![]() Composite satellite image of Semirara in 2020 | |
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Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Tablas Strait |
Coordinates | 12°03′22.6″N121°23′07.1″E / 12.056278°N 121.385306°E |
Archipelago | Caluya |
Area | 55 km2 (21 sq mi) [1] |
Administration | |
Province | Antique |
Municipality | Caluya |
Barangays | Alegria Semirara Tinogbok |
Largest settlement | Semirara(pop. 13,605) |
Demographics | |
Population | 19,934 (2020) [2] |
Semirara is an island in the Philippines located in the Caluya archipelago which is situated south of Mindoro Island. It is under the jurisdiction of the town of Caluya in the province of Antique. [3] It is a major site of coal mining in the Philippines. Other economic activities in the island include fishing, seashell gathering, and farming. [3]
A 1905 report documented the island as then being forested, and it was estimated that nearly half the trees were a species of Molave described as "wonderful hard wood", as "scarce along the coasts of the archipelago". This large and readily accessible supply was noted to possibly be of considerable importance. The report also documented a profusionn of wild grapes on the island, describing them as edible and similar in size to the Concord grape. and noting that a large quantity of seeds would be brought a forest reserve facility for experimentation aimed at producing a cultivatable variety. [4]
The island was declared a mineral reservation by President Manuel Quezon in 1940 through Proclamation No. 649. [5] Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SPMC) opened its first coal mine in the island in Unong in 1984 [6] which operated until 2000 and the area's vegetation and lake restored years later. The company then opened several more mines including the Panian Pit which operated until in October 2016 shortly after its coal deposits depleted. [7] SPMC also opened the Narra Pit and the Molave Pit in Semirara Island, both which started commercial operations in the same year. [7] [8]
Semirara Island is part of the municipality of Caluya in the province of Antique. The island itself consists of three barangays of Caluya: Alegria, Semirara, and Tinogbok. [3]
Semirara is an island which has a land area of about 55 square kilometers (21 sq mi). [1] The island also has a saltwater lake in its southeastern portion, which was the former site of the Unong mine. A freshwater lake also exists north of the island where the Panian mine used to be. [9]
There are two active coal mines operated by the Semirara Mining and Power Corp. as of January 2020; the Narra Pit and the Molave Pit, both of which are 400 hectares (990 acres) each. [7] Coal in Semirara is characterized as sub-bituminous C coal with a high moisture content based on ASTM. [10]
Semirara has an airstrip which serves chartered flights from Manila. The island is also accessible by boat, specifically from the town of San Jose in neighboring province of Occidental Mindoro. Motorized tricycles also provides a means of land transportation within the island. [11]
Semirara is host to 21 mangrove species which accounts for 60 percent of the total of 35 recorded mangrove species in the Philippines. Waste produced as a byproduct of coal mining in Semirara has been a concern by residents. [12] Waters adjacent to Semirara also host all recorded giant clam species in the Philippines. [1]
The Semirara Marine Hatchery Laboratory was set up in 2010 by SPMC in the island as the marine rehabilitation arm of the company as well as to develop marine-based livelihood for its host communities. [1]
Mindoro is the seventh largest and eighth-most populous island in the Philippines. With a total land area of 10,571 km2, it has a population of 1,408,454, as of the 2020 census. It is located off the southwestern coast of Luzon and northeast of Palawan. Mindoro is divided into two provinces: Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. Calapan is the only city in the island while San Jose is the largest settlement on the island with a total population of 143,430 inhabitants as of 2015. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea. Mount Halcon is the highest point on the island, standing at 8,484 feet (2,586 m) above sea level located in Oriental Mindoro. Mount Baco is the island's second highest mountain with an elevation of 8,163 feet (2,488 m), located in the province of Occidental Mindoro.
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.
Oriental Mindoro, officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro, is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about 140 kilometres (87 mi) southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by the Verde Island Passage and the rest of Batangas to the north, by Marinduque, Maestre de Campo Island, Tablas Strait and the rest of Romblon to the east, by Semirara and the rest of Caluya Islands, Antique to the south, and by Occidental Mindoro to the west. Its provincial capital Calapan, the only city in the island, is the most-populous in the province, and Mimaropa's regional center.
Antique, officially the Province of Antique, is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital and most populous town is San Jose de Buenavista. The province is situated in the western section of Panay Island and borders Aklan, Capiz, and Iloilo to the east, while facing the Sulu Sea to the west.
Western Visayas is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. The region comprises the islands of Panay and Guimaras. It consists of five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo on Panay, and the island province of Guimaras. The region also includes one highly urbanized city, Iloilo City, which is the largest city and serves as the regional center.
Caluya, officially the Municipality of Caluya, is a municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 38,908 people, making it the sixth most populous municipality in the province.
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Bulalacao, officially the Municipality of Bulalacao, is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,366 people.
Mindoro was an island province of the Philippines from 1902 to 1950, when it was split into two provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. It was located on Mindoro island, Philippines.
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...the Board of Investments approved the registration of Narra and Molave mine projects with full ITH incentives. Both new mines achieved commercial operation last October 2016.