Daet

Daet
Municipality
Municipality of Daet
Rizal Park in Daet
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Gateway to Bicolandia
Motto:  Bayan tungo sa Kaunlaran!
Map of Camarines Norte with Daet highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Daet Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°06′51″N 122°57′23″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Camarines Norte
District	2nd district
Founded	1583
Barangays	25 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• mayor of Daet[*]	Benito S. Ochoa
• Vice Mayor	Godfrey A. Parale
• Representative	Rosemarie C. Panotes
• Municipal Council	Members Ian Mhar T. Tejada Jose Angelo A. Coreses Tomasito Santiago C. Turingan Ma. Eliza H. Llovit Sherwin Q. Asis Rossano C. Valencia Marlon T. Bandelaria William Carlo R. Avila
• Electorate	63,259 voters (2022)
Area
• Total	46.00 km2 (17.76 sq mi)
Elevation	9.0 m (29.5 ft)
Highest elevation	48 m (157 ft)
Lowest elevation	−2 m (−7 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	111,700
• Density	2,400/km2 (6,300/sq mi)
• Households	25,413
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	12.46 % (2021)
• Revenue	₱ 357.7 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 712.4 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 290 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 169.1 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative (CANORECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4600
PSGC	051603000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)54
Native languages	Central Bikol Tagalog
Website	daet.gov.ph

Daet (IPA: [daʔet]), officially the Municipality of Daet (Template:Lang-bcl; Template:Lang-tl), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 111,700 people making it the most populous in the province.

The municipality is a popular surfing spot among surfers worldwide. It is also home to the annual Daet International Aerosports Show which is first held in 2013. Daet is 342 kilometres (213 mi) from Manila.

Etymology

The name Daet was derived from the Bikol word dai-daitan which means, close to each other. Daet also originated from ancient Bicol term daet which, according to the first Bicol Spanish Dictionary Vocabulario de la Lengua Bicol authored by Fray Marcos de Lisboa, would mean "to make friend" or "to be reconciled".

History

Pre-colonial period

Daet was already an old community even before the discovery of the Philippines by Magellan in 1521. An ancient tomb unearthed in the Bicol region revealed references described in the Panayam manuscripts known to oriental history as corresponding to the first half of the thirteenth century. The early settlers were believed to be direct descendants of the group of datus who escaped from the court of Brunei to evade the enmity of a ruling rajah.

Spanish colonial period

In 1571, Juan de Salcedo arrived at the Bicol Region in quest for gold found in Camarines Norte and discovered that Daet was already a thriving settlement and noted that the houses were clustered together for reason of safety and protection. In June 1583, through a Franciscan Order confirmed the founding of Doctrinas including Daet.

Long after the implantation of the Spanish sovereignty, Don Juan de Salcedo, "talented, dashing grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi" found this community in the course of an expedition in search of gold which the Camarines mountains were heart to abound, marking the beginning of over a three-century Spanish regime patterned after the sword and the cross.

In the meantime, an incident happened in the court of Spain over the romances of a woman which pressed the King to exile a Spanish noble to the Philippines who eventually chose to come this way to spend the rest of his life, forget all, and start life anew. This noble was Don Manuel de la Estrada, Marquis de Camarines, who devoted a lifetime to help implement the Spanish colonization blueprint in the building of a new town over our old community. He supervised the construction of the church as it stands today, the old Spanish to exile a Spanish noble to the Philippines who eventually bridge (now covered by a Bailey bridge), other stone bridges buildings. He also brought the first abaca seedlings and encouraged its cultivation which has given the Philippines the world monopoly of hemp fiber. Incidentally, from the union of this noble to a Filipino woman followed a long line of blood relation which still link most of the old families of this community. The ruins of the palatial mansion of the Marquis de Camarines were still visible in recent years, on the spot where the new building of the Provincial Capitol now stands.

Except for recurring raids by the Moro pirates who occasionally came on their fast frail vintas to pillage this community causing the fortification of barrio Mercedes (now an independent municipality since 1948) during the Spanish regime, this community lived progressively in blissful peace and contentment. Formerly, the whole of the present Province of Camarines Norte was known as the District of Daet and this capital was a "Comandancia" of the original province of Camarines during the Spanish regime. In the few times that the Province of Camarines Norte was separated from and again fused with Camarines Sur from the Spanish to the American regimes, Daet always retained her importance as the provincial capital. In the ensuing changes, this municipality lost further much of her territory which was restored to Camarines Sur, and due to the segregation of the Municipality of Basud which was a former barrio of this community in the year 1908.

No less than thirteen martyrs were contributed by this community before the altar of liberty. They were butchered or burned alive and buried in a common grave during the Holy Week on Easter Sunday, April 1898. The local "insurrectus", however, made a remarkable feat in the last days of the Spanish regime when they succeeded in containing the Spanish local garrison and subjected them under relentless attack. The Spaniards were dramatically saved from annihilation by burning at the timely arrival of their rescue ship. Daet today takes a distinct pride for owning the first monument ever erected in the Philippines in honor of the foremost Filipino hero and martyr, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Protacio y Mercado, at the inspiration of Don Antonio Sans, Commanding Officer of the Philippine Revolutionary Forces in the sector.

American colonial period

The Philippine–American War had a minimal impact on this town. American forces arrived unopposed on March 4, 1900, while most of the rest of the Bicol Region had already been subdued by Major McNamee, operating under the overall command of General Bates. Commander Antonio Sans had previously negotiated the terms of surrender in Camarines Sur, which were acceptable to the American command. The progress achieved by this community during the American regime has yet to be commemorated in the bold letters of gold. This period laid the foundation for the present-day progress of the current generation.

Martial law

Main article: Daet massacre

See also: Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship

On the evening of September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippines, including Daet, under martial law. The marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule. Even though Martial Law was formally lifted on January 17, 1981, Marcos retained essentially all of his powers as dictator until he was deposed by the February 1986 People Power revolution.

On June 14, 1982 Marcos administration forces opened fire on protesters from different barrios, who were marching to demand an increase in copra prices, and to denounce "fake elections" and Cocofed. The government forces who fired on the protesters were led by a certain Capt. Malilay." Four people died on the spot, and at least 50 were injured. Two of those who were seriously wounded died two months later. This has come to be known as the "1981 Daet massacre," and four of those killed have since been honored by having their names engraved on the Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani memorial.

Cityhood

Main article: Cities of the Philippines

A P30-million government center, a P30-million transport terminal and an improved airport are among the large-scale face-lift projects that Camarines Norte's capital town plans to embark on as it aggressively vies for cityhood.

The projects, including a new face of the town plaza, were presented by Mayor Tito Sarion in an executive report last month. "The enhancement of the elevated plaza is necessary to decongest the downtown in an attempt to rebuild the center of the commercial district," he said.

Sarion said the United Architects of the Philippines had agreed to design the new plaza through a P3-million grant provided by the party-list group Bayan Muna.

The funds for the government center and transport facility will be borrowed from the Land Bank of the Philippines, while the revitalized Bagasbas airport project will be funded by the Air Transportation Office (ATO).

Sarion said the proposed government center would make transactions with provincial and national government agencies more convenient while the new legislative hall would "create a breathing space and a better working environment at the municipal hall, where offices are crowded."

In the 19th Congress of the Philippines, house bills were filed by various representatives which seeks Daet including other capital towns of provinces with no current component cities, independent component cities or highly urbanized cities to automatically convert into cities.

Geography

Barangays

Daet is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Barangay map of Daet

• Alawihao
• Awitan
• Bagasbas
• Barangay I
• Barangay II (Pasig)
• Barangay III (Bagumbayan)
• Barangay IV (Mantagbac)
• Barangay V (Pandan)
• Barangay VI (Centro Occidental)
• Barangay VII (Centro Oriental)
• Barangay VIII (Salcedo)
• Bibirao
• Borabod (formerly known as Anghit)
• Calasgasan
• Camambugan
• Cobangbang (formerly known as Carumpit)
• Dogongan
• Gahonon
• Gubat (3 Districts – Moreno, Gubat, & Mandulongan)
• Lag-on
• Magang
• Mambalite
• Pamorangon
• Mancruz
• San Isidro (formerly known as sitio Badas)

Climate

Climate data for Daet, Camarines Norte (1991–2020, extremes 1920–2023)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	32.8 (91.0)	34.3 (93.7)	34.9 (94.8)	36.0 (96.8)	37.2 (99.0)	37.0 (98.6)	36.5 (97.7)	36.7 (98.1)	37.9 (100.2)	35.4 (95.7)	35.6 (96.1)	36.0 (96.8)	37.2 (99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28.7 (83.7)	29.0 (84.2)	30.0 (86.0)	31.6 (88.9)	32.8 (91.0)	32.8 (91.0)	32.0 (89.6)	32.1 (89.8)	31.8 (89.2)	30.8 (87.4)	30.1 (86.2)	29.1 (84.4)	30.9 (87.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.1 (79.0)	26.2 (79.2)	27.0 (80.6)	28.2 (82.8)	29.0 (84.2)	28.9 (84.0)	28.4 (83.1)	28.5 (83.3)	28.2 (82.8)	27.6 (81.7)	27.5 (81.5)	26.7 (80.1)	27.7 (81.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23.6 (74.5)	23.3 (73.9)	24.0 (75.2)	24.9 (76.8)	25.3 (77.5)	25.1 (77.2)	24.8 (76.6)	24.9 (76.8)	24.5 (76.1)	24.4 (75.9)	24.8 (76.6)	24.3 (75.7)	24.5 (76.1)
Record low °C (°F)	17.1 (62.8)	15.1 (59.2)	17.3 (63.1)	16.3 (61.3)	19.8 (67.6)	20.6 (69.1)	20.8 (69.4)	19.8 (67.6)	16.3 (61.3)	18.2 (64.8)	17.8 (64.0)	15.8 (60.4)	15.1 (59.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	301.9 (11.89)	226.8 (8.93)	186.5 (7.34)	125.1 (4.93)	151.8 (5.98)	183.6 (7.23)	243.9 (9.60)	177.3 (6.98)	266.9 (10.51)	489.6 (19.28)	522.1 (20.56)	687.3 (27.06)	3,562.8 (140.27)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm)	19	13	12	8	10	12	15	12	15	21	23	23	183
Average relative humidity (%)	89	89	88	88	87	88	89	89	90	89	90	90	89
Source: PAGASA

Demographics

Population census of Daet

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	13,423	—
1918	14,413	+0.48%
1939	20,066	+1.59%
1948	19,880	−0.10%
1960	35,434	+4.93%
1970	50,620	+3.63%
1975	50,010	−0.24%
1980	54,789	+1.84%
1990	66,477	+1.95%
1995	74,341	+2.12%
2000	80,632	+1.76%
2007	94,184	+2.17%
2010	95,572	+0.53%
2015	104,799	+1.77%
2020	111,700	+1.26%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, the population of Daet, Camarines Norte, was 111,700 people, with a density of 2,400 inhabitants per square kilometre or 6,200 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Daet

5 10 15 20 25 30 2006 16.60 2009 20.97 2012 11.40 2015 21.35 2018 14.73 2021 12.46 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

The municipality is rich in mineral resources such as diatomaceous earth (DE) or commonly called white clay. This is one of the income generating industries of the municipality. This non-metallic mineral has a total approximate reserve of 1,289,600 metric tons.

The municipality also has a viable source of sand and gravel. It is being extracted by mining concessionaires.

Central Business Districts

SM City Daet

Emulating the city planning and zone development of Naga City as one of its primary market catchment, the local government of Daet intends to maintain its central area for commercial activities and public events in the convergence of its primary roads where the boundaries of Barangay 5, Barangay 6, Barangay 4, and Barangay 8 meet.

Another central business district in development is located along the four-lane national road in barangay Lag-on where SM City Daet is situated in front of the central bus terminal near a local college foundation and a road going to the Cathedral of Daet.

Infrastructure

Daet's Welcome Arch (demolished in 2023)

Land transportation is the primary means of transporting people, goods and services from the barangay to the town proper of Daet. The town is being linked to its different barangays by the municipality's major roads, namely the Maharlika Highway. It has a total length of 25.50 kilometers stretching from the boundary of the municipality of Daet to the Camarines Norte – Camarines Sur boundary. The Mangcamagong provincial road has a total length of 9.46 kilometers, stretching from the municipal boundary of Basud and Mercedes to the junction of Maharlika highway.

• Water supply: The barangays of the municipality is being served by levels I, II and III water supply. To cope with the consumption demand especially during summer, the CNWD has constructed an elevated water tank with a capacity of 200 cubic meters and implementing the "Tubig ng Buhay, Hatid sa Barangay" program. Some barangays are being served by shallow wells, deep wells or dug wells.
• Power supply: Daet is being served by electric power, formerly by the defunct Hidalgo Electric Enterprise, now by the National Power Corporation through the Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative (CANORECO). After the establishment of this cooperative, there was a great improvement in terms of power supply condition in the municipality.
• Communication: Daet has a telecommunication system that is being run by one personnel of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). There are three satellites of Smart, Globe and Dito. There is postal office and has a staff of one mail carriers serving all barangays in the municipality. These personnel cannot adequately serve the entire from the lack of personnel; another problem is the difficulty in the delivery of mails in the remote and far-flung barangays.

Tourism

Surfing and beaches

Daet is a famous surfing and kiteboarding spot, as it has a long stretch of beach in Bagasbas. Because of the attention it has gotten from the local surfing community, the Philippine Department of Tourism turned it into a local accredited surfing spot.

Aside from being a spot for surfing and kiteboarding, the Calaguas group of islands, in the jurisdiction of Vinzons, to its north has garnered attention from local and foreign tourists alike. The islands can be considered virgin as no resorts have been created there yet.

Panoramic view of Bagasbas Beach

Places of interest

• University of Camarines Norte
• Central Plaza Mall (In Lag-On)
• Bagasbas Beach
• Bagasbas Airport
• Daet Elevated Plaza
• Cory Aquino Boulevard, the longest boulevard in the Philippines.
• SM City Daet (located in Lag-on) - The 3rd SM mall in Bicol region and 77th mall of SM Supermalls in the Philippines

Churches

• Most Holy Trinity Cathedral, it was built and was inaugurated in 1984. It is also the cathedral of the Diocese of Daet
• Parroquia de San Juan Bautista, established in 1611, it is one of the first church in Camarines Norte in the region built by the Franciscan Friars.
• Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary Parish, in Lag-on
• Our Lady Of Peñafrancia Parish in Moreno
• Divine Mercy Parish in Alawihao

Historical landmarks

Daet is the home of the first monument for José Rizal.

• 1st Rizal Monument - The first monument in honor of a Filipino hero, Dr. José Rizal. Its foundation was made of mortars and boulders from the demolished old Spanish jail in Daet. Lt. Col. Antonio Sanz and Lt. Col. Ildefonso Alegre of Philippine Revolutionary Army initiated the construction of the monument which was unveiled on December 20, 1898.
• Provincial Capitol
• Old Daet Municipal Building
• Daet Elevated Town Plaza
• Daet Municipal Building
• Pineapple Fountain
• President Cory Aquino Boulevard (Bagasbas Boulevard)
• Daet Airport — located near the beach at barangay Bagasbas

Festivals

Daet Heritage Center

The Pineapple Festival (or "Pinyasan" as it is called by the locals) is considered to be the most colorful festivals in Camarines Norte. The festival started in 1992, and is about the province's prime agricultural product, which is the "Queen of All Pineapple" pineapple. Noted for its sweetness and flavor, this kind of pineapple is produced only in Camarines Norte, thereby making it a specialty in the province. The festival goes on for about 10 days, and several events are held in the municipality. The festival aims to promote the culture of Daet and its citizens. The Pineapple Festival is held every June 22–26 annually initiated by Mayor Tito Sarte Sarion.

The Bantayog Festival celebrates the founding of Camarines Norte. As of 2009, it has been 89 years since the province has become independent, since March 3, 1975, when Ambos Camarines (At that time Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur were one province) was split from two. This festival promotes the province as one which has unnoticed potential in the fields of tourism and commerce, and also the rich culture and hospitality of the people of Camarines Norte. The Bantayog Festival is held every March or April annually. It was launched in April 1982.

Notable people

• Manuel Conde, National Artist of the Philippines for Film (2009)
• Ricky Lee, National Artist of the Philippines for Film and Broadcast Arts (2022)
• Robin Padilla, Actor
• Ambet Nabus, Radio Anchor, Comedian and Show Business Reporter
• Fortunato "Atoy" Co, Former PBA Player, Actor, Politician
• Joross Gamboa, TV Actor
• Precious Paula Nicole, Drag Performer, Winner of Drag Race Philippines (Season 1)
• Sydney Joseph L. Torronueva, Top 3 Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines 2022.

External links

• Municipality of Daet
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information