Magallanes, Sorsogon

**Magallanes** is a coastal municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Luzon, Philippines. The formal political and administrative creation of Magallanes began from a site known as _Parina_, derived from a local hardwood used in shipbuilding.

## History

In 1567, on orders of King Philip II of Spain, the _Order of St. Augustine_ in New Spain (Mexico) sent missionaries to the Philippine islands. In 1569, two Augustinian priests, Fray Alonso Jimenez and Fray Juan de Alva, accompanied by Luiz Enriquez de Guzman, a Spanish captain, reached _Gibal-ong_ (shortened to _Hibalong_), a fishing village near the _Ginangra River_, inhabited by the _Ibalong_ tribe.

Having arrived, Fray Alonso's party built a chapel made of bamboo and nipa in a settlement called _Parina_; where was held the first Roman Catholic mass in Luzon island.The site is today identified as _Sitio San Isidro_ of Barangay Salvacion in present-day Magallanes.

Centuries into Spain's colonial rule —in 1858— Don Manuel de Castro, a Spanish settler, wrote the Governor-General of the Philippines, requesting that Parina be made into a town and expanded, which was approved in 1859. The new town was named _Magallanes_ in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the explorer who discovered the Philippines for Spain three centuries earlier.

Magallanes was afterwards declared a municipality by the governor-general on July 16, 1860, with Manuel de Castro as its first appointed municipal governor. It was subdivided into six headships called _"cabeseras"_, each of which was supervised by a _"cebeja de barangay"_ (literally,"eyebrow", therefore the "overseer"). In 1864 the town's first census yielded a total population of 1,400.

## Bagatao Island

Bagatao Island is situated at the mouth of Sorsogon Bay, in the municipality of **Magallanes**. The island, approximately 543 hectares, is two kilometers away from the _Poblacion_ (town square) and across the Magallanes pier.

It served as a major port and shipyard for Spanish ships in their route from Manila to Acapulco and back for their supplies, repairs and safe harbor. At the island and the nearby town, they awaited during storms and typhoons for fair weather before voyaging once again, across the San Bernardino Strait. The shipyard had abundant lumber that was needed for ship repairs, especially the wood of the "parina" tree from the inland forest, which was used extensively for its excellent quality until the species became extinct.  When the shipbuilding industry made this place progressive, Magallanes became known as _Visita de Parina_ because of numerous visitors from other places.

## Barangays

At present, Magallanes has a total population <small>(2020)</small> of 37,411 residents. The municipality is partitioned into 34 administrative sub-divisions, called Barangays.

- Aguada Norte
- Aguada Sur
- Anibong
- Bacalon
- Bacolod
- Banacud
- Biga
- Behia
- Binisitahan del Norte
- Binisitahan del Sur
- Biton
- Bulala
- Busay
- Caditaan
- Cagbolo
- Cagtalaba
- Cawit Extension

- Cawit Proper
- Central
- Ginangra
- Hubo
- Incarizan
- Lapinig
- Magsaysay
- Malbog
- Pantalan
- Pawik
- Pili
- Salvacion
- Santa Elena
- Siuton
- Tagas
- Tulatula Norte
- Tulatula Sur

## Other websites

- Municipalities of Sorsogon
- Brgy. Ginangra
- Ginangra River
- The first mass in Luzon

## Infobox (mapframe)

- **frame-width**: 250


## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Magallanes, Sorosogon
- **native name**: Parina
- **settlement type**: Municipality of Sorsogon, Sorsogon province
- **image skyline**: Magallanes_view.jpg
- **image flag**: Flag of Magallanes, Sorsogon.png
- **flag size**: 120x80px
- **seal size**: 100x80px
- **image map**: Ph_locator_sorsogon_magallanes.png
- **pushpin map**: Philippines
- **pushpin label position**: left
- **pushpin map caption**: Location within the
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Philippines
- **subdivision type1**: Region
- **subdivision name1**: Bicol Region
- **subdivision type2**: Province
- **subdivision name2**: Sorsogon
- **subdivision type3**: Municipality
- **subdivision name3**: 1st district
- **subdivision type4**: Barangays
- **subdivision name4**: #Barangays, 34
- **established date**: 1567
- **area total km2**: 150.09
- **elevation max m**: 244
- **elevation min m**: 0
- **timezone**: Philippine Standard Time
- **utc offset1**: +8
- **postal code**: 4705
- **area code type**: IDD : area code
- **area code**: +63 (0)56