Alibijaban

Alibijaban is a small island located off the southeastern coast of Bondoc Peninsula in the Philippines. It belongs administratively to the municipality of San Andres, Quezon province, and is coterminous with the barangay of the same name. With a population of 1,643 inhabitants in 2015, it is the smallest of seven barangays in San Andres.The island is known for its pristine mangrove forest and coral reefs. It is also visited for its white sandy beaches and rich bird life. Its mangrove forest which covers approximately of the island's central and northern portions is protected under the National Integrated Protected Areas System as a wilderness area called the Alibijaban Island Wilderness Area. of waters surrounding it have also been declared a marine protected area known as the Alibijaban Fish Sanctuary.DescriptionAlibijaban is located in the southwestern end of Ragay Gulf approximately 3.6km from the mainland of Bondoc Peninsula. It is roughly 4.6km from north to south, and 1.3km from east to west at its widest point. It is a low-lying island surrounded by a fringing reef which is interspersed with seagrass beds near the shore. The island's central and northern interior are dominated by mangrove wilderness, with most of the population concentrated on two sitios on the island's western and southwestern coast facing San Andres and Bondoc Peninsula. Its coastal formations include sandy beaches and rocky shores, particularly in its northeastern side.