Gigmoto, officially the Municipality of Gigmoto, is a 5th class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Catanduanes Catanduanes (; ), officially the Province of 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 ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 8,712 people.

History

The name "Gigmoto" originated from the Bicol word ''himbot'' that means “just in time”. This is supposedly related to the romantic venture of a young man from Baras seeking to court a maiden from the town of Viga. Competing with several other suitors, the man traveled northbound to win the love of the maiden. He was overtaken by the night, so he slept in that place. In the morning he proceeded to Viga, arriving there just before nightfall. After staying for a period of time in Viga, the man from Baras won the heart of the woman. When the lovers were bound for Baras, they stayed overnight at Gigmoto – “just in time” for their first romantic night of being together. As years went by Himbotan was changed to Higmoto. Years thereafter, believing that with the “H” Higmoto seemed to be a Japanese word, the “H” was changed to “G” – thus the name Gigmoto. The first families to settle there were the Tanaels, followed by the Dayawons, both from Baras. The Tolledos, the Tatings and the Tatads came next. Other families from Baras, Bato and from the town of Virac had come and ultimately made Gigmoto the biggest barrio of the Municipality of Baras. The town was created from the barrios of Sicmil and Sioron from Viga and the barrios of San Vicente, Gigmoto, Biong and Dororian from Baras. On June 15, 1951, the government officials for the newly created town were appointed by the then Congressman Severiano de Leon who authored the bill creating the municipality with the approval of President

Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (born Elpidio Quirino y Rivera; ; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the sixth president of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino ente ...

. Mr. Juan Q. Sarmiento who happened to be the first public school teacher became the first mayor with Andres Dayawon as Vice Mayor. Messrs. Maximo Tapalla, Apolinar Tatad, Marcelino Dayawon and Apolinar Joson were then appointed municipal councilors. Mr. Candido Tuboro became the first municipal treasurer. Fr. Andres Tablizo was the parish priest and Mr. Serafin Rodulfo was the first principal.

Geography

Barangays

Gigmoto is politically subdivided into 9

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

s. * Biong * Dororian * Poblacion District I * Poblacion District II * Poblacion District III * San Pedro * San Vicente * Sicmil * Sioron

Climate

Gigmoto has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southea ...

(Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round and with extremely heavy rainfall from October to December.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Gigmoto was 8,712 people, with a density of .

Economy

Gallery

File:Gigmoto catanduanes.jpg, Gigmoto coast File:Nahulugan Fall Gigmoto.jpg, Nahulugan Falls File:Brgy. Biong Ricefield - Flickr.jpg, Ricefield at Barangay Biong

References

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Catanduanes