Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte

Barangays

Jose Panganiban is politically subdivided into 27 barangays.

Demographics

In the 2015 census, the population of Jose Panganiban was 59,639 people, with a density of 280 inhabitants per square kilometre or 730 inhabitants per square mile.

Mining

It is known that even before the colonizers came, Mambulao was already a flourishing mining town. It was the Spaniards, drawn by the rumor of immense gold deposits in the Mambulao-Paracale district, who mastered in exploring the gold mining potentials of these towns.

From the 1750s to 1800s, Paracale held the major Spanish mines, but due to its closure in the 1790s, its people were living in desultory gold washing, fishing and selling betel nut to Mambulao which has now became the mining center. During that time, there were plenty of small shops but there’s no rice fields and vegetable gardening. All necessities came from Ambos Camarines and Tayabas (Quezon). Fifteen years later, the mines of Mambulao were no longer open. There was still some haphazard gold washing by women of Indio Class whose husbands, it was alleged, gambled away their meager earning in card games run by the town mayor. But by 1818, the population was back to the levels of the 1790s and by the mid-1820s annual gold production levels ran as 3,200 ounces (90.7 kg.) worth Php. 44,000 at prevailing prices. By 1829, Camarines Norte was considered to be wealthy and populous enough to warrant separation as province of its own for the first time. But after the 1840s the mining and population declined. Dr. Fedor Jagor (in his book Travels in the Philippines and The former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes), a well known German traveler who visited Mambulao in 1859, reported that it was thinly populated and that the mining mania was already ruined. From 1837 to 1876 the population of Mambulao and Paracale decreased by 30%.

From 1900 until the early twenties, Mambulao was a sleepy town, isolated from the other towns of Camarines Norte. During the gold bloom, it was dubbed as “Little Manila”, due to flourishing business operated by Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Syrians and many others. Dutch-born Filipino citizen Jan Hendrik Marsman operated two rich mines during the American occupation, a substantial dredging operation and the Philippines only smelter located in the Mambulao- Paracale district. The population quadrupled between 1918 and 1938. One of the most notable mining company to operate in this municipality is the Philippine Iron Mines, then the largest iron mine in Asia.

Mining companies operating in Jose Panganiban include:

Jose Panganiban Special Economic Zone

Airport and Seaports

The International Port of Jose Panganiban (Latitude 14° 17’N Longitude 122° 42’E) is nearly 2 miles wide at the entrance between Calambayungan Island and Pinandungan Point and with sea distance to Manila of 468.10 nautical miles.The port is situated at Barangay Osmeña which is approximately five (5) kilometers away from the town proper of Jose Panganiban. The port serves as the passage of all water borne traffic to and from the Paracale mining area, Larap., Lucena, other Quezon town and the rest of Bicol and Visayas provinces. Copra, coconut oil and copra pellets used to be its principal exports.

The Port of Larap Bay is a natural coastal harbor situated at Barangay Larap (Latitude 14° 18' 36" N Latutude 122° 39' 0" E), currently serving the needs of a local mining company. The harbor entrance is restricted due to swell.

The Larap (Jose Panganiban) Airport (ICAO Code: RPUP), formerly operated by the Philippine Iron Mines, covers an area of approximately 35 hectares and with existing 1,400 meter stretched runway. It is located at Latitude 14°17′28″N Longitude 122°38′46″E.

The nearest airports that operate regularly are Naga Airport (126 km away) in Camarines Sur and Legazpi Airport (216 km away) in Albay.

Public Land Transportation

The municipal's public transportation needs are provided by Tricycles, Jeepneys (Route: Downtown to Mountainous Villages), Vans (Route: Jose Panganiban to Daet, and Buses (Routes: Jose Panganiban to Daet) via Labo, Jose Panganiban to Tabaco, Albay via Naga City, and Jose Panganiban to Metro Manila). Philtranco, Superlines, and DLTB serves the Jose Panganiban-Metro Manila route.

Electricity and Water Supply

Jose Panganiban is being served by the National Power Corporation through CANORECO (Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative). A Coal Power Plant is set to be built by H and WB Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. by 2016 which is expected to generate a total of 300 Megawatts of power supply using green coal technology.

Water supply and treatment is provided by Jose Panganiban Water District, a local cooperative, via a system of pumps and pipes.

Communication

Mambulao Cable Television and JP Cable TV System provide digital cable services and internet connection throughout the municipality. Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, and Sun Cellular are the mobile, fixed-line, broadband, 3G and 4G internet service providers. International Calls are provided by the Local Government for free. Town FM 89.3 also broadcasts from the municipality.

Medical institutions

Post-secondary

Public Secondary

Private Preschools

Historical landmarks

Roman Catholic Churches

Other Christian Churches

Radio stations

Sister City