At that time, a Spanish galleon from Cebu was on its return voyage to Acapulco. It was vigorously plying to cross the hazardous, swirling and tumultuous waters of San Bernardino Strait (formerly called Baligwatan). Meanwhile, its captain Esteban Rodriguez, had sighted the tall Bulusan and Mayon volcanoes continuously emitting smoke. He was overwhelmed by this natural sight on the island.
Immediately after, he was inspired to write in his logbook, "Tomeno las corrientes y nos Ilevaron a la isla de los volcanes". The sight of the volume of smoky fire rising like lightning above the clouds from the craters of the two volcanoes astounded him extensively.
From this ancient record began the recognition of the costal province of Albay.
In 1569, two years after Master de Camp Mateo de Saz and Captain Martin de Goiti were commissioned to stay in the island of Masbad (now named Masbate), one of the members of the fleet, Luis Enrique de Guzman, was deployed to divert its exploration further over the island of Tigao (now Ticao) and Burias.
In this voyage, they crossed a tiny strip of water going to the mainland. They had landed on a coastal barangay which the natives called Ibalon.
A year later, a chapel made of local materials was finally erected on the village as part of their aim of christianization. It was the first chapel to be built by the explorers in the island of Luzon. Anderes de Ibarra, the head of the next Spanish exploration, initiated to baptize their captives who were natives of Panay island whom they brought along on their voyage. Fr Alonzo, and Agustinian friar, conducted the baptism. It was the first baptism ever to be held in Luzon.
Along with the captives, the Ibalong (now called Albayonos) were also baptized. In this event, they became the first inhabitants to be christianized in this part of the island.
The Spaniards continued to explore the island. In July, 1573, Juan de Salcedo, another leader to head a group of explorers, had sailed upward the Bikol River. They were able to find a village located on the vast and sprawling valley by the Bikol River which the natives called Biong. Later, they christened the village Santiago.
The colonization by the Spanish expedition expanded in large measure toward the north which resulted to the vague territorial division of the region. In the early stage, the province of Albay covered the entire Bikol area.
Captain Diego de Artiada, historian, described it as "the island of Ibalon or Luzon which has many rivers abounded in gold mines."
Many years later, in 1636, a Royal decree divided Ibalon into two sections: Partido de Ibalon, covering the west-southeast and Partido de Camarines, covering the north-northeast.
It was in 1663 when the name of the province was changed to Albay. An official proclamation signed by the Governor General Narciso de Claveria clearly emphasized the delineation of the boundaries of the territories of Albay and Camarines. Albay was to cover the areas from Libon to Masbate. Still, this proclamation was changed.
On May 18, 1872, another royal decree was issued which declared Legazpi as an open port for maritime vessels, both foreign and domestic. Previously, a Spanish collector was assigned to manage the port. After the Philippine-Spanish War when the Philippine Republic was established in Cavite under General Aguinaldo, A Filipino, Colonel Laureano Cruz, was designated by Gen Vito Belamino to take the reins of the port.
Col. Cruz did not serve his term long. When the American forces occupied the province in 1900, 1st Lt Samuel Riggs of the 47th Infantry Regiment took over the commission as the next collector.
On October 17, 1894, another portion of the territory was separated from Albay. It was ceded to the province of Sorsogon, excluding the town of Prieto Diaz (formerly called Montupar). This town belonged to Bacong and Santa Magdalena (locally called Busaingan), a barrio of Bulusan.
Before the province of Sorsogon was formed, together with the town of Prieto Diaz, five big towns of Albay were lost because of the disastrous eruption of Mayon Volcano on February 1, 1814. These towns were buried by the lava flow. Two of them were reconstructed later. They were Guinobatan and Camalig.
On October 26, 1945, the vast territorial land area of Albay was finally trimmed down to its present 255,257 hectares because of Republic Act No. 687. This act created Catanduanes as a separate and distinct province and to compose as one of the six provinces of Bicol Region.
Geography. Albay lies at the southern tip of mainland Luzon. It is strategically located at the center of the Bicol Region and bounded by bodies of water.
On the east, the Pacific Ocean. On the west, the Burias Pass. On the northeast, the Lagonoy Bay. On the north, a land mass which is occupied by the province of Camarines Sur. On the south, another land mass which is occupied by the province of Sorsogon.
It is less mountainous than the other Bicol provinces. Plains and flat lands constitute two-fifths of the entire land area of Albay. The greater portion of these flat lands is in the northwestern quadrant, forming a large part of the fertile, highly potential basin of the Bicol River system. Mountain ranges provide a natural dichotomy for the entire provincial landscape. On the westerly-portion lie low and rolling mountain ranges of less than six hundred meters in height. On the eastern si8de, comparatively high and volcanic mountain ranges including Mt Mayon, Malinao and Masaraga sprawl in majestic display.
