Built of different dimensions, the only thing nearly similar is that they are prominent target of the same market. The Boholano market that is. Other near similarities end there. As a marketing strategy, it is the kind that hits two birds with one stone. That precisely is the message why the province of Camiguin and Mang Inasal are the object of the same sales pitch. They beacon for the Boholano audience as they take separate lives of their own—with Camiguin through its Lanzones Festival and Mang Inasal when it opens its first branch in this city in November. This explains why Camiguin Gov. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo (not Gov. Pedro Romualdo as erroneously reported last issue; he's the incumbent congressman of the province's lone district) is training his sights of Camiguin's Bohol side for its inhabitants to visit the famous festival slated third week of October.

The province is said to be heavily populated by Boholanos who traced their roots from Bohol towns facing the island particularly Jagna. In fact, the latest link of the Jagna-Camiguin connection is the ferry service plying the route. Adding convenience to passengers plying the route is the incentive of reaching Cagayan de Oro City using the same ferry boats. Taking advantage of the country's nautical highway, the Jagna-Camiguin-Cagayan de Oro route is serviced by the fast craft Paras Sea Cat and a roro vessel. The roro boat serves the cargo and passenger needs of the Mindanao mainland via Balingoan in Misamis Oriental. The same route is navigated by the roro ferry serving the Jagna wharf.

According to Gov. Romualdo, access to Camiguin is made easy through the two ferry runs. With the lanzones festival, Gov. Romualdo expressed optimism that his little province will be teeming with tourists. How will the province address the influx of tourists during the festival? According to the young governor, the island has 19 resorts, with the biggest known as Paras Beach Resort. With this number of resorts, the governor was optimistic that the island will be able to absorb any abnormal rush of tourist bookings. A sister company of the fast craft service Paras Sea Cat, the resort complex (see foto page 1) is located in a shoreline property in barangay Yumbing, Mambajao, capital of Camiguin. The resort has a total of 39 rooms.

WHY CAMIGUIN

The name Camiguin is derived from the word "Kamagong", which is a tree of the ebony family. The original inhabitants were the Manobo who migrated from Surigao. When Visayan settlers arrived, the Manobo retreated to the highlands of Mindanao. The people of Camiguin were already trading with merchants of neighboring Asian countries when Ferdinand Magellan and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi landed here in 1521 and 1565 respectively. But it was not until 1598 that a Spanish settlement was founded in what later came to be Guindiliban (now one of the 5 municipalities).
Catarman, where barangay Bonbon is now, became a major settlement in the island until 1871 when Vulkan Daan erupted, sinking part of the town into the sea, after which the town proper was moved to its present site. Mambajao was not established until 1855 but it grew quickly to be the busiest part in Northern Mindanao in the early 1900.
During World War II, the Japanese burned downtown Mambajao to retaliate against guerilla activities in the island. When Mt. Hibok-Hibok erupted in 1951, lava covered many barrios in Mambajao and 3,000 people were killed.
Camiguin was a part of Misamis Oriental until 1958 when it became a sub-province. It was made into a separate province on June 18, 1966 through, Republic Act No. 4669, but was formally inaugurated only in 1968.
Sagay was formerly established as a town in 1848; Mambajao in 1855; and Mahinog in 1860.

FESTIVALS

The province is known of its festivals. They are the:

1. PANAAD - Annual Holy Thursday and Good Friday activity. This is a gathering of people from all walks of life for a yearly devotion to spend the Holy week by walking the 64 km. circumferential rood and trekking the tedious old volcano as expression of penitence and spiritual enrichment.
2. SAN JUAN HIBOK - HIBOKAN - June 24 - Held to honor St. John the Baptist. Watersports, boat races and fluvial procession are conducted. Miss Hibok - hibokan is selected.
3. LANZONES FESTIVAL - Held every 3rd weekend of October - a two-day ground festival of agri-cottage industry products in exhibit; barangay beautification; indigennous sports; tableau of local culture & grand parade of the golden fruit found extra sweet in the entire province.