The province of Romblon is best known as the marble capital of the Philippines. It has been said that the quality of its marble equal to that of Italy. However, Romblon is more than just about marble.

Situated at the heart of the archipelago, Romblon is a cluster of twenty islands hemmed in by the Sibuyan Sea on the north, east and south, and the Tablas Strait on the west. Comprised of 17 municipalities and 213 barangays, endowed with rich natural wonders. Romblon links the supply areas of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Tugdan Airport located Tablas Island is only 45 minutes away by light aircraft from Metro Manila’s financial districts. Also, direct ship routes from Manila as well as the southern Luzon ports of Batangas and Lucena intensify its linkages with the industrial CALABARZON region, making the province an ideal location for supply distribution and light manufacturing ventures.

The capital town of Romblon and the port town of Odiongan are the province’s trade and commercial centers.

Three main islands make up the mass of Romblon’s 1,355.9 square kilometer area, which is divided into 17 municipalities. Tablas, the largest island among the three has nine municipalities and where the airport is located. Mountainous and thickly forested Sibuyan Island, a natural forest reserve, is the second largest with three municipalities and Romblon, the marble island, is the third largest island where the Provincial Capitol is situated. The rest are smaller islands and islets- some are uninhabited with rich marine resources.

The climate is idyllic, with no pronounced wet or dry season. Generally, there is more rainfall from June to November, when the southwestern monsoon is predominant. October usually has the most number of rainy days, while April has the least. The annual mean temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. February is usually the coldest month with temperatures dropping to about 20 degrees Celsius. In May, the hottest month, temperatures rise up to 35 degrees Celsius.

Asi, Onhan and Romblomanon are widely spoken by the locals, Tagalog or Filipino is extensibly understood and spoken. English language stands as the medium in Business and Trade.

Romblon has a population of 264,357 people (May 2000 census). A relatively young population, the largest is in one (1) to nineteen (19) age bracket. The three municipalities with the highest population are Odiongan, Romblon and San Agustin. Least populated are the municipalities of Concepcion, Ferrol and Banton.

The people are generally warm, friendly, generous and hospitable.

The people of the province are mostly Christians – 75% belongs to the Roman Catholic and 25% to the Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia Ni Kristo, Seventh-Day Adventist, Baptists, Foursquare and other Christian denominations.

Agriculture, fishery and forestry are Romblomanons’ main source of livelihood. Marble quarrying and processing are dominant in northern Romblon, Alad and Cobrador Islands.

Aside from slabs and blocks of marble, family shops produce creative souvenir items like eggs, animals, chess sets, table bars, mortars and pestles, religious icons and other novelty items. Banton and San Agustin are known for their traditional weaving of raffia and buri while in Anahao, Odiongan, Tubigon and Ferrol, are places for ceramics and pottery making.

Sibuyan Island is noted for furniture making. People also engage in cottage industries such as vine and bamboo craft like baskets, food trays, nito plates, tiger grass brooms and homemade delicacies.

Romblon is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. Aside from marble, the islands are rich in granite, nickel, silica, mercury, zinc, copper, silver, limestone, sulfide ores, kaolin clay, magnesium and quartz. Gold panning sites have sprouted in some of the mountain stream areas of Magdiwang.

The fertile soil nurtures varied agricultural crops – like coconut, rice, corn, bananas, rootcrops, fruit trees, vines and many others. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on a migratory path of fishes from Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.

Romblon’s early inhabitants were the Negritos from Panay and Mangyan tribes from Mindoro. Ancient hanging coffins and aboriginal artwork was discovered in Banton Island signify a rich, ancient civilization and culture. Most of the residents of Romblon are descendants of Malay settlers, who are believed to have arrived in the Philippines sometime in 1200 AD.

Spanish conquistadors, who set foot in the Philippines in 1582, administered the province. Some old Spanish forts and churches, built with unique coral blocks inlaid with intricate design works, still stand. Toward the latter part of the Spanish colonial administration, Romblon was annexed to the nearby province of Capiz and Panay Island. Succeeding American rulers made Romblon a separate politico-military unit. In 1947, a year after Philippine Independence from American rule, Romblon was declared a separate province.