Ambos Camarines

Former province of Hispanic Philippines

←

1579–1829
1854–1857
1893–1917

→

Location of the historical Ambos Camarines and Camarines provinces.

Capital

Nueva Caceres

Historical era

Spanish period

•

Established

1579

•

First reunification

1854–1857

•

Second reunification

1893–1917

•

Disestablished

1917

Today part of

Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur and some of Albay

Ambos Camarines (Spanish: ambos, meaning "both"), commonly known as Camarines, was a historical province in the Philippines found on the northern end of the Bicol Peninsula. It now exists as two separate provinces: Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.

The province was founded in 1579 (?) and was split into two, Camarines Norte and Sur in 1829. They were reunited under Ambos Camarines in 1854, but split again after three years. In 1893, they were reunited until March 10, 1917, when Act No. 2711 formed most of the present-day provinces, including Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.

In 1569, Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, with Augustinian friar Alonzo Jiménez, reached the present town of Camalig, then a thriving village or ranchería. They found the natives living in thatched sheds called kamaligs (rice granaries). Andrez de Ibarra, while in search of provisions, followed the route taken by de Guzmán and reached Kalilingo and Búa (the present towns of Bato and Nabua) in 1570.

In 1573, Miguel López de Legazpi dispatched his grandson Juan de Salcedo to explore the region as far as Paracale in search of gold and other precious stones. A year later, Salcedo cruised the Bicol River and reached Bato Lake. Hence, the first recorded account of the discovery of the place.

In 1574, at the height of the Spanish colonization of the islands, Governor-General Guido de Lavezaris mentioned in his letter to the King of Spain, the land of Los Camarines – apparently referring to the area of what is now Camalig, Albay, where rice storehouses and granaries or camarin abound. Thus, the name "Camarines" was coined and somehow stuck. Spanish colonizers later denominated the area into two distinct regions.

Later, a Spanish garrison under Captain Pedro de Chávez was set up in present-day Naga, a prosperous native ranchería. In 1575, de Guzmán founded the City of Nueva Cáceres (present-day city of Naga) named after the birthplace of Governor-General Francisco de Sande in Cáceres, Spain.

...
Wikipedia