Calapan

Etymology

The derivation of the name of Calapan cannot be traced with certainty. Some opined that it comes from the word “Kalap” which means to gather logs. Thus “Kalapan” was supposed to be a place where logs were gathered. In the old records, however, there was never a mention of Calapan as a place where logs were produced or exported. Furthermore, huge forest trees where logs were produced certainly did not grow near the town, which was swampy. Another theory states that Calapan was originally pronounced as “Kalapang” which, according to an old Tagalog dictionary, was a synonym for “sanga” or branch. It could then refer to the settlement of Kalapang as a branch of its mother town of Baco, an adjoining town. The name was later hispanized as Calapan.

History

Calapan was formerly a small village before the establishment of the first Religious District in Baco. The District convent was transferred to Calapan in 1733 and began its jurisdiction over the Northern Mindoro Ecclesiastical Area.

In the early 18th century, the town only occupied a strip of land stretching from Ibaba to Ilaya in a cross-shape facing the present Santo Niño Cathedral and cut off by the river. Later on, succeeding barriers were founded.

In 1837, the capital of the province was moved from Puerto Galera to Calapan. When Mindoro became a part of Marinduque on June 13, 1902, the provincial capital was once again moved to Puerto Galera. On November 10, 1902, Mindoro was detached from Marinduque. In 1903, Calapan once again became the provincial capital.

When Mindoro was detached from Marinduque on November 10, 1902, Baco, Puerto Galera and San Teodoro were annexed to Calapan in 1905 under Act No. 1280, adding a total area of 843 km2 of land. In 1902, under Act No. 2824, the three municipalities gained their independence.

In 1919, the boundary dispute between Calapan and Naujan was adjudicated by Presidentes (Mayors) Agustin Quijano of Calapan and Agustin Garong of Naujan over a portion of the territory of what is now the present boundary. The agricultural area was awarded to Naujan, thus making the area of Calapan much smaller compared to that of Naujan, which is now considered the biggest municipality in the province.

Cityhood

Main article: Cities of the Philippines

In the year 1998, Calapan was converted from a municipality into a component city by virtue of Republic Act No. 8475. The law was authored in Congress by Rep. Renato V. Leviste and was signed by President Fidel Ramos on February 2, 1998. On March 21, 1998, the people of Calapan ratified the creation of the City of Calapan in a plebiscite marking that same day as the city's foundation day. Incumbent Mayor Arnan C. Panaligan became the last Municipal Mayor and the first City Mayor of Calapan. To date, it is the first and only city in the whole island of Mindoro.

Calapan was reclassified from a 4th class city in 2007 to a 3rd class city in 2010, on account of its innovations in public service, modernization programs, increased revenue collection, and overall economic improvement. Calapan City was later reclassified as a 2nd Class Component City in 2025.

Geography

Calapan is bounded to the north and north-east by the Calapan Bay, south and southeast by Naujan, and to the west by the Baco. The city lies at the quadrangle bounded by 13°12.6 and 13°27’ north latitudes and 121°17’ east longitudes. It is approximately 28 nmi from the nearest point of Batangas, 45 km south of Batangas City and 130 km south of Manila.

The city has an area of 250.06 km2 and is composed of 62 barangays of which 22 are classified as urban and 40, rural. The city also has jurisdiction over the Baco Islands and the two Silonay Islets on Calapan Bay.

The overall land characteristic is a wide plain with rivers, interspersed with wetlands at the seacoast periphery. The highest elevation is 187 m above sea level at Bulusan Hill, a 6 km long landform east of the city, which interrupts the mostly flat terrain north-east of the Halcon-Baco Mountain Range.

Barangays

Calapan is divided into 62 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

These barangays are grouped into congressional districts where each district is represented by a congressman in the country's House of Representatives.

• Balingayan
• Balite
• Baruyan
• Batino
• Bayanan I
• Bayanan II
• Biga
• Bondoc
• Bucayao
• Buhuan
• Bulusan
• Calero
• Camansihan
• Camilmil
• Canubing I
• Canubing II
• Comunal
• Guinobatan
• Gulod
• Gutad
• Ibaba East
• Ibaba West
• Ilaya
• Lalud
• Lazareto
• Libis
• Lumangbayan
• Mahal Na Pangalan
• Maidlang
• Malad
• Malamig
• Managpi
• Masipit
• Nag-Iba I
• Nag-Iba II
• Navotas
• Pachoca
• Palhi
• Panggalaan
• Parang
• Patas
• Personas
• Putingtubig
• San Antonio
• San Raphael (formerly Salong)
• San Vicente Central
• San Vicente East
• San Vicente North
• San Vicente South
• San Vicente West
• Sapul
• Silonay
• Sta. Cruz
• Sta. Isabel
• Sta. Maria Village
• Sta. Rita (known name Bungahan)
• Sto. Niño (formerly Nacoco)
• Suqui
• Tawagan
• Tawiran
• Tibag
• Wawa

Climate

Calapan's climate is described as mild. It is relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. February and March have the least rainfall while October and November are the months of greatest rainfall. Average yearly rainfall is 2500 to at the city's south-west portion. The average daily temperature is 22.9 to.

Wind direction throughout the year is variable; Northeast monsoons prevail from August, November, December and January to March; East to Northeast on April; Southeast to South on May and June; Northeast to South on July and September, and Easterly on October.

Climate is favorable for vegetation throughout the year under the Type III climate type of the Philippine weather bureau, PAGASA, with relative humidity at 81%.

| Jan record high C = 33.5 | Feb record high C = 34.0 | Mar record high C = 35.2 | Apr record high C = 36.5 | May record high C = 37.2 | Jun record high C = 37.1 | Jul record high C = 36.5 | Aug record high C = 37.6 | Sep record high C = 36.8 | Oct record high C = 35.5 | Nov record high C = 35.0 | Dec record high C = 34.0 |year record high C = 37.6 | Jan record low C = 17.5 | Feb record low C = 16.2 | Mar record low C = 18.4 | Apr record low C = 16.4 | May record low C = 14.0 | Jun record low C = 14.7 | Jul record low C = 19.0 | Aug record low C = 17.6 | Sep record low C = 19.4 | Oct record low C = 18.4 | Nov record low C = 16.2 | Dec record low C = 18.0 |year record low C = 14.0 | archive-url = | archive-date = | access-date = May 23, 2022}} | archive-url = | archive-date = | access-date = May 23, 2022}}

Demographics

Language

Tagalog is the main dialect of Calapan City.

Economy

Calapan serves as the province's industrial hub. It plays a pivotal role in the economic development of the province and its adjacent areas.

Trade and commerce

Calapan hosts numerous malls and shopping centers which to name a few:

Xentro Mall Calapan - Biggest Mall in the Island

Nuciti Central Mall Calapan

CityMall Calapan

Gaisano Capital Calapan

Citimart Island Mall

Unitop Shopping Center

Puregold Calapan

Trading and commercial activities are mainly confined in wholesale and retail trade. Other thriving industries are manufacturing, financing, tourism, food and beverages and services. In recent years, the city has witnessed the influx of private investments that increase income and employment opportunities. The City Investment Code encourages new and existing entrepreneurs to increase their investments. All business establishments are also required to employ bonafide residents of the city to at least 70% of the job opportunities that they will generate.

Agriculture

Majority of the vast agricultural lands of Calapan is devoted to rice production. Other crops grown in the area are citrus fruits such as calamansi, banana, lanzones, rambutan, mango, coconut and vegetables.

Transportation

Port of Calapan is the primary seaport serving the city which connected through routes to the Batangas International Port in mainland Luzon. Motorized tricycles are a common mode of transport and jeepneys and vans served as transportation options to other municipalities within Oriental Mindoro which passes through the mostly concreted provincial road spanning the province.

The city also has an airport, the Calapan Airport, classified as a secondary airport and is used for general aviation handling mostly small planes and choppers.

Tourism

Calapan is bounded by the Calapan Bay on the north and Suki Beach on the east. While the northern shores is built up with houses, locals and tourists would flock on the eastern shores' black sand beach of Suki which is doted by a number of resorts.

Calapan also has two museums. The Mindoro Heritage Museum at the city center was also the former site of the "Kuta" or Spanish Fortress. The museum hosts geological, ethnographical, and political history of Mindoro. Calapan City Museum is found at the City Hall.

In the area of eco-tourism, Calapan has two mangrove parks, at Mahal na Pangalan Marine Park and Silonay Mangrove Conservation Park, as well as the Bulusan Nature Park.

Education

Institutions of higher learning

The city is host to numerous higher educational institutions. The Divine Word College of Calapan, a Catholic college run by the Divine Word Missionaries is currently the largest institution of higher learning in the city and the province of Oriental Mindoro. Other private institutions of higher learning include the St. Anthony College Calapan City (Information Technology, Nursing and Tourism), Luna Goco Colleges (Nursing), Southwestern Luzon Maritime Institute Foundation and Filipino Academy of Scientific Trades (Maritime Studies), AMA Computer Learning Center (Information Technology), and CLCC Institute of Computer Arts and Technology (Information Technology).

There are currently two public institutions of higher learning in the city. One is the Mindoro State University (Calapan Campus) while the other is the City College of Calapan which was opened last June 2008 through the initiative of City Mayor Salvador Leachon.

Basic education

Calapan has nine national high schools (NHS), one of which is the Oriental Mindoro National High School (OMNHS) the main campus of the school and the largest public high school in Oriental Mindoro. Other public high schools include the Mamerta Gargullo Tolentino Memorial National High School (former Parang NHS), Ceriaco A. Abes Memorial MNHS, Canubing NHS, Managpi NHS, Pedro V. Panaligan MNHS, the Community Vocational High School, the LEMNAHIS Bucayao Annex, and the Nag-iba National High School (former LEMNAHIS Annex Nag-iba).

The Catholic Church also runs the Holy Infant Academy, while DWCC also maintains a Basic Education Department.

Public elementary schools meanwhile are organized into three districts. They are the Calapan West, Calapan South (Pedro Tolentino Memorial School (PTMS) and Calapan East Districts.

Healthcare

Being the only city in the island, Calapan City serves as the medical hub of Mindoro. It houses numerous tertiary-level hospitals with advanced and modern facilities. Hospitals in there include:

• Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital
• Ma. Estrella General Hospital
• Mindoro Medical Center Inc.
• Luna Goco Hospital
• MMG Hospital
• Hospital of the Holy Cross
• Sta. Maria Village Hospital

In addition, the city has public health centers providing free health check-ups and basic medicine supplies to all residents. These public centers are being funded and supported by the City Health and Sanitation Department.

Government

Elected officials

Sister cities

• Philippines Valenzuela, Philippines
• Philippines Lucena, Quezon, Philippines
• Philippines San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines
• Philippines Batangas City, Philippines

Notable personalities

• Arra San Agustin - Filipina noontime show presenter host of Eat Bulaga! and actress
• Néstor Vicente Madali González - Internationally acclaimed writer and educator
• 3rd Lt. Jose Protacio C. Gozar - Pilot officer with the Philippine Army Air Corps who received the Distinguished Service Cross for his gallantry during the air war at the onset of World War II.
• Col. Arnulfo Acedillo Acedera, - Pilot officer with the Philippine Army Air Corps, and father of AFP Chief of Staff Arnulfo Acedera Jr.
• Jason Francisco - 3rd Placer, Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up
• Karen Reyes - 2nd Big Placer of Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition 4
• Charo Santos-Concio - Member of Board of Directors (former President & CEO), ABS-CBN Corporation
• Col. Pedro A. Serran (USAFFE-AFP)-- Son of Isidro and Maxima Serran, born November 26, 1913, in Calapan. Known as the "Liberator of Zarraga," Iloilo Province during World War II. He died on June 8, 1999, in Colorado, U.S.A., and is buried in Pittsburgh, California. His life-size statue stands on the park named after him in Zarraga. It was inaugurated in 1998.
• Joseph Mercado - Vice President, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• Jose Antonio N. Carrion - Governor of Marinduque, 2007 – 2010

References

References

1. {{DILG detail
2. (2007-11-22). "Designating Calapan City as the Regional Center of Region IV-B Otherwise Referred to as the MIMAROPA Region". [[Official Gazette (Philippines).
3. "About the City - History". Calapan City Government.
4. (1905-01-04). "An Act Reducing the Fifteen Municipalities of the Province of Mindoro to Eight". [[Supreme Court of the Philippines.
5. (1998-02-02). "Charter of the City of Calapan". [[Supreme Court of the Philippines.
6. "Calapan City Museum".
7. "Mahal Na Pangalan Marine Park {{!}} Travel Oriental Mindoro".
8. "Bulusan Nature Park".
9. (September 27, 2008). "Aksyon Agad Programs-Edukasyon". City Information Office.
10. "2019 National and Local Elections".