MASBATE CITY

Basic Fact:

The City of Masbate lies on the shores of the province at 12.2 degrees north latitude and 123.3 degrees east longitude. On the Northeast, it is bounded by Masbate Pass, the Municipality of Mobo and Tugbo River on the Southeast, Municipality of Milagros on the Southwest and the Municipality of Baleno and portion of Milagros town on the Northwest. The City of Masbate is well protected by Ticao Island against the hazard of typhoons from the northeast. It is 212.5 aerial miles or 362 nautical miles from Manila. The city is composed of 30 barangays.

Eighty-one percent (81%) of the area is mountain ranges and rolling hills covered with pasture grasses suitable for ranching and suited for coconut and other upland crops. Nineteen percent (19%) is composed of plain land and areas with fertile soils suitable for rice, corn, vegetable, root crops and upland crops production.
 
Brief History:

The town of Masbate was first established as the capital of the province, but when the duly constituted provincial government refused to cooperate, the Japanese Army transferred the provincial seat of government from Masbate town to Guiom, a village in the Municipality of Cawayan.

Masbate as the province capital was re-established after the declaration in 1946 of the Philippine Independence, when the Province of Masbate was annexed from the Province of Sorsogon by virtue of an Executive Order in 1908. Masbate town since then was known as a fast booming town until after Sept. 30, 2000 when it was converted from a Municipality into a component City with the people’s adoption through a plebescite of Republic Act 8807, the law converting Masbate Town into a component city.