Tamayo

“Al mal tiempo, buena cara”.
*In bad times, show your best face*.
-Dominican proverb

**Tamayo** is a town in the southwest Dominican Republic, approximately 172 kilometers (*107 miles*) from Santo Domingo. It is part of the Barohuco Province.

## Tamayo

### Region

 Bahoruco Province
Enriquillo

### Distance to:

Neiba: 32 km (*20 mi.*)
Santo Domingo:
169 km (*105 mi.*)

## About

Tamayo is located in the eastern part of the Neiba Valley, on the western shore of the Yaque del Sur River.

## History

These lands were populated throughout the 18th century by families from Cambronal (today Galván), Jarabacoa, Neiba, Azua and El Cercado. The place where they were located, on the banks of the Yaque del Sur river, was called "Hatico".

In 1908, with the passage of a great hurricane through the island, the Yaque del Sur River grew and flooded Hatico's land, destroying this town. It was the biggest flood of news; After the floods, the place began to be repopulated with people from different parts of the country.

The first wooden house in Hatico was built by General Joaquín Campos and the second house was by Mrs. María Antonia Gómez. In her the first school that was in the place worked, of which Maria Antonia Gómez herself was a teacher, whose name is currently in the municipality's high school.

Hatico was elevated to the category of common (municipality) on March 10, 1943, being given the current name of Tamayo in memory of an indigenous leader

## Geography

According to the ONE, the city has a total area of 120.23 square kilometers (46.42 Square miles). Tamayo is bordered by the San Juan town of Vallejuelo and city of San Juan de la Maguana to the north, the Azua town of Las Yayas de Viajama to the northeast, the Barahona towns of Vicente Noble and El Peñón to the southeast and south, the Independencia town of Cristóbal to the southwest, and the city of Neiba and town of Galván to the west. Tamayo is approximately 172 km (*107 miles*) west of Santo Domingo, and 93 km (*58 miles*) east of the Internatinal Border Line at Jimaní.

## Economy

Tamayo is one of the agricultural areas where the highest production of bananas is recorded, especially of the famous barahoneros bananas, named after that because, in the administrative division of the agricultural sector, the municipality belongs to the agricultural region of Barahona .

Like the municipality of Vicente Noble, Tamayo's economic life has become more dynamic in recent times, due to the remittances sent by hundreds of natives who emigrated to Europe in the late eighties, especially to Spain .

## Infrastructure

### Education

Some eighteen basic schools operate in the municipality, most of them with extended runs and two secondary schools.

### Health

Seven rural clinics and a municipal hospital make up the physical infrastructure in health that the municipality of Tamayo has. As in other neighboring municipalities, cases requiring specialized medical attention are sent to the Jaime Mota University Regional Hospital, located in the city of Barahona.

### Religion

San Antonio is the patron saint of the tamayeros, who celebrate their patron saint festivities on June 13 of each year. Tamayo also celebrates a carnival with troupes and floats; Harvest Day, in which an agricultural fair is organized, and the anniversary of Radio Enriquillo, a festival that has become a tradition for this community and for the entire region.