Malapascua Island is a Filipino island situated in the Visayan Sea, located across a shallow strait from the
northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the insular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan
Municipality, Cebu Province, the Philippines. Malapascua is a tiny island, only about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi)
long and 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide, and has eight hamlets.
Most of the islanders derive their livelihood from tourism, while some still rely on subsistence fishing and
farming.
Religiously, Malapascua Island or barangay Logon is believed to be the place where the Virgin delos
Desamparados made a miracle sometime in 1890 when the island said to have only nine households of the
Monteclar, Deogrades, Rosales, Gulfan, Rubio, Bohol and Bruces families. It was said to be a piece of wood
that had never burnt. In 1907, the parish priest of Kandaya, now Daanbantayan town, Rev. Fr. Inocentes Maga,
baptized it of its name upon the request of the local residents. The size of the image is not the original size and
it is said to be growing until present. Devotees from different parts of the country and even abroad are coming
during the feast on May 11 and 12 of every year. The chapel was originally made of coconut palm and leaves but at present, it is made of steel and cement because of donations of the devotees for the church’s improvement.
Economically, during the early period, natives of the island were dependent on fishing as a source of livelihood. Agricultural products such as corn and rice were supplied from Leyte which is close to the island. As time has
changed the lives of the people and the discovery of the natural beauty and attraction, development gradually
changed the living condition. Fishing is not so abundance as before prompting the people to shift to another
business for tourism industry. Malapascua is still blessed to have the famous Thresher Sharks in the Monad
Shoal, only in the world that gives so much attraction to foreign tourists. The people attributed the intercession
of the Virgin of saving the people from scarcity of fish catch among fishermen to commercialization of the place
due to the influx of tourists that give alternative livelihood among the residents and boost their income.