It is an island that has been dominated by powerful families for as long as anyone can remember and where patronage and murder have become accepted facts of political life.
The list of Masbate governors, mayors and congressmen who have been murdered over the last 20 years alone is a long and distinguished one.
Since campaigning began in January for next month’s midterm elections ambushes and shootouts between rival political groups have left at least five people dead.
As a result the head of Masbate’s police force, Senior Superintendent Teodoro Caparoso, was relieved of his command.
It was against this background that the Bishop of Masbate, Joel Baylon, said "enough is enough" and called the candidates together to try and avert more bloodshed.
Sitting in his modestly furnished office next door to his church, Bishop Baylon said the move was a "call for civility."
"It was more than a symbolic gesture on the part of the church," he told AFP.
Dressed in black trousers and white shirt with a simple gold cross pinned to his collar Bishop Baylon, 53, described Philippines politics as built on three pillars – "greed, patronage and fear."
He said: "Masbate is a microcosm of all that is wrong with the Philippines. Outsiders see us as barbaric and not as civilized people."
"People are afraid to speak up for themselves so they asked me to speak for them," he said.
"I told the politicians they should be looking at getting people out of poverty, educating the children, and not killing their political rivals."
He said there were more cockfighting pits in the province than health centers.
"For years now Masbate has been on the list of the poorest provinces in the country. Why?
"Talk to most of our politicians and they will tell you Masbate is rich in natural resources, fish and marine life and cattle. But the question is: where does all this wealth go?
"Do our people benefit from these blessings? The sad answer is no."
Leaning back in his wooden chair, papers stacked neatly on his desk, he said: "In my nine years as bishop I have toured nearly every barangay (village) in the province and I can tell you now that the vast majority of people live and die poor and this is supposed to be the 21st Century."
He said some politicians were surprised by his remarks.
"One prominent local politician later told me: ‘Why should we change the way politics is conducted here. If we do that they (people) will become ungrateful.’
"Have I given up hope? No, there are some (politicians) who really want to see change in the way Masbate, and the country for that matter, is run but the enlightened ones are still in the minority," he said.
The population of Masbate according to the last census in 2000 was 707,668 with an annual birth rate of 1.7 percent. It has been estimated that within the next 40 years the population of the province will double.
National statistics for 2002 show that 35 percent of Masbate’s families have access to clean water, 48 percent have access to toilets, 31 percent to electricity and 34 percent to health facilities.
Data compiled by the National Statistics Coordination Board show that 62 percent of Masbate’s population live in poverty with 37 percent earning the province’s minimum income which is about 11,488 (about 250 dollars) a month.
"Just drive around Masbate and you will see that there is little development. But people are happy receiving a rice cooker or a few hundred pesos from political leaders for support," said the bishop.
According to government data Masbate is the third poorest of the Philippines 77 provinces, behind Negros Oriental and Samar.
Bishop Baylon described politics in the province as the "altar of greed  where the powerful few grow richer at the expense of the poor and where political opponents are killed.
"How can you call a system like this democratic? What worries me is all this political violence has started to be accepted as normal," he said.
Bishop Baylon said election violence was also a "sad reflection on the Church."
He said: "We can do more and we are trying to do more but it is a long, long process. The church is not rich as many people would like to think.
"Ordinary people of Masbate want change in the way politics is run. That is probably a view shared by the majority of Filipinos.
"They want their dignity restored. They want hope and above all peace."