Del Carmen

.:: History of Del Carmen ::.

Numancia, now Del Carmen, was founded in year 1600, almost a century after Magellan discover the Philippines on March 16, 1521 .The patron saint is the Lady of Carmen and is celebrated every 16th of July. The name Numancia was introduced by the Spanish priest who hailed from Numancia , Spain, which was then a very progressive town in the Andalucian plain.
Numancia was the headquarters of the diocese of Eastern Mindanao from Surigao up to Mati. It is the site of the oldest religious establishment and had for its relics the Spanish built water tank of limestone that is one meter thick.

Another relic that could be found in the place is the watchtower at barrio San Fernando, primarily used for sighting Moro pirates. The town of Numancia was, at the time of San Fernando, the subject of constant raid of the place by the moros causing the religious fathers to flee to Cacob at Dagsungan, not Roxas. The vast plain between barrio Janoyaon and barrio Roxas was the second site of the Municipality of Numancia. But there, transportation of goods was hard. So, the fathers decided to get nearer the present site.

This was the place of the legend about the very powerful bell that was dumped in one of the lakes (vito) at Haoyon now Cancohoy rose. It was said that this bell was made of pure silver and that its sound could be heard even up to Bucas Grande Island, thereby (ironically) inviting the Moro pirates to come and pillage the people using the sound of the bell as their guide. The fathers again decided to transfer to Campohag for expansion and for better security from the Moro.

According to the old folks, the entwining river course of the present townsite discouraged the Moro pirate because they could not locate the town anymore.In 1920, at the assumption of Francisco Alburo as town president, Numancia territory comprised one half of Bucas Grande with the barrios of Pamosaingan, Sta. Cruz and Hinundayan, in Siargao Island. Beginning from Barrio Bitoon as boundary, between Dapa and Numancia, up to barrios Tuburan, Quezon, Langdahan (now Sta. Paz), straight to Binoni Point as boundary between Numancia and Pilar, and all lands extending North of this line now comprising the new municipalities of Sapao, Burgos and San Isidro, were also included.

Source:1970 Souvenir Program of Philippine Public Schools Inter-scholastic Athletic Association Meet (PPSIAA)

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Siargao is composed of 48 islands and islets-politically divided into nine municipalities: Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, Gen. luna, Pilar, San Benito, San Isidro, Santa Monica, and Socorro. Read more...

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