Basic Facts - Camarines Norte

BRIEF HISTORY

From 1573 to 1829, Camarines sur and Camarine Norte formed only one political unit known as
Ambos Camarines.

In 1829, they were separated but reunited again in1854. They again separated, to be reunited
again in 1893. This union continued until 1919. On March 3, 1919, Camarines Norte was
created by the Philippine Legislature in Act 2809.

When Camarines Norte was separated from Ambos Camarines in 1829, it was assigned to the
towns of Daet, as capital, Talisay, Indan (Vinzons), Labo, Paracale, Mambulao (Jose
Panganiban), Capalonga, Ragay, Lupi and Sipocot. Seventeen years late, it lost Sipocot, Lupi
and Ragay to Camarines Sur in exchange for the town of Siruma.

Juan de Salcedo, dispatched by Legazpi to explore the island in 1571, influence the existence of
Camarines Norte. After subduing Taytay and Cainta, he marched further across Laguna and
Tayabas.

He visited the rich gold-laden town of Mambulao and Paracale obsessed by them about which he
heard from natives there of existing gold mines.

When Francisco de Sande took over from Legazpi as Governor General, Spanish influence
started to be felt in the region. He established a permanent spanish garison in Naga to control
the region and defend it from Chinese and Muslim pirates. Capt. Pedro de Chavez was assigned
to head this force.

There were already native settlements here when the Spaniards arrived. The flourishing town of
Mambulao and Paracale were two of them.

Indan and Daet were the other settlements besides Capalonga and others. But Paracale
remained the most sought after and the most prosperous because of its gold mines.
The towns were chiefly inhabited by Tagalogs; the rests were of Visayan strain. However, most
of the immigrants were from Mauban Quezon. The Spanish missionaries did not falter in their
mission to Christianized the natives.
By virtue of RA Act 2809 of March 3, 1919, General F. B. Harrison separated Camarines Norte
from Camariens Sur with Don Miguel R. Lukban as its first governor. At present it has twelve
towns: Basud, Capalonga, Daet, Jose Panganiban, Labo, Mercedes, Paracale, San Lorenzo
Ruiz, San Vicente, Santa Elena, Talisay and Vinzons. Daet remained as its capital town.

GEOGRAPHY

Location and Boundaries
The province of Camarines Norte is found in the Northern Coast of the Bicol Peninsula, which
form the southeastern section of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippine Archipelago.

One of the six provinces that make up Region V. It is bounded on the North by the Pacific
Ocean, in the east by San Miguel Bay, in the west by Lamon Bay and in the South by Quezon
province and the adjoining province of Camarines Sur.

Land Area
Camarines Norte has a total land area of 220, 012 hectares or 2,000 square kilometer. It has
12.4% of the total Bicol Area and 0.73% of the total Philippine Area.
POPULATION

The population of the province in May 2000 according to Census was 458,840.

POLITICAL SUBDIVISION

The province is composed of 12 towns namely: Basud, Capalonga, Daet, Jose Panganiban,
Labo, Mercedes, Paracale, San Lorenzo Ruiz, San Vicente, Sta. Elena, Talisay and Vinzons. It
has a total of 282 barangays. Among the twelve towns of the province, Labo has the biggest
number of barangay with 52 and San Vicente has the least with only 9.

TOPOGRAPHY

The topogragphy of the province is characterized by rolling hills and mountains in the interior,
and fertile plains and valleys along the coast. The land area of the province is largely within the
0-8% and 8-18% slope with 72,483 and 77,315 hectares or 32.95% and 35.14% of the total land
area, respectively.

CLIMATE

According to the Daet PAG-ASA Radar Station, Camarines Norte belongs to the second type of
climate with no dry season and with a very pronounced maximum rain period from November to
January. These are along and very near the eastern coast and are sheltered neither from the
northern portion and the winds nor from cyclonic storms. This class particularly falls under the
eastern and northern part of Camarines Norte.

The Bicol Region lies within the so-called typhoon belt; hence the province is seriously affected
by frequent visits of typhoons. The typhoon months mostly affecting the province and the Bicol
Region are April, June, July, October, November and December.

LANGUAGES/DIALECT






"Kinunot" -- is a Bicolano dish made up of either stingray or baby shark cooked in coconut milk with malungay (horseradish tree) or moringa
leaves.

LEGENDS mt mayon

Long ago, the legend goes, there was a village chieftain in the name of Makusog. Makusog had a beautiful and sweet daughter
named Daragang Magayanon. One day Magayonan was bathing in the river, she slipped and was carried away by the river. It
so happens when a son of a Tagalog chieftain named Panganoron was walking at the same river. Upon seeing Magayanon
drowning, Panganoron jumped into the river and saved her. From hence, both Panagnoron and Magayon met often until their
fondness developed into a romance. Makusog also became fond of Panganoron and later declared the marriage of her
daugther to Panganoron.
Datu Patuga, a chieftain from Iriga who is also in love with Magayanon didnt accepted the news of Magayanons imminent
wedding. He kidnapped Makusog and requested the hand of Magayanon in return for his freedom. Magayanon, who loved her
father very much, obliged and the wedding date was set. Panganoron, upon learning of the fate of her lover attacked Patuga
on the day of the wedding. A fierce battle ensued and when the smoke had cleared, Magayanon was killed by an arrow and
Panganoron, while attending to her was also stabbed. The two lovers were burried together side by side. One day, the villagers
noticed that the land from where they were buried continued to rise until a mountain was formed. They named the mountain
Magayanon that was later shortened to Mayon. On some days, there are rumbling sounds from the earth and later red-hot
rocks bursts from the crater. The people say that this is Patuga trying to get back the gift he gave Magayanon, which were
burried with her. On some days, when the tip of the volcano is covered with clouds, the people say that Panganoron is kissing
Magayanon. When rain falls on the slope people say that he is crying from the loss of her loved one.
"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first adopted name. It was earned as such during the early part of 1573 when Spanish
conquistadores came upon several tribes living in the thatched huts called cobos.
Catanduanes, is a hispanized term derived from the word tandu, a native beetle and the samdong tree, which were both
found in abundance throughout the island. Common reference to "katanduan" or "kasamdongan", meaning a place where
the tandu or the samdong tree thrives in abundance, led to the coining of the word Catanduanes.