San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

San Jose, officially the Municipality of San Jose (Tagalog: Bayan ng San Jose), is a municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 153,267, representing a third of the provincial population, and is the largest among cities (excluding Puerto Princesa City) and municipalities in the Mimaropa region. It is also the most populous town in Occidental Mindoro.
San Jose has the province's largest commercial port and airport, the most banking, business, dining and commercial establishments in Occidental Mindoro, and has become a center of trade in the Mimaropa region. Its major local and international exports include rice, salt and processed milkfish. It was ranked 13th in "overall competitiveness" among Philippine local government units in the 2017 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI).
In pre-colonial times, it was named Pandurucan by the indigenous Mangyans after the local river, before later renamed for its patron saint, St. Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Historical records show that in the 14th century, Chinese traders anchored to trade at the shores of Mangarin, the oldest settlement in the southern portion of Occidental Mindoro. Its name was derived from the word “Mandarin”, an official Chinese Palace, the remains of which can still be found in the old barrio of Mangarin. The area was once a Sinified Buddhist state called Ma-i before the Sultanate of Brunei invaded. When the Spanish took possession of the Island in the 18th century, the first site of the Presidencia was built in sitio of Sinaoga, on the western side of Barrio Santa Teresa, now part of the municipality of Magsaysay. A year later, it was again transferred to Caminawit.
Archaeological evidence from caves and rockshelter sites in the island of Ilin indicate human habitation dating back thousands of years (Middle Holocene period, about 6,000 years ago).
On May 1, 1910, Pandurucan, which was renamed San Jose, became the seat of the Civil Government with Don German Ramirez as its first appointed leader up to 1915. When the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied the town, Bonifacio Gomez was appointed as Mayor from 1941 to 1942, followed by Pedro Cuden, 1942–1943 and finally Isabelo Abeleda, in 1944 until 1946. During the American reoccupation Bibiano Gaudiel replaced Isabelo Abeleda who regained his position in 1955.
San Jose figures prominently in Philippine history for its role during World War II. American naval forces led by General Douglas MacArthur staged a so-called "Second Landing" in the beaches of San Jose (the "First" being the famous Leyte Landing) on December 15, 1944, to retake the Philippine islands from the Japanese (the Battle of Mindoro). Securing San Jose and the whole Mindoro island proved decisive in the goal to recapture Manila and Luzon, and the eventual defeat of the Japanese Imperial forces by Filipino and American troops.
In 1950, the Philippine government split Mindoro into two provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. San Jose became the temporary capital until it was later transferred to Mamburao. With encouragement from the national government, migration into Mindoro in the years after World War II boosted population growth and spurred development. The Philippine Sugar Mill plantation in the northern Barangay Central helped San Jose become the center of commerce in those years.
On April 3, 1969, the barrios of Alibog, Caguray, Calawag, Gapasan, Laste, Lourdes, Nicolas, Paclolo, Purnaga, Sibalat, and Santa Teresa was separated from San Jose to create a separate municipality known as Magsaysay.
During the 1970s, development has since shifted to what is now the poblacion area and neighboring barangays. The economic base also has widened to include rice, corn, tobacco, salt, and aquaculture production geared towards both the local Philippine and international markets.
The Municipality of San Jose passed Resolution No. 0023 in 2001, seeking conversion to city status. In 2016, Congresswoman Josephine Ramirez-Sato filed House Bill No. 2164 which aims to convert San Jose into a component city. To date, this resolution has not been acted upon or pursued by Congress of the Philippines.
San Jose is 173 kilometres (107 mi) from Mamburao and 229 kilometres (142 mi) from Calapan. It is located at the southern part of the province with a total land area of 44,670 hectares (110,400 acres). San Jose is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Rizal and Calintaan, on the east by the municipalities of Mansalay and Bulalacao, on the south by the municipality of Magsaysay, and on the west by the Mindoro Strait. Its jurisdiction includes Ambulong and Ilin Islands.
Climatic condition is classified under Type A category and slope is generally flat. Soil composition developed from recent alluvial deposits which are silty-loam to clay loam and landforms consist of limestone and sedimentary rocks. All types of erosion are present: slight, moderate and severe erosion. Eleven (11) rivers and creeks, including the Pandurucan River which runs through the center of town, serve as natural drainage. Mineral deposits includes copper and limestone.
San Jose is politically subdivided into 39 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Barangay Naibuan (PSGC 175110040) was created by virtue of Presidential Memorandum Order No. 19, series of 2018, pursuant to Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 138, series of 2007 and ratified through a plebiscite on January 5, 2018.
San Jose has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). The average annual temperature is 27.5 °C. The warmest month of the year is May, with an average temperature of 28.9 °C. January has the lowest average temperature of the year, at 26.5 °C. The average annual rainfall is 3126 mm. The driest month is March, with 8 mm of rainfall. With an average of 714 mm, the most precipitation falls in July.
San Jose is the most densely populated area in the province of Occidental Mindoro, with a 2.38% annual growth. Out of the total population of 143,430 people, about 42% reside in urban area while 58% are situated in rural barangays. The majority of the population consists of a mix of migrants of different ethnolinguistic groups from nearby provinces, namely: Tagalogs, Bicolanos, Visayans, Kapampangans, Pangasinans and Ilocanos. Some 2% of its population belong to the indigenous Mangyan peoples, primarily the Hanunuo and Buhid tribes.
Average household size is recorded at 5 with an urban density of 6500 persons per km. About 69% are dependents, resulting to a dependency ratio of 1:2. On the other hand, male-female ratio is computed at 108:100.
Tagalog is the most spoken dialect of San Jose.
83.97% are practicing Roman Catholicism, pastorally served since 1983 by the Roman Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose in Mindoro, with its own titular church, the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral.
The town celebrates an annual festival called Pandurucan Festival every May 1 that includes preceding events like Indak Pandurucan, a street-dancing competition held every April 29, and culminates in lantern parade and concert activities at the municipal plaza; the festivity is the only festival in the province that is accredited by the tourism department.
Poverty incidence of San Jose
The municipality has diverse economic activities. However, the majority of the working force which is estimated at 76%, are still engaged in agriculture. Like the rest of the province, other industries in San Jose are tied to the town's agricultural base. A substantial majority of palay and rice of Occidental Mindoro, a major supplier of rice for Manila and elsewhere, are delivered, milled, traded and sold in San Jose.
Other major agricultural products include corn, garlic, onions, and root crops. Aquaculture is well-developed in San Jose which is known for its export quality lapu-lapu, bangus (milkfish), and sugpo (prawn). The town has abundant coastal and marine resources which provide an ample supply of fish and marine products for local consumption and exports.
Commercial livestock and poultry farms producing layers, broilers and meat products also exist. San Jose has a large number of agricultural support facilities such as rice mills, warehouses, solar dryers, and the like.
Registered commercial establishments number more than a thousand, and the public market, the center of commercial activities, is the largest in the province of Occidental Mindoro. Major fast food chains and local restaurants serve residents and tourists alike, while retail shopping centers such as San Jose Town Mall offer shopping conveniences. Pharmacies and major banks can also be found in town.
Other industries include hollow blocks making, handicrafts, furniture, sweet goods and other food products (pasalubong), and other small-scale enterprises and home-based businesses. Andrea Benoya's Te Ands' handicrafts are inspired by Mangyan tribe's Mindoro's culture. Her creations include hand-beaded Pakudos, necklace, cross stitch, fashion accessory, souvenir, key chains, embroidered wallets, apparels, accessories, seashells, coconut shells and handwoven Ramit textile woven on a backstrap loom.
Economic growth is likely to rise in the next decade with the influx of business interests, along with planned power and water supply improvements.
San Jose is accessible via the West Mindoro Coastal Road/Occidental Mindoro National Highway and the Philippine Nautical Highway System.
The town is served by the San Jose Airport via Cebu Pacific with regular scheduled flights to Manila. A new route was opened by Philippine Airlines connecting the town to Clark International Airport in Pampanga, with five regular weekly flight schedules. San Jose is also served by its seaport, Caminawit Port.
Major educational institutions in the province include Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC), Divine Word College of San Jose (DWC), San Jose Adventist Academy Inc. (SJAA), Montessori de San Jose, Philippine Central Islands College (PCIC), I-NET Asia Technological School, Inc., Southwest Philippines Ecumenical School Inc., Abeleda Technical School, Grace Christian School and Maranatha Christian Academy.