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| Poro Town Hall |
The name Poro is from the waray term "Pulo" which means island. Poro is a 4th class municipality with population of 21,529 ( 2007 census ) it is administratively subdivided into 17 barangays namely:
Adela, Altavista, Cagcagan, Cansabusab, Da-an Paz, Eastern Poblacion, Esperanza, Libertad, Mabini, Mercedes, Pagsa, Paz (Santa Rosa) , Rizal, San Jose, Santa Rita, Teguis, and Western Poblacion.
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| Seaside Town of Poro |
 Poro Pier |
Sto. Niño Church
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| Sto. Niño Church The Church of Poro, the oldest in Camotes Islands, is dedicated to the Sto. Niño. The town was founded in 1701 and the parish was established in 1849. The church’s original belfry was destroyed and a new one was built in 1960's Tagbo (Poro, Camotes Island, Cebu; every January) Celebrated in honor of the Patron Santo Niño de Poro. Beloved memoir of a living past, Tagbo is the cornerstone from which this great municipality has sprung. Rich in cultural heritage and deep in spiritual values, Tagbo is a very significant event preluding the birth of a town very dear to the hearts of her sons and daughters. |
Sto. Niño Church, Poro
Poro island causeway to Pacijan island
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Bridge - boundary between Poro and Pacijan islands
Lake Danao view - taken from hill at Altavista, Poro
Buho Rock Resort
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| Buho Rock Resort |
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| Buho Rock Resort |
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| My Little Island Hotel in Brgy. Esperanza, Poro, Camotes My Little Island Hotel, the first and only true hotel in the beautiful Camotes Island in the Cebu Region. Enjoy your stay in one of the best resort hotel destinations in the Philippines. Feel free to explore their site to get a taste of what they have to offer and don''''t hesitate to contact them.  |
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| Flying Fish Resort |
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| Flying Fish Resort in brgy. Cagcagan |
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| Flying Fish Resort in brgy. Cagcagan |
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| Flying Fish Resort in brgy. Cagcagan Fabulous reef 50 meters in front of the resort. Ideal for snorkeling and discovery scuba diving. Slumber on the floating cottage as you sip a cool drink or read a book or just enjoy the scenery. Great diving sites in front of resort or 25 minutes by boat to spectacular wall off Tulang island. Clean and cool air-con cottages with sea views where you can enjoy waves at night and the sea breeze all day. Hire a boat for a spectacular island hoping or scuba diving trip. Savour fine cuisine in Chinese, Tai, Western, or local cuisine. Explore sensational cave swimming in crystal clear freshwater 30 meters underground. Enjoy a beer, wine, or cocktail in the bar or along the waterfront. Sample the pampering touch of a relaxing massage. |
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| Flying Fish Resort in brgy. Cagcagan |
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| Cagcagan Beach, Cagcagan, Poro |
Chakado Beach-Santa Rosa, Poro
Historical Background
The Municipality of Poro was founded on December 15, 1701 but was given recognition by the Spanish Colonial government only on January 16, 1780 through the efforts of Pedro Estrera who was named the first Capitan of Poro as recognition of his leadership. The name Poro came from the Waray word “puro”, meaning island. The early settlers of Poro came from Samar, and later, they were joined by others from Cebu, Bohol and Panay .
During the Spanish period, Poro was already a thriving community overseen by Jesuit Mission posts in Palompon, Leyte . A survey made by the Spanish authorities under Capitan General Gomez Perez Dasmariñas in Manila on May 31, 1591 revealed that the whole of Camote ( Camotes Island ) and Mactan (Mactan) had 287 tributes with a population of 1,148 inhabitants. By this time, periodic raids from marauding slave traders had become the constant threat to the growing populace.
The Alcalde mayor of Cebu thought that it was better for the natives to unify and defend themselves from the attacks. Poro at that time had two settlements: Maktang (now a sitio of Barangay Esperanza of Poro) and Tag-Anito (now the municipality of Tudela ). A conflict arose as to which settlement should become the seat of government. On the advise of Panganuron, an elder who lived on the banks of a river (now Barangay Libertad), the two settlements journeyed on foot towards each other at the break of day. They met on the site of what is now Poblacion, Poro, approximately eight kilometers from both settlements. On that day, inhabitants of the two settlements came to live together for the first time. They built a chapel on this site which later on was improved and became the parish church. The establishment of Poro brought about the creation of three more parishes in the Camotes Islands : Pilar (1859), San Francisco (1863) and Tudela (1898).
The Philippine Commission Act 952 was enacted on October 22, 1902 reverting back Camotes Islands of Cebu Province . Earlier the Spanish government has annexed Poro and the rest of Camotes Islands to Leyte because of geographical proximity. Perhaps Camotes was seen as nearer Cebu City , the seat of the Cebu Government, than Leyte's set of government which is Tacloban City . Other events followed: five days after Camotes joined Cebu , Poro was annexed to Tudela, a former settlement of Poro. In 1909, it was re-established again as a municipality although the seat remained in Tudela until 1914 when the seat was transferred to Poro.
Porohanons are descended from generations of seafarers who came and tamed the restless sea the sea that in turn defined and shaped their lives. In the early days when the dry “Habagat” wind battered its shores and when the nippy air of the “Amihan” turned up, the island isolated itself from its neighbors. All activity is suspended; trade from other ports and news from the mainland temporarily came to a stop. Thus, once in a while, they lived a life of seclusion, waiting for the unkind weather to recede. Life then meant a cycle of frequent squalls and tranquil intervals.
A distinction that separates Porohanons from the rest of Camotes Islands is their sub dialect which is a combination of Cebuano, Waray, Boholano and Ilonggo. The patois is profusely spattered with the letter “z” and spoken with a thick accent. Dr. Resil Mojares, a Cebuano historian, said in an article that “at one point in time, the Camotes dialect was distinct from either Waray or Cebuano” until it evolved into a totally different sub dialect retaining older features which the Cebuano language has lost. Spoken alongside other dialects (like Cebuano, spoken by the other Camotes towns), and Tagalog (courtesy of television seta and tabloids), the Porohanon tongue is totally distinct and has survived through the years without any dilution at all.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
A. Geographical Location
Poro is a fifth class municipality situated in Poro Island , one of the three islands comprising the Camotes Islands in Cebu Province . The municipality of Poro sprawls between 10 degrees 37' 30” to 10 degrees 43' 10” latitude and 124 degrees 23' 00” to 124 degrees 28' 50” longitude. It is bounded on the north by the strait of Kawit ; on the east by the municipality of Tudela ; on the south by the shark-infested Camotes Sea ; and on the west by the municipality of San Francisco . Travel time by fast craft from Cebu City is one (1) hour with two trips daily, 4 hours by a passenger-cargo vessel from Cebu City with one trip daily and two hours from Danao City by pumpboat with two trips per day. It is approximately 565 kilometers southeast of Manila , 62 kilometers northeast of Cebu City and 54 kilometers west of Leyte .
B. Land Area
The municipality of Poro has a total land area of 6,388.7 hectares or 63.887 square kilometers. The timberland area is 736 hectares while 5650.7 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable land.
C. Climate
The municipality of Poro falls under the fourth type of climate. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. The most common air currents are the northeast monsoon, the trade winds and the southwest monsoon. The general direction of the winds are from the east to the southeast (February to April) and the southerly (May to September)
D. Topography
The municipality has mixed topographical reliefs. Areas around Barangay Mabini, Poblacion, Altavista and Libertad which cover a total land area of 2658.8 hectares or 38.82 percent of the total land area, have very steeply sloping lands in many directions to very mountainous to hilly areas.
On the other hand, areas along the northern portion of the municipality, particularly Barangay Esperanza, have broad areas or nearly level lands and gently sloping areas with land sloping in one general direction. This slope category occupies an estimated land area of 3729.9 hectares or 54.46 percent of the total land area.
Thank you for your indroducing this very wonderful place!
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