“Catanduanes” comes from the words tandu, a native beetle, and samdong, a native species of tree, both were found throughout the island. People often referred to the island as katanduan or kasamdongan, meaning ‘a place where the tandu and the samdong tree thrive in abundance.’ The pronunciation of this word by Spanish-speaking people led to the coining of the Hispanicized version, Catanduanes.
Catanduanes (/ˌkɑːtɑːnˈdwɑːnɛs/; Tagalog pronunciation: [kɐtɐnˈdwɐnes]), officially the Province of Catanduanes (Filipino: Lalawigan ng Catanduanes), is an island province located in the Bicol Region of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the 12th-largest island in the Philippines, and lies to the east of Camarines Sur, across Maqueda Channel. Its capital is Virac. It had a population of 271,879 people as of the 2020 census.
The province comprises Catanduanes (mainland or main island), Panay Island, Lete Island, the Palumbanes group of islands (Porongpong, Tignob and Calabagio), and a few other small, surrounding islets and rocks. The province is also home to various mollusk fossil sites, notably the second-oldest ammonite site in the Philippines. These sites have certain species of ammonites that are found nowhere else in Southeast Asia. Because of the province’s importance and rich geologic history, various scholars have suggested that, if the province would take the initiative to put its name forward in nomination, it would stand a good chance of being named as UNESCO Geopark Reserve.
In the early 1900s, Catanduanes was a sub-province of Ambos Camarines. Later, it was a sub-province of Albay. It became an autonomous province in 1945. Congressman Francisco Perfecto filed House Bill No. 301, which separated the province from Albay; the bill was approved on September 26, 1945, and signed into law by President Sergio Osmeña on October 24, 1945. Remigio Socito, previously the Lieutenant Governor, was appointed the first Provincial Governor. When elections were held in 1947, Alfonso V. Usero became the first elected Governor. On April 15, 2022, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Republic Act No. 11700 declaring Catanduanes province as the Philippines Abaca Capital.
Where to Go?
CRISTINA’S FARM
The first strawberry farm in the Province of Catanduanes. Offering varieties of strawberry fruit and seedlings. Also offers education/knowledge to visitors on how to grow strawberries.
