romblon diocesan seminarians association at pastoral center, diocese of romblon, romblon, romblon 5500 PH - Online Map
Online Map
Romblon is recognized as the Philippines' "Marble Country". The province is famous for its rich marble deposits. But marble is not the only treasure of this province. Lining its shores are numerous palm-fringed white sand beaches unspoiled by the modern world, waterfalls, seas which burst with a wealth of marine life and to top them all, the hospitality and warmth of its people. Lately, development planners have dubbed the province as one of the country's foremost opportunity areas. Romblon today holds manifold opportunities for hotel and resort development and the building of leisure sites seaward to boost the popularity of marine sports. They are currently on the drawing board and designed to be at par with world standards. Mini-Profile Capital : Romblon Area : 135,690 hec. Population : 244,854 No. of Municipalities : 17 A. Brief History The early aborigines of Romblon were believed to be the Negritos from Panay and the Mangyans from Mindoro. It was in 1582 when the Loarca expedition came to the islands and named the place "Lomlon". A secular clergy administered the province until 1635. It was in 1818 when Romblon was annexed to the province of Capiz and made into a political and military station. The Americans, who came to rule in 1901, appointed a civil government to run local affairs. About a century later, in 1917, Romblon became an autonomous province, but it was only in 1947 when this was promulgated by Republic Act No. 38. B. Geography: Located almost at the center of the Philippine archipelago, the province of Romblon lies in the Sibuyan Sea. It is composed of three main islands, Romblon (main island), Tablas Island, and Sibuyan Island. It has a total land area of 135,690 hectares. It is bounded in the north by the province of Marinduque, south by Panay Island, east by Masbate and west by Mindoro. From Manila it is about 187 nautical miles or 169 air miles. Largely mountainous and rugged in terrain, the islands of Romblon are volcanic in origin. The highest peak is 2,057 meters above sea level. C. Political Subdivision: Romblon has 17 municipalities which are further subdivided into 213 barangays. Of the 17 municipalities of which, five are main-Island, three are Sibuyan Island, municipalities and the rest are in the island of Tablas. Municipalities of Romblon: Main Island: Romblon Banton Concepcion Corcuera San Jose Tablas Island: Alcantara Calatrava Ferrol Looc Sta. Fe San Agustin San Andres Odiongan Sta. Maria Sibuyan Island: Cajidiocan Magdiwang San Fernando. D. Climate: The climate in Romblon is characterized by seasons which are not very pronounced. November to April is relatively dry, and the rest of the year is wet. E. Population: Population as of 1995 National Statistics Office is about 244,854 with growth rate of 1.36 percent annually. F. Language/Dialect: The people of Romblon speak a variety of Visayan dialects, notably a mixture of Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Aklanon and other minor tonques, although Tagalog is widely understood. English stands as the medium of communication in business and trade. G. How to get there: Romblon can be reached from Manila conveniently by air and from Visayas and Mindoro points of origin by sea. H. Getting around the place: Once in the province private jeepney operators ply routes from the various towns to the business capital of Romblon and vice versa. I. Infrastructure and Public Utilities: -Roads and Highways: A circumferential road system works on all the major islands of Romblon province. The existing road network totals 142.62 kilometers. Road pavements vary from concrete, asphalt, gravel or merely earth surfaced. Of the total kilometerage, only 6.73 percent concrete and asphalt, while the greater portions are gravel type. -Airports: The only commercial airport in the province is located in Barangay Tugdan, Alcantara in the island of Tablas. Its facilities can accommodate aircraft like the Fokker 50. In case of emergency, there is another airport, a smaller one, located at Barangay Azagra, San Fernando, in Sibuyan island. -Ports and Docks: There are 15 existing ports in the province, two of which are classified as national ports. Serving as the main points of entry to Romblon are the ports in Odiongan and Romblon island. Major shipping lines call on these ports several times a week. Smaller ports (municipal) are found in the towns of San Agustin, Calatrava, San Andres, Looc, San Fernando, Magdiwang, Cajidiocan, Banton and Corcuera. -Electricity: Tablas island has 24-hour electricity being serviced by the Tablas Island Electric Cooperative (TIELCO). Romblon island, on the other hand, enjoys 12-hour electricity service provided by Romblon Electric Cooperative (REMELCO). The islands of San Jose, Alad, Cobrador and Logbon, have no electricity.