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PROVINCIAL PROFILE OF ROMBLON
FAST FACTS
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LOCATION
Romblon is a cluster of twenty islands Iying in the Sibuyan Sea that is practically at the center of the Philippine archipelago. It is south of Marinduque, west of Masbate, east of Mindoro, and north of Panay Island.
THE LAND
Romblon consists of three main islands: Romblon, Tablas and Sibuyan, and 17 smaller ones. The whole province is generally mountainous. Narrow strips of coastal lowland, low hills and plains characterize some of the islands. It is relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. It is exposed to typhoons and lies along an earthquake zone.
A BRIEF HISTORY
The Spaniards first visited the place in 1582, which Loarca cited in his writings as "Lomlon" or "Doblon." Recollect missionaries followed in 1635. In 1818, Romblon was made a part of Capiz. Then in 1853, it was reorganized into a politico-military comandancia. A civil government was established in the islands by the Americans in 1901. Romblon was created as a province in 1901 but due to insufficient income, it became a sub-province of Capiz in 1907 until 1917, when it was re-established as a province. In 1946, Romblon was abolished as a province. The following year, on January1,1947 it regained provincial status through Republic Act No. 38.
THE PEOPLE
The earliest inhabitants of the province were believed to be Negritos from Panay and Mangyans from Mindoro. Today, Romblon's population is made up of several ethnolinguistic groups, but the majority are descendants of Malay settlers in Panay. Ilonggo (Panay-Hiligaynon) and Tagalog are widely spoken, although some areas have their own distinct dialects.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Romblon has become synonymous with its most important mineral resource-marble. In fact, all the islands comprising the province have marble. Quarries on these islands produce raw marble for sculpture and construction purposes. The chief occupations of the people include farming, with abaca and copra as major products, livestock raising, and logging. The waters of the Sibuyan Sea provide year-round fishing opportunities. During the off-season, farmhands engage in such cottage industries as basket-weaving, buri handicrafts, rope and fishnet making, and marble curing. The women of Romblon are known for their delicate crochet laces and bedspreads.
Information gathered from:
League of
Provinces
by:Roberto C. Arellano
This page last revised:August 04, 1999.
