Batan, Aklan
Encyclopedia
Batan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines
. According to the 2007 National Statistics Office recorded population, Batan has a population of 29,243 people in 6,422 households.
s.
, the promulgator of the Code of Kalantiaw
– a collection of 17 laws used during the time of the Datu
, before the coming of the Spaniards
.
in 1601 under the patronage of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
.
. Remnants of the Kalantiaw Shrine still remain in Batan near the "pantalan" or seaport.
Batan, Aklan also has beautiful and virgin beaches, abundant marine life, great seafood
s, coconut
products, grain products, luscious fruits and large green forests.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the 2007 National Statistics Office recorded population, Batan has a population of 29,243 people in 6,422 households.
Political subdivision
Batan is politically subdivided into 20 barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
- Ambolong
- Angas
- Bay-ang
- Caiyang
- Cabugao
- Camaligan
- Camanci
- Ipil
- Lalab
- Lupit
- Magpag-ong
- Magubahay
- Mambuquiao
- Man-up
- Mandong
- Napti
- Palay
- Poblacion
- Songcolan
- Tabon
Pre-Hispanic Period
Batan was believed to be the seat of the government of Datu KalantiawKalantiaw
Datu Kalantiaw is a mythical Filipino character who was said to have created the first legal code in the Philippines, known as the Code of Kalantiaw, in 1433....
, the promulgator of the Code of Kalantiaw
Code of Kalantiaw
The Code of Kalantiaw was a legendary legal code in the epic story Maragtas. It is said to have been written in 1433 by Datu Kalantiaw, a chief on the island of Negros in the Philippines. It was actually written in 1913 by Jose E...
– a collection of 17 laws used during the time of the Datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
, before the coming of the Spaniards
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
.
Spanish Colonial Era
The town of Batan is one of oldest founded in the province. The parish was established by the AugustiniansAugustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
in 1601 under the patronage of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
.
Independent Philippines
In 1957, the Kalantiaw Shrine was built in 1957 to honor the significance of Datu Kalantiaw where it displays a copy of the “original manuscript” of the Code. In 1998, after years of investigation and historical findings, the National Historical Institute concluded that the Code of Kalantiaw was a hoaxHoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
. Remnants of the Kalantiaw Shrine still remain in Batan near the "pantalan" or seaport.
Points of interest
The historic town of Batan has many natural resources and scenic spots, including:- Tinago Lake also known as Tinagong Dagat, a mangroveMangroveMangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
reforestation near BarangayBarangayA barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
Tabon and Ipil - Ob-Ob Hill which stands 200 metres (656.2 ft) high facing the Sibuyan SeaSibuyan SeaThe Sibuyan Sea is a small sea in the Philippines that separates the Visayas from the northern Philippine island of Luzon.-Description:It is bounded by the island of Panay to the south, Mindoro to the west, Masbate to the east, and to the north Marinduque and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon Island.The...
in Barangay Songcolan - Kalantiaw Shrine, located near the port of Batan
- Municipal fish sanctuary in Barangay Mambuquiao
- Macawiwili Mountains in Barangay Lalab
- Puting Bato, a protected area for wildlife in Barangay Angas
- Pandan Hills, a refreshing verdant hills in Bay-ang overlooking Sibuyan Sea
- Old Spanish relics from the Spanish colonization period such as the Spanish cannonCannonA cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
, Spanish distilleries and old Spanish cemeteries can be seen in Batan.
Batan, Aklan also has beautiful and virgin beaches, abundant marine life, great seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
s, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
products, grain products, luscious fruits and large green forests.
Vision statement
Transform Batan into a dynamic agro-industrial and eco-tourism center and become a responsive partner of the national government in pursuing the common vision for “improved quality of life for our people.”Mission statement
To attain the vision of an “improved quality of life for our people”. A sustainable development program must be vigorously pursued with human and ecological security as the overriding factor.Elementary
- Angas Elementary School
- Batan Elementary School
- Bay-ang Elementary School
- Bay-ang Elementary School - Extension
- Cabugao Elementary School
- Caiyang Elementary School
- Camaligan Elementary School
- Camanci Elementary School
- Ipil Primary School
- Lalab Elementary School
- Lupit Elementary School
- Magubahay Primary School
- Mambuquiao Elementary School
- Mandong Elementary School
- Man-up Elementary School
- Napti Elementary School
- Palay Elemetary School
- Songcolan Elementary School
- Tabon Elementary School
- Talangban Elementary School
High school
- Batan Academy (A National School)
- Bay-ang Magpag-ong National High School
- Camaligan National High School
- Camanci National High School
- Kalantiaw Institute (KI)
Major celebrations
- Malakara (every January. a day before the Ati-atihan festival)
- Ati-AtihanAti-Atihan FestivalThe Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually in January in honor of the Santo Niño , concluding on the third Sunday, in the island and town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Philippines....
(every January in honor of the Sto. Nino) - Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate ConceptionThe Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
Municipal Fiesta (every December 8) - Father's DayFather's DayFather's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
(every December 31 before the New Year countdown) - BAAFSA of Batan Academy Alumni (every summer vacation)
- KIAFSA of Kalantiaw Institute Alumni (every summer vacation)
- BESA of Batan Elementary School Alumni (every summer vacation)
- BMNHSAFSA