Let's Adventure to Mindoro!

Sablayan was derived from the word Sablay, a Visayan term meaning wave convergence. In the early times, the very location of the town was where the waves from North and South China Sea meet, hence, the name Sablay that later became Sablayan.

Mangyans were the ancient aborigines of Mindoro. They were believed to be of Malayan origin. They were joined in by natives from neighboring islands--mostly Panayeños led by the TANUNGAN during the second Spanish settlement established by Legaspi. Years later, more arrived who, unlike the first migrants, were already converted Christians; and sometime in 1861 migrants increased in population.

The means of livelihood was agriculture, fishing and hunting. Women though were engaged in weaving sigurang, a fiber derived from buri/nipa leaves.

Sablayan then was often subject to raids by Muslim pirates and slave traders so a wooden tower was built--watched round the clock to guard against approaching raiders. This alarm system was augmented in 1896, when four bells of varied sizes--believed to have been manufactured in Spain--arrived from Manila. These bells rang musical chimes.

Upon the arrival of a Spanish priest, a church had to be built. Men, women and children were conscripted to work on it. After ten years of backbreaking arduous toil, the church was made functional sometime in 1896. This church is now in ruins, its bells gone but the biggest cannon standstill atop a small hill near the lighthouse of Parola. The church was abandoned when the town proper was moved to Buenavista.

In 1901, the first American arrived in Sablayan. Due to the outbreak of Fil-American war, Americans burned the town in 1903. It took years before Sablayan was rebuilt.

Sablayan was already a pueblo (town) under the Spaniards when the Americans came. However, when the American Government took over--owing perhaps to its proximity and accessibility to the National Government--it was converted into a full pledge municipality on January 04, 1906 by virtue of Act No. 1820 of the Philippine Commission.

Hon. Godofredo B. Mintu
Municipal Mayor

Hon. Eduardo Gadiano
(Municipal Vice-Mayor)

Sanguniang Bayan

Hon. Manuel Tadeo
Hon. Edwin Mintu
Hon. Romeo Dimayacyac
Hon. Rocky Legaspi
Hon. Amable Urieta
Hon. Efren Dimaculangan
Hon. Salustiana Ani-Dawates
Hon. Roberto Dawates
Hon. Leonilo Nicanor (ABC Pres)
Hon. Jaypee Nardo (SK Pres)

(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — Two strong earthquakes rocked Mindoro, Metro Manila and parts of Luzon before noon Saturday, but no casualty or damage was initially reported.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the first quake measuring magnitude 5.3 struck at 11:04 a.m. and was centered 81 kilometers underground.

The second quake measuring magnitude 6.5 struck at 11:09 a.m. and was centered about 107 kilometers deep.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said the epicenter of the quakes were traced at 34-50 kilometers off Mamburao town in Mindoro Occidental, or about 170 kilometers south of Manila.


The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said reported the first was magnitude 5.6 and the second was a stronger but deeper magnitude 6.1, with the epicenter at 72 km southwest of Batangas, 73 km west of Calapan in Mindoro, or 146 km south-southwest of Manila.

The earthquakes were reportedly felt as far as Apalit town in Pampanga province, about 220 kilometers north of the epicenters, said Solidum. They were also felt in Bataan province west of Manila and Batangas south of the capital.

Solidum also said the quakes were recorded at Intensity 5 in the Mindoro area, notably in Calapan, Lubang and Naujan.

It was felt at Intensity 4 in Puerto Galera, Mindoro Occidental, and in Manila, and Intensity 3 in Quezon City and other places.

Residents of Quezon City reported that the quake was strong enough to make picture frames hanging on walls swing.

Nonetheless, Solidum said there was nothing to worry about.

He said the quakes were caused by underground movements along the Manila Trench.

He said while the magnitude of the quakes were strong, these were not enough to cause damage as they occurred about 80-120 km underground.

“Since it happened deep undersea, there’s no risk of tsunami," he told a radio station. - With a report from AP