Milagros, Masbate

Milagros is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Masbate in the Philippines. According to the 2000 Philippine census, the municipality has a population of 44,575 people in 8,304 households. It is one of the most known municipalities in the province together with Masbate City, Mandaon and Pio V. Corpuz.

The name of the municipality Milagros originated from the word "milagro" which means miracle of the Lord. The name originates from a legend saying that St. Peter can be found walking on the beaches of this town.

Dimasalang, Masbate

Dimasalang is a 4th class municipality in the province of Masbate, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,550 people in 4,367 households.

In 1951 the barrios of Palanas, Nipa, Nabangig, Banco, Pina, Maanahao, Salvacion, Antipolo, Malatawan, Intusan, Miabas, San Antonio, Libtong, Malibas, Sta. Cruz, Bontod and Cabil-isan were separated to form the town of Palanas.

Cataingan, Masbate

Cataingan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Masbate, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 46,593 people in 9,310 households. Cataingan is one of the municipalities and cities of Masbate where Cebuano is the indigenous language.

In 1948, Placer, then a barrio of this town, was separated as a town by virtue of Republic Act No. 292, passed June 16, 1948.Three years later, in 1951, the barrios of Limbuhan, Guindawahan, Palho, Casabangan, Salvacion, Alegria, Tanke, Bundukan, Bugtong, and Cabangrayan were separated from Cataingan and created into the town of Limbuhan.

The Cataingan town center or Poblacion is about 77 kilometers from the provincial capitol town of Masbate. Southward, it is more or less 223 kilometers across the Visayan Sea to Cebu City which serves as one of the progressive outlets of Cataingan’s various agricultural products. Cataingan is also strategically located between the two municipalities of Pio V. Corpuz and Palanas whose trading activities revolve.

Masbate

Masbate is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bicol region. Its capital Masbate City and consist of three major islands; Masbate,Ticao and Burias.

The island of Masbate lies at the center of the Philippine archipelago between latitudes 11^o43’ north and 123^o09’ east and 124^o5’ east. It is bounded on the north by Burias and Ticao Pass, east by San Bernardino Strait, south by the Visayan Sea, and west by the Sibuyan Sea. Relative to mainland Bicol, the province faces the southwestern coasts of Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon.

The general surface configuration of the province ranges from slightly undulating to rolling and from hilly to mountainous. In each island, the rugged topography is concentrated in the northeastern portion and gradually recedes to blunt hills and rolling areas in the south, southeast, and southwest.

Masbate island is considered as the center of the Philippines.

The people speak predominantly Bisakol, Masbateño (or Minasbate, the dialect unique to the province), some Visayan languages with a unique mixture of Tagalog and some shades of Hiligaynon (sometimes also known as Ilonggo). According to the 2000 Philippines Population Census, 27% of the population of Masbate province speak Cebuano. In Burias Island, they speak Bicol similarly as the people of Camarines Sur, due to the island’s proximity to the Bicol mainland. The people generally speak fluent English and Filipino