Tigaon, officially the Municipality of Tigaon (; ), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 60,524 people.
It is in the eastern part of the province of Camarines Sur, between Mount Isarog and Lagonoy Gulf, and occupies a total land area of 12,575 ha., 80% of which is flat. Of these, 1,045 hectare are irrigated riceland.
Tigaon's economy is based on agricultural products like rice, corn, sugar cane, abaca fiber, fish, and pork. It is also known for its cottage industry, especially high-quality ships-in-bottles. The main tourist attractions are the Mt. Isarog Jungle Park at Barangay Concocep and several beach resorts.
History
According to a certain parish priest, Fr. Marcos de Lisboa, the name of the town was attributed to the word "tigaw", a shrub that grew in abundance on the riverbanks, and whose leaves when pounded produced extracts which were used as poison to catch fish in rivers and swamps.
Spanish Colonial Era
The Bicol Peninsula was first sighted by the Spaniards in August 1543 aboard the San Juan de Letran. In 1574, Captain Juan de Salcedo conquered the Bicol Region. In 1701, Tigaon was considered a sitio of Sagñay. In 1794, Tigaon was given her own parish under Fray Jose de Buensalida who carried the mission of St. Clare of Assisi, marking August 12 as her feast day.
Mayon Volcano's eruption in 1834 started a wave of migration from the neighboring province of Albay to the rich verdant slopes of Tigaon. As the Sword and the Cross became the bedrock of Spanish colonization in the Philippines, the parish priest symbolized the King of Spain and wielded immense power. This resulted in turmoil and continuous revolts against the atrocities of Spanish rule, thereby leading to the Philippine Revolution of 1898. For $20,000,000.00, Spain ceded the Philippines to the Americans.
In the early years of the 19th century, Camarines Sur was divided into four districts by the Spaniards. This division include the districts of Bikol, Rinconanda, Yraya and Mambulao. The mission of Tigaon in the part of Mount Isarog belonged to the Bikol district. The history of this town, according to written accounts, was considered to be confusing as there are conflicting records with regards to its establishment as a municipality.
World War II and Japanese Occupation
In 1941, the Second World War broke. The Japanese troops entered Tigaon during the term of Mayor Lino Cabaero. The guerrilla movement evolved as an offshoot of Japanese cruelty. Clashes were frequent and the church became a sanctuary of most guerrillas. Fr. Tomas Bernales was parish priest during the period 1941−1942. Fr. Florencio Gonzales took over in 1942. The infamous Death March propelled Doña Leonor Moll to rescue her son, Dr. Heriberto Moll and forty other Bicolanos from the clutches of death. Lt. Salvador Natividad died fighting the Japanese at Mabalodbalod. Captain Edmundo Cea and Majors Salvador and Tomas Garchitorena were at the forefront of the clashes with the Japanese. Don Pascual Leelin freely disposed his sacks of rice to fellow-Tigaoeños before enemies could confiscate them. In 1945, American forces came back to reclaim the Philippines, thus paving the way for the surrender of the beleaguered Japanese Imperial Army.
Independent Philippines
With the advent of independence, Tigaoeños found freedom of expression through the arts. An abundance of painters, poets, and actors emerged from this town. Luisita Venida was the first Tigaoeña child actress while Jesus ‘Og’ Ramos became the Tarzan of local cinema and acclaimed “Mr. Philippines”. In the late fifties, Batas Pambansa 129 made Tigaon the seat of the CFI in Partido District. Politics thrived. Don Mariano Garchitorena became Governor of Camarines Sur in 1945. Sebastian Caruso Moll was elected Congressman under the Quirino administration. The same administration chose Don Mariano Garchitorena Secretary of Agriculture. Edmundo Cea, the first Asian to be invited as guest speaker to the United Nations, gained fame as a congressman, then Senator during the sixties, as a delegate to the 1970 Constitutional Convention and as a member of the defunct Batasang Pambansa. Jose Fuentebella was Ambassador to Indonesia during the Garcia administration. Parish Priest Fr. Florencio Gonzales was succeeded by Fr. Pedro Oliva (1948−1967). Municipal mayors of Tigaon during these years: Heriberto R. Moll (1945-1957); Jose Bosito (1958-1964) and again Heriberto R. Moll (1964−1967).