San Jose is a 1st class municipality in the province of Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 111,009 people in 22,464 households. According to the 2007 census, the population increased to 118,807 people.
San Jose is considered the main commercial port in the province. It is named after its patron saint, St. Joseph, the husband of Mary. Most of the people are Visayans, Batangueños and Ilocanos.
San Jose is the center of entertainment and business in the province. Major banks such as Philippine National Bank (PNB), United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Allied Bank, Metrobank, Landbank, Philippine Veterans Bank, have local branches and even fast food chain Jollibee has started operations in San Jose. Mr. Donut has started to operate too. Telecommunication services are provided by Digital Telecommunications (Digitel), Smart Communications, Globe, RCPI, and Piltel. Numerous internet cafes are also available mainly in the poblacion area. Major schools in the province include Divine Word College, Montessori de San Jose, Philippine Central Islands College (PCIC), I-NET Asia Technological School, Inc. and the Occidental Mindoro State College.
The population growth currently experienced by San Jose is attributed to a growing number of migrants
Historical records show that in 14th century, Chinese traders anchored to trade at the shores of Mangarin, the oldest settlement in the southern portion of Occidental Mindoro. Its name was derived from the word “Mandarin”, an official Chinese Palace, the remains of which can still be found in the old barrio of Mangarin. When the Spanish took possession of the Island in the 18th century, the first site of the Presidencia was built in sitio of Sinaoga[citation needed], on the western side of Barrio Sta. Teresa, now part of the municipality of Magsaysay. A year later, it was again transferred to Caminawit. On May 1, 1910,[1] Pandurucan, which was renamed San Jose, became the seat of the Civil Government with Don German Ramirez as its first appointed leader up to 1915. When the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied the town, Bonifacio Gomez was appointed as Mayor from 1941-1942 followed by Pedro Cuden, 1942–1943 and finally Isabelo Abeleda in 1944 until 1946. During the American reoccupation Bibiano Gaudiel replaced Isabelo Abeleda who regained his position in 1955.
San Jose figures prominently in Philippine history for its role during World War II. American forces led by General Douglas MacArthur with the Filipino soldiers staged a so-called "Second Landing" in the beaches of San Jose (the "First" being the famous Leyte Landing) on December 15, 1944, to retake the Philippine islands from the Japanese (the Battle of Mindoro). Securing San Jose and the whole Mindoro island proved decisive in the goal to recapture Manila and Luzon, and the eventual defeat of the Japanese Imperial forces by Filipino and American troops.
The Philippine government split Mindoro into two provinces, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro in 1950. San Jose became the temporary capitol but was transferred to Mamburao on January 1950. Migration to Mindoro in the years after the war boosted population growth and spurred development. The Philippine Sugar Mill plantation in the northern Barangay Central helped San Jose become the center of commerce in those years. The economic base has since widened to include rice, corn, tobacco, salt, and aquaculture production.San Jose is politically subdivided into 38 barangays
|
|
|
