Ticao Island

Ticao Island is an island with a total land area of 334 km² or 129 sq mi. It is one of the three major islands of Masbate province in the Philippines. It is separated from the Bicol Peninsula by the Ticao Pass. The other two major islands are Masbate Island (3,290 km² or 1,270 sq mi) and Burias Island (424 km² or 164 sq mi).^[1]

Ticao

Ticao island satellite image captured by Sentinel-2 in 2016
Ticao Location within the Philippines
Geography
Coordinates	12°31′45″N 123°41′53″E
Adjacent to	Samar Sea Sibuyan Sea Sorsogon Bay Ticao Pass
Area	334 km2 (129 sq mi)
Highest elevation	751 ft (228.9 m)
Highest point	Mount Pandan
Administration
Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Masbate
Municipalities	Batuan Monreal San Fernando San Jacinto
Demographics
Population	91,060 (2020)
Ethnic groups	Masbateño, Waray
Additional information

The island is divided into the municipalities of Batuan, Monreal, San Fernando and its mother-town, San Jacinto.

San Miguel Island is located "just off the northern tip" of Ticao Island.^[2]

Archaeological and ecological landscape and seascape of Ticao

Isla Ticao iti Masbate

Ticao island is known as an archaeological landscape, possessing thousands of precolonial artifacts such as the Baybayin-inscribed Rizal Stone, Ticao gold spike teeth, burial jars of varying designs and sizes, jade beads, human face rock statues, and the Ticao petrographs. Much of the homes in Ticao island use these archaeological finds to design their interiors. The island is also an ecological frontier for the conservation of manta rays. The island also possesses a 'rare subspecies' of Visayan warty pig, that is almost near extinction. Penelopides panini ticaensis, or the Ticao hornbill, was a subspecies of the Visayan hornbill (Penelopides panini) known to occur only in Ticao Island. It is likely extinct in the island due to deforestation and habitat conversion.