Camotes Islands

The Camotes Islands are a group of islands that form part of the province of Cebu, in the Philippines. The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island. It is 34 nautical miles from Cebu City.

Camotes Island is made up of 4 islands and their municipalities:

Poro: the municipalities of Poro and Tudela.

Pacijan: the sole municipality is San Francisco.

Ponson: the sole municipality is Pilar.

Tulang: is an islet and part of San Francisco.

The primary islands of Pacijan and Poro are connected by a paved road called a causeway. Ponson is separated by the Camotes Sea, lying about four kilometers northeast of Poro. Tulang is located off the northern tip of Pacijan.

The Camotes are low-lying islands with several hills some used by a telecommunications company for relay stations. The highest point being Altavista, 950 feet above sea level, on Poro. Pacijan has a large fresh-water lake, Lake Danao, which has been rated as the second cleanest lake in the country. Palm trees are the dominant plant on the islands. There are also numerous native varieties of fruit such as banana, mango, pineapple and other plants. The main port is the Poro Port.

The population according to the 2010 census is 82,419.

San Francisco: 47,357 Poro: 23,498 Pilar: 11,569

Once known as the "Lost Horizon of the South" Camotes has seen increased visitors and tourism especially over the past 3 years and a growing foreign expiate community.

The islands were first mentioned in 1521 by Antonio Pigafetta, one of the survivors on Ferdinand Magellan's fateful voyage, as they waited off the islands for several days before going onto Cebu.

In 1942, the occupation from the Japanese forces took in Camotes Islands.

In 1945, Japanese soldiers massacred almost all of the inhabitants in Pilar which led to a war crimes trial after the war.

The liberation of the islands happened soon after the massacre when Philippine and American soldiers landed and fought the remaining Japanese soldiers in the battle of Camotes Islands.

Was explorer Ferdinand Magellan killed on Camotes? In the early 1970s, residents unearthed a variety of artifacts dating back to the 16th century. An excavation was done at Mactang, Camotes, revealing spears, daggers, swords, crosses, iron pendants and a skull pierced with an airhead. The question arose: could Mactang, Camotes rather than Mactan, Cebu really be the site of the battle between the native army of Lapu Lapu and Magellan's forces where Magellan was killed? The question hounds residents and scholars to this day.

by Philippines Pride

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