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Larena Town | Dumaguete Info

A Visit to the Town of Larena in Siquijor

The Philippine tourism is currently undergoing several developmental stages. The local governments of several provinces have launched a serious effort to establish the Philippines in the world map when it comes to tourism. In order to show their seriousness regarding the money, both the national and local governments have invested a lot of money to further enhance the beautiful sights and scenes in their own territories.

The Philippines offers one of the best tourist destinations in the form of Siquijor. This province is popularly known around the country for its mysteriousness and elegance. It is surrounded by some of the major cities in the Visayas region including Bohol, Cebu and Negros. Despite the rapid economic development of the Philippines, the province of Siquijor has maintained a simple yet profound living environment for its people.

One of the 5th class towns in Siquijor is Larena. The other municipalities include Siquijor, San Juan, Maria, Lazi and Enrique Villanueva. The population of Larena is close to 11,861 as of the year 2000. It is pretty much evident in the total number of people living here that Larena is indeed a small town. Some of the barangays in the municipality include Catamboan, Taculing and Bintangan.

Larena has one of the three most important seaports in Siquijor. This pathway facilitates trade and commerce in this simple province. Prior to 1972, Larena was the capital of the province because it served as an ecclesiastical and trading center for the entire Siquijor. After that period, the capital was transferred to Siquijor. This fact proves that Larena has quite an impressive reputation behind its back. It has a very rich culture and history.

Although Larena is no longer the capital of Siquijor, it has still maintained its reputation as one of the best commercial hub of the province. It holds some of the biggest businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the whole province. Meanwhile, the seaport of Larena serves as the window of the province to the rest of the country. Merchant ships from Northern Mindanao and Western Visayas dock to this port to conduct business with the local residents and entrepreneurs.

The reinvention of educational institutions and facilities in Larena promises a very bright future for all its residents. One of the famous landmarks of the town is the Larena Sub-Provincial High School. This educational facility has been transformed into the Larena National Vocational School. And more recently, the institution was converted to the Siquijor State College. This transformation was a very big help to the town and to Siquojor as well. It continuously drives people from neighboring provinces and places towards Larena.