Founded 2 January 1917 Demonym(s) Lawisanon | District 4th district of Cebu Barangay Area 23.95 km² | |
 | ||
Neighborhoods Tabagak, Bunakan, Talangnan, Tarong, Maalat | ||
Madridejos cebu
Madridejos is a 4th municipal income class municipality on Bantayan Island in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 36,429. In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 23,134 registered voters. It is one of the three municipalities that make up the island of Bantayan, which lies to the west of the northern tip of Cebu. It is bounded to the south by the municipality of Bantayan, and on all other sides by the Visayan Sea.
Contents
- Madridejos cebu
- Map of Madridejos Cebu Philippines
- History
- Immaculate Conception parish church
- Second World War
- Barangays
- Demographics
- Economy
- Transportation
- References
Map of Madridejos, Cebu, Philippines
There is a light station – LS Madridejos – about 50 metres (160 ft) north of the mean highwater mark at Kota point 11°18′08″N 123°43′45″E.
History
Lawis was the old name of Madridejos. Even today people still use the name "Lawis", meaning "promontory", 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.
During the time of governor Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera (1635–1644), the Visayas were continually harassed by the Moros, who wreaked dreadful havoc, capturing, massacring, robbing, sacking churches, and burning everything there was.
The kota (cota or cuta = fort) also built in 1790s. Blowing of the budyong served as signal of the coming of the Moros. A watch tower was built in Kaongkod, a barrio about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the fort. It is the place from where the approach of the Moros could easily be seen, to give a timely warning to the townsfolk of their coming. All watchtowers on Bantayan where built by Fr. Doroteo Andrada del Rosario, parish priest of Bantayan in the 19th century (Moro attacks were worst around 1840s).
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 1917 barrio Lawis became a town named Madridejos. This was the name given to the third town of Bantayan island in honour of Benito Romero de Madridejos the former archbishop of Cebu. The town's feast day is celebrated annually on 8 December.
Immaculate Conception parish church
In the year 1600s, before Madridejos was made into a town, there was a barrio called Lawis at the tip of Bantayan island. In this barrio was a chapel built by the Augustinians who also built the parish church of Bantayan in the year 1580.
The chapel was located within the Spanish fort near the seashore. Inside the chapel, there was a framed picture of La Virgen Purisima Concepcion which was the object of devotion and before which the Holy Rosary was prayed every afternoon. Once a month and during church feasts, the chapel was visited by the priest of Bantayan to say mass and celebrate its annual feast.
In the 1700s there was an image of La Virgen Purisima carved in the Island from batikuling wood. It was 16 inches (41 centimetres) tall and was placed on the altar of the first chapel built by the Augustinian priests near the seashore of barrio Lawis. Folklore say there would be times when the clothes of the image were wet and damp although there was no rain, and was full of amorseko (crab grass) – a kind of weed in the fields. During the time of the El Tor epidemic a beautiful lady was observed ministering to the sick mountain folks.
Since olden times, every October the Virgin is brought in a fluvial procession and the Holy Rosary is prayed. The feast was celebrated every eight day of December, until Lawis became a parish in the year 1928.
Second World War
Barangays
Madridejos comprises 14 barangays:
Demographics
In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 23,134 registered voters, meaning that 64% of the population are aged 18 and over.
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": the first canning factory in the country was established here, 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 growing industry and Madridejos provides a substantial quantity of eggs produced for sale to the neighboring provinces.
Madridejos also hosts a fairly substantial tertiary college – Salazar College.
There are two radio stations:
Transportation
Madridejos can be reached by boat from Cebu City via Santa Fe with 75-minutes ferry service to San Remigio (Hagnaya) via Island Shipping or SuperShuttle Ferry. Bus (jeepney) travel to Madridejos via the municipality of Bantayan takes about one hour.
There are currently NO overnight boats from Cebu City to Bantayan Island, nor are there any scheduled commercial air flights. Private air companies occasionally fly smaller Cessna and Piper aircraft into Bantayan Airport.