History

The original name of San Andres was Calolbon, used to be Calolbong, which was vaguely referred to a Bicol expression - "naca lobong", as the houses of the original community along the bank of Carangag River looked almost submerged when viewed from the sea. The early Spanish explorers misunderstood the native guide who said that the submerged houses meant the name of the town. Unfamiliar with the dialect, they placed "Calolbong" on the map. Usage in the course of time dropped the "g".

The Luyang Cave below the Calolbon-Virac highway witnessed the bloodless massacre of the natives who fled from the Moro pirates during the 17th century. The natives sought refuge inside the cave but the marauders were able to trace them. The Moros uprooted sili plants abounding in a nearby place and set them a fire at the cave's entrance and suffocated the hapless natives. In memory of the massacre, a requiem mass is said at the cave's entrance on April 26 each year.

Old sources said that when the town's Catholic Church was constructed about the end of the 18th century, there was a much bigger unfinished church at the eastern side of the present church. Part of its foundation can still be seen along the squatter's shanties in the town's section called "campo".

At the east end of the town proper, the patios of the former Catholic Cemetery had been used for many years as a sturdy fence for a lush plantation. The cemetery was abandoned when the use of the present site in the west started during early years of the American rules.

Tradition says that the superstitious inhabitants clamored to have the cemetery transferred to the west of the poblacion because they believed that a cemetery at a place where the sun rises bars progress and portends more death among the young people that the old ones.

The first parish priest on record was Rev. Fr. Cornelio de jesus who ministered the town's spiritual needs for 29 years (April 1798 to November 1827). The priest who saw the end of the Spanish domination and the beginning of the American regime was Rev. Fr. Pio Imperial (June 1893 to May 1920). Two priests who guided Catholicism in this town for two decades were Rev. Fr. Roberto Floranza (May 1910 to July 1920) and Rev. Fr. Domiciano Camu (August 1920 to June 1930). The Japanese Occupation found Rev. Fr. Andres Tablizo and Rev. Fr. Jose R. Alberto taking spiritual care of the people.

The town's first "capitan" on record during the Spanish time was Juan Gazang, whose term covered eight years (1978 to 1806). With the exception of Capitanes Cristobal (1806), Felix Santelices (1843 to 1847), the rest served a two year term each. The last capitan was Alipio Vargas (1899 to 1900). The American Occupation started with Diogracias Belmonte as the first "municipal president" (1901 to 1904).

The term "municipal president" for town executive was last used by Roberto Iñigo (1931 - 1935). He was succeeded by Emiliano Surban, the first to be called "municipal mayor". Felizardo Santelices was appointed mayor during the Japanese Atrocities (1942 - 1945).

After the Philippines regained its independence in 1946 and Catanduanes became an independent province, the first municipal mayor of Calolbon was Jose Surban, followed by Jose de la Providencia, Francisco Imperial, Aristeo S. Arcilla, Augusto T. Antonio, Dr. Antonio M. Romano, and Mrs. Lydia Romano.*

Under the Revolutionary Government in 1986, President Corazon C. Aquino designated Pedro B. Surban as the Acting Mayor of the town.

In 1952, during the term of Mayor Francisco Imperial, the municipal council passed a resolution changing the name of Calolbon to San Andres. Congressman Francisco A. Perfecto sponsored a bill which was a passed into law, otherwise known as Republic Act No. 3948.



thanks to:
http://www.geocities.com/ampsanctuary/lgu_san_andres.htm

Geographical Location

San Andres is the second largest municipality in the province off Catanduannes in terms of population an land area. It is situated 17 kilometers northwest of Virac, the capital town of the province. On the north, it is bounded by the municipality of Caramoran, on its northwest the MAqueda Channel and on the southwest portion by the Lagonoy Gulf.

The 38 Barangays of Calolbon

Ang bayan ng San Andres ay isang ika-5 klaseng bayan sa lalawigan ng Catanduanes, Pilipinas. Ayon sa senso noong 2000, ito ay may populasyon na 31,463 katao sa 6,059 na kabahayan. Ito ay binubuo ng 38 barangay. At ito ay ang mga sumusunod.

Agojo
Alibuag
Asgad (Juan M. Alberto)
Bagong Sirang
Barihay
Batong Paloway
Belmonte (Pob.)
Bislig
Bon-ot
Cabungahan
Cabcab
Carangag
Catagbacan
Codon
Comagaycay
Datag
Divino Rostro (Pob.)
Esperanza (Pob.)
Hilawan
Lictin
Lubas
Manambrag
Mayngaway
Palawig
Puting Baybay
Rizal
Salvacion (Pob.)
San Isidro
San Jose
San Roque (Pob.)
San Vicente
Santa Cruz (Pob.)
Sapang Palay (Pob.)
Tibang
Timbaan
Tominawog
Wagdas (Pob.)
Yocti

Topography and Land Area

Although lying along great bodies of water, this municipality is predominantly mountainous. Of its total land area of 20,260 hectares, 52.17% is classified as forest zone and is under the supervision and maintenance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. More than half of this forest are denuded primarily due to typhoons that frequently visit the place and secondarily due to undisciplined loggers. However, 20% to 30% of this area still provides a haven to the municipality’s flora and fauna. A good portion of this could be tapped as guano reserves.

The land elevation of the area varies from sea level to about 800 meters above sea level. Its poblacion, lying along Lagonoy Gulf, is occupying a flat to nearly flat area. This is traversed by only one major road linking the municipality to Caramoran on the north and to Virac on the east. Of the 38 barangays, 26 are lying along the coast and a great majority of the area also, connected by only one road. Road building and other connecting routes from one barangay to another is very much restricted by the steep mountainous profile of the area.

Population Overview

San Andres is home to about 32,375 people. The total population of this municipality represents 14% of the total population of the province of Catandunaes. Of the total population, 17% live in the urban area (Poblacion), while the remaining 83% live in the rural areas.

Climatic Condition

San Andres like any other municipalities in the province experience type II climate with an average precipitation between 2,000 – 3,000 millimeter annually. This is due to the northeast monsoon weather occurrence during the months of October thru February and a frequent experience of tropical disturbances which brings abnormal rainfall.

It has two distinct wind patterns—the northeast monsoon normally prevailing through the months of October to February and the southwest monsoon which occurs during the months of July and August. The months of April to June and September are periods of weather transition between monsoons usually associated with light precipitation and good weather.

Education Services

In San Andres, elementary education is divided into two (2) districts, the San Andres East District and the San Andres West District. The seat of the East District is San Andres Central Elementary School which is located at Sapang Palay, one of the barangay in the Poblacion; the San Andres West District is in Cabcab Central Elementary School which is located at barangay Cabcab.

There are five secondary schools which are distributed to four barangays of the municipality namely: Manambrag, Mayngaway, Codon and Cabcab. The San Adnres Vocational School was located at the Poblacion. All of these schools are public. Tertiary education are being offered in Virac, the capital town of the province, or in mainland.

Language / Dialect

Bicol is the native tongue but with different nuances and variations, especially when one goes up to the northern towns like Pandan, Caramoran, and Panganiban. English and Tagalog are commonly spoken and understood.

Communication Facilities

The present telecommunication service of San Andres includes two (2) post offices and one (1) telegraph service office. Thee services of these offices regarding facilities includes mail box, mail bags, money order machine, and postal station. These offices are also manned by at least 9 personnel among which includes post masters, letter carrier and a driver.

With regards to other telecommunication services, the municipality has 7 Barangay Cellular Mobile Telephone service. It offers basic telecommunication service such as outgoing telephone calls and incoming message reception. This is operated by CEDCO, a cooperative. The municipality has also two private calling telecommunication--Bayantel and the Bureau of Telecommunication’s Telegraphic Transfer Service.

Transportation Facilities

San Andres is traversed by the main arterial road constituting the circumferential road of the province from the boundary of Barangays San Jose and Lubas. Of the 38 barangays, only 11 are intersected by the 38 kilometers national road, 12.1 kilometers provincial road, 7.3 kilometers municipal roads, 44.36 kilometers barangay roads and 8 kilometers farm o market road.

There is a single daily trip of a ferry boat plying Tabaco to San Andres which is considered as an alternative transport facility for commuters from Catanduanes to mainland Bicol and Metro Manila. Some commuters going to coastal municipalities of Camarines Sur use small motor boats from the coastal barangays of Cabcab, Bislig, Codon and Mangayway.

The municipality has 19 light vehicles/jeepneys, 29 trucks, 2 government-owned motorcycles, 72 tricycles, 4 ambulances, 117 sicad-sicad, and 210 bicycles.

Trade and Industry and Agriculture

AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Of the municipality’s total land area, 28% or 5,682.70 comprises the agricultural zone. Agricultural land in the municipality are planted to major crops like rice covering 277 hectares irrigated and 509.00 hectares rainfed; rootcrops with 704.00 hectares; corn with 20 hectares and minor crops such as orchard with 174.00 hectares.

Fishery resources cover 448 hectares while diversified crops has 3,560.00 hectares. It ranks second to farming as the main source of livelihood. Species in sea water includes herrings, squids, groupers, lobster, Spanish mackerel, seads and other pelagic species.

For livestock and poultry, records at the Municipal Agricultural Office showed that the municipality has a total of 9,695 heads of livestock and 9,075 for poultry. This is broken down into cattle, carabao, goat, hog and dogs for livestock, and chiken and duck for poultry.


TRADE AND INDUSTRY

With regards to industry, the municipality has no major industry except for small/home cottage industries that are abaca and forestry based. This consists of handicraft, bamboo craft, furniture making, metal craft and other micro industries. All of these are family run business on small capital.





source:
http://www.sanandres-catanduanes.gov.ph

Income

Per records of the Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO), the average family income is approximately P 4,800.00 with the agriculture sector being the biggest employer. Almost 60% of the labor force were engaged in agriculture activities while remaining 40% were into non-agricultural activities, broken down as follows: 15% for community/social and personal services; 10% for wholesale and retail business; 10% transportation/storage/communications; 1.5% for construction; 2% for water and 1.5% for others.