Location
Physical Features
Castilla which is hemmed in by hills, mountains, the 750-hectare PNOC forest reserve area on the north, and the Sorsogon Bay on the southern/eastern portion, occupies the western part of the Province of Sorsogon.
In the east Castilla is bounded by Sorsogon proper and Sorsogon Bay; on the west by the Municipality of Pilar, on the north it is bounded by Manito, Albay; and on the south by Sorsogon Bay.
Castillais a coastal municipality at the province of Sorsogon which is located in the southern most of Luzon within coordinates 123 30' to 124 15' east longitude and from 12 30' to 13 15' north latitude. Farther south from the national highway are twelve coastal barangays along Sorsogon Bay. Salang-Buaya in Quirapi has the deepest sea-bed (8 to 9 fathoms) making it a most ideal commercial seaport. Occasional sightings of the world-famous Butandings in this area have been reported by fishermen. Malawmawan Island, hidden and unspoiled by tourists, is nearby beckoning nature-lovers with its very fine white sand beaches, corals, and rich marine resources.
The seat of government is at the Poblacion, some 4.5 kilometers from the barangay Milagrosa junction along the national highway.
But in 1968, during the administration of then Mayor Alejandro Lladones, the seat of municipal governance was moved to Cumadcad. Extending a semblance of legal basis for the transfer, councilor Bienvenido Marantal authored a resolution to the effect that transaction of official business could be facilitated due to accessibility.
Soil
The Municipality of Castilla has only one soil type, the Castilla clay loam, according to Bureau of Soils classification. Palay, corn, various root crops, abaca, coconut, and fruit bearing trees are grown best in this type of soil.
Development Constraint
The core development constriants in the Municipality of Castilla are degrated of upland, lowland, coastal and marine resources. Denudation of the Municipality's forest cover appears to the primary causal factor for the ecological problems obtaining the lowland and coastal areas. The Municipality's forest cover is estimated at 4,999.86 hectares, half of which fall under the protected forest area of the Philippine National Oil Company(PNOC). It is sad to note, however, that the limited forest cover of Castilla is under threat of further deforestation and land conversion. One concrete example is the 449 hectares of forest land which the DENR awarded to forest occupants in Barangay Amomonting, Bagong Sirang, Saclayan, Tomalaytay, Cogon and Bonga under stewardship contract. These areas are now planted to coconut and cash crops replacing the forest trees that we were supposed to be nurtured by the awardees.
Inadequate tree population has rendered the soil erosion and landslides as there are no more stables root system capable of holding the soil particles. Periodic erosions of the Uplands has led to the accumulation of silt materials in rivers and ultimately of Sorsogon Bay where most of the river systems are drained.
Geology
A study conducted by Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) of the DENR would show that about 60% of the Province of Sorsogon is underlain by igneous rocks and the remaining 40% by rocks of sedimentary origin. These different rocks were categorized by previous workers into several rock formational Units. The study area, however, only two (2) types of litholigic formations were encountered, the Late Miocene Early Pliocene sedimentary sequence and the late Tertiary to Earth Quarternary Andes tic to balastic vollcano rocks.
The late Miocene to Early Pliocene sedimentary sequence consists of sandstone,calcareous siltstone and mudstone probably correlative to the Malana Silt of the Albay Group Formation. The sandstone is generally coarse but pebbly conglomeratic to tuffaceous variation are present. The cast of the pebbly sandstone are predominantly volcanic set of in chloride tuffeceous matrix. This sedimentary formation is widely exposed in the western part of Castilla.
The hilly to mountainous terrain on the northern part of Castilla is underlain by an assemblage of late Tertiary to early Pliocene Volcanic Rocks. These consists largely of Andes tic to balastic lava flows with intercalated agglomerates attributed to the volcanism inn the chain of stratovolcanoes and volcanic cones in the Pocdol Mountains. Widespread volcanoclasis belonging to this formational unit are deposited along the Sorsogon-Castilla segment of the Maharlika Highway.
The Forest zone Castilla on the northern part is classified as Late Tertiary to Early Quaternary andesite and basalt flow intercalted with agglomerate. The same satisfied rock characterized the coastal areas on the southern/easthern portion fronting the numerous islets. The western part bordering the Municipality of Pilar is of predominantly composed of quaternary of Late Pliocene Limestone generally coralline associated within layers of pyroclastic materials.
Unod Festival
It is in this light that the community together with the LGU officials , spearheaded by Mayor Olivia Bermillo, that the UNOD FESTIVAL came into being.
The Unod Festival is held every once a year to celebrate the crop that feeds Castilla and other parts of the country. Cassava, gabi, ubi & camote are no longer just root crops; it has become a symbol for the municipality of Castilla. That is why giving these root crops the value and the recognition these root crops deserve had been the goal of many.
Through the festival, they seek to promote these root crops more for the whole country to appreciate. Furthermore, these root crops have the potentials in creating successful livelihood. That fact is best defined when cultural activities, exhibits, and seminars are held to honor these root crops.
Ubi Festival is mostly all about the goal of Boholanos to put ubi in the forefront. That is why each and every activity during this merry period is dedicated and geared towards the promotion of the crop. During the festival, different types and variants of ubi are displayed including the many products created from it. The queen of ubi variants is the kinampay, which makes for the best jams, putos, and whatnots.
A study conducted by Mines and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) of the DENR would show that about 60% of the Province of Sorsogon is underlain by igneous rocks and the remaining 40% by rocks of sedimentary origin. These different rocks were categorized by previous workers into several rock formational Units. The study area, however, only two (2) types of litholigic formations were encountered, the Late Miocene Early Pliocene sedimentary sequence and the late Tertiary to Earth Quarternary Andes tic to balastic vollcano rocks.
The late Miocene to Early Pliocene sedimentary sequence consists of sandstone,calcareous siltstone and mudstone probably correlative to the Malana Silt of the Albay Group Formation. The sandstone is generally coarse but pebbly conglomeratic to tuffaceous variation are present. The cast of the pebbly sandstone are predominantly volcanic set of in chloride tuffeceous matrix. This sedimentary formation is widely exposed in the western part of Castilla.
The hilly to mountainous terrain on the northern part of Castilla is underlain by an assemblage of late Tertiary to early Pliocene Volcanic Rocks. These consists largely of Andes tic to balastic lava flows with intercalated agglomerates attributed to the volcanism inn the chain of stratovolcanoes and volcanic cones in the Pocdol Mountains. Widespread volcanoclasis belonging to this formational unit are deposited along the Sorsogon-Castilla segment of the Maharlika Highway.
The Forest zone Castilla on the northern part is classified as Late Tertiary to Early Quaternary andesite and basalt flow intercalted with agglomerate. The same satisfied rock characterized the coastal areas on the southern/easthern portion fronting the numerous islets. The western part bordering the Municipality of Pilar is of predominantly composed of quaternary of Late Pliocene Limestone generally coralline associated within layers of pyroclastic materials.
