GOVERNOR ANDRES PASCUAL COLLEGE

Post Graduate Studies

Seminar in
Philippine
Culture
Mimaropa
Region
Submitted by:

Mirasol D. Claudio
Submitted to:

Dr. Zenaida San Diego Singson

Professor

August 24, 2019

Mimaropa Region

The name is an acronym combination of its constituent provinces:

• Mindoro
• Marinduque
• Romblon
• Palawan
• officially known as the Southwestern Tagalog Region.
• an administrative region
• was formerly designated as Region IV-B until 2016.
Mimaropa Region has two cities:
• Calapan
• Puerto Prinsesa
• 71 municipalities
• 1458 barangays
Mindoro
• has been called Ma-i or Mait by Han Chinese traders and
by Spaniards, as Mina de Oro (meaning "gold mine") from where the
island got its current name.
 • is the seventh largest island in the Philippines by land area with a
total of 10,571 km2
Mindoro is divided into two provinces:
Mindoro is divided into two provinces Occidental Mindoro and Oriental
Mindoro. San Jose is the largest settlement on the island with a total
population of 143,430 inhabitants as of 2015. The southern coast of
Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea. Mount
Halcon is the highest point on the island, standing at 8,484 feet
(2,586 m) above sea level located in Oriental Mindoro. Mount Baco is
the island's second highest mountain with an elevation of 8,163 feet
(2,488 m), located in the province of Occidental Mindoro.
Economy
The economy of Mindoro is largely based on agriculture. Products
consist of a wide variety of fruits, such as:
• citrus, bananas, lanzones,
rambutan and coconuts
• grains(rice and corn),
• sugarcane, peanuts,
• fish(catfish, milkfish and tilapia),
• livestock and poultry.
• Tourism is a lucrative business as well, with locations such as:
• Apo Reef National Park
• Lubang Island
• PuertoGalera
• Sabang Beach
• Mount Halcon
• Mindoro is also home to the tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo
(Bubalus mindorensis)
Marinduque
 According to a legend, the island of Marinduque was formed as a
consequence of a tragic love affair between two
people: Mariin and Gatduke. Mariin's father, a local chieftain, did not
approve of this affair and ordered the beheading of Gatduke. Before
this could be done, the couple sailed out to sea and drowned
themselves, forming the island now called Marinduque.
 However, the most accepted theory of the etymology of the
province's name is a Hispanized corruption of
either malindig or malindug, which means "stand tall" or "elegant", in
reference to a potentially active volcano in the southern section of the
island, the Mount Malindig
 The province of Marinduque was ranked number 1 by the Philippine
National Police and Philippine Security Forces as the 2013 Most
Peaceful Province of the country due to its low crime rate statistics
alternately ranking with the province of Batanes yearly.
Administrative divisions
It has 6 municipalities
• Boac - The capital of the province.
• Gasan - The Cultural Nerve Center of the province.
• Buenavista –Home of the famous Bellaroca Island resort
• Torrijos - deemed to be the summer Capital of the Province and
known for locally-grown strawberries.
• Sta. Cruz - The largest of all the six municipalities both in land area
and population.
• Mogpog - The Primary Gateway of the Province through the
Balanacan Port. It is the original home of the Moriones Lenten Rites
and Kangga Festival.
Economy
 Marinduque is an agricultural province, primarily growing 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 (the Marcopper Mining Disaster) occurred, bringing
the industry to a standstill.
 A significant role in Marinduque's economy is also played by tourism,
especially during the Lenten 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.

Festivals

• The Moriones Festival is an annual festival, locally known as

"Moryonan", celebrated in Marinduque from March to April.

Music

• is home to the kalutang, a musical instrument made of two pieces of

wood that produce different note ranges depending on its size.

Romblon

Etymology
 According to legend, the name "Romblon" was derived from the
Romblomanon word Nagalumyom, which pertains to a chicken in the
act of sitting on its eggs on a nest. This eventually evolved
to Lomlom, and later on to Donblon, the name reported by
Spanish chronicler Miguel de Loarca in his book Relacion de las Islas
Filipinas in 1582, before finally evolving to Romblon.
 Meanwhile, local historians Roland Madeja and Evelyn Reyes relate
the origin of the name "Romblon" to the shape of Romblon Island.
Madeja claims that the name was derived from
the Spanish word ronblon, another term for tornillo, meaning "screw."
According to him, the Spanish claimed to have observed the screw-
like shape of Romblon Island. Meanwhile, Reyes claims Romblon
originated from "doubloon", which refers to the Spanish coin used
by Moro pirates in paying dowries for their brides-to-be. The Spanish
might have named the island after the shape of the coin.
Geography

 Romblon is strategically situated at the center of the

Philippine archipelago.
 Geographically part of the Visayas, it is composed of three major
islands (Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon) and 17 smaller islands. It
is surrounded by deep waters, and is bounded by Masbate in the
east, Mindoro in the west, Marinduque in the north and Panay in
the south. It is approximately 187 nautical miles (346 km) and 169
miles (272 km) south of Manila. The islands are dispersed and
accessible only via sea transportation except for Tablas Island
where a domestic airport is located in the municipality of Alcantara.

Administrative divisions

 Romblon comprises 17 municipalities. Of these, nine are

located in Tablas Island (San Agustin, Calatrava, San Andres,
Odiongan, Ferrol, Santa Fe, Looc, Alcantara and Santa Maria)
 Sibuyan Island (Magdiwang, Cajidiocan and San Fernando)
 Romblon (Romblon, San Jose, Banton, Concepcion and
Corcuera) are island municipalities.

Flora and fauna

 Romblon, particularly Sibuyan Island, is among the few places in the
Philippines with a well-preserved natural environment. Uninterrupted
rainforest covers 75 percent of the island. It is also home to the
country's cleanest inland body of water, the Cantigas River, as well
as 34 waterfalls. Sibuyan is commonly known the country as the
"Galapagos of Asia" because of its many endemic plant and animal
species, some of which have just been discovered recently. Among
these endemic species are nine mammals, seven lizards, two
amphibians, three birds and 112 vascular plants, such as
the Nepenthes argentii, Nepenthes sibuyanensis Nepenthes
armin, Sibuyan striped shrew rat, Sibuyan shrew,Philippine tube-
nosed fruit bat, indigo-banded kingfisher, and the Romblon hawk-
owl. In Tablas Island, at least two endemic bird species can be found:
the Tablas drongo and Tablas fantail.
Economy
Agriculture
 Agriculture is the main industry in Romblon. Coconut is the most
cultivated crop with a total planted area of 58,270.44 hectares
(224.9834 sq mi). San Agustin has the most extensive area with
coconut plants followed by Romblon and Cajidiocan. Rice is the next
crop, cultivated particularly in Odiongan, Looc, Cajidiocan and Santa
Fe. Other crops grown include root crops, vegetables and fruits.
Odiongan, Banton and Magdiwang have the greatest areas planted
with root crops and correspondingly, have the highest volume of
production. Vegetable production is mostly for home consumption
and grown in small scale.
Marine resources
 Fishing industry is a major enterprise as Romblon is surrounded by
water on all sides. The fishing grounds of Romblon are a migratory
path of fish from Sulu and Visayan Seas passing Tablas
Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass. The waters also abound
with demersal fish due to the coral reefs surrounding the islands.
 Because the province has a great potential for aqua-marine
development, the province implemented a coastal and resource
management program. Each municipality established a fish
sanctuary and passed laws on fishery. The use of air compressors in
the municipal waters was regulated and banned altogether in some
municipalities.
Mineral resources
 Marble plant workers working in a quarry.
 Marble is the most significant mineral deposit of Romblon and is the
most renowned product of the province. Based on statistics, Romblon
is the second biggest provincial marble producer of the country next
to Bulacan. Romblon marble is of very high quality and comes in
shades of white, green, pink, red and black. The Mines and
Geosciences Bureau has estimated that Romblon is endowed with
about 150 million metric tons of marble. At current rates of extraction,
the supply may last for three more centuries. Tablas Island is also
believed to have vast reserves of marble.
 Marble quarrying and processing are major activities in Romblon.
Among the most common marble products are categorized into the
following: novelty items (gifts, ashtray, table bars), furniture (dining
tables, baptismal fonts) and construction materials (tiles, balusters,
marble chips). Other mineral resources with considerable quantity
include nickel ore and gold mostly to be found in Sibuyan Island. Gold
panning and small-scale mining is a lucrative undertaking in
Magdiwang.

Palawan

 The largest province in the country in terms of total area of

jurisdiction.
 The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island
measuring 450 km (280 mi) long, and 50 km (31 mi) wide
 The province is composed of the long and narrow Palawan
Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding it,
totalling roughly 1,780 islands and islets. The Calamianes
Group of Islands to the northeast consists
of Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan islands. Balabac
Island is located off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by
the Balabac Strait. In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo
Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a
few hundred kilometres to the west, are considered part of
Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the "Kalayaan
Group of Islands".
 The province has a total land area of 14,649.73 square
kilometres (5,656.29 sq mi). When Puerto Princesa City is
included for geographical purposes, its land area is 17,030.75
square kilometres (6,575.61 square miles).[48] The land area is
distributed to its mainland municipalities, comprising 12,239
square kilometres (4,726 square miles), and the island
municipalities, which altogether measure 2,657 square
kilometres (1,026 square miles). In terms of archipelagic internal
waters, Palawan has the biggest marine resources that covers
almost half of the Sulu Sea and a big chunk of the South China
Sea that is within the municipal waters of Kalayaan Municipality
which was official annexed to the Philippine jurisdiction by virtue
of Presidential Decree 1596 dated June 11, 1978.
  Palawan comprises 433 barangays in 23 municipalities and the
capital City of Puerto Princesa. As an archipelago, Palawan has
13 mainland municipalities and 10 island towns. There are
three congressional districts, namely: the first district comprising
five northern mainland municipalities and nine island towns; the
second district composed of six southern mainland towns and
the island municipality of Balabac; and the third district covering
the capital City of Puerto Princesa and the town of Aborlan.
Thirteen municipalities are considered as mainland
municipalities, namely Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Sofronio
Española, Brooke's Point, Rizal, and Bataraza (located
south); San Vicente, Roxas, Dumaran, El Nido,
and Taytay (found in the north). The remaining island
municipalities are: Busuanga, Coron, Linapacan and Culion (for
ming the Calamianes group of
islands), Cuyo, Agutaya and Magsaysay (the Cuyo group of
islands), Araceli, Cagayancillo, Balabac and Kalayaan (Spratly
Islands). The capital, Puerto Princesa is a highly urbanized
city that governs itself independently from the province, but it
usually grouped with the province for statistical and geographic
purposes.
 Economy[edit]
 Palawan's economy is basically agricultural. The three major
crops are palay, corn and coconut. Mineral resources
include nickel, copper, manganese, and chromite. Logging is
also a major industry. Palawan has one of the richest fishing
grounds in the country. About 45% of Manila's supply of fish
comes from here. Having natural gas reserves of approximately
30,000 trillion cubic feet, the province is the only oil-producing
province in the country.[67][68] In addition, tourism is also a
thriving sector.
 Pearl diving used to be a significant economic activity for
Palawan until the advent of plastics.[citation needed] The world's
largest pearl, the 240 millimetres (9.4 in) diameter Pearl of Lao
Tzu, was found off Palawan in 1934.
 The economic and agricultural business growth of province is at
20% per annum.[68] Coconut, sugar, rice, lumber, and livestock
are produced here.[10]
Attractions
Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary
See also: Calauit Safari Park
A game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and
endangered endemic animals of Palawan. The reserve was established on
August 31, 1976 by virtue of the Presidential Decree No.1578, this was
initiated in response to the appeal of the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President
Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd World Conference in Kenya. By virtue
of the Republic Act 7611 (SEP), administrative jurisdiction of DENR was
given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31, 1993.
Management of the area is the responsibility of the Office of the Palawan
Council of Sustainable Development (PCSD). It is located in Calauit Island
in Busuanga.
Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga
Seven lakes surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs attract hundreds of
nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town
of Coron. Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point
for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 World War
II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action.
They range in depth from the surface to 40 meters. This large variety offers
exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and
snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers.
The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese warships off Coron Island are
listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine's top 10 best scuba sites in the world.
El Nido Marine Reserve Park
The January 2008 issue of international magazine Travel + Leisure,
published by the American Express Co. (which partnered
with Conservation International) listed El Nido's sister hotel resorts El Nido
Lagen Island and El Nido Miniloc Island in Miniloc and Lagen Islands as
"conservation-minded places on a mission to protect the local
environment". Travel + Leisure's 20 Favorite Green Hotels scored El Nido
Resort's protection of Palawan's giant clam gardens and the re-introduction
of endangered Philippine cockatoos: "8. El Nido Resorts, Philippines:
Guest cottages on stilts are set above the crystalline ocean. The resorts
are active in both reef and island conservation.
Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area
Main article: Malampaya Sound
Located in the Municipality of Taytay, this important ecological and
economic zone is a watershed and fishing ground, and the habitat of Bottle-
nosed and Irrawaddy dolphins.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites

 Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999)

This park features a large limestone karst landscape with an underground
river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly
into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area
also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site
contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most
important forests in Asia.

 Tubbataha Reef Marine Park (1993)

The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km2, including the North and
South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density
of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and
marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with
a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral
islands.
Ursula Island
This game refuge and bird sanctuary is situated near the Municipality
of Bataraza in southern Palawan. The islet is a migratory and wintering
ground for shorebirds and seabirds.
Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Main article: Rasa Island
This 1,983-hectare (4,900-acre) protected area located in the municipality
of Narra is a nesting ground of the endemic Philippine cockatoo or katala. It
also harbors other rare bird species and marine turtles.