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History

Chronicles states that the aborigines of Guinobatan were the indigenous tribes, which first inhabited the region bordering Albay Golf also known asLegazpiBay. The Mohammedans of Mindanao and Borneo frequently bothering them, these people were forced to retreat as far as Tandarora to Bubulusan and Muladbucad, which are now barrios of Guinobatan. However, the avalanche of Mindanao Moros went on there; thus, they had to run again towards the coast ofPanganiran where they tried to establish a town. But the pirates of Burias pursued so they had to move again from Panganiran to the present location of the town ofGuinobatan. The town grew progressively with excessive abaca and cacao fields. These were the people that were found by Franciscan missionaries of Camalig who arrived in 1578 with the purpose of Evangelization.

In the beginning, the Franciscans considered Guinobatan as a barrio or Visita of Camalig. But from 1672 to 1678, when the Christianity gained foothold in the place, it was subsequently recognized as a permanent Visita (settlement) and designated as Christianity’s outpost. In 1846, the towns in Yraya sector from Libon (now Sto. Domingo) to Pilar, which were under the jurisdiction of Camarines, were interchanged with the towns in the sector of the Cordillera (now Lagonoy) from Sangay to Caramoan. In t his way, the territorial division between Albay and Camarines began. As a result, Guinobatan became part of Albay.

In those years, Tenientes Absolutos handled the civil government of Guinobatan. Don Francisco Bagamasad, the chief of tenientes, is considered as the founding father of the town. Together with Don Ambrosio, Don Catinod, Don Juan Labao and several Franciscans, he requested that the settlement be declared independent town. And in 1688, ten years after the request was done, a decree was created making Guinobatan a town and independent from Camalig. By virtue of his initiative, Don Francisco was appointed as gobernadorcillo and recognized as the First Civil Administrator of Guinobatan. That was how Guinobatan came into being.

How this town acquired the name “Guinobatan” can be drawn from the word “Gubat” which in its substantive form in Bicol idiom means barren and uncultivated. Used as a verb, “Gubat” denotes armed physical encounter. These encounters emanated from the depredations of the moros who frequently pillaged and plundered the town. The token resistance put up by the natives had given the name “Guinobatan”. Hence the word “Gubat” used in the past participle combined with events of those times, together with the actual physical condition of the settlement gave the name “Guinobatan” to this town.

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Guinobatan is like a maiden lying upon a verdant mantle. It is a valley cradled by mountains and rolling hills dominated by the grandeurs of two magnificent volcanoes-the near perfectMt. Mayon, which is one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines towering at 8,000 feet above the sea level, in the east side and Mt. Masaraga, a legendary dormant volcano in the northeast. Its land area stretches southwards of the Albay province at 123º31' and 123º15' east longitude and between 13º10' and 13º15' north latitude. It stretches from southwest of themunicipality ofCamalig, and is bounded by the municipalities of Pio Duran and Jovellar in the south and by Ligao in the northwest. It is 520 feet above the sea level and is recipient of a cool and tropical temperature. The third largest municipality in Albay, it occupies 203 sq. kilometers or 20,300 hectares or 7.95% of the total land area of the province. Its land area is defined by mountainous terrain, rolling hills, and plains. 49.26% of its total land area or 10,000 hectares are located on undulating, rolling to moderately steep and very steep slopes.

Guinobatan is blessed with natural bounties. The best sand for infrastructure, limestone for cement making, perlite, agricultural crops, ornamental plants, inland springs, and tasty foods like longaniza de Guinobatan, pilinut delicacies and baraquillos to name a few are all found in it. It also has horticultural areas that make it known to be "The Garden Town".