Marinduque

Marinduque is an island province in the Philippines, found in the Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa. Its capital is Boac, the most crowded town in the province. Marinduque sits between Tayabas Bay to the north and the Sibuyan Sea to the south. It is west of the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon province on mainland Luzon, east of Mindoro Island, and north of Romblon.

In 2013, Marinduque was named the most peaceful province in the country by the Philippine National Police and Philippine Security Forces, thanks to its very low crime rate. It also shares this peaceful ranking with Batanes each year. For nearly 200 years, Marinduque has hosted one of the oldest religious festivals in the Philippines, the Moriones, held every Holy Week.

Etymology

The name "Marinduque" likely comes from the words malindig or malindug, which mean "stand tall" or "elegant". This name refers to Mount Malindig, a potentially active volcano in the southern part of the island.

In 1676, a writer named Domingo Navarette mentioned the island in his work, calling it Malindic, which the Spaniards later named Marinduque.

History

The island of Marinduque has a rich history. In old times, it was known as Malindig in Tagalog and Malindog in Visayan languages. It may have been part of the Kingdom of Luzon before the Spanish arrived in 1570.

During Spanish rule, the island's name changed to Marinduque. The Spanish introduced Christianity, and the island was governed by nearby provinces. In the late 1800s, a French scientist found many important items like gold ornaments and jars, some of which are now in museums.

In the late 1890s and early 1900s, Marinduque was part of the First Philippine Republic and later under American rule. It became a separate province again in 1920. During World War II, Japanese forces occupied the island, but it was later freed by Filipino and American troops. Today, historical artifacts from Marinduque can be seen in museums, helping us learn about its past.

Geography

Marinduque is an island that looks like a heart. It covers an area of 952.58 square kilometres and lies between Tayabas Bay to the north and Sibuyan Sea to the south. The island is west of the Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon province and east of Mindoro Island.

The highest point on the island is Mount Malindig, a volcano that stands 1,157 metres above sea level. Marinduque also has many interesting caves, such as Bathala Cave, Tarug Caves, Bagumbungan Cave, and Talao Caves.

The weather in Marinduque is fairly even throughout the year, with no very dry or very wet seasons. The average temperature is around 27 °C, and the island gets about 2,034.6 mm of rain each year.

Marinduque has six municipalities, each made up of many smaller areas called barangays. Boac is the capital and the most crowded town. Gasan is known for its clean environment and handicrafts. Buenavista is the smallest municipality and has nice views. Torrijos is famous for its strawberries. Santa Cruz is the largest town by land area. Mogpog is where many visitors arrive and is known for special Lenten traditions.

Demographics

The population of Marinduque in the 2024 census was 239,207 people. This makes it the most crowded area in the Mimaropa Region, with about 250 people living in each square kilometre.

Marinduque is home to people of many different religions. Most people are Catholics, making up about 70% of the population. Another large group belongs to the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, with about 25% of the people. Other groups include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Iglesia ni Cristo, and many types of Protestant churches such as Baptists, Methodists, and Seventh-day Adventist Church. There are also Muslims, Anitists, and people with no specific religious beliefs.

People in Marinduque speak a special version of the Tagalog language. Experts say this version is very old and may have helped shape the Tagalog we hear today. This version of Tagalog is spoken in a unique, musical way and has some features that are different from modern Tagalog. Many educated people in Marinduque mix older Tagalog with words from English, especially because of media and modern translations of religious texts. The language in Marinduque has been shaped by influences from nearby islands.

Economy

Marinduque is an agricultural province known for growing rice and coconuts. The island also makes and exports beautiful handmade items, and fishing is very important to the local economy.

Tourism plays a part in the economy, especially during the Lenten season, and it is growing. Recently, some people on the island have started farming butterflies, which are then sent to countries in Europe and the Americas. Locally, butterflies are sometimes released to celebrate special events like birthdays and weddings.

Culture

Festivals

The Moriones Festival is a special celebration held in Marinduque each year from March to April. During this time, people dress up as "Moryons" and parade through the streets in towns like Santa Cruz, Gasan, Boac, and Mogpog. In Boac and Santa Cruz, the largest towns, there is a special show in the evening where they act out a story about Longinus, a soldier who helps Jesus.

Music

Marinduque has a unique musical instrument called the kalutang, made from two pieces of wood that make different sounds based on their size. A group of 10 to 12 people can play beautiful music with this instrument. In 2011, the kalutang was recognized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as important cultural heritage of the Philippines.

Moriones Festival Santa Cruz Gasan Boac Mogpog Longinus National Commission for Culture and the Arts UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists

Government

Marinduque started having its own Governor in 1902 when it was still under Tayabas, which is now called Quezon. It became fully independent from Tayabas in 1920. The Governor works with the Vice Governor, who leads the Marinduque Provincial Board. As of 2025, the Governor is Mel Go.

Transport

Marinduque used to have direct flights from Manila to Marinduque Airport through Cebu Pacific, but these flights are no longer available. Today, there are no commercial airplanes flying to Marinduque. The province has a seaport in Balanacan that carries goods and people to and from Lucena in Quezon. There is also a daily boat trip from General Luna in Quezon to Santa Cruz, stopping at Maniwaya Island to leave off cargo and passengers.

Media

Marinduque has four radio stations. Three are run by the Radyo Natin Network, and one is called Nutriskwela Community Radio, run by the National Nutrition Council. The Radyo Natin Network has stations in Boac, Santa Cruz, and Torrijos. There are no local newspapers, but people can read news from Manila.

Marinduque News Network shares news and information online and on social media. In 2018, they started working with a local cable company to show their programs on TV. There are also several cable TV providers in different towns, and people can get satellite TV services from companies like Cignal, Dream Satellite TV, G Sat, and Sky Direct.

Education

Tertiary

Marinduque has many places where young people can study after high school. Some of these schools include the Buyabod School of Arts and Trades in Santa Cruz, Educational Systems Technological Institute in Boac, and Lighthouse Maritime Schools in Boac.

Other schools are the Malindig Institute in Santa Cruz, Marinduque Midwest College in Gasan, and several campuses of Marinduque State University spread across Torrijos, Gasan, Boac, and Santa Cruz. There is also Marinduque Victorian University in Buenavista, Saint Mary's College of Boac, the Santa Cruz Institute, and Torrijos Poblacion School of Arts and Trades in Torrijos.

Notable people

• Cardinal Ricardo Jamin Vidal was the former archbishop of Cebu. He was born on February 6, 1931, in Mogpog.
• Msgr. Hipolito Araña was a retired priest from the Diocese of Balanga in Bataan.
• Zaijian Jaranilla is a Filipino actor known for his role as an orphan in the religious television series May Bukas Pa. He is from Gloria, Oriental Mindoro, and often visits Brgy. Amiongon in Boac during his breaks.
• Zymic Jaranilla is Zaijian Jaranilla's brother and works as an actor for GMA Network. He also spends his vacations in Boac.