Catanduanes Province, Philippines Genealogy

Asia Philippines  Catanduanes Province

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
Brief Historical Background The general referral in the framing of the history of Catanduanes runs parallel to the story of Philippine evangelization. The best source of information on Catanduanes, ex libris canonicus, was lost or destroyed during one of the many incursions of the Moro pirates plying the Bicol Peninsula. In addition to the significant facts from church records, some pieces of information were handed down through word of mouth (be they facts, legends or tales). The important events formed into the significance matrix if only to document the shades of the past of this beautiful and happy island of Catanduanes.

Pre-Spanish Period In the early part of the 13th century, people believed to have come from Borneo, Malaysia and China first reached this island. They were mostly traders and seafarers engaged in barter and trade within the region and in search of new lands for settlement. These groups of traders plus a few settlers gave a semblance of population activity during the later period of the century.

The uneventful migration pattern of trading and settlement during the succeeding centuries was characterized by relative stability as commercial activities confined mostly within and among the neighboring islands. The historical gap between the 14th centuries and the middle of the 15th century illustrates the doldrums in the island’s early history given the long-drawn establishment of population centers.

Christianization/Evangelization During the early part of 1573, a group of Spanish conquistadors led by Juan de Salcedo set foot on the island, while in pursuit of pirates plying their trade along the coastal villages of southern Luzon. They came upon several tribes living in the thatched huts called cobo by the natives. Hence, Isla de Cobos became the province’s first adopted name.

On April 23, 1576, the galleon Espiritu Santo, en route to Manila from Acapulco, Mexico was wrecked off the coast of Batalay, Bato in an off-season weather disturbance. Among the survivors was Fray Diego de Herrera, a few Augus­tinian missionaries and some crewmembers. With this group came the first attempt at religious intrusion, which later became the major source of conflict with the natives that led to their violent deaths. Over the grave of Fray Herrera, the first Christian cross in Catanduanes was erected.

The actual evangelization of the island started some twenty years later, when the soldiers of Spain, after subjugating the Bicol mainland, came back with Franciscan missionaries. The missionaries armed with the cross and backed by the sword of the conquistadors evangelized the entire population without much resistance, after initially converting the southern tribes.

From 1600 to 1857, the colonizers were able to put up nine centers of local governments through the establishment of parishes: Caramoran (1601); Pandan (1650); Viga (1661); Panganiban (1663); Virac (1775); Bato (1830); and San Andres (1853). During the early fifties, Baras was created. Bagamanoc, a thriving municipality during the Spanish period was reduced to a mere barrio of Viga and later of Panganiban, during the American regime. It formally became a municipality in 1950 followed by Gigmoto in 1951, and San Miguel in 1952. It was during this period that the island saw its own development growth. Interlinking roads built and trading centers created.

Filipinism The unrest brought about the clamor for more Filipino involvement in the affairs of the Spanish government and the emerging nationalism among the natives signaled the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. The province sent Catandunganon soldiers to join the cause. During this period, the island came under the command of two generals. Abuque took responsibility for the northern towns and Brimbuela commanded the forces at Virac and the rest of the southern portion of the island.

American Regime Near the turn of the 19th century, the struggle for independence from the Spanish colonizers was effectively stifled by American interference. With superior arms and technology, the new conquerors found passive resistance among the natives. From one occupational regime, the country was placed under another.

From then, a civil government has replaced the military government. Catanduanes was made a sub-province of Ambos Camarines with Don Felipe Usero as its first Lieuten­ant Governor. It was during his term that the island was annexed to the province of Albay. The American occupation ended in 1934, followed by the birth of the Philippine Commonwealth.

Japanese Occupation In the 19th century, the sub-province of Catanduanes was already governed by a permanent delegate commissioner from the province of Albay, appointed by the central government in Manila.

In the morning of December 1941, the Japanese came and invaded the island. The Japanese Imperial Forces overran all defenses in no time. The wrath and might of the new conquerors over the people were mildly suppressed and hardly felt due to vigorous interventions from the Japanese pseudo traders who came earlier. Thus the people of Catanduanes suffered relatively less oppression during the occupation.

On February 8, 1945, upon instructions from the guerilla’s Central Movement, the Island’s own resistance group began offensive maneuvers. Two weeks later, the island was totally liberated. Two months after the liberation of the country, Major Thomas Sames of the Philippine Civil Authority Unit (PCAU) came and appointed civilian officials who served until the resumption of Commonwealth Government.

Post War Effective on October 26, 1945 Catanduanes became an independent province through the passage of House Bill No. 301 and Commonwealth Act No. 687 authored by then Representative Fran­cisco Perfecto. Remigio Socito, the last Lieutenant Governor of Catanduanes was appointed as the first Provincial Governor. When elections held in 1947, Alfonso V. Usero became the first elected Governor.

The People Power Revolution in February 1986 ushered in new leadership. Former Ambassador Leandro I. Verceles Sr. was appointed Governor of the province. In 1988, Governor Leandro I. Verceles Sr. ran for Governor and won the election. His term ended in 1992 when lost to Governor Rosalie A. Estacio. After Governor Estacio, Governor Severo C. Alcantara became the governor of the province in 1995. Gov. Alcantara did not run for re-election due to failing health. In 1998 Governor Hector S. Sanchez won the election. Governor Sanchez run for re-election but lost to Governor Leandro B. Verceles Jr who became governor for two successive terms. In 2007 synchronized elections, Gov. Verceles run again for his third and last term for governor but lost to Governor Joseph C. Cua, who became governor from 2007-2013 for two successive terms but lost to Gov. Araceli B. Wong last May 2013 election. Gov. Wong is now the incumbent governor.

Cemeteries

 * Palta Cemetery


 * Bato Public Cemetery


 * St. Joseph the Worker Cemetery


 * Virac Catholic Cemetery


 * Sabangan Cemetery


 * Gigmoto Public Cemetery


 * Viga Public Cemetery


 * Find A Grave

Family History Library

 * FHL Catanduanes Province Results


 * Philippines Civil Registration (Archives Division) (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Genealogy


 * Philippines Genealogy Family Search


 * Family History Library Research Outlines

Philppine Statistics

 * Philippine Statistics

Researching Filipino Ancestors

 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Spanish Period (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Civil Registration- Vital Records


 * Philippines, Civil Registration, National (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines, Civil Registration, Local (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * [Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division) (FamilySearch Historical Records)]


 * Philippines Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines, Court Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)


 * Philippines Church Records


 * Philippines


 * Death Records


 * National Archives Government Website


 * Catalog of Filipino Names


 * Civil Registration


 * Parish Registers - Family History before 1837


 * BYU Education Research Phillippines


 * Philippines, Civil Registration (Archives Division), 1902-1945


 * Filipino Ancestors


 * Obits Philippines freepages


 * Families of the Philippines


 * Surnames, etc


 * Resources for genealogy in the Philippines


 * PHILIPPINES-L Archives


 * Philippines » Birth, Marriage, Death


 * Philippines


 * Bona's Philippine Genealogy Site


 * Philippine Army and Guerrilla Records

Vital Statistics

 * Vital Statistics Special Release