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Brief 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 occupied only a strip of land stretching from
Ibaba to Ilaya in a cross – formed facing the present church and
cut-off by a river. In the course of the century, succeeding
barrios 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, under
Act. No. 423, the capital of Mindoro was transferred to Puerto
Galera under the Law. It was re-transferred to Calapan in 1903
for geographical and transportation purposes.
When Mindoro
was detached from Marinduque on November 10, 1902, Baco, Puerto
Galera and San Teodoro were annexed to Calapan in 1905 under Act.
1280, adding a total area of 843 sq. km. of land. In 1902, under
Act 2824, the three (3) municipalities gained their independence.
In 1919, the
boundary dispute between Calapan and Naujan was adjudicated by
Presidentes Agustin Quijano of Calapan and Agustin Garong of
Naujan over a portion of the territory of what is now known as the
present boundary. The portion of agricultural area was awarded to
Naujan, thus, making the area of Calapan much smaller as compared
to that of Naujan which is now considered as the biggest
municipality of the province.
At
present, Calapan has an area of only 250.06 sq. km (according to
LMB). It has also jurisdiction over the three (3) Baco Islets on
the Calapan Bay and the two (2) Silonay Islets.
The City of
Calapan has been transformed as a component city on March 21,
1998. Its conversion was based on Republic Act 8475, enacted by
Congress and signed into law by President Fidel V. Ramos on
February 2, 1998. In a plebiscite held on March 21, 1998, majority
of Calapeños ratified the conversion of Calapan into a city. It is
the first and only city in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
Area Location
The City of
Calapan:
Ø
Lies on the head of Calapan Bay, Northeastern part of Mindoro
Island
Ø
Lies in the quadrangle bounded by 13°12.6
and 13°27’
North latitudes and 121°17’
East longitudes.
Ø
Bounded on the North and Northeast by Calapan Bay, on the South
and Southeast by the Municipality of Naujan and on the West by the
Municipality of Baco and overlooked inland by the towering Mount
Halcon, Mindoro’s highest mountain peak.
Ø
28 nautical miles from the nearest point of Batangas Province and
is about 45 kms. South of Batangas City and 130 kms. South of
Manila.
Ø
According to the Land Management Bureau, Calapan has total land
area of 250.06 square kilometers or 25,006 hectares including the
three (3) Baco Islets and two(2) Silonay Islets; the National
Statistics Office has a figure of 265.20 sq.km. As measured from
cadastral data using Geographic Information System (GIS)-based
techniques, it has an area of approximately 185.99 sq. km.
including the 5 islets.
Climate
Ø
Type, Rainfall Distribution Annually, Temperature Ranges, Prevailing
Winds, Typhoon Frequencies, Frequency and Extent of Floods:
·
The climate is mild with no distinct wet and dry season.
·
The seasons are not very pronounced and it is relatively dry from
November to April and wet during the rest of the year. The months
of February and March have the least rainfall, while October and
November are the months with the greatest rainfall.
·
Wind direction throughout the year is variable; Northeast monsoons
prevail from August, November, December, January, February and
March; East to Northeast on April; Southeast to South on May and
June; Northeast to South on July and September, and Easterly on
October.
·
The average wind velocity has been observed to be 3.0 meters per
second. Typhoons generally follow a northwesterly path.
·
Other sources states that the climate of Calapan is typically type
III (according to the Modified Coronas Classification of the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration –PAGASA).
·
Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.
Average yearly rainfall is 2,500 mm. To 4,500 mm. at the City’s
southwest portion.
·
Average temperature ranges from 22.86°C to 28.25°C.
·
Average relative humidity is 85.58%. During the easterly monsoon,
the storm path cuts across Calapan while heavy pressure from the
northwesterly monsoon crawls along the coastlines. Anchorage is
safe in the eastern side of the point during the season.
·
According to PAGASA, the average temperature for the year 1995 is
27.5°Celsius.
Climate is
favorable for vegetation throughout the year under the type D
climate characterization. Its relative humidity is 81%.
Dialects Spoken
Calapeños are
multi-lingual. Based on the 1995 Survey by the NSO, 97.32% of the
total population speak Tagalog, followed by Ilocano, Rombloanon,
Bikol and Cebuano.
There is almost
no difference in the intonation between Calapeños and Batangeños
when speaking the native dialect of Tagalog. |
