Poro Island (Filipino: Pulo ng Poro) is an island in the province of

Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

, located east of

Cebu Island Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

and west of

Leyte Island Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...

. Two

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

, Poro and Tudela, are located on Poro Island. It is one of the four Camotes Islands along with Pacijan Island, Ponson Island, and Tulang Island. The island is one of the early Pacific contact sites between the East and the West.

Geography

Bukilat Cave

The island hosts various caves. One example is the Bukilat Cave which is a large natural cavern in the southeastern part of the island. Because of naturally formed piercings in its canopy, the interior is well illuminated. There are many

stalactite A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension (chemistry ...

and

stalagmite A stalagmite (, ; ; ) is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically composed of calcium carbonate, but may consist ...

formations in the cave. It was used as a shelter for Poro Island residents during the

Japanese occupation of the Philippines The Japanese occupation of the Philippines (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pananakop ng mga Hapones sa Pilipinas''; ) occurred between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan, Japanese Empire occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during Wo ...

during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

era.

Waterfalls

Busay and Pangunuron Falls are among the waterfalls in the island.

Buho Rock

Buho Rock is a hole in a cliff wall said to have been formed when a Spanish warship mistook it for an enemy ship in the mist and fired cannon into it. It is reached by a stone staircase, and offers views of Poro and the sea.

Language

The Poro islands are home to the ''

Porohanon language Porohanon is a regional Bisayan language spoken in the Camotes Islands in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Its closest relatives are Hiligaynon, Capiznon and Masbateño; it is barely intelligible with Cebuano though it shares 87% of ...

'', one of the most endangered languages in the Visayas. The language is only used in the Camotes Islands, which are composed of four municipalities. The language is classified as distinct from Cebuano (Bisaya) by the

Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino The Commission on the Filipino Language (CFL), also referred to as the (KWF), is the official regulating body of the Filipino language and the official government institution tasked with developing, preserving, and promoting the various local ...

and is vital to the culture and arts of the Porohanon people. Islands of Cebu {{CVisayas-geo-stub