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THE BICOL REGION

Long before any westerners reached the region, the ancient Bicols (the people) already has the culture of their own. They called their land IBALON, possibly after their chieftain-DATU GAT ABAAL, who ruled the inhabited territories from his seat of power at Sawangan on the mouth of Makabalo River which is now the present day Legazpi City.

The sword and the cross of Spain reached Ibalon in 1570 when part of Legazpi Urdaneta expeditionary force headed by two Augustinian friars, Fr. Alonzo Jimenez and Fr. Juan Orca landed at the southwestern coast of the western peninsula. The named the southern part of the peninsula "TIERRA DE IBALON" and the northern part , "TIERRA DE CAMARINES". Tierra de ibalon is also referred to as the first Christian settlement in the island of Luzon.

After the Christianization and colonization of Ibalon , the peninsula was divided in to two encomienda. The eastern portion. The encomienda de Busaingan went to Pedro Arnedo, while the pther half was given to Rodrigo Arias Giron. Busaingan which means "breaker" was the name given to the coastal settlement of the southern tip of Luzon, The present town of Santa Magdalena in Sorsogon Province.

Ibalon had a port call for galleon plying the Manila-Acapulco route. Historians believed that this could be what is now known as the port of Legazpi City. It was at this port that Bishop Salazar, the first bishop assigned to the Philippines was stranded for the few weeks during he was able to learn the abuses of encomienderos.

It was believed that the report of Bishop Salazar could have been one of the causes for the abolition of the encomienda system in Ibalon, thus, paving the way for the birth of two original Bicol provinces- AMBOS CAMARINES which included Albay and Sorsogon.

The boundaries of the Region were clearly delineated in a decree issued by Spanish Governor General Narciso de Claveria on October 19,1836, fixing the territorial limits between Ambos Camarines underwent a series of divisions and fusions until 1919 when the Philippine Legislature enacted Act. No. 2809, creating the separate province of Camarines Sur.

Partido de Ibalon, which comprise the eastern part of the peninsula had changed in name very much earlier when a decree was issued in 1663 renaming this political subdivision Albay. Some of the town of Ambos Camarines and Ibalon were interchanged. The islands of Catanduanes and Masbate were declared seperat military districts.

Sorsogon which used to be part of Albay beacame a province in 1894. Byy virtue of an executive order issued by Governor-General in 1908, Masbate was made a sub-province of Albay by the American Civil Government. It became an independent province on October 26, 1945 by virtue of the Commonwealth Act No. 687.

But presently, as the Bicolanos go back to redicover their beginnings, their stirred up the trend to favor the more native name: KABIKOLAN or simply BIKOL.

GEOGRAPHY

Bicol Region lies at 122° to 124° east longitude and 12° to 14° latitude or generally at the midsection of the country. Occupying the southern stretch of Luzon, the Bicol Peninsula is surrounded by natural barrier. Actually, seas that can by highways for contact with other people. The area is bounded on the north by Lamon Bay and Pacific Ocean on the East, the Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf on the west. It has land access to the rest of Luzon through its neighbor on the north, Quezon Province.

The Bicol Region stretches towards the Pacific Ocean for more than 160 miles from the province of Camarines Norte in the northwest, to Sorsogon in the southwest. The underbelly of Bicol is composed of the provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate which stand guard on the northern and southern approaches.Ų

Legazpi City, Albay Province and Bicol Region.

Bicol Region is the southeastern peninsula of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. It is comprised
of six provinces, Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate and Sorsogon. Legazpi City is
the capital of Albay Province and of Bicol Region. It is named after General Legaspi, a Spaniard who led an
army in the conquest of part of the Philippines. The spelling was changed recently from Legaspi to Legazpi
as part of the effort to phoneticize Pilipino spellings, many people still use the old spelling.

Naga City was the capital of Bicol Region during Spanish times, it is still the largest city and the
commercial center of the region. Pili, the capital of Camarines Sur, is only some ten kilometers south
of Naga. The Naga dialect of Central Bicolano is the standard form of the Bicolano language.

Mayon Volcano, north of Legazpi, and Mount Isarog, east of Naga, are the two principal mountains and
natural tourist attractions of the Bicol Region. Mayon
Volcano is still somewhat active, emitting smoke and steam all the time, sometimes causing earthquakes and
putting out some lava. It is reputed to be the most perfect cone of any volcano. Mount Isarog is inhabited by
the Isarog Agta, a tribal group of pre-Austronesian origin, related to the Papuan and Melanesian peoples to the
south of the Philippines.

Donsol Butanding/Whaleshark Interaction Swim with the biggest fish in the world – the whalesharks or butandings of Donsol. Peak interaction season is February to May each year.

Diving in Ticao
March 2004

The body of water within the area of Burias Island, Sorsogon, and Ticao Island, is known as the Ticao Pass. It has some of the densest concentrations of plankton in the Philippines. The strong currents of the San Bernardino Strait push nutrients into the area, whose natural geography acts like a siphon, entrapping plankton and other small creatures within it. Furthermore, the sea bottom of Ticao Pass is relatively shallow compared to the areas around it. This allows deep water to work its way up to shallower depths and deposit nutrients in the surface making it perfect grounds for filter feeders like manta rays and whale sharks. Already, nearby Donsol has established itself as a gathering point for whale sharks that feed on the plankton rich waters of the bay.

In January 2003, as a project of the Bicol Scuba Divers, Conz Paz, gathered a group to survey the reefs of Ticao Pass. The area itself is not a new dive site. It has been visited by Bicol divers since the 70’s, but its remoteness made diving infrequent. On the very first dive, the group chanced upon a small number of manta rays on their feeding routine. Based on their chance encounter, the divers returned regularly to find that the numbers increased through June of 2003. Consultations with biologists have brought up the suspicion that there is a definite season in which these majestic creatures congregate in the area. It seems that they arrive during the cold water months of Bicol- March thru July.

A year of surveying has brought up a lot of surprises. New reefs have been discovered as well as deep walls and caves, each with their own brand of diving. But the one gaining most interest is Manta Bowl- a depression in a shallow portion of Ticao Pass where manta rays gather to feed. At the height of the season, divers would see up to 15 individuals on every venture. The "residents" were mixed. There were gigantic specimens with over 12’ wingspans to fleeting juveniles darting across. It is truly a sight to see.

This year, by setting up a fully operational diving facility in Bulan, Adventure Bound has made it easier for divers to visit Ticao Pass. A thirty minute boat ride takes you to the playground of these majestic giants. And since the average diving depth of Manta Bowl is 15m/50ft, fairly shallow by any standard, divers have the opportunity to have good bottom times while watching the mantas. An even greater advantage is nitrox. Bottom times are increased, while making dives safer. By April 2004, the Bulan operation will have a Nitrox blending station to give certified divers even longer interactions with the residents of Ticao Pass

THE BICOL REGION in the Philippines