Corella, Bohol

Corella
Municipality
Town Hall
Map of Bohol with Corella highlighted
Corella Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°41′N 123°55′E / 9.68°N 123.92°ECoordinates: 9°41′N 123°55′E / 9.68°N 123.92°E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas (Region VII)
Province	Bohol
District	1st district of Bohol
Founded	3 December 1879
Barangay	8 (see § Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jose Tocmo (UNA)
• Vice mayor	Marizon Daquio
• Town Council	Members Dee Tocmo Lolong Ado Ricardo Apale Diogenes Buagas Patricia Curso Restituto Denque Eleuterio Manito Sephine Abcog 2016 unofficial result
• Representative	Rene Relampagos
Area[2]
• Total	37.22 km^2 (14.37 sq mi)
• Land	30.33 km^2 (11.71 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	8,479
• Density	230/km^2 (590/sq mi)
• Voter (2016)[4]	5,140
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	6337
IDD : area code	+63 (0)38
Income class	5th class
PSGC	071215000
Website	www.corella-bohol.lgu.ph

Corella is a 5th municipal income class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines.^[2] According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 8,479.^[3] In the 2016 election, it had 5,140 registered voters.^[4] It is located 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Tagbilaran. It may have been named after a town in the province of Navarre in northern Spain.^[5]

Corella is known primarily as the home of the endemic Philippine tarsier, one of the world's smallest primates. The 7.4-hectare (18-acre) Philippine tarsier sanctuary run by the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, as well as the Research and Development Center, is in brgy Canapnapan, three kilometres (1.9 mi) east of the centre of town.

The people of Corella are predominantly conservative Roman Catholics belonging to the parish of Our Lady of El Villar whose feast is celebrated on 27 April.

History

Its former name was Nug‑as before it obtained its present name, Corella. It was then a barrio of Baclayon. The adoption of the name Corella was made at the behest of Fr Jose Maria Cañabas, then the parish priest of Baclayon and endorsed by Fr Felix Gullen, the first Spanish priest. Corella was a name of a village in Navarra, Spain where this town's patroness, Nuestra Señora del Villar, showered miracles.

The creation of this town was due to the efforts of its inhabitants including Isidoro Ramo, who became its first gobernadorcillo.

The stone church and the convent were constructed during the tenure of Fr Felix Gullen and completed by later priests, one of them being Fr Dionisio Llorete who also spearheaded the erection of two stone school buildings and the municipal building during the term of the gobernadorcillo, Celedonio Sayon. But the construction of Corella's present concrete church began in 1924 under Fr Pedro Montelbon, the parish priest of Tagbilaran who took over the administration of the Corella parish after the incumbent, Fr Eugenio Desamparados left.

A battle of principles, rights, obligations, and duties raged in the municipality in 1920 between Simeon Sambola, the parish priest and the municipal president Nicanor C. Tocmo who were at loggerheads on the matter of school administration. From the pulpit, Fr Simeon lambasted the municipal administration and condemned the teachings in Corella schools as having originated from the mouth of hell. Enrollment in the school greatly diminished. Only close family friends and relatives of president Tocmo sent their children to school. The local civil administration complained to the provincial and national authorities. After a fact-finding investigation by the Department of Public Instruction whose report was submitted to the Governor-General, Fr Simeon was removed.

During the Japanese occupation, the area at a distance halfway between Corella and Gaboc was "no-man's land". Several civilians were arrested there by the Japanese and executed on the spot. Honorio Butawan, a bolo volunteer, was caught by the enemy, and taken to Tagbilaran never to return. Other civilians of Corella suffered instant death from the Japanese as the latter tried to escape the US army of liberation.

In October 1944, Capt. Martin Maliwanag, a guerrilla leader under Major Ismael Ingeniero established his headquarters in Corella, making the convent his command post and the primary school building east of the town plaza his detention cell. Several Filipino JCs (Japanese Constabulary) surrendered voluntarily. The first to surrender on 29 October 1944 was Lt. Victorio Sumodabila. He was shot on the spot by Capt. Maliwanag. Four other JCs from Corella who were killed and buried in common grave of Corella were Dandong Lamayo, his brother Fermin Lamayo, Felicisimo Guscal, and his brother-in-law, Celistino Formentera. In all, there were nine Filipino JCs who met their violent deaths in Corella on orders of Capt. Maliwanag, who met his own death when he attacked the Japanese garrison in Gaboc. His body was buried in the same cemetery as his victims. It was Maliwanag's men who captured the puppet Japanese governor Agapito Hontanosas.

During the guerrilla period, Corella had four mayors closely succeeding each other:

• The Commonwealth-elected mayor Catalino C. Vale, who was suspected to be a Japanese puppet, was detained in Behind The Clouds (San Jose) in Batuan, where the Bohol Area Command (BAC) of the guerilla forces had its headquarters.
• Roman Tocmo who was named acting vice mayor by the guerillas and Tiburcio Aranas who was the acting mayor.
• After Aranas's death, Jose Clarin replaced him.
• When Clarin went on leave, he was substituted by Isaac Filo.

Barangays

Corella comprises 8 barangays, all classified as rural:

PSGC Barangay Population ±% p.a. 2015[3] 2010[6] 071215001 Anislag 16.9% 1,434 1,233 +2.92% 071215002 Canangca‑an 11.2% 952 888 +1.33% 071215003 Canapnapan 10.6% 902 784 +2.71% 071215004 Cancatac 11.1% 943 921 +0.45% 071215005 Pandol 8.4% 713 640 +2.08% 071215006 Poblacion 14.9% 1,260 1,181 +1.24% 071215007 Sambog 17.7% 1,498 1,327 +2.33% 071215008 Tanday 9.2% 777 725 +1.33% Total 8,479 7,699 +1.85%

Demographics

Population census of Corella
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 6,150 —     1995 5,526 −1.98% 2000 6,048 +1.95%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2007 7,471 +2.96% 2010 7,699 +1.10% 2015 8,479 +1.85%
Source: Philippine Statistics Office[3][6][7]

From 1990, a marked decrease in population is noted. Groups of people migrated to other parts of the country, such as Mindanao, where they founded a new municipality, "New Corella".

In the 2016 election, it had 5,140 registered voters, meaning that 61% of the population are aged 18 and over.^[4]

Economy

Corella does not have any major industry. A great majority of the people of the town are engaged in small-scale home businesses.

Gallery

• 
  Public market
• 
  Church of Nuestra Señora del Villar
• 
  Philippine tarsier
• 
  A rice field in Corella

References

1. "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
2. "Municipal: Corella, Bohol". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
3. "Region VII (CENTRAL VISAYAS)". Census of Population (2015): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
4. "2016 National and Local Elections Statistics". Commission on Elections. 2016.
5. "Ayuntamiento de Corella" (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
6. "Region VII (CENTRAL VISAYAS)". Census of Population and Housing (2010): Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay (Report). NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
7. "Region VII (CENTRAL VISAYAS)". Census of Population (1995, 2000 and 2007): Total Population by Province, City and Municipality (Report). NSO. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011.

External links

• Municipality of Corella
• Corella
• Corella Bohol