Alcantara, Romblon

Alcantara is a fifth class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines.

History
Alcantara was first established in 1730 as La Lauan, a barrio of Looc town by migrants from Panay Island led by Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1855, the barrio was annexed from Looc and converted into a pueblo or town. However in 1868, it was abolished and annexed as a barrio of Guintigui-an town (renamed Badajoz, now San Agustin) after a reorganization of municipalities resulting from the creation of Romblon province.

In 1870, due to continuous intimidation from Muslim pirates, as well as the rugged terrain, the residents of La Lauan led by a certain Gaspar Guevarra transferred from its former site in Daan Banwa (or Old Town) and established a new barrio down south called Alcantara, after Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1885, it was annexed back as a barrio of Looc, and will remain so until after World War II.

Alcantara was elevated to municipality status on 16 March 1961 by virtue of Executive Order 4276 signed by then President Carlos P. Garcia.

Geography
Alcantara lies in the southeast portion of Tablas Island. It is bounded to the north by the municipality of Santa Maria, to the west by Looc, to the south by Santa Fe, and to the east by the Sibuyan Sea. Most of Alcantara lies in plains along the coast with mountains in the interior to the west.

Barangays
Alcantara is politically subdivided into 12 barangays:

• 3

Demographics
According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 15,428 people. Just like in the neighboring municipality of Santa Maria, majority of the population speaks the Alcantaranon variant of Inunhan or Onhan where /l/ is used instead of /r/.

Local government
Pursuant to Chapter II, Title II, Book III of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the municipal government is composed of a mayor (alkalde), a vice-mayor (bise alkalde) and members (kagawad) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan alongside a secretary to the said legislature, all of which are elected to a three-year term and are eligible to run for three consecutive terms.

Eddie C. Lota and Robert G. Galindez, both from the Nacionalista Party, are Alcantara's incumbent mayor and vice-mayor, respectively.

Economy
Farming and fishing are the major sources of income in Alcantara. Fishing grounds along the coastal areas of the municipality abound with mackerel, sea bass, tuna, anchovies, tanguigue, sapsap, and commercial tropical fish for aquariums. Forest products such as nito and huwag are abundant in some of its barangays.

Utilities
The Tablas Island Electric Cooperative (TIECO) and NAPOCOR supply 57.75 percent of the 2,740 households Alcantara with electricity. As for water supply, Alcantara has one irrigation service with 37 service areas and three community irrigation with 75 service areas. Potable water supply comes from jet pumps, open wells, artesian wells and springs.

Transportation and communication
Alcantara is home to Romblon's sole airport in Barangay Tugdan. Fil-Asian Airways offers four weekly flights, while SkyJet offers charter flights from Manila to Alcantara.

Visitors going to Alcantara can reach Tablas Island via Odiongan where RORO vessels from Manila, Batangas City, and Roxas, Oriental Mindoro regularly stop by. From Odiongan, Alcantara is just an hour or two by jeepney.

People in the town take public utility jeepneys (PUJ), pedicabs, tricycles, and motorcycles to and from neighboring towns. The Tablas Circumferential Road connects Alcantara with neighboring municipalities. PLDT, Smart, and Globe provide landline and cellular phone services in the municipality.

Tourism
Because much of Alcantara's interior is made up of mountains covered in lush tropical rainforest, it is being promoted as a hiking destination for backpackers. There are freshwater springs located in Camili, Calogonsao, Bonlao, San Isidro, and Madalag which tourists can enjoy. Other tourist spots in Alcantara include:


 * Calagonsao Beach: Located beside the National Highway in Barangay Calagonsao. The beach has a pebble-covered shoreline. Its ocean floor is sandy and dips abruptly about 6 meters from the shoreline. A cluster of boulders jutting from the shore to about 10 meters into the sea provides for a perfect diving spot.


 * Aglicay Beach Resort: This beach has a fantastic, scenic view. With palm-fringed white sand and clear blue waters.


 * Dranville Beach Resort: Located at Barangay Gui-ob. A place where you can feel fresh air and see the clear waters of the sea.


 * Tugdan Beach: This pebble-covered beach in Tugdan has a wide shoreline. The waters in this part of island are calm with a deep ocean floor.


 * Binay-we Beach: It is located 1.2 kms. away from the town proper of Alcantara. It is located in a small cove with fine white sand and calm waters the whole year around. It is partly shielded from the public’s prying eyes by huge boulders.