Calapan City

Infobox Philippine city
infoboxtitle = City of Calapan
locatormapfile = Ph_locator_oriental mindoro_calapan.png caption = Map of Oriental Mindoro showing the location of Calapan.
region = MIMARO (Region IV-B)
province = Oriental Mindoro
districts = 1st district of Oriental Mindoro
barangays = 62
class = 2nd class city
mayor = Salvador Leachon (LP)
cityhood = March 21, 1998
areakm2 = 215.10
pop2000 = 105,910
popden2000 = 492
website = http://www.cityofcalapan.gov.ph

City of Calapan is a 2nd class city in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. It is the capital city of Oriental Mindoro. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 105,910 people in 20,929 households.

Since its cityhood in 1998, the city's economy is dependent on agriculture and fishing however, a growing industry in machinery and tourism has contributed well to the city's annual income making it one of the fastest growing new cities in the last 10 years. Calapan also plays a big role in the growth of the whole province of Mindoro as it serves as a gateway with the implementation of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway, an integrated Roll On-Roll Off project of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that extends further to the southern part of the Philippines. The Calapan City Seaport is the largest and busiest seaport in the Mindoro island through ships that travels to and from Batangas City International Seaport.

Calapan City is currently one of the only two cities (the other one is Puerto Princesa City) in the MIMAROPA region of the Philippines. Since the declaration of Puerto Princesa City as a highly urbanized city and the possible removal of Palawan, Calapan City has been the center of the newly created MIMARO region.

Institutions of Higher Learning

The city has more private colleges/universities than public institutions. The Divine Word College of Calapan (DWCC), a Catholic college run by the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) is currently the largest institution of higher learning in the city and the whole province of Oriental Mindoro. Other private institutions of higher learning includes Luna Goco Medical Center and Colleges (Nursing and Medicine), St. Anthony College of Science and Technology (Information Technology), Filipino Academy of Scientific Trades (Maritime Studies), AMA Computer Learning Center (Information Technology), and CLCC Institute of Computer Arts and Technology (Information Technology).

The only public college is the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology however, the city government announced its plans of building the Calapan City Colleges on 2008 through the initiative of Mayor Salvador "Doy" Leachon.

In addition, the city is home to more than 10 public high schools including Jose J. Leido Jr. Memorial National High School or Lemnahis, the flagship campus of Oriental Mindoro and one of the largest public high schools in Region IV.

an Vicente Central

San Vicente Central is one of Calapan City's barangays as well as the center of the growing metropolis Calapan. It is the city's major financial and commercial district. Some of the big establishments in San Vicente Central are the Hotel Mayi, the tallest building in Oriental Mindoro; the Citimart Island Mall and Cinema; the Calapan City Public Market; GE Mart (Golden Eagle Mart); Globe Telecom; Smart Communications Wireless Center; Caballero Marketing; Good Morning Enterprises and Juanita Mart.

Notable restaurants include Mabuhay Restaurant, L & V Restaurant and 3M Pizza while Filipino fastfoods include Jollibee Foods Corporation, Chowking Foods and Greenwich Pizza.

San Vicente Central is divided by the busy J.P Rizal Avenue where hundreds of internet cafes, boutiques, electronic gadgets stores, digital imaging studios, hardware stores, pawnshops, beauty salon, accessory booths, and local shopping centers span.

Chinese Calapenos make up the majority of the vendors however, a growing number of Muslim merchants from the southern Philippines also constitutes a minority group.

Being the only city in the island of Oriental Mindoro, Calapan City receives the largest numbers of visitors from other municipalities everyday, mostly local store owners who buy supplies for retail in their area. The city also has the largest wet market in the province complete with all kinds of fish and meat for sale.

Calapan City flooding in 2005

Calapan City was hit by tropical depression Quedan and heavy moonson rains on December 11, 2005 resulting to massive floodings all over the city and nearby municipalities. It is reported that 60 out of the 62 barangays were affected by the floodings due to the swelling of the Bucayao River, a big river located at the southern part of the city that spans seven barangays and a landslide occurrence in the Bucayao dike.

On December 18, 2005, PAGASA issued the final bulletin of TD Quedan however, as it moved farther away from the country, eastern and southern Luzon still experienced continuous rains which resulted to the renewed breaching of the temporary dike in Calapan City.

According to the website of the International Red Cross Federation and Red Crescent Society, 14,247 families or 85,446 people affected in Calapan City and four other towns.

National Response

Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Calapan City on December 7, 2005 to personally assess the situation and presided the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) emergency meeting with concerned local government officials in Oriental Mindoro and turned over 200 sacks of rice to PDCC Oriental Mindoro and City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) Calapan City.

On December 8, 2005, Ms. Arroyo presided the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) emergency meeting at the National Disaster Management Center and gave instructions to fast track the restoration of electricity in the affected city and municipalities of Oriental Mindoro and to issue a memorandum to all implementing agencies to maintain a 24-hour operations in their respective operation centers in view of PAGASA's forecast of long period of rains induced by northeasterly wind.

In compliance with the above instructions, the NDCC wrote a letter of request addressed to the General Manager of the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) to fast track the full restoration of electric power supply of the affected areas particularly in Calapan City. In addition, Memorandum Circular No. 08 was issued to NDCC member agencies for the maintenance of round the clock manning of respective agency operations center for quick response in case flooding and other similar disaster situations.

The NDCC Operations Center coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the availability of all aircraft for the conduct of ocular inspection, damage assessment, search, rescue and relief operations in the flood-stricken areas in Mindoro and Palawan. With the cooperation of the Department of Transportation and Communications (Philippines) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), trips from Calapan City to southern Mindoro were suspended.

On the other hand, the National Food Authority (Philippines) (NFA) released 1,000 sacks of rice (300 to PDCC Oriental Mindoro, 200 to Calapan City and 500 to PDCC Palawan) while the Department of Health (Philippines) (DOH) provided assorted medicines worth of P1,788,287.00 that were divided to Mindoro and Palawan provinces. The Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine National Red Cross provided assorted relief goods (food and non-food items) to familied affected by flood.

Senator Manny Villar also donated 1000 boxes of repacked rice and 1000 boxes of used clothing on December 11, 2005.

Local Response

The City Government of Calapan established a community kitchen at Jose J. Leido Jr. Memorial National High School evacuation and provided assorted relief goods to more than 100 affected families.

Calapan City was also declared a State of Calamity to enable to utilize its 5% local Calamity Fund for emergency relief operations.

Barangays

City of Calapan is politically subdivided into 62 barangays.

Notable Calapeňos

* N. V. M. Gonzalez - Internationally acclaimed writer and educator
* Charo Santos-Concio - President, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation
* Arleo E. Magtibay - 1983 Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee - in the field of Engineering
* Marielle Infantado - National Filipino Swimmer; 1st ASEAN Games; 2nd POF Championship; 27th, 29th and 31th SEA Games; Nestle MILO Product Endorser
* Edzen Dinglasan - National Filipino Swimmer; 29th and 30th SEA Games
* Edson Dinglasan - National Filipino Swimmer, 30th SEA Games; Philippine National Open
* Patrick dela Rosa - Filipino actor, politician
* Jireh Ibanez, Basketball Player, UP Diliman

External links

* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]
* [http://www.cityofcalapan.gov.ph Calapan City Official Site]
* http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2005/govph-phl-28dec.pdf
* http://www.ifrc.org/cgi/pdf_appeals.pl?rpts05/PHfl15120502.pdf
* http://profiles.friendster.com/10085018

References

* [http://www.cityofcalapan.gov.ph/news/2007/december/news02.htm]