Madridejos, Cebu

Madridejos
—  Municipality  —
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas (Region VII)
Province	Cebu
District
Government
- Mayor
Population (2007)
- Total	30,673
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code
Website	-

Madridejos is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. It is one of the three municipalities that make up the island of Bantayan located on the western portion of the northern tip of mainland Cebu. It is bounded on the south by the municipality of Bantayan, Cebu, and on all other sides by the Visayan Sea. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 30,673 people. It has a land area of 23.95 square kilometers.

Sign of Madridejos

Lawis was the old name of Madridejos. In fact, even up to the present, the less young among the people still use the name Lawis. In the vernacular term of “Peninsula”, the portion carved out to constitute the Municipality of Madridejos being the peninsula located on the Northern side of Bantayan Island facing the Visayan Sea. The first fisherman, Lazaro Mangubat, came to live in Mancilang, Lawis after discovering the place as one of the rich fishing grounds of the country. The general scenery of Lawis was that of a quiet place, of Virgin grounds covered by small shrubs and lantana. When more people discovered Lawis and flocked to it, the place became a visita. In 1889 when Pedro Benito Romero De Madridejos, the Archbishop of Cebu, came to visit the place, Father Juan Alcoseba, then the curate of the place, renamed Lawis to Madridejos in his honor.

The town's feast day is celebrated annually on December 8.

History

• 1942 - the occupation from the Japanese Imperial forces by landed in the town of Madridejos, Cebu.
• 1945 - the liberated by the Philippine Commonwealth troops of the 3rd, 8th, 81st, 82nd & 83rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was landed in Madridejos, Cebu by front the battles against the Japanese forces in the Battle of Bantayan in Cebu during the Second World War.

Economy

The main industries of Madridejos are fishing, poultry and tourism.

Because of its rich fishing grounds, Madridejos earned the name of Little Alaska of the Philippines and as a matter of fact the first canning factory in the country was established in Madridejos, but it lost its sustaining impact in the history of the municipality after it was bombed during World War II. At present, poultry raising is a booming industry and Madridejos contributes a substantial quantity of eggs produced for sale to the neighboring provinces.

Madridejos is associated with the name Bantayan being a part of Bantayan Island as it shares only more than eight square miles of the total land area of Bantayan Island.

Barangays

Madridejos is administratively subdivided into 14 barangays.

• Bunakan
• Kangwayan
• Kaongkod
• Kodia
• Maalat
• Malbago
• Mancilang
• Pili
• Poblacion
• San Agustin
• Tabagak
• Talangnan
• Tarong
• Tugas

How to Get There

The Quick Directions page from Cebu City to Bantayan Island is here at wowBantayan.com, complete with Bus/Boat/Beach photography (real world travel times via Cebu City Bus are 3hrs. including a short restroom stop in Carmen or elsewhere) and 75 min. (1hr/15min) via the Island Shipping or SuperShuttle Ferry Hagnaya to Santa Fe.

There are currently NO overnight boats from Cebu City to Bantayan Island, nor are there any commercial air flights, but many Private Air companies DO fly smaller Cessna & Piper aircraft into Bantayan Island; see the Private Air page at wowBantayan.com for details.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2007 Philippine Census Information
• Municipality Resource Profile at DTI Cebu

Coordinates: 11°16′N 123°44′E / 11.267°N 123.733°E / 11.267; 123.733