# Irosin

Irosin, officially known as the "Municipality of Irosin" (Waray Sorsogon: Bungto san Irosin; Waray: Bungto han Irosin, Tagalog: Bayan ng Irosin), is a municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines.

## History

Dating back to 1847, Irosin was an inland valley devoid of human inhabitants and covered by a vast forest with thriving biodiversity, making it one of the last places in the Philippines to be occupied by settlers. In the early 1800s, most natives lived along the coastal areas, allowing them greater access to commercial, travel, and communication opportunities.
Until settlers from Bulusan came in search of wild quarry and rattan, Irosin remained an undisturbed wildlife sanctuary. These pioneers cleared a settlement beside a river using the slash-and-burn method, resulting in a clearing called Hin-ay. This Albayanon word denotes the arrangement of abaca yarn or tupos into a zigzagging pattern (hinan-ay) as preparation for weaving. The hin-ay pattern was drawn to represent the weaving rivers crisscrossing from the mountains down the valley. Another account suggests that the word hin-ay came from the term an-hay, meaning gradually ascending. The original settlement, now called San Agustin, is east of the town proper at a higher elevation, hence the gradual ascent from the lower villages to the former barrio center of San Agustin.
In 1847, Hin-ay was declared a barrio of Bulusan. The Gobernadorcillo of Bulusan visited Hin-ay and appointed Apolonio Capido as the first barrio lieutenant. Deeply influenced by Catholicism brought by Spanish friars, the natives of Hin-ay built a makeshift chapel dedicated to Saint Michael the Archange. Over the years, the original clearing grew into a bustling community, and the settlers requested that church authorities grant San Miguel a status independent from Bulusan. The petition was approved, and Holy Masses were regularly held on Sundays and holidays. In 1876, the parish of San Miguel was officially recognized with Father Mariano Miranda as its parish priest, and Hin-ay became known as San Miguel. On December 12, 1879, through a Royal Decree executed by Governor-General Domingo Moriones y Murillo, San Miguel was made a duly constituted pueblo or town.
During that time, Pedro Fruto (1881-1882), Domingo Gamba (1883-1884), and Juan Gallarda (1885-1886) served as public officials with the title Capitanes del Pueblo. From 1880, the town of San Miguel flourished as an independent political unit under the Province of Albay, as Sorsogon was not separated from its mother province until October 10, 1894. The first Guardia Civil arrived in Irosin in 1883, consisting of Filipinos headed by a Spanish Captain. With the spread of the underground movement called hombres rebeldes by the Spaniards in 1894, more Spanish forces called casadores were dispatched to Irosin and imposed curfew hours to curtail local uprisings.
In 1887, during the incumbency of Father Esteban Rivera, the name San Miguel was changed to Irosin. The word came from the local term iros, meaning "to cut off a part," traced to an old tailor's term synonymous with tabas, as in ”irosi an hiniro” or "cut a part of the cloth." Iros likely represented the image of floodwaters eroding riverbanks and cutting through lands to form another river route.
Irosin frequently experienced erosion due to river inundations. On December 24, 1933, massive flooding caused numerous fatalities. To prevent the violent surge of the river from eroding the town's mainland, a concrete river control dike was constructed in 1937 under Mayor Felipe Santiago and Congressman Norberto Roque.

### Contemporary period

On April 10, 1989, Irosin was defended by military and police forces, led by Lieutenant Antonio Dy, against approximately 200 communist rebels of the New People's Army, which resulted in 20 rebel casualties; and the deaths of three female civilians in the crossfire. Dy later received the "Medalya ng Kagitingan" Award in August for leading his 13 policemen to defend Irosin's municipal hall.

## Geography

Irosin is the only landlocked municipality in the province. It is 42 kilometres (26 mi) from Sorsogon City and 623 kilometres (387 mi) from Manila.

### Barangays

Irosin is politically subdivided into 28 barangays, each consisting of puroks, and some with sitios.
* Bagsangan
* Bacolod (Poblacion)
* Batang
* Bolos
* Buenavista
* Bulawan
* Carriedo
* Casini
* Cawayan
* Cogon
* Gabao
* Gulang-Gulang
* Gumapia
* Santo Domingo (Lamboon)
* Liang
* Macawayan
* Mapaso
* Monbon
* Patag
* Salvacion
* San Agustin (Poblacion)
* San Isidro (Palogtok)
* San Juan (Poblacion)
* San Julian (Poblacion)
* San Pedro (Poblacion)
* Tabon-Tabon
* Tinampo
* Tongdol

### Climate

Climate data for Irosin, Sorsogon :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27 (81) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (74) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 65 (2.6) | 44 (1.7) | 42 (1.7) | 39 (1.5) | 87 (3.4) | 150 (5.9) | 184 (7.2) | 153 (6.0) | 163 (6.4) | 154 (6.1) | 127 (5.0) | 100 (3.9) | 1,308 (51.4) |
| Average rainy days | 13.9 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 12.5 | 19.6 | 24.3 | 26.5 | 25.0 | 25.5 | 24.4 | 19.4 | 15.1 | 226.4 |
| Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) ||||||||||||||

## Economy

Poverty incidence of Irosin
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 50
* 2000 48.63
* 2003 44.69
* 2006 33.40
* 2009 34.18
* 2012 28.45
* 2015 37.34
* 2018 32.64
* 2021 26.41
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

## Tourism

Irosin features diverse tourist spots, including natural parks, hot and cold springs, viewing areas, and historical landmarks. Popular attractions include the Mateo Hot and Cold Spring Resort, St. Michael Archangel Roman Catholic Hilltop Church, and protected areas. The Bolos Crystal Spring and the Valley View Park, equipped with eateries, kiosks, and parking spaces, serve as rest areas for truckers and travelers along the Maharlika Highway. The Mapaso mineral hot spring is another attraction, known for its purported healing properties. Irosin is also an ideal starting point for mountaineering and ecological treks, providing entry and exit to Bulusan Volcano Natural Park (BVNP), one of the remaining tropical forests and a protected area in the Bicol Region. Mount Jormajam and Mount Mara-ot Banwa offer additional mountaineering and trekking opportunities.
Tourist accommodations and facilities in Irosin include the Mateo Hot and Cold Springs Resort, which offers conference halls, dormitories, cottages, eateries, and swimming pools for recreation, conferences, and seminars. Other options are the Guest World Resort and Nature Spring Resort, featuring pools and accommodations, as well as lodging houses like Villa Lim Condominium and Saint Michael Lodging House. Restaurants, snack bars, and eateries are located along the CBD and inside the Irosin Public Market.
The most common cultural activities are the annual Santacruzan, barangay fiestas, and town fiestas, which showcase the Paray Festival. The Paray Festival, held in September, culminates with the street play Viva San Miguel in honor of Saint Michael Archangel, the patron saint of Irosin.
The local tourism industry has significant potential, as ecological tourism is a global trend and the national government aims to develop Bicol as a major tourist hub. Given its variety of natural tourist spots and strategic location, Irosin can serve as a convergence area for both foreign and domestic tourists and visitors.

## Education

Primary education
Known primary schools in the town include Irosin Central School and Holy Spirit Academy of Irosin. Additionally, each barangay has a government-run elementary school.

### Secondary education

Irosin offers numerous secondary educational institutions. The largest public high school is Gallanosa National High School, with secondary schools also located in some of Irosin's larger barangays, such as Gabao National High School and Irosin North National High School. Holy Spirit Academy of Irosin is the only private secondary school.

### Tertiary education

Irosin is home to Veritas College of Irosin and the Irosin Institute of Science and Technology, the latter accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).