Most tourists
come to Legazpi just to see and maybe climb the renown Mayon Volcano.
Other attractions are Kapuntukan Hill, Puro Beach and the Tourism
Month Festival of May.
Legazpi City,
545km (338mi) from Manila, is the largest city in South Luzon.
It serves as the national government center for region 5 (which
covers the provinces of Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Camarines
Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate). In spite of its size and politi-cal
importance, the city itself in 1988 ap-pears less dynamic than
its sister city to the north, Naga. The reason might be the severe
damage it sustained from Typhoon Sisang in November, 1987. Some
practical consequences of the damage are the lack of full electrical
and telephone services in the area. Also some of the resorts have
had to close down due to damage by Sisang.
The city
began at a place called Sawangan, now the Legazpi Port district,
and was populated by fishermen and farmers. Under the Spanish
the area was under the civil and spirtual administration of Franciscan
friars. By Royal Decree the town was named in honor of Miguel
Lopez de Lagazpi, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines,
September 22, 1856.
It changed
status from city to municipality several times during its history.
Today, Legazpi City has 70 barangays and a population (1988 est.)
of 119,369.
