San Andres,

Catanduanes

San Andres, officially t he Municipality of San Andres, is a 3rd class municipalit y in t he province
of Cat anduanes, Philippines. According t o t he 2020 census, it has a populat ion of 38,480
people. [3]
 San Andres
Calolbon

Municipality

Municipality of San Andres

Flag

Motto: Calolbon Mahalon. Lalong Pauswagon!

Map of Catanduanes with San Andres highlighted

OpenSt reet Map

Wikimedia | © O penStreetMap

San Andres
Coordinates: 13°36′N 124°06′E (https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=San_ Andres,
_ Catanduanes&params=13.6_ N_ 124.1_ E_ region:PH_ type:city(38480))

Country Philippines
Region Bicol Region
Province Catanduanes
District Lone district
Founded 1853
Barangays 38
(see Barangays)
Government [1]
Location within the Philippines
 • Type Sangguniang Bayan
 • Mayor Peter C. Cua
 • Vice Mayor Leo Z. Mendoza
 • Representative Hector S. Sanchez
 • Municipal Council Members
 • Electorate 28,580 voters (2019)
Area[2]
 • Total 167.31 km2 (64.60 sq mi)
Highest elevation 579 m (1,900 ft)
Lowest elevation 0 m (0 ft)

Population (2020 census) [3]
 • Total 38,480
 • Density 230/km2 (600/sq mi)
 • Households 7,646
Economy
 • Income class 3rd municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence 25.49% (2018)[4]
 • Revenue ₱ 145,645,411.07 (2020)
 • Assets ₱ 386,127,710.27 (2020)
 • Expenditure ₱ 144,638,979.92 (2020)
 • Liabilities ₱ 116,027,459.59 (2020)
Service provider
 • Electricity First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative
(FICELCO)
Time zone UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code 4810
PSGC (https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/) 052008000 (https://psa.gov.ph/classification/ps
gc/?q=psgc/barangays/052008000&regcode=05
&provcode=20)
IDD : area code  +63 (0)52
Native languages Central Bikol

 Southern Catanduanes Bikol

Tagalog
Website www.sanandres-catanduanes.gov.ph (http://w
ww.sanandres-catanduanes.gov.ph/)

Luyang Cave

It is formerly known as Calolbon.

History

Spanish Era

The t own's first leader on record was Juan Gazang who served for eight years bet ween 1798 and
1806, wit h t he except ion of t hree ot her capit ans- Crist obal (1806), Felix Sant elices (1835–1842)
and Teodoro Sant elices (1843–1847) -t he rest served t wo t erms. The last capt ain was Alipio
Vargas (1899–1900).

American Era

The American Era st art ed wit h a cont roversial municipal president , Deogracias Belmont e (1901–
1903). He was branded as pro-American by t he insurrect os headed by Comandant e Florencio
Eras. Belmont e was almost beheaded on December 8, 1899, in t he cemet ery of Pandan,
Cat anduanes. However, t he fat her of t hen Senat or Jose O. Vera saved him from execut ion.

The t erm "Municipal President " for t own heads was last used by Robert o Iñigo (1931–1935).
During t he Commonwealt h of t he Philippines, t he t own head of Calolbon was Emiliano Surban
(1935–1937) who was t he first t o assume t he t it le of "Municipal Mayor".

World War II

Felizardo Sant elices was appoint ed mayor of Calolbon (in 1944–1946) by President Jose P.
Laurel.

During t he WWII Japanese invasion, Sant elices experienced a brut al and almost fat al event ualit y.
It began on Oct ober 5, 1944, when a Japanese t ora-t ora plane was forced t o land on a rice field
near t he t own cent er. Sant elices conduct ed an inquiry, and alt hough his first urge was t o kill t he
pilot , he sent him inst ead t o t he Japanese headquart ers in Virac, t he capit al of Cat anduanes, t o
avoid pot ent ial disast er. He knew t hat Philippine t roops and recognized guerrillas would have
killed t he pilot t hemselves, and t he Japanese reprisal would have been a merciless burning of t he
t own and surrounding areas as well as a massacre of civilians.

The Japanese t hanked Sant elices for ret urning t he pilot , but t he Philippine Commonwealt h
t roops and t he recognized guerrillas, accusing him of being pro-Japanese, had t he mayor arrest ed
and brought t o t rial. He was convict ed and sent enced t o die and t o be int erred wit h a Japanese
pilot who made a forced landing in t he province of Camarines Sur. The condemned Japanese
aviat or was decapit at ed first , and Sant elices was t hen placed on t he execut ion block. Seconds
before t he sword was lowered, t he wife of t he slayer cried out : "Save him...save him... save him!
he is an innocent man!" So, Sant elices was freed.

Major Salvador Rodolfo organized t he Cat anduanes Liberat ion Forces. It was t he backbone of
t he resist ance movement in Cat anduanes. It performed numerous ambuscades against t he
Japanese Imperial Army and conduct ed int elligence gat hering, which was necessary in paving t he
way for t he event ual liberat ion of t he province by t he combined American and Filipino t roops.
During his exploit s as a guerilla leader, Rodolfo was rumored several t imes t o have been killed in
bat t le but t ime and again he keeps on coming back t o dest roy every vest ige of enemy cont rol in
t he province of Cat anduanes, hence he was called “Phant om” or t he Man who never dies.

On February 8, 1945, when Rodolfo was about t o declare t he independence of t he province aft er
he and his men killed every Japanese Imperial Army and burned every Japanese garrison in
Cat anduanes, one of his men approached him and said t hat t here were Japanese reinforcement s
on board 2 vessels approaching t he island. He t hen t alked t o his men, most of whom were
wounded and exhaust ed, he said: "Japanese reinforcements are coming. I have two options for
you, we can go to the hills and save ourselves and wait there until the Americans arrive, but I
assure you that all civilians left behind will be massacred by the incoming Japanese, or we can
repeat what happened in the Battle of Thermopylae and stand our ground. Most of us will die, but
we will live forever in the pages of history as the men who fought for the liberation of
Catanduanes".

Wit h t hat , everybody decided t o st and t heir ground and fight t he incoming Japanese. They went
t o t heir post s t o wait for t he enemy's arrival but t hen, as if by providence, American planes
arrived and bombed t he Japanese vessels. Rodolfo declared independence of t he ent ire
province on February 8, 1945.

Post War Era

Aft er Philippine independence in 1946 and Cat anduanes became an independent province, t he
first elect ed municipal mayor of Calolbon was Jose B. Surban (1947–1948). He was followed by
Jose de la Providencia (1948–1951) Francisco Imperial (1952–1955) and Arist eo Arcilla (1956–
1963).

During t he t erm of August o T. Ant onio (1964–1979), Calolbon was wired for elect ricit y, and t he
t own's infrast ruct ure was great ly improved. August o T. Ant onio was succeeded by Ant onio
Romano, MD (1980–1986) and t hen by Pedro Surban (1986–1987) as "Officer in Charge" of t he
t own.

Surban was succeeded by Lydia T. Romano (1987–1995), t he first woman ever elect ed as mayor
of Calolbon. Then Joseph Cua succeeded her. Aft er Cua, Dr. Aly Romano, t he son of ex-mayors
Ant onio and Lydia Romano was elect ed mayor. Then Leo Mendoza succeeded him in 2007. In t he
2010 Elect ions, Dr. Ant onio Romano won t he mayoral post again aft er defeat ing Mendoza wit h a
margin of 1,000 plus vot es. Pet er C. Cua succeeded Romano in 2013.

Republic Act No. 3948

In 1964, a bill was present ed t o t he Philippine Congress t o rename t he t own San Andres in honor
of it s pat ron, Saint Andrew t he Apost le. This bill was approved as Republic Act No. 3948 on June
18 t hat same year.

Many Calolbonganons loved t he old name, a name used since t ime immemorial and unique t o t he
ent ire archipelago. They were upset t hat t here had never been a referendum vot e.
"The change of Calolbon t o San Andres wit hout consult ing t he t ownspeople", said one
out spoken nat ive, "is a rape of democracy." But for t hose who were deeply religious and very
much devot ed t o St . Andrew, t he change from Calolbon t o San Andres was no different from
changing a pagan name t o a Christ ian one.

Geography

Barangays

San Andres is subdivided int o 38 barangays. [5]

Agojo

Alibuag

Asgad (Juan M. Albert o)

Bagong Sirang

Barihay

Bat ong Paloway

Belmont e (Poblacion)

Bislig

Bon-ot

Cabungahan

Cabcab

Carangag

Cat agbacan

Codon

Comagaycay

Dat ag

Divino Rost ro (Poblacion)

Esperanza (Poblacion)
 Hilawan

Lict in

Lubas

Manambrag

Mayngaway

Palawig

Put ing Baybay

Rizal

Salvacion (Poblacion)

San Isidro

San Jose

San Roque (Poblacion)

San Vicent e

Sant a Cruz (Poblacion)

Sapang Palay (Poblacion)

Tibang

Timbaan

Tominawog

Wagdas (Poblacion)

Yoct i

Climate
 Climate data for San Andres, Catanduanes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
27 27 28 30 31 30 29 29 29 29 28 27 29

Average high °C (°F)

(81) (81) (82) (86) (88) (86) (84) (84) (84) (84) (82) (81) (84)
22 22 23 24 25 25 25 25 25 24 24 23 24

Average low °C (°F)

(72) (72) (73) (75) (77) (77) (77) (77) (77) (75) (75) (73) (75)
Average
138
83 74 50 108
165
202
165
190
186
188
183
1,732
precipitation mm
(5.4) (3.3) (2.9) (2.0) (4.3) (6.5) (8.0) (6.5) (7.5) (7.3) (7.4) (7.2) (68.3)
(inches)
Average rainy days 16.8 11.9 13.5 13.8 20.5 25.2 27.4 26.2 26.1 24.7 20.7 18.5 245.3
Source: Meteoblue[6]

Demographics

Population census of San Andres

Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1903 5,783 —    
1918 9,080 +3.05%
1939 14,398 +2.22%
1948 17,370 +2.11%
1960 19,083 +0.79%
1970 23,885 +2.27%
1975 24,848 +0.80%
1980 25,072 +0.18%
1990 26,727 +0.64%
1995 30,242 +2.34%
2000 31,463 +0.85%
2007 33,781 +0.99%
2010 35,779 +2.11%
2015 36,779 +0.53%
2020 38,480 +0.89%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [7] [8] [9][10]

In t he 2020 census, t he populat ion of San Andres, Cat anduanes, was 38,480 people, [3] wit h a
densit y of 230 inhabit ant s per square kilomet re or 600 inhabit ant s per square mile.
Religion

In 1989, according t o t he Cat holic Direct ory of t he Philippines published by t he Cat holic Bishops'
Conference of t he Philippines (CBCP), t he t own of San Andres had a t ot al populat ion of 18,369,
t he majorit y of which were Roman Cat holic. Ot hers belonged t o diverse religious denominat ions
t hat include Jehovah's Wit nesses, t he Iglesia ni Crist o, t he Church of Jesus Christ of Lat t er-day
Saint s, as well as born-again and Fundament alist Prot est ant groups.

The ent ire t own of Calolbon was originally under t he jurisdict ion of Saint Andrew t he Apost le
Parish. In t he early 1950s, however, Saint Isidore Parish was est ablished in t he large neighborhood
of Manambrag, and now includes all of t he farming communit y of San Andres plus some barrios
from out lying areas of t he t own. Saint Andrew t he Apost le Church current ly host s has a number
of Pious Associat ions, many of which are dedicat ed t o t he Blessed Virgin Mary.

Clergy

Rev. Fr. Cornelio de Jesús (1798–1892) was t he first recorded parish priest . He minist ered t o t he
t own's spirit ual needs for 29 years. He was responsible for founding t he parish church, which was
part ially const ruct ed of limest one, and he chose Saint Andrew as it s t it ular pat ron since most
people in Calolbon were fishermen.

The priest s who saw t he end of t he Spanish Rule and t he advent of t he American Era was Rev. Fr.
Pío Imperial (1893–1902). During t he next t wo decades, t wo dynamic clerics guided and
st rengt hened t he Cat holic fait hful of t his t own. They were Rev. Fr. Robert o Floranza (1910–
1920) and Rev. Fr. Dominiciano Camu (1920–1930). Fr. Floranza concret ely improved t he church
building, as it was badly damaged by a t yphoon a mont h before he assumed his office as cura of
t he t own. Floranza was a t alent ed musician who organized a lit urgical choir t hat was oft en invit ed
t o perform at social gat herings such as biladas and dot ocas and at ot her public event s.

Our Lady of Sorrows of Paloway

Manolo A. de los Sant os, t he Bishop of Virac, said t hat t he Cat holic Bishops' Conference of t he
Philippines confirmed on June 13, 2008, t he exist ence of a miraculous "growing" cent ury-old
st one (now 3 inches in height ) in Paloway, San Andres, Cat anduanes, Bicol. The st one bears t he
image of t he Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Sorrows and is said t o heal illnesses: “What is
unexplainable is not t hat t he st one grew in size over t he years, but t he fact t hat t he image of
t he Virgin was never dist ort ed as it grew." Called Bat ong Paloway (ht t p://sanandres.cat anduanes.
gov.ph/ourladyofsorrows/) ("St one of Paloway"), it enshrined above t he alt ar of t he chapel of
Our Lady of Sorrows, a "de fact o shrine" in Barangay Paloway.[11][12]

The image on t he st one is act ually "Our Lady of t he Finger" (Nuestra Señora del Dedo), as it
shows Mary point ing her right index finger t o t he left from underneat h her cloak. Originally a
Spanish depict ion, t he t it le was lit t le known in t he Philippines at t he t ime of t he st one's
discovery, leading t he people t o associat e t he Paloway icon wit h t he more familiar Our Lady of
Sorrows.

The Church has no official st at ement on t he devot ion t o t he icon, but it does not hinder it . Every
Friday, a Mass is being celebrat ed in Paloway Chapel for t he benefit of devot ees. On t he evening
of Maundy Thursday, yout h from neighboring parishes go on pilgrimage t o visit t he icon.

Economy

Poverty Incidence of San Andres

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

See also

List of renamed cit ies and municipalit ies in t he Philippines

References

1.  Municipality of San Andres (https://lgu201.dilg.gov.ph/view.php?r=05&p=20&m=08) | (DILG)

 2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (https://ww
w.psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/_POPCEN%20Report%20No.%203.pdf) (PDF). Philippine Statistics
Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0117
-1453) . Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20210525030629/https://www.psa.gov.ph/sites/defau
lt/files/_POPCEN%20Report%20No.%203.pdf) (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved
July 16, 2021.

3. Census of Population (2020). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachme

nts/ird/pressrelease/Region%205.xlsx) . Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay.
PSA. Retrieved 8 July 2021.

4. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (https://psa.gov.ph/content/psa-re
leases-2018-municipal-and-city-level-poverty-estimates) . Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December
2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

5. "Province: Catanduanes" (https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/?q=psgc/citimuni/052000000) .

PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.

6. "San Andres, Catanduanes : Average Temperatures and Rainfall" (https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weath

er/forecast/modelclimate/san-andres_philippines_1690437) . Meteoblue. Retrieved 29 December 2018.

7. Census of Population (2015). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (https://www.psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/atta

chments/hsd/pressrelease/R05.xlsx) . Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay.
PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.

8. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/fi

les/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/Bicol.pd%66) . Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and
Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.

9. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (https://archive.org/download/Philippin

esCensusofPopulationLGUs19032007/Region%205%20Bicol%20Region%20Philippines%20Census%20o
f%20Population%201903%20-%202007.xls) . Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by
Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007 (https://archive.org/download/PhilippinesCensusofPopul
ationLGUs19032007) . NSO.

10. "Province of Catanduanes" (http://122.54.214.222/population/MunPop.asp?prov=CAT&province=Catan

duanes) . Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division.
Retrieved 17 December 2016.

11. "'Miraculous' stone with image of Mary 'grows' in Bicol" (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/101031/Miraculo

us-stone-with-image-of-Mary-grows-in-Bicol) , gmanews.tv. Accessed 2 August 2022.

12. "Our Lady of Sorrows" (http://sanandres.catanduanes.gov.ph/ourladyofsorrows) ,

Sanandres.catanduanes.gov.ph. Accessed 2 August 2022.
13. "Poverty incidence (PI):" (https://psa.gov.ph/content/poverty-incidence-pi) . Philippine Statistics
Authority. Retrieved 28 December 2020.

14. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/NSCB_LocalPovertyPhilippines_0.pdf ; publication date: 29

November 2005; publisher: Philippine Statistics Authority.

15. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2003%20SAE%20of%20poverty%20%28Full%20Report%29_1.pd
f ; publication date: 23 March 2009; publisher: Philippine Statistics Authority.

16. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2006%20and%202009%20City%20and%20Municipal%20Level%20
Poverty%20Estimates_0_1.pdf ; publication date: 3 August 2012; publisher: Philippine Statistics
Authority.

17. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2012%20Municipal%20and%20City%20Level%20Poverty%20Estim
a7tes%20Publication%20%281%29.pdf ; publication date: 31 May 2016; publisher: Philippine Statistics
Authority.

18. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/City%20and%20Municipal-
level%20Small%20Area%20Poverty%20Estimates_%202009%2C%202012%20and%202015_0.xlsx ;
publication date: 10 July 2019; publisher: Philippine Statistics Authority.

19. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (https://psa.gov.ph/content/psa-re
leases-2018-municipal-and-city-level-poverty-estimates) . Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December
2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.

Some part of t his art icle was t aken from SAN ANDRES: A PLACE CALLED HOME, by James
Sant elices, 1996. Pat t erson, CA. U.S.A.

External links

Official websit e (ht t p://sanandres.cat anduanes.gov.ph/)

Philippine St andard Geographic Code (ht t ps://psa.gov.ph/classificat ion/psgc/?q=psgc/baranga

ys/052008000&regcode=05&provcode=20)

2007 Philippine Census Informat ion (ht t ps://web.archive.org/web/20120910051344/ht t p://ww

w.census.gov.ph/dat a/pressrelease/2008/pr0830t x.ht ml)
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=San_Andres,_Catanduanes&oldid=111219102
5"

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