Bicol Region

The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. It occupies the Bicol Peninsula at the southeastern end of Luzon island and some other islands.

It consists of six provinces, namely, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. It has one independent component city, Naga City, and six component cities, Iriga, Legazpi, Ligao, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Tabaco. The regional centers are Legazpi City, the region's political and administrative center, Naga City, the region's cultural and religious center. Legazpi City, Naga City, and Sorsogon City are the leading cities in the region in terms of urbanization and also the hub of the region's economic activity.

Geography

The Bicol Region is located at the Southeastern stretch of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, and is sorrounded by natural barriers. It is bounded by Lamon Bay on the north, Pacific Ocean on the east, and Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf on the west. It also has access to the rest of Luzon through its neigboring provinnce, Quezon.

Of the region's six provinces, four (4) are contiguous - Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Sorgosgon, while two are island provinces - Masbate, and Catanduanes. It has a total land area of 1, 811,400 hectares or 18,114 square kilometers. Camarines Sur is the largest occupying 526,682 hectares or around 30% of the total, while Catanduanes is the smallest with only 151,148 hectares or 8.6% of the total.

Of the region's total land area, around 71% is alienable and disposable while the remaining 29% is public forest areas.

Language

Inhabitants, called Bicolanos, speak any one of the several varieties of Bikol, an Austronesian language closely related to other Central Philippine languages such as Cebuano and Tagalog. Bikol varieties include Bikol Rinconada (Iriga-Buhi area), the western Albay dialects Oasnun and Darageño (Oas, Daraga), Bikol Sorsogon (Sorsogon), Bikol Catanduanes and Bikol Partido (municipalities surrounding Lagonoy Gulf). Standard Bikol is based on the dialect of Naga City and is spoken in a wide area stretching from Camarines Norte, most of Camarines Sur, the entire east coast of Albay (including Legazpi and Tabaco) and northern Sorsogon. Standard Bikol is generally understood by other Bikol speakers and is the regional lingua franca.

The Bikol languages are the dominant languages of the region. The Filipino language (Tagalog) is also spoken in northern parts of Camarines Norte as well as in the municipality of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Two Visayan languages, Sorsoganon and Masbateño or Minasbate, are spoken in Masbate and Sorsogon; they are collectively referred to as Bisakol.

Religion

Bicol is the one of the most secular regions in the Philippines, as only 55% of Bicol Region inhabitants attend church weekly compared to 68% nationwide. However, the region retains Roman Catholicism as the religion of the great majority. The Catholic religion has the highest number of followers than in any other area in the Philippines. Fiestas (festival of saints) are common occurrence, from a simple barrio fiesta, which honors a patron associated for good harvest, to a town fiesta honoring a miraculous saint, or a regional one such as the Peñafrancia Fiesta, a one week long celebration to honor the Virgin Mary, dubbed as the "Queen Patron of Bicolandia". As a matter of fact, it is widely acknowledged that in Luzon, it is Bicol Region that holds the most number of men entering the seminary for Catholic Priesthood, and women entering the religious life to become Catholic nuns.

Archaeology

Albay's archaeology shows concrete evidence of trade with China, Malaya and Indonesia going back two thousand years. The first Spanish contact was in 1565, when a treasure-galleon returning to Cebu from Acapulco, Mexico, was swept off course and the captain recorded his awe at the sight of Mt. Mayon erupting. Mount Mayon is the most prominent of the several volcanoes in the province, and one of the most famous jewels of the Pacific Ring of Fire; its eruptions have repeatedly inflicted disaster on the province, and enriched the survivors. When at peace, it is a particularly beautiful mountain. Albay has a large amount of rich flat land, and agriculture is the largest component of the provincial economy. Coconuts, rice, abaca, and maize are the chief crops. Handicrafts bolster rural incomes. Commercial fishing is also important, and the province has several thousand manufacturing enterprises. There are plenty of places to visit, offering opportunities to swim at beautiful beaches, scuba-dive to wrecked galleons, explore caves, climb volcanoes, admire waterfalls, lush vegetation, Baroque architecture, etc.

Gold-mining and jewelry manufacture continue to distinguish the province. Agriculture and fishing are major factors in the province's economy, and several handicrafts and small-scale industries are widely practiced. The region has recently seen a revival in its tourism industry, due mainly to the popularity of the new CamSur Water Sports Complex, the Mayon Volcano and the whale shark spotting and an increase in the number of upscale resorts in the region. Daet has long been a destination for surfers. It is hoped that the planned Southern Luzon International Airport will further boost tourism in the region.

External links

• Bicolano Radio Stations Online
• Discussions and Photos at goBicol.com
• Department of Tourism at Wow Bicol
• List of Bicol Region Festivals & Fiestas
• Photo Gallery of beautiful spots in Bicol at www.mybicol.com
• Bicol Classifieds

PROVINCE-CAPITAL

• ALBAY-Legazpi
• CAMARINES NORTE-Daet
• CAMARINES SUR-Town Capital- Pili ; City Capital- Naga City
• CATANDUANES-Virac
• MASBATE-Masbate City
• SORSOGON-Sorsogon City

Source: http://bicol.da.gov.ph/Statistics/regional_profile.html