The City of Catbalogan

 
Catbalogan City is the city capital of Samar Province, Philippines with a population of 92,454 (2007 Census). It is Samar’s main commercial, trading, educational, political and financial center. It is also an important and major seaport serving inter-island vessels. Catbalogan City’s central geographical location in Eastern Visayas makes it ideal as the gateway to the region’s three Samar provinces.

Location:
Catbalogan City is strategically located on the western coast of the province of Samar, in the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII), with geographical coordinates of 11° 46′ 31″ North and 124° 53′ 10″ East. It is bounded to the north by the municipalities of Tarangnan and San Jorge, to the east by the municipality of Jiabong, and to the west by the Maqueda Bay with its beautiful sunsets. The Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway) traverses Catbalogan City from Barangay San Vicente in the north through the poblacion to Barangay Lagundi in the south. Catbalogan City is about 802 km (498 mi) south of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

Land Area:
The topography of Catbalogan City is rough and its mountains are relatively high. Approximately 2% of the land area are plain and mostly found along the seacoast while 43% are rolling hills and 55% are mountainous.

The coastline of Catbalogan City is irregular with bays bordering the poblacion and other barangays. Its coastline has a total length of about ten miles.

River:
The Antiao River traverses Catbalogan City and exits to the Maqueda Bay through its coastal section. It has a length of 2,140 meters with an average width of 37.55 meters and depth of 1.25 meters. This river serves as the primary outlet or artery for freshwater, transport network for some lowland and upland barangays of the city and mooring area for small and medium-sized sea craft during inclement weather.

Climate:
Catbalogan City has a tropical climate and it is classified as 4th type (Mild) where rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.

In Catbalogan City there is hardly a month without rainfall. Generally, there is no distinct dry season but the months of February, March, April and May comprise the short dry season. Rainfall is uniform throughout the year and heaviest during the months of November and December.

Soil Types:
The soils of Catbalogan City are of two types, namely, the Catbalogan clay loam and faraon clay. The clay loam, the predominant one, is developed from shales and sandstones. It is particularly suited for agriculture especially root crops. The faraon clay, on the other hand, is a residual from coralline limestone and is fair with organic matter contents. Limestone rocks are sometimes found on the surface.

HISTORY of Catbalogan City

Catbalogan City was founded or settled sometime in October 1596, by the priests of the Jesuit Order (Society of Jesus). Friar Francisco de Otazo, S.J., who arrived in the Philippines in 1596, founded the Catbalogan mission and was thus the first missionary to bring the Catholic faith to the people of Catbalogan. In 1627, Catbalogan was raised to the status of residencia (residence or central house) and among its dependencies was Paranas where in 1629 Father Pedro Estrada actively evangelized the area. On October 17, 1768, Catbalogan was ceded to the Franciscans who took over from theJesuits. The first Franciscan parish priest was Fray Jose Fayo, OFM.

The original name of Catbalogan City was Katbalaugan or Kabalaugan. The two syllables of the name are compounds of the prefix kat- or ka- and the substantive noun balaug of the Samar-Leyte Visayan (Waray) language. “Balaug” was a shrub that thrived along Catbalogan’s seashore and sandy banks of the Antiao River. “Katbalaugan” or “Kabalaugan” means “a place where seafarers, fishermen or sailors take shelter or protection.” The old fishing village of Katbalaugan or Kabalaugan was the refuge of people riding in small boats and sailboats when the northwest and southwest monsoons blew during the months of July, August, and September.

During the early days of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Samar was under the jurisdiction of Cebu. Later, it was declared a separate province. In 1735, Samar and Leyte were united into one province with Carigara, in Leyte, as the capital. The union, however, did not prove satisfactory. In 1768, Catbalogan City became the provincial capital when Samar separated from Leyte and became an independent province.

On January 27, 1900, the Americans captured Catbalogan City during the Philippine-American War (1899–1902). On June 17, 1902, a provincial civil government was established on Samar Island by an act of the Philippine Commission with Julio Llorente of Cebu as the first governor of Samar.

On May 24, 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces landed in Barrio Pangdan and occupied the capital. On December 18, 1945, American and Filipino forces liberated Catbalogan City from the Japanese.

In 1948, the barrios of Jiabong, Jiaan, Malino, San Fernando, Casapa, Camoroboan, Lologayan, Magcabitas Paglayogan, Dogongan, Bayog, and Malobago, were separated to form the municipality ofJiabong.

On June 19, 1965, the Philippine Congress along with the District’s Congressman, Felipe Abrigo, approved Republic Act No. 4221 dividing Samar into Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar, respectively. Catbalogan City thus ceased to be the capital of the whole island-province after enjoying the prestige of being the premier town of Samar for 197 years since 1768. On June 21, 1969, under Republic Act No. 5650, Western Samar was renamed Samar with Catbalogan City still as the capital.

The greatest calamities to occur in Catbalogan City were big fires. The April 1, 1957 conflagration, considered as the most destructive one, caused damage to properties in the amount of thirty million pesos. The next was on May 19, 1969, where damage was estimated at twenty million pesos and the more than century-old Saint Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church was razed to the ground. Paradoxically, like the proverbial Phoenix, each time Catbalogan City suffered under the throes of these calamities, better buildings and infrastructures emerged from the ashes.

As early as 1960, Catbalogan already agitated to become a city. In 1969, Rep. Fernando P. Veloso sponsored House Bill No. 1867 creating Catbalogan into a city. The bill was being deliberated in thePhilippine Senate, but the conflagration of 1969 unfortunately caused it to be shelved. Subsequent efforts were made by Catbalogan City’s and Samar’s political leaders, such as Mayors Jesus B. Redaja and Coefredo T. Uy, Vice Mayors Gerardo C. Teves and Manuel Van A. Torrevillas and Representatives Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura and Catalino V. Figueroa, respectively, to make Catbalogan’s cityhood dream a reality despite strong opposition by the League of Cities of the Philippines, particularly Catbalogan’s neighboring city Calbayog under the administration of Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento.

On March 15, 2007, Catbalogan finally attained its cityhood. Under the sponsorship of Senator Alfredo S. Lim and by virtue of Republic Act No. 9391, Catbalogan was converted into a component city known as the CITY of CATBALOGAN following a unanimous vote by the Philippine Senate. Senator Manuel Villar, Jr. (President of the Senate), Congressman Jose De Venecia, Jr. (Speaker of the House of Representatives), Oscar G. Yabes (Secretary of the Senate), Roberto P. Nazareno (Secretary General, House of Representatives) and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (President of the Philippines) were among its signatories. The residents of Catbalogan overwhelmingly ratified this change through a Comelec plebiscite on June 16, 2007 with over 92% “Yes” votes for cityhood.

However, Catbalogan temporarily lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court of the Philippines in a very close 6-5 vote granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared the cityhood law (RA 9391) which allowed the town to acquire its city status, unconstitutional.

On December 10, 2008, Catbalogan and the other 15 cities affected filed a motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court. More than a year later, on December 22, 2009, acting on said appeal, the Court reversed its earlier ruling as it ruled that “at the end of the day, the passage of the amendatory law (regarding the criteria for cityhood as set by Congress) is no different from the enactment of a law, i.e., the cityhood laws specifically exempting a particular political subdivision from the criteria earlier mentioned. Congress, in enacting the exempting law/s, effectively decreased the already codified indicators.” As such, the cityhood status of Catbalogan is effectively restored.

Some of the Notable Attractions/ Landmarks of Catbalogan. 

*The Oblisk

located in the heart of Catbalogan City’s Samar Provincial Capitol Park, it depicts four major events in Samar’s history – the 1901 Balangiga Encounter that saw local revolutionaries inflicting the “worst single defeat” of the Americans during the Philippine-American War (1899–1902); the 1649 Agustin Sumoroy Rebellion in Palapag against the Spaniards; the October 15, 1596 arrival of the first Jesuit missionaries to Samar; and Queen Isabella II of Spain carrying a Royal Decree of August 11, 1841 declaring Samar as an independent province.

 *Basiao Island Beach

formally known as Aba-Aba Island Park, is located in Barangay Basiao, Catbalogan City, Samar, Philippines. It is composed of three islets interconnected through basal karzt and coastal carbonate calcium carbonate brought about by continuous diastrophism. It faces Majaba Island on the northwest direction of the islet while the opposite headland side faces the southern part of Catbalogan City, approximately three nautical miles. Basiao is one of 57 barangays of Catbalogan City, the capital of Samar Province.

Basiao Island has the potential as a coral garden, marina or marine resort with activities ideal for diving, snorkeling, sailing, sport fishing, kayaking and other water sports. Aside from its strategic location, the island is endowed with rich resources such as wide diversity of molluscs, reptiles, fish, crustaceans and other marine invertebrates such as exotic seahorse, crabs, grouper and many more species. Unique to the island is the Aba-Aba shell fish which is only found in the cluster islands of Basiao and Buad, thus the former name Aba-Aba Island Park.

* St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church

The Church of St. Bartholomew, the Apostle, was built prior to 1760. The church did not assume its present form until 1814, when Father Felix Carreon, OFM, set out to repair the church following its initial burning in 1760. Father Martin de Yepes constructed the altars and also had a colonnade of wooden posts raised, thus dividing the nave into three sections. The facade used Ionic columns for its articulation. In 1835, the church burnt a second time but was rebuilt by the Franciscans. The old meter-high image of the patron saint, St. Bartholomew, is presently kept in the rectory. Behind the church are remains of the quadrilateral fort traced to Jesuit times.

And many other more attarctive sceneries can be seen in Catbalogan.

Festivals
*The Mandaragat Festival*
Held during the annual August month-long Fiesta celebration (August 1–31), the Manaragat Festival is a tribute to the fishermen of Catbalogan City. Local fishermen share their catch of fish and other marine products which they trade in the market. The Manaragat is a festive dance characterized by varied movements and intricate steps of the different species of fish and sea shells inhabiting Maqueda Bay and beautifully presented by dancers in exotic and colorful costumes. The Manaragat Festival of Catbalogan City honors its Patron Saint, St. Bartholomew, every 24 August. St. Bartholomew, the miraculous Saint, is believed by the local folks to have maintained the richness of Maqueda Bay as the major fishing ground of the province of Samar.

 This is far different from the well known Sinulog, Kasadya-an and other festivals in the country that honours the birth of Christianism. 
The Manaragat Festival is interpreted by colours, dances and the sound of drums that echoed through the deep culture of the fishing industry that stayed long in the history of Catbaloganons. The City Government of Catbalogan under the tutelage of Mayor Coefredo “Tekwa” Uy encourages every barangay to participate in this festival to promote tourism industry as one of the major thrust of his Government. Manaragat is the local dialect for fishermen.

* Kaadlwan han Samar (Samar Day) – August 11 – Festivities held in Catbalogan City, it marks the celebration of Samar’s Foundation Day. The festival is participated by the province’s cities and twenty-five municipalities and includes cultural dance competitions, Mutya Han Samar, agro-fisheries trade fair and civic-military parade.

* The Catbaloganon Septemberfest – Global celebration of Catbalogan City’s 5 districts, namely, Salug, Likud Patag, Poblacion, Ubanon and Burak on the last Saturday of September. Festivities are held concurrently in Las Vegas, the Middle East, Europe, and Australia. As part of the festivities, a Miss Global Catbaloganon is crowned. The festival is open globally to all Catbaloganons thru internet participation.