View of Boac, Marinduque (Unknown Year). Photo courtesy from ulongbeach.com
Marinduque, often recognized for its distinctive heart shape, is located between the Bondoc Peninsula in the southeastern part of Luzon and the island of Mindoro. It is surrounded by four bodies of water: Tayabas Bay to the north, the Mongpong Pass to the northeast, Tayabas Strait to the southeast, and the Sibuyan Sea to the south.
The island’s earliest known inhabitants were Malay settlers who had already established trade relations with the Chinese as early as the Sung Dynasty. This long history of interaction is evident in artifacts and pottery shards discovered in the numerous caves scattered across Marinduque.
Historically, Marinduque is believed to have been under the administrative influence—or possibly the control—of the Bonbon (Batangas) settlement founded by Datus Dumangsil and Balkasusa, members of the ten-datu expedition from Borneo.
While the island was originally called Malandik, the Spaniards later referred to it as Mare Unduque, a name derived from their difficulty in pronouncing the Malay term. “Malandik,” on the other hand, is thought to refer to the island’s sloping terrain and may have been associated with Mount Malindig and the Balagbag mountain range located at the southern and central parts of the island.
In 1571, Spanish Governor Miguel López de Legazpi granted the encomienda of Marinduque to Fr. Pedro de Herrera, an Augustinian priest credited with introducing Christianity to the early inhabitants.
On April 28, 1898, after the defeat of the last Spanish cazadores (Tagalog soldiers serving under Spain) during the Philippine–Spanish War, Marinduque declared its separation from Mindoro and from Spanish rule. This declaration was affirmed by the local elite from the island’s various towns. The revolutionary movement in Marinduque was led by Martín Lardizabal, who became the military governor under the island’s first revolutionary provincial government.
During the American period, one of the most significant Filipino victories in the second phase of the Philippine Revolution took place in Torrijos, Marinduque. Known as the Battle of Pulang Lupa, this historic event occurred on September 13, 1900, when Filipino forces led by Lt. Col. Maximo Abad defeated an American contingent under Capt. Devereaux Shields. The battle is recognized as one of the most dramatic setbacks suffered by American forces during the war.
On May 1, 1901, the United States–Philippine Commission passed Act No. 125, officially creating the Province of Marinduque and establishing its provincial government in the municipality of Boac, which became the capital.
A year later, through Act No. 423 dated June 23, 1902, the Commission annexed the island of Mindoro—including Lubang Island (previously part of Cavite)—to the Province of Marinduque. Boac was retained as the capital of the combined territories. However, four months later, on November 10, Act No. 499 detached Marinduque and placed it under the jurisdiction of Tayabas (now Quezon).
On May 17, 1907, through Act No. 1649, Marinduque was designated as a sub-province of Tayabas. Finally, on February 21, 1920, Act No. 2880, authored by Representative Ricardo Paras, Jr., separated Marinduque from Tayabas and re-established it as an independent province. The law was signed by American Governor Francis Burton Harrison.
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