Polangui, officially the Municipality of Polangui (; West Miraya Bikol: Banwaan nin Polangui; Rinconada Bikol: Banwaan ka Polangui; ), is a municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
Etymology
The origin of the name Polangui has many versions. The foremost and seemingly more accepted version is, "that of a giant robust tree which existed majestically in the early municipal settlement". The natives of the settlement called the "Oyangue", which also served as the early landmark of the area whereby new settlers looked upon in their wandering. Similarly, the early Spanish frontier settlers found this tree and it became their famous settlement landmark. The settlement was then called "Binanuaan" but often referred to as "Oyangue" by nearby settlers. As more settlers came to dwell and engage in trade endeavors with the indigenous inhabitants, the more was the settlement known in distant areas by the name "Oyangue" (referring to the tree landmark) which was more widely accepted than "Binanuaan". The passing of generations corrupted the word "Oyangue" into several acronyms. Most acceptable and widely used before was "Polangue" and later "Polangui" which has remained today.
Another legend is about the story of a maiden named "Pulang Angui" which means "Red Maria" (Angui is the nickname for Maria) who loved red colors for dress and whose beautiful body, face and red lips became the object of affection by the males to the point of adoration. She was modest in her ways, talented for possessing various skills, with happy disposition, showing love of arts and religion. She would lead the tribe in festivities. When the Spaniards came, the soldiers who first set foot in Polangui asked for the name of the place. The native thought the foreigners was asking for the name of "Pulang Angui" and said so. The Spaniards recorded the name of the place as Pulangui, a concoction of the name which was later on, as years went by, was converted to Polangui.Municipality of Polangui. (n.d.). Historical Background. Retrieved May 2, 2025, from (https://polangui.gov.ph/about-us/historical-background/)
History
Precolonial period
Pre-colonial Polangui was a fertile valley cradled by the virgin forests of Mount Masaraga. It was formed out of five settlements ruled by the Datu of Ponso till the late 1583. The center of the settlements was called Banwang gurang, meaning "old town" and is now known as Magurang.
In 1584, Fray Baltazar de la Magdalena, left Ambos Camarines and stumbled upon this place west of Mount Masaraga. He found that each of the five settlements had about 100 inhabitants. In the same year, he founded a settlement within the fertile valley and established a ranch, which he called "Binanuaan". Being inland and strategically situated, the town was spared from the frequent raids of sea pirates as well as from the occasional destruction caused by the eruption of Mayon Volcano.
Polangui became a visita, or outreach village under the jurisdiction of the Villa Santiago de Libon, which was established in 1573 by Juan de Salcedo, the grandson of the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The villa, which lies south-west of Polangui, would be known as the fourth of its kind in the entire archipelago.
Fray de la Magdalena was credited with the founding of Polangui. Old manuscripts in the Archives of Manila and in the Franciscan Convent in Manila point to 1584 as the year Polangui was founded, and thus considered as one of the oldest municipalities in the Philippines.
Spanish regime By 1654, the original settlement became considerably bigger when Fray Alonzo de San Juan, was assigned in Polangui as "Encargado". The settlement was expanded reaching the present barangay sites in Lanigay, Ponso and Balinad. The town proper was established in Lanigay where a church made of wood was erected adjacent to about 280 wooden dwellings and more than 1,000 nipa huts. Unfortunately, this church together with the dwelling units was razed by a fire to the ground.
With the coming of another missionary, Fray Juan Bautista Marza, a new church made of bricks and stones was completed in 1664. This church stood on a new elevated site and still stands to this day. Under the leadership of Fray Marza, roads and bridges were also initiated and schools were introduced simultaneously with the Christian Doctrine and Spanish culture.
Growth of the settlement was so fast that it became a Poblacion and finally recognized as a Pueblo in 1674. Owing to its steady growth, a link with nearby Libon and Oas became a necessity. Hence, Fr. Jose Arnao, parish priest and Encargado from 1832 until 1852, directed the construction of roads and bridges that would connect Polangui to neighboring towns, including upland Buhi in Camarines Sur.
During Spanish regime, a significant highlight is the construction of its parish church which took 10 years to be completed starting in 1654 by Fray Alonzo de San Juan and completed in 1664 by Fray Juan Bautista Marza.
Polangueño martyr, Camilo Jacob, who is a photographer, was executed on January 4, 1897, with other Bicolanos. They are now commemorated as the Quince Martires del Bicolandia. A year later, the Spanish rule in Bicol ended with the mutiny of Guardia Civil in Naga led by Elias Angeles.
American period Sometime during the Philippine–American War, Polangui became the seat of the Provincial Government of Albay for a brief period under Governor Domingo Samson. When the Americans conquered Polangui in 1890 without firing a single shot, the form of government went through transition from military to civil government then Commonwealth system. The seat of the municipal government was in Ponso with Clemente Sarte as the acting Chief Executive. A few months later, the seat of the municipal government was transferred to Centro Occidental and still remains up to this day.
Japanese occupation When the Japanese forces occupied Polangui on December 13, 1941, Cipriano Saunar, then vice mayor of the Commonwealth government was appointed mayor by the Japanese military administration. A secret civil government was established simultaneously headed by Julian Saunar which was supported by the people. Cipriano Saunar's successor was Manuel Samson Sr. and in turn was succeeded by Jesus Salalima who ruled from 1947 to 1960.
Geography Polangui is located at , in the north-eastern quadrant of the third district of Albay.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Albay.
Polangui is bounded on the north by Buhi and Iriga City of Camarines Sur province, south by Libon, Oas and City of Ligao; and west by Malinao and the City of Tabaco. It is from Legazpi and from Manila.
Climate
Polangui has a general climate characterized by dry season with a very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to December. Prevailing wind is in the general direction from north-east to south-west.
Protected areas
Buhi Wildlife Sanctuary
The Buhi Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay. It encompasses Lake Buhi and several adjacent lakes and lakelets, including Lakes Manapao, Katugday, Makuwaw, and Danao, together with their associated watersheds and wetland ecosystems.
The sanctuary extends into portions of northeastern Albay, including Barangays Danao and Maysua in the Municipality of Polangui. It was recognized as a protected area under Republic Act No. 11038, otherwise known as the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, which was approved on June 22, 2018.. The sanctuary now forms part of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) and is managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
One of the principal objectives of the sanctuary is the protection of the tabios or sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis), a species of freshwater goby endemic to the Bicol Region and regarded as the world's smallest commercially harvested fish. The species occurs in Lake Buhi and several nearby lakes and lakelets, including Lake Danao in Polangui. The conservation of these aquatic habitats is considered essential to the survival of the species, whose populations have been affected by overfishing, habitat degradation, and the introduction of non-native fish species.
The sanctuary's forested areas also contribute to watershed protection, biodiversity conservation, and ecological connectivity between the uplands of Albay and Camarines Sur. These habitats provide refuge for numerous native species and play an important role in regulating water flow and reducing soil erosion within the Lake Buhi watershed.
Mt. Masaraga Protected Landscape
The Mt. Masaraga Protected Landscape is a protected area in the province of Albay centered on Mount Masaraga, an extinct stratovolcano. The protected landscape encompasses portions of the municipalities of Polangui and Oas and the cities of Ligao and Tabaco.
The area was established through Republic Act No. 12227, otherwise known as the Mt. Masaraga Protected Landscape Act, which was approved on July 9, 2025. The law declared approximately 840 hectares of public land as a protected landscape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS).
Within Polangui, the protected landscape covers portions of the upland barangays of Balaba, Balinad, and Maysua.
The protected landscape contains residual and secondary forests that serve as important watersheds for surrounding communities. Republic Act No. 12227 cites the area's biological richness, ecological importance, and role in the conservation of native flora and fauna as among the reasons for its protection.
Barangays Polangui is politically subdivided into 44 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
It is grouped into three divisions: Poblacion Barangays – 13 member barangays Rinconada Area Development Council (RADC) – 11 member barangays Upland Area Development Council (UADC) – 20 member barangays