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Concepcion Silabe MunicipalitySibale, Sibale Island
Municipality
Municipality of Concepcion
Flag
Map of Romblon with Concepcion highlighted
OpenStreetMap
ConcepcionLocation within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°55′25″N 121°42′35″E / 12.92361°N 121.70972°E / 12.92361; 121.70972
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Romblon
District	Lone district
Founded	1570
Barangays	List 9 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jian Andrei S. Pamintuan
• Vice Mayor	Christan Sobremonte
• Representative	Bang Bang Marasigan (Baril)
• Councilors	Nigel Bakla Ebert Federal Neil Fallen Vibing Fernando Jasmin Famarin Joe L. Fernando Jareth Labong Nigasen Reinhart "Gago" Famarin Andreu Bonifacio
• Christan Sobremonte Batang Madaming Bata Election	3,375 voters (2022)
Area
• Total	19.82 km (7.65 sq mi)
Elevation	26 m (85 ft)
Highest elevation	104 m (342 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population
• Total	3,561
• Rank	Last Place
• Density	20/km (50/sq mi)
• Households	1,054
Demonym	Concepcioneño
Economy
• Income class	6th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	20.67% (2021)
• Revenue	₱ 57.59 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 145.3 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 45.11 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 25.99 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Romblon Electric Cooperative (ROMELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5516
PSGC	1705905000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)42
Native languages	Bantoanon Tagalog

Concepcion, officially the Municipality of Concepcion (Asi: Banwa it Concepcion, Filipino: Bayan ng Concepcion), is a municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. The municipality is coextensive with Maestre de Campo Island, which is also known as Sibale Island. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 3,561 people, making it the least populated town in the province.

History

Early history

Concepcion started as a small village founded in 1570 by the Spanish colonization forces led by Martin de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo, upon orders from then Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The village was named after the Immaculate Concepcion. Throughout the Spanish era, the village was administered as part of Banton municipality on nearby Banton Island.

On July 2, 1907, during the American colonization of the Philippines, Concepcion was elevated to municipal status but was incorporated as part of Mindoro province after Romblon was abolished and incorporated as part of Capiz province. However, on March 10, 1917, Romblon was reinstated as a separate province, and thus, Concepcion was incorporated back to the province.

On June 8, 1940, the special municipality of Maghali was established upon passage of Commonwealth Act No. 581 (authored by Congressman Leonardo Festin). This demoted Concepcion and Corcuera from their municipality status and incorporated into the new municipality with its capital in Banton. The special municipality was abolished through the passage of Republic Act No. 38 (authored by Congressman Modesto Formilleza), and by October 1, 1946, Concepcion regained its municipal status which it still holds today.

Proposed secession

Among the islands of Romblon, Concepcion is the farthest from the provincial capital. It is also far from the nearest commercial capital, Odiongan. It takes five hours to travel between Concepcion and Romblon thus making it difficult for provincial executives to visit the island municipality. The nearest municipality from Concepcion is Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, which is only two hours by boat. Hence, most Sibalenhons buy and sell their products in this town instead of Odiongan or Romblon.

In the past, there have been attempts to secede Concepcion from Romblon and re-annex it to Oriental Mindoro. On March 16, 1924, Act No. 3131 was introduced in Congress seeking to re-annex the municipality to Oriental Mindoro but it didn't push through. More recently, in 2014, town mayor Lemuel Cipriano expressed that "90% of Concepcion's 4,500 population are seeking to be re-annexed to Oriental Mindoro". In order to be re-annexed, a resolution calling for a referendum in the island must be filed in Congress by the provincial representative. Oriental Mindoro governor Alfonso Umali Jr. and Second District Congressman Reynaldo Umali have expressed support for a possible referendum.

Geography

Concepcion comprises the whole of Maestre de Campo Island, also known as Sibale to its inhabitants, which is the westernmost island of the province and approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the eastern coast of Mindoro. The island is mountainous with steep shores. Its settlements are dispersed along the coast with the poblacion on the south shore. The island's interior is jagged and forested, with caves, clear rivers, unique rock formations, and hills that offer extensive views. Every village has its own cove and white sand beaches which are used for swimming and scuba diving.

Barangays

Concepcion is politically subdivided into 9 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bachawan
• Calabasahan
• Dalajican
• Masudsud
• Poblacion
• Sampong
• San Pedro (Agbatang)
• San Vicente
• Masadya

Climate

Demographics

According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 4,037 people. Majority of its inhabitants speak the local dialect, Asi, which is also spoken in the nearby islands of Banton and Simara. Sibalenhons, as the islanders call themselves, are predominantly Roman Catholic with a small percentage of Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Iglesia ni Cristo.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Concepcion

Government

Local government

As a municipality in the Province of Romblon, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the town. The provincial government have political jurisdiction over local transactions of the municipal 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 (alkalde), a vice vayor (bise alkalde) and members (konsehal) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan 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. As of June 30, 2019, Concepcion's incumbent mayor is Medrito "Jun" Fabreag, Jr. while his vice mayor is Monico "Nonoy" Firmalan, Jr. Both are from the PDP–Laban political party.

The barangays or villages, meanwhile, are headed by elected officials, the topmost being the Punong Barangay or the Barangay Chairperson (addressed as Kapitan; also known as the Barangay Captain). The Kapitan is aided by the Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council) whose members, called Barangay Kagawad (Councilors), are also elected. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by a chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.

Tourism

The mountains and the forest offer mountain trekkers new challenges. The beaches have diving spots. Tropical coral reef systems surround the island. Some old folk believe they share the forest and coves with enchanted beings.

Each of the island's nine barangays has its own cove with a palm-fringed white sand beach front. The entire island is visited for its swimming and scuba diving. Notable beaches include those along Tongo point and the beaches between barangay (village) Bachawan and Sampong. The island's interior hills, stretching five to nine kilometer, have trails for hiking and climbing. The island hills are also commonly visited by motor-cross biking enthusiasts. Other places of interest in the island include:

• Mount Banderahan: American soldiers in the early 20th century climbed the island's mountain and planted an American flag. The flagpole, hewed in a big stone, is a landmark sought out by mountain climbers.
• Tinigban Falls: The fall site is a rock formation amid lush greenery. An Old Spanish encomendero once built a mansion here, embedding a mirror into a huge rock so he could have a full view of the waterfalls from his bathroom.
• Matudtod Cave: Ancient skeletal remains and artifacts were found in this cave.
• Quebrada Beach: Quebrada beach facing the town of Concepcion, scalloping the cove with its white sand and wonderful rock formation.

References

1.  Municipality of Concepcion | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. ^ Census of Population (2020). "Mimaropa". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
5. ^ Maestro de Campo History Maestro de Campo Dive Resort. Retrieved on April 14, 2012
6. "Republic Act No. 38 : REPUBLIC ACTS - PHILIPPINE LAWS STATUTES and CODES - CHANROBLES VIRTUAL LAW LIBRARY". laws.chanrobles.com.
7. Fallarme, Eufronio (February 2006). "Sibale: A Misannexed Municipality". Sanrokan News Magazine. Archived from the original on December 6, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
8. Evora, Robert (March 12, 2014). "Sibale seeks town cut-off". Manila Standard Today. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
9. Survey, U.S. Coast and Geodetic; Christman, R.J. (1919). United States Coast Pilot, Philippine Islands. Its Serial. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 184–185.
10. "Concepcion: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
11. Census of Population (2015). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
12. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
13. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
14. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
15. "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. Philippine Statistics Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 15, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
16. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
17. "Poverty Incidence, 2000" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
18. "Poverty Incidence, 2003" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
19. "Poverty Incidence, 2006" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
20. "Poverty Incidence, 2012" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
21. "Poverty Incidence, 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
22. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
23. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
24. "An Act Providing for a Local Government Code of 1991". The LawPhil Project. 8th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
25. "The Barangay". Local Government Code of the Philippines. Chan Robles Law Library.
26. ^ Milex, Fabula (2001). "Profile: Concepcion, Romblon". Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.

External links

• Concepcion Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Concepcion, Romblon Profile - Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System

v t e Places adjacent to Concepcion, Romblon
Sibuyan Sea Gloria, Oriental Mindoro / Sibuyan Sea Concepcion Sibuyan Sea / Banton Sibuyan Sea Sibuyan Sea / Corcuera

v t e Province of Romblon
Romblon (capital) Odiongan (largest municipality)
Municipalities	Alcantara Banton Cajidiocan Calatrava Concepcion Corcuera Ferrol Looc Magdiwang Odiongan Romblon San Agustin San Andres San Fernando San Jose Santa Fe Santa Maria

• Municipalities of Romblon
• Beaches of the Philippines
• Island municipalities in the Philippines