The Bicol Region, also known as Bikol, (Central Bikol: Rehiyon nin Bikol; Rinconada

Bicol: Rehiyon ka Bikol; Filipino: Kabikulan; Spanish: Bicolandia) is a region of the

Philippines, designated as Region V. Bicol comprises six provinces, four on the Bicol
Peninsula (the southeastern end of Luzon island) Albay, Camarines Norte,
Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon and the island provinces of Catanduanes and
Masbate .
The regional center and largest city is Legazpi City, Albay.
The region is bounded by the Lamon Bay to the north, Philippine Sea to the east,
and the Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf to the west. The northernmost provinces,
Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, are bordered to the west by the province of
Quezon.
Geography
The Bicol Region comprises the southern part of Luzon, the largest island in the
Philippine archipelago. The total land area is 5.9% of the total land area of the
country. Around 69.3% of the total land area is alienable and disposable while the
remaining 30.7% is public forest areas.[5]
History
The Bicol region was known as Ibalon, variously interpreted to derive form ibalio, "to
bring to the other side"; ibalon, "people from the other side" or "people who are
hospitable and give visitors gifts to bring home"; or as a corruption of Gibal-ong, a
sitio of Magallanes, Sorsogon where the Spaniards first landed in 1567. The Bicol
River was first mentioned in Spanish Documents in 1572. The region was also called
Los Camarines after the huts found by the Spaniards in Camalig, Albay. No
prehistoric animal fossils have been discovered in Bicol and the peopling of the
region remains obscure. The Aeta from Camarines Sur to Sorsogon strongly suggest
that aborigines lived there long ago, but earliest evidence is of middle to late
Neolithic life.

A barangay (village) system was in existence by 1569. Records show no sign of

Islamic rule nor any authority surpassing the datu (chieftain). Precolonial leadership
was based on strength, courage, and intelligence. The native seemed apolitical.
Thus the datu's influence mattered most during crises like wars. Otherwise, early
Bicol society remained family centered, and the leader was the head of the family.

The Spanish influence in Bicol resulted mainly from the efforts of Augustinian and
Franciscan Spanish missionaries. The first churches in Bicol, the San Francisco
Church, and the Naga Cathedral, both in Naga, along with the Holy Cross Parish in
Nabua, Camarines Sur, are instituted by the Holy Order of the Franciscans. One of
the oldest dioceses in the Philippines, the Archdiocese of Caceres, was also
instituted in the Bicol Region. During this time, Bicol was dotted by many astilleros

(shipyards) which were focused on constructing Manila Galleons from the local
hardwood forests.[7]
Demographics
Bicol Region has a population of 5,796,989 as of 2015 census, growing at an
average annual rate of 1.29 percent between 2010 and 2015. The region's
population density increased to 320 persons per square kilometer in 2015.

In 1970, Camarines Sur was the only province with close to a million population.
Albay, which was next in rank, reached the 1970 population level of Camarines Sur
only 20 years later. Masbate and Sorsogon were in the same level every census
year from 1970 to 1980. It is noteworthy that distribution and growth of the 1970
population were towards areas that were sparsely populated but agriculturally rich
and/or endowed with fishery resources. The island province of Catanduanes and its
municipalities have exhibited very low population growth from 1970 to 1980.

In 1980, the pattern was towards urbanization. This was due to the pull of newly
installed infrastructures, particularly roads, and the sporadic growth of trade in
strategically situated municipalities that have better economic opportunities. The
1990 growth originated from the strong attraction of employment opportunities in
established urban centers, which have become a source of growth of adjacent
municipalities. This situation was highly evident in Naga and Legazpi areas, whose
surrounding municipalities exhibited high growth rates. Unmistakably, the spill-over
effects of development permeated those initial high growth areas.

Looking at the growth rates, all of the five provinces registered positive increases
except for the province of Camarines Norte. Most evident were those for the
provinces of Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon, all of whom registered more than
50% increments in the 1980-1990 and 1990-2000 periods. The positive increase in
the growth rate of Catanduanes was attributed to the improved sea transport
facilities for ferrying people and cargo to and from the port of Tabaco. The opening
of the port of San Andres and the rehabilitation of Virac Port likewise provided better
access to goods and services in the province.

The Bicolanos are descended from the Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came
from Southern China during the Iron Age. Many of Bicolanos also have Chinese,
Arab, and Spanish admixtures. Most of the townsfolk have Spanish Mixtures and
their language is referred to as Bicol or Bicolano. The Bicolano language is very
fragmented, and its dialects are mutually incomprehensible to speakers of other
Bicolano dialects. The majority of the Bicolano people are devout Roman Catholics
due to the Spanish conquering the country and converting them to their religion.
Catholic Mass is celebrated daily in many churches in the Bicol Region.

Language[edit]
Further information: Bikol languages
The people of the Bicol Region, called Bicolanos, speak any of the several languages
of the Bikol language family, called Bikol macrolanguages, an Austronesian
languages closely grouped under the Central Philippine languages family such as
the Visayan languages and Tagalog. The four major groups of language in Bikol are
Coastal Bikol (with four sub-languages), Inland Bikol (with six sub-languages),
Pandan Bikol (lone language) and Bisakol (with three sub-languages). The majority
of Bicolanos understand and speak Central Bikol language (a member of Coastal
Bikol group of languages) since it is the language used in literature and mass media,
but with varying degrees. A known misconception of many Bicolanos is that Central
Bikol, used in the cities of Legazpi and Naga, is the standard Bikol. Central Bikol,
though spoken by the majority and with speakers represented in all provinces in the
region, is not a standard Bikol since other form of Bikol used in the region are
separate languages and usually unintelligible. However, the standard form of
Central Bikol language is the Canaman dialect.

Other Bikol languages are Rinconada Bikol spoken in southern part of Camarines Sur
province; Pandan Bikol spoken in northern part of Catanduanes island; and the
Albay Bikol group of languages that include Buhinon, Libon, West Miraya and East
Miraya. Albay Bikol speakers can be found in Buhi, Camarines Sur, central and
eastern part of Albay, and Donsol, Sorsogon. The standard form of Rinconada Bikol
both in pronunciation and writing is the Sinabukid (Highland) dialect of Iriga variant.
On the other hand, Buhinon of Buhi, Camarines Sur and Libon of Libon, Albay are
the languages that are only used in their respective municipalities. Rinconada Bikol
and Albay Bikol group of languages are members of Inland Bikol, while Pandan Bikol
is the only language with no sub-languages or division.

The majority of the population in Masbate and Sorsogon speaks Masbateo and
Sorsoganon respectively. The two are Visayan languages but heavily influenced by
Bikol languages, thus tagged and collectively referred to as Bisakol, a portmanteau
of Bisaya (Visayan) and Bikol (Bicolano).

Three Visayan languages are spoken in Masbate, including Hiligaynon/Ilonggo is

spoken in the southwestern tip, while Cebuano and Waray-Waray are spoken in the
southern part of the island province respectively. Tagalog is the dominant and native
language of Bicolanos living in the municipalities in the northern half of Camarines
Norte.

Bicolanos also speak and understand Filipino, the national language of the
Philippines. English is widely understood in businesses, schools and public places.

Religion[edit]

PORTA MARIAE: "THE GATEWAY TO FAITH"

Bicol Express
The region retains Roman Catholicism as the overwhelming religion of the great
majority. The Catholic religion has the highest number of followers than any other
area in the Philippines. The Catholic church grew in the Bicol Region through the
efforts of the Bishops from Nueva Caceres(Naga) from the late 14th century until
the Philippine Revolution in 1898. Naga, Camarines Sur is the religious center of the
Bicol Region. The region houses one of the oldest dioceses in the Philippines, the
ecclesiastical Archdiocese of Caceres, which is centered in Naga, Camarines Sur.
Other dioceses include are the Dioceses of Legazpi, Sorsogon, Daet, Masbate,
Libmanan and Virac. Fiestas (Feast day of saints) are annual celebrations of
parishes, from a simple barrio fiesta honoring a patron associated for good harvest,
to a town fiesta honoring a miraculous saint, a diocesan fiesta like the feast of Our
Lady of Salvation, or a regional one such as the Our Lady of Peafrancia Fiesta, the
largest Marian devotion in Asia, a week-long celebration to honor the Virgin Mary,
dubbed as the "Patroness of Bicolandia". In Luzon, the Bicol Region holds the most
number of men entering the seminary for Catholic priesthood, or women entering
the religious life to become Catholic nuns. This can be accredited to the Holy Rosary
Seminary, Daughters of Mary, and Daughters of Charity Convents in Naga.

The largest minority religion in the region is Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) known for its
magnificent worship buildings, commonly called chapels or kapilya, with towering
spires that dot the Bicol landscape. Each province represents one ecclesiastical
district (E.D.) with the exception of Camarines Sur which is divided into two Camarines Southwest E.D. in Naga, and Camarines Southeast E.D. in Iriga City. In
total, INC has seven ecclesiastical districts in the Bicol region. The chapel of local
congregation of Legazpi, Albay is the biggest.

Other religions are also well represented in Bicol such as Protestants denominations
of Seventh-Day Adventist church, Baptist Church, Pentecostal, born-again Christian,
Jehovah's Witnesses and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints.

Culture and traits[edit]

The Bicolano cuisine is primarily noted for the prominent use of chili peppers and
gata (coconut milk) in its food. A classic example is the gulay na lada, known
outside the region as Bicol Express, a well-loved dish using siling labuyo (native
small chillies) and the aforementioned gata.

Like their other neighboring regions, Bicolanas are also expected to lend a hand in
household work. They are even anticipated to offer assistance after being married.
On the other hand, Bicolano men are expected to assume the role of becoming the
primary source of income and financial support of his family.

Bicolanos are also known for being very religious, the place is known for Senora De
Penafrancia. Bicolanos are often sweet, regionalistic, friendly, adventurous, puts
high importance on education and social status. Contrary to what is believed, not all
Bicolanos are fond of chili. Men often know how to cook.