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 Tablas island satellite image captured bySentinel-2 in 2016 | |
.svg)  Tablas Location within the Philippines | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 12°24′19″N122°3′51″E / 12.40528°N 122.06417°E /12.40528; 122.06417 |
| Archipelago | Romblon Group of Islands |
| Adjacent to | |
| Area | 839.156 km2 (324.000 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 665 m (2182 ft) |
| Highest point | Tablas Peak |
| Administration | |
Philippines | |
| Region | Mimaropa |
| Province | Romblon |
| Municipalities | |
| Largest settlement | Odiongan (pop. 45,367) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 164,012[1] (01 Aug 2015) |
| Additional information | |
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Tablas is the largest of the islands that comprise theprovince ofRomblon in thePhilippines. The name of the island is of Spanish origin. Before the colonization of the Philippines, Tablas was known as the Island ofOsigan. At the time of contact with Westerners,Osigan had a population of 256 people living in small villages. Wax was produced in this island.[2]
Odiongan, on the west central coast of the island, is a major port and the largest municipality of Romblon in terms of population.[1] Tablas is administratively subdivided into themunicipalities ofAlcantara,Calatrava,Ferrol,Looc,Odiongan,San Agustin,San Andres,Santa Fe, andSanta Maria.
The island lies about 50 kilometres (31 mi) east from the southern part ofMindoro Island. The northern tip of Tablas is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) fromRomblon Island.Mount Payaopao (also known asTablas Summit on old maps) at the northeastern extremity of the island, is the highest peak on the island at 2,182 feet (665 m) high and the second highest in the province (afterMount Guiting-Guiting).[3][4]
A wooded central range of hills traverses the length of Tablas. The west coast is formed by the western slope of the central mountain ridge, which is narrow and well defined. The summits in the middle of the island are 1,600 to 2,000 feet high. In the center of the island isBitaogan Peak, 2,164 feet (660 m) high, which appears as a rounded knob from east and west and sharp from north and south.Mount Lunas, at the back of Looc Bay, is a black ridge 1,556 feet (474 m) high, long and rounded from east and west and sharp from north and south; with it the range breaks off to the low pass from Looc Bay to the town ofAlcantara on the east coast. The southern part of Tablas is a group of many sharp conical hills, all bare and grassy exceptMalbug Hill, 904 feet (276 m) high, andCalaton Point, 835 feet (255 m) high, on the east coast, which are dark and wooded. The shore line is largely mangrove, with many beaches of coral sand and some limestone cliffs. The shore reef is continuous except off Guinauayan Point.[5]
There is no good natural harbor except Looc Bay, a large indentation on the west side, but sheltered anchorage may be found on either side of the island, according to the season of the year.[5]
Cabalian Point, the southern extremity of Tablas Island, is low and sandy and hard to distinguish at night, a lighthouse was built during the American Colonial period.
Romblon State University is a premier institution for higher education in the Mimaropa Region. The University has a large campus in Odiongan town and a few more aroundRomblon province.
Main occupations are fruit and vegetable farming, fisheries, farm animal breeding and fishing. Tablas is one of largest producers ofpili nuts.[citation needed]
Tablas was established an economic zone,Tablas Economic Zone Inc. (TEZI), on 2015 under the powers of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
TheAsi language is aVisayan language spoken, along with theRomblomanon andOnhan languages, in the province of Romblon, Philippines.[6]Tagalog is spoken by the locals as the second language. Foreigners are a welcome diversion for college students, who are the main part of the population who can speak English.
The Wildlife and landscape appears untouched as deep-green vegetation is crossed by rivers and streams. A portion of the native forest cover has been removed and converted to coconut plantations, or rough grazing. However, the remaining small areas of watershed forest support several species of endemic wildlife that occur only on Tablas, or on just Tablas and Romblon Island. These include the Tablas FantailRhipidura sauli, the Tablas DrongoDicrurus menagei, the Romblon Hawk OwlNinox spilonota, and the Tablas BulbulHypsipetes (siquijorensis) cinereiceps. The frogs Platymantis_lawtoni and Platymantis levigatus are endangered species endemic to Tablas and other islands of Romblon province. In Ferrol at Malcom's Cove, monkeys, sea turtles and the Philippine eagle. In Santa Fe the whale shark (the earth's largest fish) is known to breed. The waters off Looc teem with numerous species of tropical fish and sea life in the protected sanctuary. Binucot Beach has manatee, dolphin and sea turtles.
The only knownblue hole in the Philippines is theTablas Island Blue Hole, located just off northwest Gorda Point in northeastern Tablas, below theGorda Point Lighthouse.[9][10]
Access to Tablas is usually by ferry from the Port ofBatangas City in southernLuzon and disembarking at the Port of Odiongan inBarangay Poctoy.[11]
Montenegro Lines serves Odiongan from the Port ofBatangas City everyday withRoll-on/roll-off vessels. Travel time from Batangas to Poctoy takes about 8–10 hours. Travel time from Poctoy Pier to Odiongan town is about 10 minutes by motorcycles.Tricycles are also readily available.[12]
From Caticlan (Sambiray Dock or Tabon plaza) there is pump boats every day leaving around 10 - 11 heading for Santa fe. Leaves Santa fe at 7:30 in the morning. Travel time about 2h depending on sea condition.there is also another pump boat (Boat name: SANOY, phone number to captain +639126356955) going from Tablas south tip (Tabugon) to Caticlan almost every day in the morning, leaves Tabugon around 8 in the morning and goes back from Caticlan (Sambiray Dock or Tabon Plaza) to Tablas around 10 - 11. Price for one way trip 200php. When low tide in Tablas there is a smaller boat (flat boat) sending passengers between the beach and the boat for 10php per passenger.
The main commercial airport of the province of Romblon isTugdan Airport (IATA: TBH –ICAO: RPVU) located in the southeastern coast of Tablas in Barangay Tugdan, in the town ofAlcantara.
From Manila,Philippine Airlines (PAL) serves Tugdan three times a week. Beginning February 2017, Cebu Pacific started flying from Manila to Tablas four times weekly - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, using ATR 72-600 aircraft.[13]
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