This article is about the province. For the city, see Sorsogon City and for the bay, see Sorsogon Bay.

Sorsogon is a province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region; it is the southernmost province in Luzon. Its capital is Sorsogon City and borders the province of Albay to the north. Sorsogon is at the tip of the Bicol Peninsula and faces the island of Samar to the southeast across the San Bernardino Strait.

People and culture

Festivals

Most of the inhabitants of the province belong to the ethnolinguistic Bicolano and Bisakol groups. Sorsogon was once a part of Albay and once also included Masbate. Sorsogueños are very religious and funloving. Being mostly Roman Catholics, they are active in every festivity celebrated throughout the year. For instance, like any other Filipino ethnolinguistic groups, they celebrate the fiesta of the Patron Saints Peter and Paul in Sorsogon city every June. Also, by the last week of October, the Kasangayahan festival is celebrated in the whole province. At the midst of the latter festivity, myriads of botanical shows, and painting are conducted. Most of the people will hang out in carnivals and concerts. Another occasion is the Pili festival, which includes street dancing by locals donning Pili nut costumes, cooking competitions, fireworks displays, and even a nutcracking session along the road by the locals. Every barangay has its own fiesta and Patron saint which are highlighted by yearly buffet feast in every Sorsogueño home.

During the Holy Week season (celebrated as early as week of March or 1st week of April), people flock to the Saints Peter and Paul cathedral and start the procession in barefoot, with carts bearing statues of Jesus Christ on his way to crucifixion.

Minorities

Minorities in the province include Muslim immigrants from Mindanao, who engage in street vending and small shop businesses. Their mosque is situated inside Sitio Bolangan on the outskirts of the city. There is also a significant small Chinese population who are mostly owners of hardware stores and commodity shops (some of whom have intermarried with the natives) and dwell in the business center. Indian (called "Darkies") communities are also present. They engage in money lending businesses--colloquially called "five-six".

Education and language

Education is highly valued as an investment for the future, attested by state and private schools and colleges which dot the province. Almost all people understand Tagalog and Bicolano. The local language spoken by Sorsogueños varies from district to municipalities. To illusrate, the form of Bisakol (called Waray Sorsogon) spoken in Barcelona, Gubat, Irosin, Sta. Magdalena, Matnog and Bulusan slightly differs from the form (called Masbate Sorsogon) spoken in the city of Sorsogon and the municipalities of Magallanes, Juban and Casiguran. North of Sorsogon City, in Castilla, Pilar, Donsol, and Bacon (merged with Sorsogon city; see History), a form of Bikol is spoken. The former municipalities mentioned use words and intonations from Visayan languages such as Waray-Waray, Cebuano and Ilonggo, and Bisakol is considered a Warayan language like Waray-Waray of Samar and Leyte. English is also understood by most educated people. It is used in all government documents, schools, and in business. This language has also become increasingly important as businesses such as call centers, and medical transcription require prospective applicants to be proficient in it.

Political

Sorsogon is subdivided into 14 municipalities and 1 city. Albay Gulf lies to the north, Sorsogon Bay to the southwest, Ticao Pass between Sorsogon and Ticao Island, and San Bernardino Strait in the south.

City/Municipality		No. of Barangays	Area (km²)	Population (2000)	Mayor )
	Barcelona				Ronnie Salvador N. Estuye
	Bulan				Helen C. De Castro
	Bulusan				Juan Guysayko
	Casiguran				Ma. Ester A. Hamor
	Castilla				Olivia M. Bermillo
	Donsol				Jerome F. Alcantara
	Gubat				Deogracias B. Ramos, Jr.
	Irosin				Ma. Lilia B. Gonzales
	Juban				Ma. Theresa G. Fragata
	Magallanes				Abelardo L. Arambulo, Sr.
	Matnog				Guillermo G. So
	Pilar				Dennis A. Sy-Reyes
	Prieto Diaz				Benito L. Doma
	Santa Magdalena				Amadeo F. Gallanosa
	Sorsogon City				Leovic R. Dioneda

Post 1986 people power uprising

In 2000, the municipalities of Bacon and Sorsogon was merged to create Sorsogon City.^[1]

References

External links

• Travel notes from Sorosgon

•  • [ e] City and Municipalities of Sorsogon
Barcelona • Bulan • Bulusan • Casiguran • Castilla • Donsol • Gubat • Irosin • Juban • Magallanes • Matnog • Pilar • Prieto Diaz • Santa Magdalena • Sorsogon City

•  • [ e] Philippines
Capital	Manila • National Capital Region
Provinces	Abra • Agusan del Norte • Agusan del Sur • Aklan • Albay • Antique • Apayao • Aurora • Basilan • Bataan • Batanes • Batangas • Benguet • Biliran • Bohol • Bukidnon • Bulacan • Cagayan • Camarines Norte • Camarines Sur • Camiguin • Capiz • Catanduanes • Cavite • Cebu • Compostela Valley • Cotabato • Davao del Norte • Davao del Sur • Davao Oriental • Dinagat Islands • Eastern Samar • Guimaras • Ifugao • Ilocos Norte • Ilocos Sur • Iloilo • Isabela • Kalinga • La Union • Laguna • Lanao del Norte • Lanao del Sur • Leyte • Maguindanao • Marinduque • Masbate • Misamis Occidental • Misamis Oriental • Mountain Province • Negros Occidental • Negros Oriental • Northern Samar • Nueva Ecija • Nueva Vizcaya • Occidental Mindoro • Oriental Mindoro • Palawan • Pampanga • Pangasinan • Quezon • Quirino • Rizal • Romblon • Samar • Sarangani • Shariff Kabunsuan • Siquijor • Sorsogon • South Cotabato • Southern Leyte • Sultan Kudarat • Sulu • Surigao del Norte • Surigao del Sur • Tarlac • Tawi-Tawi • Zambales • Zamboanga del Norte • Zamboanga del Sur • Zamboanga Sibugay
Other subdivisions	Island groups • Regions • Cities • Municipalities • Barangays • Legislative districts
Territorial disputes	Sabah • Scarborough Shoal • Spratly Islands

Coordinates: