Punta (Looc Romblon) is one of the 12 barangays of Municipality of Looc, Province of Romblon, Philippines.
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It is the sixth largest in land area with 611.45 hectares, and the second most populated to Poblacion (population of 3,045 according to 2007 census) with 2964 registered populace based on a 2007 census.
History
Pre-Spanish records dating as early as 1571 narrate that the first wave of migrants in the province of Romblon were from Aklan who settled in the western-side of Looc river. They were called Onhan (Taga-Uma - pertaining to a person living or hailing from the countryside or with provincial roots). The villages stretched up to the present-day San Agustin (leadership was called Pueblo de Cabulotan). However, an epidemic killed the majority of the population of the island. The survivors included Alfredo Mirante, his wife, and daughter, Emerenciana. Alfredo Mirante was one of the survivors of a ship wrecked during the British occupation of the Philippines. He was originally from London.
The second wave of settlers established the communities in the present-day Odiongan and San Andres which included the Gaa and Gabat families. Alfredo Mirante's daughter, Emerenciana Mirante, married into the Gaa family. Asiang Gaa married Benito Gabat. They had one daughter, Maria Gabat. In 1844, (Spanish occupation) Looc was named a municipality but as a part of Capiz province. A couple of decades after, the whole of Romblon became a sub-province of Capiz wherein Looc was part of the Municipality of Tablas (one of the four municipalities of Romblon that time namely; Tablas, Romblon, Sibuyan and Maghali).
Punta became a barrio in 1854. Looc was then regarded as a municipality, and Romblon, a separate province. Punta used to have a population of 175 (1854 census). Maria Gabat married Exequiel Fontamillas, the first mayor of Odiongan, when the American colonization began. They had one daughter, Amparo Fontamillas. In 1916, the separate barrios of Guba, Cabugao, and Bagto (abolished on the same year) were fused with Punta. Amparo Fontamillas married Modesto Formilleza, the congressman during the first Philippine Congress. He is listed on the plaque commemorating Philippine Independence from America under the giant flag parallel to the Rizal Monument in Luneta Park. After he died, barangays Guinhayaan, Manhac, and Tuguis, which used to be part of the Punta, were separated and formed into independent barangays on June 21, 1959.
Present Day
Present-day Punta barangay is very accessible because it neighbors barangay Poblacion on its northern part, and the national road that passes its eastern stretch leads to the barangays of Tuguis, Guinhayan and Manhac, and the municipalities of Sta. Fe, Alcantara, Sta. Maria and San Agustin.
Punta's current territory is very strategic because it harbors long stretch of Looc Bay on its west. A number of its inhabitants are fishermen. It also borders Barangay Tuguis on its south-western part and Pili on its north-eastern part which has hills appropriate for cropping. Harvests are also being sold at Looc Public Market or to nearby municipalities of Alcantara and Odiongan. Its central and north-western part is largely rice field.
The municipality of Looc is largely dependent on Punta Water Reservoir as its primary water source, which is surrounded by a protected mini forest. It is located near the west boundary.
Notable Landmarks
Don Modesto Formilleza Memorial Hospital (formerly St. Joseph Municipal Hospital) is located in the central part of the barangay (located at an elevated hillside of the barangay is also visible while passing the Punta stretch of the national road) and is also the only hospital in town that serves the medical needs of Looc, Alcantara, and Santa Fe. The hospital is named after a member of the first Philippine Congress after Philippine independence. Doctor Leticia Formilleza, a provincial medical practitioner (used to be consultant in Romblon Provincial Hospital, Odiongan, Romblon), donated the land for this hospital as well as the Punta Elementary School, Baranggay Hall, Day Care Center, Health Center across the hospital, and the Seventh-Day Adventist Chapel near the vicinity. Modesto Formilleza was from Odiongan. He married Amparo Gabat Fontamillas. They had seven children: Modesto Jr., Thelma, Edna, Leticia, Andres, Jose, and Arturo. Modesto died in 1958. Andres died after World War II from an allergy to penicillin, Jose became a Benedictine monk, Leticia, Arturo, and Amparo died towards the end of the twentieth century. Only Thelma and Modesto Jr. had children. They died in 2010 and 2012. Thelma married Herminio G., a cousin of Gloria Macapagal. They have five children and sixteen grandchildren, in California, New York, and Arizona. Modesto Junior married Aurora E. Their children live either in Manila or Washington state. Punta is the considered to be the ancestral home of the Mirante, Gaa, and Gabat family. Gaa and Gabat families continue to reside in Punta. The current Ambassador to the United States of America is Willy Gaa. Barangay and SK positions used to be dominated by the Gabat family. The Formillezas and Fontamillas are originally from Odiongan.
At the intersection of the national road leading to the hospital, St. Niño Catholic chapel is situated. The Lopez residence and their used-to-be-beach resort neighbors the church. The Moreno residence (current barangay captain) is adjacent to this area.
St. Joseph Parochial School (offers prep up to secondary curriculum) established by the Looc Parish Church on 2000 is found along the national road near the central area. Nuns and a couple of faculty are the administrator and teaching staff at the campus. The Iglesia ni Kristo Church is the lone chapel built in the 1990s is located in the vicinity. Garachico families reside within the area.
St. Joseph College was built in the 1970s (not existing today) which offered secretarial and AB courses which was administered by Attorney Ramo used to be in Purok Anak-dagat, found along the national road stretch at the property owned by Marcelo-Gaytano Family. It is right beside the residence of Marcelo-Morada residence across Galindez compound. Marcelo, Galidez, Gabuna, Alejo, and Miñano families reside around the area. The two story building stood until around year 2000. The Looc Cockpit Arena is also found near the area. he Bernardo and Teologo families reside near it.
A private cemetery is found in Sitio Cabugao, the northern part of the barangay with also borders the Municipal Cemetery in Barangay Poblacion. The Taladtad, Eusebio, Santiago, and Visca families reside in the vicinity. Some minerals like marble have been seen in this area.
First families who owned lands in the densely populated part of the barangay are the Marcelo’s. Two of them became municipal mayor of Looc namely; Vivencio Marcelo and Gualberto Marcelo. During Gualberto Marcelo’s term, Looc National High School (Lone public high school in the municipality which has now a satellite campus in Barangay Buenavista) was established.
Politics in the area is very critical as it is the second vote-richest barangay. Also, clans and alliance with the municipal politics is a great factor that contributes to this.
The predominantly Catholic barangay holds its annual feast in honor of San Isidro Labrador every last week of May. The basketball tournament, sports-fest and dance ball are held around this season in time for the coronation of the chosen or the winner of the Miss Punta pageant or money raising contest.