Corcuera, officially the Municipality of Corcuera ( Asi: ''Banwa it Corcuera'', Filipino: ''Bayan ng Corcuera''), 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 ...

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 out ...

Romblon Romblon ( , ), officially the Province of Romblon, is an archipelagic province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. Its main islands include Tablas, the largest, which covers nine municipalities; Sibuyan with its three towns; as w ...

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 10,112 people. Located on Simara Island, it is named after the Spanish governor-general

Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera Gobernador Heneral Hurtado de Corcuera (baptized March 25, 1587, Bergüenda, Álava – August 12, 1660, Tenerife, Canary Islands) was a Spanish soldier and colonial official. From 1632 to 1634 he was governor of Panama. From June 25, 1635 to Au ...

who ruled the Philippines from 1635 to 1644 on behalf of King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV ( es, Felipe, pt, Filipe; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered ...

History

Early history

The island's name, Simara, was derived from the local word ''sima'', meaning "hook", which refers to how the island looks like. Corcuera was originally established as ''San Jose'' by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

in 1574. In 1621,

Augustinian Recollect The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) is a mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. It is a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follows the same Rule of St. Augustine. History The Order was founded in 16t ...

missionaries arrived in the island and converted the locals into Christianity. By 1726, a stone church dedicated to

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

was built through the initiative of Fr. Agustin de San Pedro, also known as ''El Padre Capitan''. He also ordered the construction of a

watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

in Tacasan, which would serve as a lookout and warning for the locals of impending

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

raids that plagued the province at that time.Simara History
Simara.com Retrieved on 2012-04-14.

Modern history

Philippine Island - Samar - NARA - 68156068

The first

Justice of Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or '' puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission (letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

was Liborio Fabiala. He was appointed on 1 August 1901. The year American Civil Government started in the province and the whole country. In 1910, during the American colonization period, the town was visited by the American survey ship ''Fathomer'' which conducted

hydrographic survey Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/ offshore oil drilling and related activities. Strong emphasis is placed ...

s and

depth sounding Depth sounding, often simply called sounding, is measuring the depth of a body of water. Data taken from soundings are used in bathymetry to make maps of the floor of a body of water, such as the seabed topography. Soundings were traditional ...

in the waters around Simara Island. Its American crew also constructed a lighthouse which is still standing today. At that time, Corcuera was still administered as part of Banton municipality on nearby

Banton Island Banton, officially the Municipality of Banton ( Bantoanon: ''Banwa it Banton'', Filipino: ''Bayan ng Banton'', formerly known as Jones), is a fifth-class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it ...

. In January 1931, Corcuera was granted local autonomous government by virtue of Chief Executive Order No. 292, Series of 1930 initiated by then Governor Manuel T. Albero. Corcuera then became the third island municipality in the province. The inauguration of Corcuera as a maiden municipality was held on February 3, 1931. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the Japanese established a garrison at Tanro-aw Hill in the island. On March 10, 1945, American and Filipino soldiers who were liberating the

from Japanese occupation launched a task force from

Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2 ( 4,082 sq.mi ) and has a population of 1,408,454 as of 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luz ...

to liberate the islands of Romblon and Simara. On March 12, elements from Companies B and C of the 19th Infantry, 24th Division of the

US 8th Army The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,USS Haas, skippered by Lt. Cmdr. A. M. White.A Coin in the Sand
Simara.com Retrieved on 2013-03-30. After four days of mortar and

naval bombardment Naval gunfire support (NGFS) (also known as shore bombardment) is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the ...

and heavy fighting, the Americans were able to subdue the Japanese in Tanro-aw and liberate the island. The fighting left 118 Japanese, 10 Americans, and one Filipino dead.

Geography

Corcuera has a total land area of 23.40 km². It is hemmed in by bodies of water from all sides: on the north and east by the Sibuyan Sea; on the south and east by Tablas Strait. It is a hilly, volcanic island with many hot springs, while stretches of flat land lie along its northern coast.

Climate

Barangays

Corcuera is politically subdivided into 15

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 ...

Demographics

According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 10,283 people. Majority of this population speak the vernacular

Asi language Bantoanon or Asi is a regional Bisayan language spoken, along with Romblomanon and Onhan, in the province of Romblon, Philippines. Asi originated in the island of Banton, Romblon and spread to the neighboring islands of Sibale, Simara, an ...

, which is also spoken in Banton, Concepcion, Calatrava, and

Odiongan Odiongan, officially the Municipality of Odiongan ( Asi: ''Banwa it Odiongan'', Filipino: ''Bayan ng Odiongan'', is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,284 pe ...

. The island's inhabitants are predominantly Roman Catholic, with a small number of Protestants, Iglesia ni Cristo, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Economy

Corcuera has a primarily agricultural economy, with rice and copra farming, as well as fishing, as the main sources of livelihood. There is also an indigenous

raffia palm Raffia palms (''Raphia'') are a genus of about twenty species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, and especially Madagascar, with one species (''R. taedigera'') also occurring in Central and South America. ''R. taedigera'' is the sour ...

handicraft industry. Other crops grown in the island are root crops (such as cassava, sweet potatoes), fruits and vegetables. The locals also engage in livestock raising for local consumption.

Government

Pursuant to Chapter II, Title II, Book III of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the municipal government is composed of a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

(alkalde), a

vice mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected depu ...

(bise alkalde) and

members Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

(kagawad) of the legislative branch

Sangguniang Bayan The Sangguniang Bayan () is the local legislative branch of the municipal governments in the Philippines. It is responsible for passing ordinances and resolutions for the administration of a municipality. Its powers are defined by the Local Gov ...

alongside a secretary to the said legislature, all of which are elected to a three-year term and are eligible to run for three consecutive terms. The mayor of Corcuera is the municipal executive of the town. The incumbent mayor and vice mayor as of 30 June 2019 are Elmer M. Fruelda and Aubrey "Apple" Fondevilla respectively, both from the

Nacionalista Party The Nacionalista Party ( Filipino and Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; ) is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th ...

. Died in office.
Served in acting capacity.
Resigned.

Tourism

Corcuera has a number of historical and cultural attractions. Tourist spots on the island include: * Cotta Tower: This tower is what remains of a Spanish fort constructed between 1860 and 1865 by Fr. Agustin de San Pedro, also known as ''El Padre Capitan'', to ward off Muslim pirates. It is situated on a hill overlooking Barangay Poblacion and is an easy 150-meter hike from the town plaza. * Tanro-aw Hill: Located in Barangay Vicente, it is the site of a Japanese garrison during World War II. * Panorama Point: A roadside lookout in Barangay Tacasan where passing inter-island shipping vessels can be viewed. The area also shelters boats during inclement weather. * Immaculate Conception Grotto: Located at the summit of Mount Anradoon in Barangay Mangansag, this grotto of the Immaculate Conception offers devotees a place to go and pray during Lenten season. * Payayasog: This testes-like structure that hangs along the bank of the sea in Barangay Mangansag was formed by geological and wave movement. * Mangansag Beach: A white sand beach in Barangay Mangansag dotted with tall palm trees and volcanic boulders along pristine waters. * Colong-Colong Beach: A sandy beach with pristine waters which is a picnic destination for local folks and returning residents. * Mahaba Beach: This is a long stretch of white beaches along pristine waters north of the island. * Guin-iwagan Cave: This cave in Barangay Mahaba features a dome-like structure that abounds in stalagmites and stalactites. There is a pool of cool water where one can swim. * Lis-ong Cave: This cave in Barangay Colong-Colong has stalactite and stalagmite deposits.

Transportation

As seas surrounding Corcuera can be rough during the wet season, the best time to visit the island is from March to May during the dry (summer) season. This is also the typical time for Asi families living in

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

or abroad to visit the island since it coincides with the

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Jesus, temptation by Satan, according ...

en season and barangay fiestas. ;By sea: Corcuera is accessible via

RORO Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

vessels that ply the

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

Batangas City Batangas City, officially the City of Batangas ( fil, Lungsod ng Batangas), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 351,437 people. Batangas City ...

, or the Roxas-

route. From Odiongan, Corcuera can be reached by jeepney and motorized boat via

Calatrava, Romblon Calatrava, officially the Municipality of Calatrava ( Asi: ''Banwa it Calatrava'', Filipino: ''Bayan ng Calatrava'', formerly Andagao), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...

. ;By air: The closest airport with active airline service is Tugdan Airport in

Alcantara, Romblon Alcantara, officially the Municipality of Alcantara, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,171 people. History Alcantara was first established in 1730 as ' ...

. Fil-Asian Airways offers four weekly flights while SkyJet offers charter flights to Romblon from Manila. From Alcantara, Corcuera can be reached in 5–6 hours by jeepney and motorized boats from Calatrava. Within the island, the main forms of transportation are passenger motorcycles (known elsewhere as ''habal-habal'') and motorized boats. A circumferential road connects the 15 barangays of Corcuera to each other.

References

External links

Corcuera Profile at PhilAtlas.comCorcuera Profile - Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code 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 ...

br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management SystemWebsite of Simara Island, Romblon
{{Authority control Municipalities of Romblon Island municipalities in the Philippines