Daet


Daet, officially the Municipality of Daet, is a municipality and capital of the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people, making it the 2nd most populous in the province after Labo.
The municipality is a popular surfing spot among surfers worldwide. It is also home to the annual Daet International Aerosports Show which was first held in 2013. It is also known for its pili nuts, used in many local snacks and treats. Popular products include pili tarts, pili rolls, pili ice cream, crispy pili, and pili candies.

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, 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, a Spanish conquistador arrived in the Bicol Region during an expedition in search of gold, particularly in the mountains of Camarines. He found Daet to be an already established and thriving settlement, with houses clustered together for safety and protection. In June 1583, the Franciscan Order confirmed the establishment of several doctrinas or mission settlements, including Daet.
Salcedo’s expedition marked the start of over 300 years of Spanish rule, combining religious conversion and colonial administration. In the early colonial period, Don Manuel de la Estrada, Marquis de Camarines, was exiled to the Philippines following a scandal in Spain. Settling in Daet, he oversaw the construction of key structures, including a church, stone bridges, and civic buildings. He also introduced abaca cultivation, which later became a key industry for the
Philippines.
During the Spanish period, Daet occasionally suffered from raids by Moro pirates, prompting the fortification of nearby communities such as Mercedes, which later became an independent municipality in 1948. At the time, Daet served as the capital of the District of Daet, which encompassed the territory now known as Camarines Norte. In 1908, the barrio of Basud was separated from Daet to form its own municipality.
In the final years of Spanish colonial rule, Daet became a center of resistance. Thirteen residents were executed by Spanish authorities during Holy Week in April 1898 for their involvement in revolutionary activities. These individuals are remembered as martyrs in local history. Before the end of Spanish rule, Filipino insurgents in Daet managed to besiege the local Spanish garrison.

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 Thomas McNamee, operating under the overall command of General John C. Bates. This period laid the foundation for the present-day progress of the current generation.

Martial law

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.

Contemporary

The cityhood bid for the municipality began in 2011 headed by then Mayor Tito Sarion. Due to its size, petitions were made to expand it for the municipality to satisfy the requirements for cityhood.

Geography

Daet is located in the southeastern part of Camarines Norte. It is bounded in the east by the town of Mercedes; in the south by the municipality of Basud; in southwest by San Lorenzo Ruiz town; in the north by Pacific Ocean; in the west by San Vicente and northwest by Talisay. The provincial capital covers a total land area of 5,861.48 hectares. The landscape of Daet is primarily composed of plains or flatlands, with no significant mountains or valleys. The average elevation of the area is approximately 10 meters above sea level.
It is from the country's capital city of Manila.

Climate

Barangays

Daet is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
BarangayPopulation
LocationNumber of PurokClassificationLand AreaChairmanDistrict
Barangay 11,969Central8Commercial/Residential16.26 haPB Elaine P. MaderaSouth District
Barangay 2
2,416Central8Commercial/Residential32.74 haPB Edwin Y. Ferrer, Jr.South District
Barangay 3
1,489Central6Commercial/Residential12.79 haPB Erlinda c. TuringanSouth District
Barangay 4
6,741Central9Commercial/Residential33.07 haPB Sonia K. BermasNorth District
Barangay 5
4,326Central7Commercial/Residential37.55 haPB Pedro S. MusaNorth District
Barangay 6
1,785Central5Commercial/Residential12.50 haPB Arthur Z. BarriosNorth District
Barangay 7
1,885Central7Commercial/Residential30.75 haPB Botvinnik V. MagoNorth District
Barangay 8
2,281Central10Commercial/Residential13.32 haPB William R. VillarinNorth District
Alawihao11,191Peripheral10Residential/Agricultural389.30 haPB Robert E. PalenciaNorth District
Awitan1,724Peripheral3Residential/Agricultural333.70 haPB Meliandro A. EboñaNorth District
Bagasbas5,623Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural348.00 haPB Illuminador R. Abordo, Jr.North District
Bibirao2,154Peripheral4Residential/Agricultural336.90 haPB Ramil E. SorianoSouth District
Borabod
3,697Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural331.40 haPB Rosito C. PanotesNorth District
Calasgasan4,383Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural884.30 haPB Estrella C. SulpaSouth District
Camambugan9,953Peripheral7Residential/Agricultural238.00 haPB Irene D. CambroneroSouth District
Cobangbang
3,903Peripheral8Residential/Agricultural130.30 haPB Paz M. PacaoSouth District
Dogongan4,580Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural506.20 haPB Zenaida M. EchanoSouth District
Gahonon3,380Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural210.80 haPB William Carlo P. AvilaNorth District
Gubat
6,517Peripheral5Residential/Agricultural288.80 haPB Nestor A. VasquezNorth District
Lag-on6,301Peripheral7Residential/Agricultural291.20 haPB Franco V. SarionNorth District
Magang6,184Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural170.50 haPB Eduardo C. AsiaoSouth District
Mambalite2,449Peripheral7Residential/Agricultural452.60 haPB Michelle B. OcanSouth District
Mancruz4,874Peripheral4Residential/Agricultural139.30 haPB Ernesto S. TeodoroSouth District
Pamorangon2,750Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural389.40 haPB Nicanor B. PalizaSouth District
San Isidro
3,910Peripheral6Residential/Agricultural271.80 haPB Samuel L. ZalduaSouth District