About Maripipi

Maripipi Island

...an island where the sun warms the heart, the sea enlivens the soul, and the breeze calms the mind...

According to folk history, Maripipi was named after Maria and Pepe - who were believed to be the first settlers of the island. Then followed other settlers from the nearby Samar, Masbate and other neighboring provinces.

An island municipality, it is located at the northern most part of the Province of Biliran, about 45 minutes pump boat ride from the nearby town of Kawayan.

During the Spanish era, settlements have existed in the island. Capitanes, presidentes, alkaldes were either appointed by the people.

With the coming of the Americans, Maripipi was fused with Almeria and Kawayan, with Almeria as the seat of the municipal government. In 1907, due to unsettled disputes brought by the adoption of the new Philippine Independent Church by the people of Almeria, the late Eugenio Obispo who was then Almeria's appointed judge transferred the municipal offices of Almeria to Kawayan.

Matthew Macfarland, a retired American soldier who was appointed municipal presidente, annexed both Maripipi and Almeria as barrios to Kawayan. In 1913, Maripipi became an independent municipality with Victoriano Salas as its first appointed municipal president.

At present, Maripipi and its 13 barangays has become a haven of nature lovers and adventurists. About an hour and a half from the port of Naval, one crosses an expanse of deep blue sea where schools of fish occassionally slither amid the sprays and waves.

Maripipi is ingenuously popular of its reddish-brown clay products, ranging from the native earthen cooking pot locally known as "daba", to the basic building materials as brick, and to the more artistic home accessories.

An island encompassed with coco-line beaches, coral gardens rich in marine life are found in almost every rocky nooks and secluded coves. A magnificent example is the Kandol Beach, sheltered by palms with its white sand washed by pristine water where kaleidoscopic fishes play among the corals.

A remnant of its valiant past, a Spanish watch tower stands proudly in the vicinity of the present San Miguel Parish Church.

Maripipi, with its island character, is a work of art where the Creator is the sculpture himself. A home of friendly people, the island is a welcome respite to anyone who seeks solace, comfort, and adventurous desire.