Marabut, Samar

Marabut, officially the Municipality of Marabut (Waray: Bungto han Marabut; Tagalog: Bayan ng Marabut), is a municipality in Samar, Philippines.

Before the construction of the Mabaysay Church (now known as Basey Church) in 1846, the area was inhabited by the Umhanan people, also referred to as the Tinawagan people. Among the earliest recorded families were those of Agustin Grefiel, Logero Ferreras, and Catato Amantillo,^[5] who intermarried.

In 1868, some settlers moved toward the shoreline, while others remained inland to avoid forced labour by the Guardia Civil during the church's construction. After the Balangiga massacre on September 28, 1901, additional settlers from Balangiga migrated inland to escape fears of American retaliation, increasing the local population.

One of the early settlers, Singoy Amantillo, had five children: Bicario, Mauricio (also known as "Iking"), Jacobo Alyas ("Ka Buta"), Enrique, and Lami. The family of Ysidro Mista Ferreras later joined the community.

During the Spanish period, Ysidro Ferreras encouraged Engracio Amantillo and Mauricio Amantillo to change the name from Umhanan to Tinawagan, and later to Sitio Lipata, in reference to the abundance of Lipata trees in the area. Local accounts state Bicario Amantillo organized residents for community protection during the revolutionary period, and leadership later passed to Ysidro Ferreras.

Under American rule, the population of Sitio Lipata grew significantly. Under Ysidro's leadership, residents once considered relocating to Hilaba (with its larger area and a hill suitable for a church), but abandoned the plan due to problems with shoreline access at low tide.

Ysidro Ferreras later transformed Sitio Lipata into Barrio Santo Niño of Basey, Samar. He served as Mayor of Basey, Engracio Amantillo as Vice Mayor, and Mauricio Amantillo as Cabeza del Barrio Santo Niño. During World War II elementary education in Barrio Santo Niño was suspended until the liberation of Samar in 1944.

In early 1949, Ysidro Ferreras submitted a proposal to President Elpidio Quirino to convert Barrio Santo Niño into a municipality. On July 22, 1949, Executive Order No. 247 was signed, creating the Municipality of Marabut, named in honor of Congressman Serafin Marabut of Basey, Samar. Ysidro Ferreras became the municipality's first mayor, and Engracio Amantillo the first vice mayor.^[6]

Under the original organization, Marabut included 14 barangays: San Roque, Tag-Alag, Legaspi, Caluayan, Tinabanan, Osmeña, Canyoyo, Binocyahan, Odoc, Pinana-an, Santo Niño (Poblacion), Lipata, Amambucale, and Pinamitinan.

During the administration of Mayor Macario Ferreras, Poblacion Marabut was subdivided into four barangays: Amantillo, Sto. Niño, Catato, and Lipata. Other barangays were similarly divided (Pinamitinan into Sta. Rita, Malobago; Odoc into Ferreras; Binocyahan into Logero; Osmeña into Mabuhay, Roño, Panan-awan, etc.; Legaspi into Veloso), resulting in the present total of 24 barangays.^[7]

Barangays are the smallest administrative divisions in the Philippines. They function as local government units (LGUs), similar to neighborhoods, villages, or districts in other countries. The municipality of Marabut is politically subdivided into 24 barangays, each consisting of Puroks, with some also containing Sitios.

In 1957, the sitio of Pinana-an was converted into the barrio Pinalangga.^[8]

Marabut has a tropical rainforest climate, characterized by high humidity, warm temperatures, and significant rainfall throughout the year. The wettest months typically occur from October to December.

According to the 2020 Philippine census, the population of Marabut has increased steadily, with most residents working as farmers, or fishers.

Poverty incidence of Marabut

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}

The economy of Marabut is primarily based on agriculture only. According to data in 2022, there was a gradual increase in local tourism, primarily due to the local beaches and rock formations.

• Marabut Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
• Official Website of Marabut Samar