A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Legazpi | |
|---|---|
| City of Legazpi | |
 Clockwise from top right: JCI Legazpi Tourism Marker, View from The Oriental Legazpi, Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great, Battle of Legazpi Monument, Legazpi City Hall, Zip-line at Ligñon Hill, Old Legazpi Airport | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): | |
| Anthem: Legazpi Ngonyan[6] | |
 Map of Albay with Legazpi highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Legazpi Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 13°08′N 123°44′E / 13.13°N 123.73°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Bicol Region |
| Province | Albay |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | 1616 |
| Cityhood | 1892 (First time) July 18, 1948 (Second time) June 12, 1959 (Final date) |
| Named for | Miguel Lopez de Legazpi |
| Barangays | 70 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Panlungsod |
| • Mayor | Carmen Geraldine B. Rosal |
| • Vice Mayor | Oscar Robert H. Cristobal |
| • Representative | Jose Ma. Clemente "Joey" S. Salceda |
| • City Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 131,412 voters (2022) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 153.70 km2 (59.34 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 149 m (489 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 2,444 m (8,018 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[9] | |
| • Total | 209,533 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi) |
| • Households | 46,445 |
| Demonym(s) | Legazpeños (masculine) Legazpeñas (feminine) Legazpians (English, occasionally) |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 1st income class city |
| • Poverty incidence | 17.62 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 1,501 million (2020) |
| • Assets | ₱ 3,484 million (2020) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 1,062 million (2020) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 629.7 million (2020) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Albay Power and Energy Corporation (APEC) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 4500 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)52 |
| Native languages | Tagalog |
| Website | legazpi |
Legazpi (IPA: [lɛˈgaspɪ]), officially the City of Legazpi (Central Bikol: Syudad nin Legazpi; Filipino: Lungsod ng Legazpi), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 209,533.[9] Legazpi is the regional center and largest city of the Bicol Region, in terms of population.[11][12] It is the region's center of tourism, education, health services, commerce[13] and transportation[4] in the Bicol Region.
The city is composed of two districts, Legazpi Port and the Old Albay District. Mayon Volcano, one of the Philippines' most popular icons and tourist destinations, is partly within the city's borders.[14]
In 2018, Legazpi was ranked first in overall competitiveness among component cities by the National Competitiveness Council.[15] The city also ranked first in infrastructure and second in economic dynamism.[16][17] In the same year, Legazpi was also named "most business-friendly city" in the component city category by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[18]
Etymology
The city of Legazpi was named after Miguel López de Legazpi, the Basque Spanish conquistador who officially annexed the Philippine Islands to the Spanish Empire in 1565, and whose surname came from a town in Gipuzkoa, Spain.
History
Pre-Hispanic
The area that is now Albay had a thriving civilization before the Spanish arrived.[19] The Spanish explorers found densely populated settlements with an abundance of gold and provisions in the southern Bicol peninsula.[20] Ancient inhabitants practiced rice cultivation, made fine gold jewelry and possessed silk, suggesting trade with China.[20] American anthropologist Henry Otley Beyer found jars, stone tools and shells from 100 to 500 BC in Sorsogon and Albay.[21] Meanwhile, ancient burial jars and pottery were also found in Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave in Camalig.[22] Other evidences of pre-Hispanic civilization include the Mataas shell scoop, which dates back to the Late Neolithic Period, found in Cagraray Island.[23] The Mataas shell scoop was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.[24]
Foundation
Legazpi was originally a fishing settlement called Sawangan that occupied the mangrove swamps that is now the Legazpi Port, inhabited by fisher folk and farmers.[25] In 1569, a Spanish expedition dispatched by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi led by Luis Enriquez de Guzman and Augustinian friar Alonso Jimenez first set foot in Albay. They arrived on the coastal settlement called Ibalon in present-day Magallanes, Sorsogon after exploring the islands of Masbate, Ticao and Burias and proceeded inland as far as present-day Camalig, Albay.[20][26]
In July 1573, the conquistador Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Governor-General Legazpi, led another expedition from the north. They founded Villa Santiago de Libon (present-day Libon, Albay) and reached the settlement of Albaybay, whose name was subsequently shortened to 'Albay' or Pueblo de Albay. In 1616, Pueblo de Albay served as the capital of Partido de Ibalon, which included present-day Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, parts of Camarines Sur and the islands of Catanduanes, Ticao and Burias.[27]
Spanish colonial era
Spanish religious missionaries governed the settlement in the 1580s. In 1587, Franciscan friars of the Doctrina de Cagsawa began to convert the area's population to Christianity. The village of Sawangan became more populous and progressive and the first parish priest, Fray Francisco de Santa Ana, OFM, built a wooden chapel with St. Gregory the Great as patron. Sawangan then became an independent parish and was called Misión de San Gregorio Magno de Sawangan.[28]
A bigger and more imposing church replaced the chapel during the tenure of Fray Martin del Espiritu OFM in 1636 and Sawangan continued to thrive despite the Moro raids in the 1700s, a super typhoon in 1742, an earthquake in 1811, and other calamities.[28] Sawangan was created a visita regular in 1605 and elevated as an independent town in 1616.
1814 Eruption of Mt. Mayon
On February 1, 1814, a catastrophic eruption of Mt. Mayon partially destroyed Sawangan and buried Cagsawa, Budiao and Camalig. The parish priest of Sawangan, Fray Pedro Licup, urged the residents to transfer to Makalaya (present-day Barangay Taysan) located on the slopes of Mt. Bariw. However, many residents decided to return to the lowlands and settled in Taytay (present-day Barangay Bagumbayan).
Other survivors opted to return to the original location of Sawangan and established Binanuahan (Banuang Gurang) despite a decree by the Gobierno Superior signed on October 1, 1829, which prohibited the establishment of new towns.[28] The new settlement in Taytay grew larger and eventually became a township. Binanuahan was declared a visita or tributary of Taytay and the combined town became known as Albay Nuevo.[29]
In 1839, the settlers in Taytay started to erect a stone church designed by Gobernadorcillo Don Jose Ma. de Peñaranda, an architect, in consultation with Fray Jose Yagres, OFM. The structure would become the present Cathedral of San Gregorio Magno in the Old Albay District. Meanwhile, those who returned to Sawangan established an ermita or chapel dedicated to the Archangel Raphael, whom they adopted as patron saint. This became the present church of St. Raphael the Archangel in the Legazpi Port district.
On July 17, 1856, Governor General Ramon Montero signed a decree creating the township of Pueblo Viejo, out of Binanuahan and the adjacent villages of Lamba, Rawis and Bigaa. In another decree, Montero named the town Legazpi, which was formally established on October 22 of the same year, in honor of no less than Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the first Governor General, who landed in the town's territories years before.
Port of Legazpi opened to world trade
The port of Legazpi served as anchorage for ships sailing to Nueva España (Mexico) beginning in the latter part of the 16th century. The nearby Sula Channel was used as a sanctuary by galleons during storms because of its sheltered inlet. In 1873, Legazpi was made a port of entry by a Royal Decree earlier issued in Madrid on May 18, 1872, and later promulgated by Governor-General Juan Alaminos y Vivar on December 3, 1874.[28][30]
Legazpi was declared a city for the first time under the Becerra Law of 1892.[31][32][33][34] In 1894, the Spanish Minister of the Ultramar promulgated a decree creating the combined city government (ayunamiento) of Legazpi, a merger of the towns of Albay (now Old Albay District) and Daraga with the territories of the former.
Philippine revolution
On September 22, 1898, the Civil Governor of Albay, Angel Bascaran y Federic and the Spanish residents evacuated Albay. Subsequently, a revolutionary junta was organized by Don Anacieto Solano who later turned over the command to General Vicente Lukban, General-in-chief of Operations of the revolutionary government in the southern region.[29]
American colonial era
On January 23, 1900, American forces composed of three infantry companies equipped with powerful rifles and cannon landed on the shores of Albay Gulf to conquer Legazpi. They were met by 800 revolutionary Filipino troops headed by General Jose Ignacio Paua, Col. Antero Reyes, Captain Alvaro Nepomuceno, and Policarpio Pergone who put up a strong defense of the city.[35]
The American troops, headed by Brig. Gen. W.A. Kobbe, encountered heavy resistance from the Filipino forces who gallantly engaged them in a bloody fight on San Rafael Bridge that resulted in the death of 172 Filipinos including Reyes, who used only bolos. Another 12 Filipinos were injured while the American forces suffered only 12 injured infantrymen.[35] To commemorate the valiant efforts of the revolutionary troops, a monument was built on the site of the former San Rafael Bridge. The swampy area where the bridge was located was reclaimed during the early 20th century and is now the intersection of Rizal Street and Quezon Avenue.
Following their occupation of the city in 1900, the American occupiers cancelled Legazpi's city status. In 1908, after the war's conclusion, the Americans split Legazpi into two separate towns, Legazpi and Albay (now Old Albay District), which became the provincial capital of Albay. In 1922, the town of Daraga was further split from the then municipality of Albay.
World War II
On December 12, 1941, a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Legazpi was occupied by forces of the Imperial Japanese Army, the purpose of which was to obtain control of local airstrips which could be used as forward bases by fighter aircraft for operations in central Luzon. Throughout the Japanese occupation, resistance by Bicolano and local troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army continued in the hills and mountains south of Legazpi. In January 1945, American and Filipino liberation forces, supported by Bicolano guerrillas, liberated Legazpi. However, the city suffered extensive aerial bombardment from US aircraft and many old buildings were destroyed including the old St. Raphael church and the Academia de Santa Ines campus.
Independent Philippines
Legazpi became a city for the second time on July 18, 1948, when Daraga and Legazpi were combined to constitute its territory under Republic Act No. 306;[36] at that time, President Elpidio Quirino appointed Jose R. Arboleda[37] as the first City Mayor.[38] But on June 8, 1954, Republic Act No. 993 was approved, recreating the two towns (Daraga and Legazpi) and the city was dissolved.[39]
Cityhood
Finally, on June 12, 1959, Legazpi became a city for the third time under Republic Act no. 2234.[40] Amendments were introduced under R.A. 5525.[41] Presidential Decree 125 issued on February 23, 1973, declared the town of Daraga as part of the territorial jurisdiction of the city.[42][43] This decree, however, was not implemented with the onset of the Integrated Reorganization Plan, which involved the restructuring of local governments.
On September 24, 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos designated Legazpi as the administrative center of Bicol Region through the Integrated Reorganization Plan of 1972, the implementing framework of Presidential Decree No. 1.[44][45]
Pope John Paul II visited Legazpi on February 21, 1981, during his first apostolic journey to the Philippines.[46][47] Aside from Manila where the beatification of St. Lorenzo Ruiz was held, the Pope also visited Baguio, Bacolod, Iloilo, Bataan, Cebu, and Davao.[48] The Pope held a mass dedicated to farmers at the St. Gregory the Great Cathedral.[49]
Geography
Legazpi is on the eastern portion of the province of Albay bounded on the north by the municipality of Santo Domingo, on the east by Albay Gulf, on the west by the municipality of Daraga, and on the south by the municipalities of Manito, Albay and Pilar and Castilla, Sorsogon. The city is located 527 kilometres (327 mi) south of Manila.
From north to south, the city spans approximately 29 kilometers; from east to west, the narrowest portion is about 3 kilometers (urban district) while the widest is about 15 kilometers (southeast area).[50] Legazpi has a total land area of 20,437 hectares, 90 percent of which is classified as rural (18,431.66 hectares) while 10 percent is classified as urban (2,005.39 hectares).[51]
Legazpi's topography is generally plain on the northeastern areas, with slopes ranging from five to fifteen degrees. The southern areas have mostly rolling to hilly terrain. In the city's coastal areas, the terrain varies from plain (north) to hilly (south).[52] Legazpi is criss-crossed by several rivers including the Tibu, Macabalo and Yawa rivers with a number of swampy areas, particularly in the urban district. To mitigate flooding in these low-lying areas, the local government has built an urban drainage and flood control system consisting of dikes, canals, sea walls and three pumping stations located in Barangays San Roque, Bay-Bay and Victory Village.[53][54]
Barangays
Legazpi is politically subdivided into 70 barangays.[55] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Currently, there are 45 urban barangays and 25 rural barangays.[56]
| Barangay number |
Barangay name |
Class | Population (2015)[57] |
Barangay head[58] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em's Barrio | Urban | 3,725 | Irma Trinanes |
| 2 | Em's Barrio (South) | Urban | 1,820 | Leticia Tejada |
| 3 | Em's Barrio (East) | Urban | 900 | Jose P. Pispis |
| 4 | Sagpon | Urban | 953 | Gibsen Salvador E. De Leoz |
| 5 | Sagmin | Urban | 1,375 | Jude A. Rico |
| 6 | Bañadero | Urban | 1,390 | Arthur R. Marco |
| 7 | Baño | Urban | 645 | Domingo Alberto D. Pasano Jr. |
| 8 | Bagumbayan | Urban | 3,400 | Amore Rex B. Rañeses |
| 9 | Pinaric | Urban | 1,493 | Roy A. Nanoz |
| 10 | Cabugao | Urban | 547 | Victor R. Lapasaran |
| 11 | Maoyod | Urban | 1,110 | Romeo A. Madraso |
| 12 | Tula-Tula | Urban | 2,586 | Arnold Bahillo |
| 13 | Ilawod West Pob. (Ilawod 1) | Urban | 721 | Maria Lourdes F. Baltazar |
| 14 | Ilawod Pob. (Ilawod 2) | Urban | 854 | Gerald A. Ayque |