Bulan is a port town located in the southwest of Sorsogon province. At present, it serves as a fishing hub and sea port for those crossing Ticao Pass to Ticao Island, Masbate.
Bulan’s historical origins are both mixed with folkloric evidence and patchy details from written sources. The core of Bulan, as mentioned by historians Luis Camara Dery, Mariano Goyena del Prado and Antonio Gilana, was the old barrio of Gate. However, at the peak of slave raiding by certain groups from the south of the Philippine archipelago, one such attack devastated Gate in the 1740s. For six decades, the barrio was erased from the map. It was between 1799 and 1801 when the settlement was reestablished, this time known as the town of Bulan. As Norman Owen noted in his book on “prosperity without progress” during the abaca trade-era in Kabikolan, Bulan served as a hideout of vagabonds from Panay and Samar islands.
Bulan’s economy and population would enjoy its first period of stability and growth in the late 1800s, when it became integrated into the abaca trade. However, precisely because of its role in the trade as a port, that is why the Americans targeted Bulan among the ports in Bicol they initially invaded in 1900, when the Filipino-American War reached Kabikolan. Bulan would enjoy anew prosperity during the American period until the outbreak of the Second World War. Rizal Zuñiga writes about how the Japanese turned Bulan ito their bailiwick during the war and how many Bulenos participated in active resistance against the Japanese. Unfortunately, their involvement in the active resistance was entangled in the bloody rivalry between the units of Major Licerio Lapuz and Salvador “Gurang” Escudero.
With the various periods of prosperity that Bulan enjoyed, some families became prominent in various fields. Among the families known in Bulan were the Asauzas, Asuncions, De Castros, Geronas, Gillegos, Gotladeras, Honasans and Zunigas. Hailing from Bulan were educator Kenerino Ramirez Asuncion (who established the Southern Luzon Institute), the poet Valerio Zuñiga, his descendant the singer Dr. Zeno “Nonoy” Zuñiga, and former military man turned Martial Law dissident Bonifacio Gillego. Gillego was among the whistleblowers on the purported medals of the senior Marcos, who had claimed having attained these as recognition of valor during the Second World War. The medals were demonstrated to be fake. Some branches of the Gerona clan eventually migrated to Cebu, Iligan in northern Mindanao and Naga City in Camarines Sur; former Vice President Ma. Leonor G. Robredo hailed from the Naga branch. Also hailing from Bulan was activist Liliosa Hilario, who studied at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and later became of the first victims of Martial Law abuses. The memories of some of these families are to be seen in the street names in the población, just across the fish port.
References:
- Dery, Luis Camara. From Ibalon to Sorsogon: A Historical Survey of Sorsogon Province to 1905. New Day Publishers, 1991.
- Gilana, Antonio. “A Brief History of the Town of Bulan.” C. 1998. Scribd Document.
- Goyena del Prado, Mariano. Ibalon. AMS Press. 1981.
- Owen, Norman. Prosperity Without Progress. Ateneo de Manila University Press. 1984.
- The RJ Page. “Bikol Serye: Bulan.” 2024. The author’s FB page.
- Zuniga, Rizal. “Bulan during the Japanese Occupation: December 1941-October 1944. Sarabihon Journal.
Header photo shows fishing vessels at the busy Port of Bulan (credit: PFDA)
Editors’ Note: More About Bulan
As reported by Deo Laban Geocada, Graduate School, Univ. of Sto. Tomas Legazpi, on the International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies (December 29, 2024), the Bulan Fish Port Complex, a regional fish port in Bicol managed by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), plays a crucial role in the efficient handling and distribution of fish and fishery products in the region. It is one of nine regional fish ports under PFDA’s management, providing post-harvest facilities and equipment, and coordinating at a national level to ensure food security. Generating 1,500 MT of fish weekly (as of June 28 – July 4, 2021), the Bulan Fish Port ranks third nationwide in weekly volume, behind Navotas and General Santos.
Market demand for Bulan’s fish is strong and the municipality has the potential to establish an economic hub for fish trade. The local government has constructed fish landing areas to support the two canning factories in Bulan. The development of the port complex can further be spurred by ancillary industries, such as cold storage facilities and fish processing plants, ensuring sustainable growth for the community. These investments can also help alleviate the seasonal abundance of sardines (sardinella lemuru), locally known as lawlaw, which has led to the wasteful disposal of large quantities of fish.
Because of the proximity of the sea ports of Pilar, Donsol and Matnog which handle large inter-island vessels with multiple daily trips bound for Masbate, Samar and Cebu, the Bulan sea port is served only by small operators to serve passengers and cargo to and from San Jacinto, Ticao Island, the nearest port in Masbate. A vlogger named Mr. Sea Traveler featured pocket LCT’s (small landing crafts) as plying the Bulan-Ticao route. For the remainder of the route, travelers will have to go by land transportation to Ticao’s Lagundi Port, then on to mainland Masbate via pocket LCT, FastCraft when available or motorized bancas equipped with repurposed truck engines dubbed tora-tora.
The Port of Bulan significantly contributes to the local economy by generating employment and livelihood opportunities. From fisherfolk and traders to port workers and entrepreneurs, it supports a diverse range of livelihoods. It is more than just a transit point; it is a lifeline for the region, driving economic activity, supporting the fishing industry, and connecting communities across the Bicol and Visayas regions.
Update on new ferry service
A new daily direct Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) ferry service has been launched on June 12, 2025, connecting Bulan, Sorsogon in Luzon and Lipata Ferry Terminal in Surigao City, Northern Mindanao, according to Ports Call Asia and Philippine Information Agency. This service aims to bypass the San Juanico Bridge in Leyte and Samar due to ongoing load restrictions and to offer a faster and more efficient route for cargo and passenger transport between Luzon and Mindanao.
Header photo shows fishing vessels at the busy Port of Bulan (credit: PFDA)
About the author
RUBEN JEFFREY ASUNCION is an Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines – Los Baños. He is greatly interested in Bikol and other local histories and is personally researching on the history of Bulan, Sorsogon.