and vice versa which stops at Maniwaya Island to drop off cargo and passengers.

Media

There are four radio stations in the province, three of which are operated by theRadyo Natin Networkand the other, FMNutriskwela Community RadioStation Radyo Kamalindig 94.1 DZNS, by the National Nutrition Council. Radyo Natin Network operates the call sign DZVH at 105.7 MHz on FM radio from Boac, as well as the call sign DWMD 104.5 MHz on FM radio from Santa Cruz and 100.1 FM from Torrijos. As for print media, there is no existing newspapers circulating in the province, aside from broadsheet and tabloid newspapers from Manila. Marinduque News Network, meanwhile, provides provincial and national news and information viathe webandsocial media.In 2018, Marinduque News Network ventured with Lucky Seven Cable Services Corporation, a cable provider in Marinduque to showcase their programs through local cable television. The online news website which was founded by Romeo Mataac, Jr. in 2016 is located in Boac, Marinduque.

There are also existing cable providers and local cable stations operating in several municipalities in the province, namely Lucky Seven Cable Services Corporation (Boac), Marinduque Cable Television, Inc. (Boac), and G.R. CATV Services (Santa Cruz & Torrijos). Aside from these cable stations, there are also distributors of direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV such asCignal Digital TV,Dream Satellite TV,G Sat,andSky Directwho provide television services for its subscribers.

Education

Tertiary

• Buyabod School of Arts and Trades (BSAT) — Buyabod,Santa Cruz
• Educational Systems Technological Institute (ESTI) — Murallon,Boac
• Lighthouse Maritime Schools, Inc. (LMSI) — Boac
• Malindig Institute (MI) — Lapu-Lapu, Santa Cruz
• Marinduque Midwest College (MMC) — Dili,Gasan
• Marinduque State University (MSU) — College of Agriculture in Poctoy,Torrijos
• Marinduque State University (MSU) — College of Fisheries in Banuyo, Gasan
• Marinduque State University(MSU) — Main College Campus in Tanza, Boac
• Marinduque State University (MSU) — Marinduque Community University in Matalaba, Santa Cruz
• Marinduque State University (MSU) — Santa Cruz Annex, Santa Cruz
• Marinduque Victorian University (MVU) —Buenavista
• Saint Mary's College of Boac (SMCB) — Isok, Boac
• Santa Cruz Institute (SCI) — Banahaw, Santa Cruz
• Torrijos Poblacion School of Arts and Trades (TPSAT) — Poctoy, Torrijos

Notable people

Within the provincial capital ofBoac

Main article:Notable personalities

Outside Boac

• CardinalRicardo Jamin Vidal–archbishopemeritus ofCebuwas born February 6, 1931, in Mogpog.

References

• Moriones Festival attravelingmorion

External links

• Media related toMarinduqueat Wikimedia Commons
• Marinduquetravel guide from Wikivoyage
• Geographic data related toMarinduqueatOpenStreetMap
• Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay as of August 1, 2007