Marinduque is one of five provinces comprising the Mimaropa Region ( Region IV-B ).
The island province is subdivided into six municipalities, with a total of 218 barangays represented as a lone congressional district. The seat of the provincial government is at the capital town of Boac.
Known as the smallest province in the Southern Tagalog region, Marinduque has the shape of a human heart floating on a clear blue sea.
Marinduque’s colorful religious festivals and observances make the province a unique cultural experience. During the annual Lenten season, a myriad of tourists, from the ardent devotee to a mere observer, flock to Marinduque to witness the very popular Moriones Festival, a unique and animated Lenten tradition featuring masked men called moriones dressed colorfully as Roman soldiers.
A biblical character in the person of the Roman centurion Longinus comes alive as the towns of Boac, Mogpog, and Gasan celebrate Moriones. It is a religious festival which links the story of Longinus with Christ’s Passion and Death. This week-long celebration starts on Holy Monday and culminates on Easter Sunday when the story of Longinus is reenacted in pantomime.