Daet, Camarines Norte


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| and capital of the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
The municipality is a popular surfing spot among surfers worldwide. It is also home to the annual Daet International Aerosports Show, first held in 2013.

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 authored by Fray Marcos de Lisboa, would mean "to make friend" or "to be reconciled".

History

Pre Colonial

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 Era

In 1571, Juan de Salcedo arrived at the Bicol Region in quest for gold found in Camarines Norte and discovered that Daet was already a thriving settlement and noted that the houses were clustered together for reason of safety and protection. In June 1583, through a Franciscan Order confirmed the founding of Doctrinas including Daet.
Long after the implantation of the Spanish sovereignty, Don Juan de Salcedo, “talented, dashing grandson of Legazpi ” found this community in the course of an expedition in search of gold which the Camarines mountains were heart to abound, marking the beginning of over a three-century Spanish regime patterned after the sword and the cross.
In the meantime, an incident happened in the court of Spain over the romances of a woman which pressed the King to exile a Spanish noble to the Philippines who eventually chose to come this way to spend the rest of his life, forget all, and start life anew. This noble was Don Manuel de la Estrada, Marquis de Camarines, who devoted a lifetime to help implement the Spanish colonization blueprint in the building of a new town over our old community. He supervised the construction of the church as it stands today, the old Spanish to exile a Spanish noble to the Philippines who eventually bridge, other stone bridges buildings. He also brought the first abaca seedlings and encouraged its cultivation which has given the Philippines the world monopoly of hemp fiber. Incidentally, from the union of this noble to a Filipino woman followed a long line of blood relation which still link most of the old families of this community. The ruins of the palatial mansion of the Marquis de Camarines were still visible in recent years, on the spot where the new building of the Provincial Capitol now stands.
Except for recurring raids by the Moro pirates who occasionally came on their fast frail vintas to pillage this community causing the fortification of barrio Mercedes during the Spanish regime, this community lived progressively in blissful peace and contentment. Formerly, the whole of the present Province of Camarines Norte was known as the District of Daet and this capital was a “Comandancia” of the original province of Camarines during the Spanish regime. In the few times that the Province of Camarines Norte was separated from and again fused with Camarines Sur from the Spanish to the American regimes, Daet always retained her importance as the provincial capital. In the ensuing changes, this municipality lost further much of her territory which was restored to Camarines Sur, and due to the segregation of the Municipality of Basud which was a former barrio of this community in the year 1908.
No less than thirteen martyrs were contributed by this community before the altar of liberty. They were butchered or burned alive and buried in a common grave during the Holy Week on Easter Sunday, April 1898. The local “insurrectus ”, however, made a remarkable feat in the last days of the Spanish regime when they succeeded in containing the Spanish local garrison and subjected them under relentless attack. The Spaniards were dramatically saved from annihilation by burning at the timely arrival of their rescue ship. Daet today takes a distinct pride for owning the first monument ever erected in the Philippines in honor of the foremost Filipino hero and martyr, Dr. Jose P. Rizal Protacio y Mercado, at the inspiration of Don Antonio Sans, Commanding Officer of the Philippine Revolutionary Forces in the sector.

American Colonial Period

The Philippine–American War was felt very little in this town. The American forces came unopposed on March 4, 1900 when almost the rest of the Bicol Region was subdued by Major McNamee under the overall command of General Bates before whom Commander Antonio Sans previously arranged in Camarines Sur the terms of surrender which were acceptable to the American Command. The strides undergone by this community under the American regime is yet to be written in bold letters of gold, a period which brought about the present day progress of this generation.

Martial law

On the evening of September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos announced on television that he had placed the Philippienes, including Daet, under martial law. The marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule; even though the document proclaiming 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. 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.

Conversion to cityhood

A P30-million government center, a P30-million transport terminal and an improved airport are among the large-scale face-lift projects that Camarines Norte's capital town plans to embark on as it aggressively vies for cityhood.
The projects, including a new face of the town plaza, were presented by Mayor Tito Sarion in an executive report last month. "The enhancement of the elevated plaza is necessary to decongest the downtown in an attempt to rebuild the center of the commercial district," he said.
Sarion said the United Architects of the Philippines had agreed to design the new plaza through a P3-million grant provided by the party-list group Bayan Muna.
The funds for the government center and transport facility will be borrowed from the Land Bank of the Philippines, while the revitalized Bagasbas airport project will be funded by the Air Transportation Office.
Sarion said the proposed government center would make transactions with provincial and national government agencies more convenient while the new legislative hall would "create a breathing space and a better working environment at the municipal hall, where offices are crowded."

Geography

Barangays

Daet is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.

Demographics

In the, the population of Daet, Camarines Norte, was people, with a density of.

Economy

The municipality is rich in mineral resources such as diatomaceous earth or commonly called white clay. This is one of the income generating industries of the municipality. This non-metallic mineral has a total approximate reserve of 1,289,600 metric tons.
The municipality also has a viable source of sand and gravel. It is being extracted by mining concessionaires.

Infrastructure

Land transportation is the primary means of transporting people, goods and services from the barangay to the town proper of Daet. The town is being linked to its different barangays by the municipality's major roads, namely the Maharlika Highway. It has a total length of 25.50 kilometers stretching from the boundary of the municipality of Daet to the Camarines Norte – Camarines Sur boundary. The Mangcamagong provincial road has a total length of 9.46 kilometers, stretching from the municipal boundary of Basud and Mercedes to the junction of Maharlika highway.

Surfing and beaches

Daet is a famous surfing and kiteboarding spot, as it has a long stretch of beach in Bagasbas. Because of the attention it has gotten from the local surfing community, the Philippine Department of Tourism turned it into a local accredited surfing spot.
Aside from being a spot for surfing and kiteboarding, the Calaguas group of islands, in the jurisdiction of Vinzons, to its north has garnered attention from local and foreign tourists alike. The islands can be considered virgin since no resorts have been created there yet.

Places of interest

The Pineapple Festival is considered to be the most colorful festivals in Camarines Norte. The festival started in 1992, and is about the province's prime agricultural product, which is the "Queen of All Pineapple" pineapple. Noted for its sweetness and flavor, this kind of pineapple is produced only in Camarines Norte, thereby making it a specialty in the province. The festival goes on for about 10 days, and several events are held in the municipality. The festival aims to promote the culture of Daet and its citizens. The Pineapple Festival is held every 22–26 June annually initiated by Mayor Tito Sarte Sarion
The Bantayog Festival celebrates the founding of Camarines Norte. As of 2009, it has been 89 years since the province has become independent, since March 3, 1975, when Ambos Camarines was split from two. This festival promotes the province as one which has unnoticed potential in the fields of tourism and commerce, and also the rich culture and hospitality of the people of Camarines Norte. The Bantayog Festival is held every March or April annually. It was launched in April 1982.

Notable people