Seguam Island

Seguam Island is the largest of the Philippine Islands and it is located in the Visayan Sea. The island is administratively divided into two provinces, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, with a combined population of over 2.5 million people. The province of Camarines Sur is further subdivided into 58 municipalities.

History

Seguam Island is one of the largest and oldest islands in the Philippines. The first settlers on Seguam arrived in about 3000 BC, as evidenced by burial grounds found on the island. In 1521, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named it Isla Grande de la Filipinas after Ferdinand Magellan sighted it while sailing past north of present-day Cebu City.

The first successful settlement was established by natives known as “Kalinaños” or “Lapunians”. They were followed later by other groups who gave their names to the numerous hilltop towns in Camarines Sur: San Agustín de unprotected by Spanish authorities, the “Town of Binalbagan”, the hills surrounding Bulan and Pilar who helped to repel an attack from pirates. Then came Lagonoy (named after a nearby river), Rizal, Ubay and Concepcion whose inhabitants had helped build Fort Nacional del Puente de Sevilla (“Seville Bridge”) across Laguna Grande on Jaro Island.

In 1573 Captain Diego Silang at that time governor-general dispatched one of his lie utenants, Juan de Salazar, to explore the island of whose people he had heard were friendly.

The Spaniards arrived in 1574 and tried to conquer Seguam as was done elsewhere in Visayas except for present-day Negros Island where they failed due to the defense tactics employed by their ancestors against foreign invasion. Although both Silang and Solana died there on June 21 of that year (Spain then being a monarchy), Kruszewski met with such opposition from factions within higher society that he abandoned his plans for an armed expedition but proceeded overland via its neighboring islands.

Climate

The climate is categorised as tropical oceanic with a wet and dry season. The temperature range from 22°C to 32°C throughout the year. Hurricanes may affect the island during September to December, known locally as “the hurricane season”.

In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) made landfall in Camarines Sur and caused extensive damage before moving into central Philippines; leaving 90% of all houses damaged or destroyed in its wake including 3 townships – San Francisco ng Pilar, Barangay Burgos and Sitio Tinggoyan – on Is la Seguam. The typhoon also submerged many areas of the island, devastating crops and fishing gear worth at least 3 million PHP ($82.4 thousand USD).

ITL/Camarines Sur was then ranked highest in terms of property damage per capita compared to other Philippine provinces with 667% damaged houses out or 73% total damages versus national average 478%.

Culture

There are no indigenous animist religions in Seguam. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic; there is also a small Protestant community. English, Spanish, and Filipino are spoken by most people on Isla Seguam.

The islanders have their own dances and music which they perform at traditional festivities such as municipal fiestas and weddings. They also make handicrafts such as baskets, pottery, jewelry and paintings using natural dyes or insects collected from the forest floor.

Politics

Seguam is politically subdivided into six municipalities, each headed by a mayor. The island’s unicameral legislature is the Congress of the Philippines.

Government services

The government provides a general hospital, primary school (grades 1-6), and a limited number of commercial establishments. There is also one church on the island. Fire services are also provided.

Seguam’s primary industry is fishing and farming, with coconut plantations on the steep slopes of Mount Pukon located near Barangay Burgos in two townships San Francisco ng Pilar and Sitio Tinggoyan. Other crops grown include taro plants (used as commercial root crop), gabi berries, banana palms, mangoes fruits used for local handicrafts like necklaces made from whole fruit strung onto threads by women on single families’ farms; bunol leaves leaves beaten into thin linen-like cloth to make handbags and miscellaneous garments such as tapis, coats and hats. Small truck gardens are shared by local towns to grow medicinal herbs for the town market.

Tourism

The Seguam Tourist Association operates a small number of accommodations on the island, which can be booked through its website. There are also a few basic restaurants serving local cuisine.

Island hopping tours to nearby islands such as Palawan and Mindanao can also be arranged with tour operators on Isla Seguam or by visiting one of the neighboring townships that make up mainland Pagadian city or municipalities like Pagsanjan, Ligao City and Kawit town in La Union province where tourists may enjoy the many historical sites found there.

Conclusion

Seguam Island is an atoll located in the Central Pacific Ocean. It is the largest of the Marshall Islands and the second-largest atoll in the world, after Majuro Atoll. Administratively, it belongs to the Republic of Kiribati. Seguam is also home to a number of human settlements and features a wide variety of landforms including coral reefs and sand bars.

FAQs

What Is Seguam Island Like?

Seguam Island has a wide variety of natural habitats, including coral reefs and sandbars. Its topography includes steep ridges and rolling hills, making it an attractive place to live. The vegetation consists mainly of coconut trees and shrubs, which provides the island with its characteristic look. Above all else, Seguam is known for its crystal-clear waters – perfect for swimming and snorkelling – as well as its spectacular sunsets.

How Cold Is The Climate On Seguam Island?

The temperature on Seguam Island is almost always above 20 degrees Celsius. In winter, this tends to drop considerably – from a maximum of 28 degrees in October through to 23 degrees in April. Rainfall on Seguam generally occurs between December and February over about 0.4 inches per month with the annual average being 10 inches as well as during July though September when it dips slightly lower at 8 continuous months with just 3 peaks every 28 days each reaching up till 15-18inches approximately while summer time peak has only 2 times a year growing around 18inches respectively

Is There Much Rain Or Fog?

The air is largely dry up until January, when the humidity increases and a watery mist arrives. Also during wintertime, there will be very few clouds shared with display of stars at night in clear sky

Is Seguam Island Safe?

Seguam Island is a relatively peaceful island community offering all basic amenities such as hospital services, electricity/wifi etc. While surfing on intact reefs dangerous strong white-water currents are often encountered but still it’s quite unlikely for injury or death of people visiting these beaches especially those who know what they’re doing(surfers)

Is The Climate Tropical?

However, it is not speculated to be of a tropical air-conditioned type since only 1 or 2 months out of year drop below 20 degrees (the island experiences winter) while other 6months are always above and also various precipitations occurs throughout these 8(wintertime + summer varies according to rainfall pattern).