Tamayo

Tamayo is on the eastern side of the valley Neyba on the West Bank of the South Yaque River, which separates it from the municipality of Vicente Noble in the province of Barahona, south of San Juan de la Maguana and east of the Town of Galvan.

According to the Population and Housing Census 2002, the town has a total population of 9.895, 5.214 of whom were men and 4.681 women. The urban population of the town was 66.79%.   This population data includes the population of the boroughs of Cabeza de Toro, Mena, Montserrat, Santa Barbara and Santana.  These boroughs were created after 2002 and their data was pooled with those of the municipality. By that time it only consisted of the borough Uvilla.

These lands were inhabited throughout the eighteenth century with the arrivals of the Cambronal families (today known as Galvan), Jarabacoa, Neiba, Azua and fencing. The site located on the River Yaque del Sur, was known as Hatico.

In 1908, there was a major hurricane on the island and the Yaque del Sur River rose and flooded the land of Hatico, destroying the village.  The first wooden house built in the Hatico Gen was for Joaquin Campos and the second house was for Mrs Maria Antonia Gomez.

It worked also as the first school, whose teacher was the same Maria Antonia Gomez, and so today the Lyceum of the town bears her name.  Hatico was upgraded to a common (commune) on March 10^th1943, giving it the current name of Tamayo, reminding one of the indigenous leader.

Tamayo is one of the agricultural areas where there is an increased production of bananas and plantains. They produce most of the famous banana barahoneros, called that name because in the administrative division of the agricultural sector, the town belongs to the agricultural region of Barahona.  Like the municipality of Vicente Noble, Tamayo’s economic life has been boosted in recent months due to the remittances of hundreds of its natives who migrated to Europe at the end of the eighties, especially in Spain.

Seven rural clinics and a hospital make up the municipal health infrastructure available to the Municipality of Tamayo. As in other neighboring municipalities, cases that require specialized medical care are sent to the Regional Hospital Universitario Jaime Mota, located in the city of Barahona.
Religion
San Antonio is the patron saint of tamayenses, who celebrate their patron saint festival on the 13th of the month June.   Tamayo also holds a carnival with processions and floats on Harvest Day, where there is an agricultural fair.  The anniversary of Radio Enriquillo is celebrated with a festival that has become a tradition for this community and throughout the region.   The boroughs also celebrate their patron saint. Cabeza de Toro on June 24^th in honor of San Juan Bautista, Mena on October 24^th (day of San Rafael),

Monserrate on September 8^th in honor of the Virgen de los Remedios.   Santana is the patron saint of Santa Ana Uvilla and is celebrated by their festivals on May 15^th.
The tamayenses honor the memory of Father Camilo Bohesmann, who has a statue in the local Catholic church, being that he was the first priest who came to the community.