Polangui, officially the Municipality of Polangui, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of people.

Etymology

The origin of the name Polangui has many versions. The foremost and seemingly more accepted version is, "that of a giant robust tree which existed majestically in the early municipal settlement". The natives of the settlement called the "Oyangue", which also served as the early landmark of the area whereby new settlers looked upon in their wandering. Similarly, the early Spanish frontier settlers found this tree and it became their famous settlement landmark. The settlement was then called "Binanuaan" but often referred to as "Oyangue" by nearby settlers. As more settlers came to dwell and engage in trade endeavors with the indigenous inhabitants, the more was the settlement known in distant areas by the name "Oyangue" (referring to the tree landmark) which was more widely accepted than "Binanuaan". The passing of generations corrupted the word "Oyangue" into several acronyms. Most acceptable and widely used before was "Polangue" and later "Polangui" which has remained today. Another legend is about the story of a maiden named "Pulang Angui" which means "Red Maria" (Angui is the nickname for Maria) who loved red colors for dress and whose beautiful body, face and red lips became the object of affection by the males to the point of adoration. She was modest in her ways, talented for possessing various skills, with happy disposition, showing love of arts and religion. She would lead the tribe in festivities. When the Spaniards came, the soldiers who first set foot in Polangui asked for the name of the place. The native thought the foreigners was asking for the name of "Pulang Angui" and said so. The Spaniards recorded the name of the place as Pulangui, a concoction of the name which was later on, as years went by, was converted to Polangui.

History

Precolonial period

Pre-colonial Polangui was a fertile valley cradled by the virgin forests of Mount Masaraga. It was formed out of five settlements ruled by the Datu of Ponso till the late 1583. The center of the settlements was called Banwang gurang, meaning "old town" and is now known as Magurang. In 1584, Fray Baltazar de la Magdalena, left Ambos Camarines and stumbled upon this place west of Mount Masaraga. He found that each of the five settlements had about 100 inhabitants. In the same year, he founded a settlement within the fertile valley and established a ranch, which he called "Binanuaan". Being inland and strategically situated, the town was spared from the frequent raids of sea pirates as well as from the occasional destruction caused by the eruption of Mayon Volcano. Polangui became a visita, or outreach village under the jurisdiction of the Villa Santiago de Libon, which was established in 1573 by Juan de Salcedo, the grandson of the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The villa, which lies south-west of Polangui, would be known as the fourth of its kind in the entire archipelago. Fray de la Magdalena was credited with the founding of Polangui. Old manuscripts in the Archives of Manila and in the Franciscan Convent in Manila point to 1584 as the year Polangui was founded, and thus considered as one of the oldest municipalities in the Philippines.

Spanish regime

By 1654, the original settlement became considerably bigger when Fray Alonzo de San Juan, was assigned in Polangui as "Encargado". The settlement was expanded reaching the present barangay sites in Lanigay, Ponso and Balinad. The town proper was established in Lanigay where a church made of wood was erected adjacent to about 280 wooden dwellings and more than 1,000 nipa huts. Unfortunately, this church together with the dwelling units was razed by a fire to the ground. With the coming of another missionary, Fray Juan Bautista Marza, a new church made of bricks and stones was completed in 1664. This church stood on a new elevated site and still stands to this day. Under the leadership of Fray Marza, roads and bridges were also initiated and schools were introduced simultaneously with the Christian Doctrine and Spanish culture. Growth of the settlement was so fast that it became a Poblacion and finally recognized as a Pueblo in 1674. Owing to its steady growth, a link with nearby Libon and Oas became a necessity. Hence, Fr. Jose Arnao, parish priest and Encargado from 1832 until 1852, directed the construction of roads and bridges that would connect Polangui to neighboring towns, including upland Buhi in Camarines Sur. During Spanish regime, a significant highlight is the construction of its parish church which took 10 years to be completed starting in 1654 by Fray Alonzo de San Juan and completed in 1664 by Fray Juan Bautista Marza. Polangueño martyr, Camilo Jacob, who is a photographer, was executed on January 4, 1897, with other Bicolanos. They are now commemorated as the Quince Martires del Bicolandia. A year later, the Spanish rule in Bicol ended with the mutiny of Guardia Civil in Naga led by Elias Angeles.

American period

Sometime during the Philippine–American War, Polangui became the seat of the Provincial Government of Albay for a brief period under Governor Domingo Samson. When the Americans conquered Polangui in 1890 without firing a single shot, the form of government went through transition from military to civil government then Commonwealth system. The seat of the municipal government was in Ponso with Clemente Sarte as the acting Chief Executive. A few months later, the seat of the municipal government was transferred to Centro Occidental and still remains up to this day.

Japanese occupation

When the Japanese forces occupied Polangui on December 13, 1941, Cipriano Saunar, then vice mayor of the Commonwealth government was appointed mayor by the Japanese military administration. A secret civil government was established simultaneously headed by Julian Saunar which was supported by the people. Cipriano Saunar's successor was Manuel Samson Sr. and in turn was succeeded by Jesus Salalima who ruled from 1947 to 1960.

Geography

Polangui is located at °N, °W, in the north-eastern quadrant of the third district of Albay. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 145.30 km2 constituting NaN% of the 2,575.77 km2 total area of Albay. Polangui is bounded on the north by Buhi and Iriga City of Camarines Sur province, south by Libon, Oas and City of Ligao; and west by Malinao and the City of Tabaco. It is 37 km from Legazpi and 490 km from Manila.

Climate

Polangui has a general climate characterized by dry season with a very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to December. Prevailing wind is in the general direction from north-east to south-west.

Barangays

Polangui is politically subdivided into 44 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. It is grouped into three divisions:

Demographics

In the 2020 census, Polangui had a population of. The population density was undefined PD/km2.

Language

Bikol Polangueño is the main dialect in Polangui, classified under Oasnon/West Miraya Bikol language. The majority of the population speak Tagalog and English. Other languages/dialects spoken are Bicolano Viejo and Bikol Rinconada (Agos-Matacon Area).

Religion

Christianity is the predominant religion with Roman Catholicism having the biggest practitioners. The four (4) Roman Catholic Parishes of Polangui is grouped as part of the Third Vicariate under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Legazpi. The Parishes are: All of the barangays have their respective patron saints and barangay chapels. Other Christian denominations present in the municipality include Protestants, Baptist, United Pentecostal Church, and Iglesia ni Cristo. Islam and Buddhism also have followers in the municipality.

Economy

Polangui is classified as a first-class municipality as per DOF Order No. 20-05, dated July 29, 2005.

Agriculture

Its economy is still heavily dependent on agriculture. Major crops include rice, corn, cacao, pili, root crops, vegetables, coconuts and abacá. Poultry and livestock raising are also very much alive.

Shopping centers

Major business commercial establishments include the Bicol's largest mall chain, Liberty Commercial Center (LCC); and the Novo Asia Jeans and Shirts. The municipality has also attracted investments from national retail chains such as the recently opened Xentro Mall Polangui and SM Hypermarket. Other local establishments include Tri-Star Commercial, V5 General Merchandise, Angena Trading, and the recently opened Polangui 168 Enterprises.

Tourism and culture

Attractions

Polangui provides a good view of Mount Mayon. The town hosts various historical and cultural tourism spots and other tourism-oriented recreation centers. Among these are:

Spring resorts

Public parks

Nature parks

Leisure and sports parks

Festivals and events

Local products and delicacies

Cultural properties

Historical markers

This list contains an overview of the government-recognized historical markers installed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) in Polangui that have been commemorated by cast-iron plaques permanently installed in publicly visible locations on buildings, monuments, or in special locations. While many cultural properties have historical markers installed, not all places marked with historical markers are designated into one of the particular categories of Cultural Properties.

Religious landmarks

Monuments

Transportation

Airport

The nearest airport is in Legazpi City Legazpi Airport – about 39.1 km from Polangui. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air operate in the airport, with daily flights to and from Manila and Cebu. The construction of the soon Polangui Domestic Airport at Barangay Balangibang is still under negotiation.

Seaport

Polangui is a landlocked municipality, entirely enclosed by land. The nearest ports from Polangui are Pantao Port in Libon, Pio Duran Port in Pio Duran, Legazpi Seaport in Legazpi City, and Tabaco International Seaport in Tabaco City.

Railways

In March 2012, the 10 1/2-hour Mayon Limited started traveling between Manila and Ligao City, but later ceased operations. In 2016, operation of the PNR Southrail Line resumed with one round trip between Naga City and Legazpi City, and served the town through the Polangui railway station. However, it was also stopped due to issues on maintenance and public safety.

Roads and bridges

Road network

Roads in Polangui are classified into:

Mode of access

Polangui can be reached through land transport (by bus) from Manila in about 10 hours, two hours less if the new (Andaya Highway) route is taken. Main routes can be reached through by aircon buses, Garage to Terminal (GT) Vans and FX (location and access to is underway with the new Polangui Terminal), private cars, trimobiles, padyak and motorcycles. Some bus companies with stations in Polangui are: In order to spur development in the municipality, the Toll Regulatory Board declared Toll Road 5 the extension of South Luzon Expressway. A 420-kilometer, four lane expressway starting from the terminal point of the now under construction SLEX Toll Road 4 at Barangay Mayao, Lucena City in Quezon to Matnog, Sorsogon, near the Matnog Ferry Terminal. On August 25, 2020, San Miguel Corporation announced that they will invest the project which will reduce travel time from Lucena to Matnog from 9 hours to 5.5 hours.

Communication

Radio stations

A local FM Station, Hot FM Polangui DWJJ 97.9 MHz, broadcasts live updates, news and entertainment. The municipality also receives signal from all major radio stations from Legazpi City and even Naga City in Camarines Sur.

TV stations

There is one TV relay station operating in the municipality (ABS-CBN). However, local TVs get strong signals from nearby Legazpi City and Naga City relay stations. Cable services are also offered in the area by two companies:

Telephone

There are two existing telephone lines in Polangui:

Cellular telephone sites

The municipality is served by the Philippines' three main mobile phone carriers:

Education

Presently, there are almost 20 Day Care Centers, 3 private pre-schools, 42 public elementary schools, 5 private elementary schools, 7 public high schools, 3 private high schools and 4 tertiary schools in the municipality.

Tertiary / vocational / technical education

The municipality has four tertiary schools:

Secondary education

Public high schools

Private high schools

Primary education

Public elementary schools

Private elementary schools

Day care and pre-school

Private Pre-schools

Public services

Healthcare

The present health services of the municipality are administered by 2 Municipal Health Officers, 2 Public Health Nurses, 1 Medical Technologist, 1 Dentist, and 12 Midwives. Aside from the Municipal Health Office and Barangay Health Stations, there are 2 Private Hospitals (Isip General Hospital in Gabon and Perillo General Hospital in Magurang), and 14 clinics that provide alternative health services to the population of the municipality. Polangui is equipped with 6 ambulances- 1 in the Rural Health Unit (RHU), 2 in the municipal hall, and 3 in the health station centers in Balinad, Itaran and Matacon. The Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) Birthing Facility at RHU-Polangui specializes in maternal healthcare, along with several lying-in and birthing clinics. Polangui's BEmONC Birthing Facility is a PhilHealth-accredited institution and offers free services to cardholders. A new medical establishment recently opened its doors- the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Diagnostic and Dialysis Center at Barangay Centro Oriental, in front of the Polangui South Central Elementary School. Polangui and Legazpi City are the only ones in Albay who have a dialysis facility.

Waste disposal

In dealing with solid waste management, the Municipality of Polangui has adopted the usual means of dumping garbage in an open-pit dumpsite. Garbage is collected from each barangay in the poblacion every Tuesday and Friday. The municipality has four garbage trucks to ensure that the garbage is collected and disposed in the waste disposal site located at Sitio Barobo, about 4 km distance from the central business district.

Fire protection

The Polangui Fire Station, Bureau of Fire Protection is located at Barangay Centro Occidental, between the Municipal Hall and the Polangui Police Station. The Polangui BFP is headed by Fire Marshal SINSP MARC ALLAN C CONSUEGRA.

Police and law enforcement

Polangui PNP is headed by PSI Edgar Azotea

Penology

The Polangui District Jail is manned by officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), headed by Jail Warden Sr. Insp. Alfredo R. Ricaford, Jr.

Utilities

Power

The Albay Power and Energy Corporation (APEC) Sub-Station 2 in Barangay Centro Occidental provides electricity to the majority of the town's barangays.

Water

Water supply is managed by the Polangui Waterworks Services Administration (POWASA), inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, located at Barangay Balinad. Its present service area encompasses the poblacion and some of the other barangays. The rest of the residents, most especially those in the upland and rural areas are still dependent on shallow wells, deep wells or springwater.

Burial grounds

There are 7 cemeteries in the municipality:

Government

Elected officials

Past Municipal Administrators

Awards and recognitions

Notable personalities

Sister cities