The island was first sighted by the Spaniards in 1565 during Miguel López de
Legazpi's expedition. The Spaniards called the island Isla del Fuego or “Island
of Fire,” because the island gave off an eerie glow, which came from the great
swarms of fireflies that harbored in the numerous molave trees on the island. A
folk legend also has it that many years ago, when the magical island of
Siquijor was still nowhere on the face of the earth, a great storm engulfed the
Visayan region, and a strong earthquake shook the earth and sea. Amidst the
lightning and thunder arose an island from the depths of the ocean’s womb
