"ARAW NG MARINDUQUE" FEB 18-19

“ARAW NG MARINDUQUE”

Marinduque, together with Mindoro, the southeast part of Laguna and Camarines was made part of Batangas when the latter was founded in 1581 by the Spaniards. Early in the 17th century, the island of Marinduque was separated from Batangas and became a part of Mindoro as a corregimiento, town. In 1671 Marinduque functioned as a province but was later reduced as a Mindoro sub-province.

On April 28, 1898, with the overthrow of the last Spanish casadores (Tagalog soldiers) after armed conflict with the revolutionists during the Philippine-Spanish War, Marinduque declared its separation from Mindoro and from Spanish rule, a move that was ratified by Marinduque ilustrados. The local struggle was led by Martin Lardizabal, who was military governor of Marinduque's first revolutionary provincial government.

On May 1, 1901, the United States-Philippine Commission passed Act No. 125 which created the Province of Marinduque, composed of the islands of Marinduque and the adjacent small islands. The provincial government was established in the municipality of Boac, the capital. However, by virtue of Act No. 423, dated June 23, 1902, the US-Philippine Commission annexed the island of Mindoro, including the island of Lubang (then separated from Cavite), to the Province of Marinduque. Boac remained as the capital of the consolidated provinces.

Four months later, on November 10, 1902, by virtue of Act No. 499, Marinduque was made a part of the Province of Tayabas, the present Quezon Province. On May 17, 1907, under Act No. 1649, the Commission made Marinduque a sub-province of Tayabas with Juan Morente Nieva as Lieutenant Governor.

Finally, on February 21, 1920, Act No. 2280, sponsored in the Lower House by elected representative Ricardo Paras of Marinduque, separated the sub-province of Marinduque from Tayabas and re-established the former Province of Marinduque. That law was signed by American Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison. Marinduque has since become a separate province.

This was the basis for “ARAW NG MARINDUQUE” Commemoration, first celebrated province-wide in 2008, as part of Gov. Jose Antonio N. Carrion’s efforts to incite and support the take off of a vibrant tourism, economic and social development. Provincial Ordinance No. 81 was passed in 2009 declaring February 21 of every year as “Araw ng Marinduque”. The Province of Marinduque is 90 this year.