Balaoan

Balaoan, officially the Municipality of Balaoan (Ilocano: Ili ti Balaoan; Filipino: Bayan ng Balaoan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 39,188 people.[3]

Balaoan
Municipality of Balaoan
Balaoan town center
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Sea Urchin Capital of the North
Map of La Union with Balaoan highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Balaoan
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°49′N 120°24′E
Country Philippines
RegionIlocos Region (Region I)
ProvinceLa Union
District1st District
Barangays36 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
  TypeSangguniang Bayan
  MayorAleli U. Concepcion
  Vice MayorAl-fred O. Concepcion
  RepresentativePablo C. Ortega
  Electorate25,369 voters (2019)
Area
[2]
  Total68.70 km2 (26.53 sq mi)
Elevation
47 m (154 ft)
Population
 (2015 census)[3]
  Total39,188
  Density570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
  Households
8,697
Economy
  Income class1st municipal income class
  Poverty incidence6.51% (2015)[4]
  Revenue PHP 908,292,410.18 million (630.6%) (2018)
  Assets PHP 975,546,646.42 million (190.3%) (2018)
  Expenditure PHP 260,768,653.70 million (77.5%) (2018)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
2517
PSGC
IDD:area code+63(0)72
Climate typetropical monsoon climate
Native languagesIlocano
Tagalog
Websitewww.balaoan.gov.ph

Geography

Balaoan is situated north of Bacnotan, south of Bangar, east of Luna and west of Santol. Located 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of San Fernando City, the provincial capital of La Union and the regional capital of Region I. Balaoan is 299 kilometres (186 mi) north of Metro Manila. Barangay Paraoir is Balaoan's pristine coastal community on the South China Sea.

Balaoan can be reached from Manila using the MacArthur Highway, or by airplane via Canaoay Airport in San Fernando City.

Its land area of 6,870 hectares (17,000 acres) consists mostly of agricultural lands. It occupies 4.3% of the total area of the province.

Climate

Climate data for Balaoan, La Union
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 30
(86)
31
(88)
33
(91)
33
(91)
32
(90)
31
(88)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
31
(88)
31
(88)
31
(88)
31
(88)
Average low °C (°F) 21
(70)
22
(72)
23
(73)
25
(77)
26
(79)
26
(79)
26
(79)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
23
(73)
22
(72)
24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 42
(1.7)
48
(1.9)
74
(2.9)
110
(4.3)
269
(10.6)
275
(10.8)
362
(14.3)
325
(12.8)
330
(13.0)
306
(12.0)
126
(5.0)
61
(2.4)
2,328
(91.7)
Average rainy days 11.2 12.0 17.1 21.2 27.1 26.8 28.1 27.0 26.0 24.5 17.7 12.4 251.1
Source: Meteoblue [5]

Barangays

Balaoan is politically subdivided into 36 barangays.[2]

  • Almeida
  • Antonino
  • Apatut
  • Ar-arampang
  • Baracbac Este
  • Baracbac Oeste
  • Bet-ang
  • Bulbulala
  • Bungol
  • Butubut Este
  • Butubut Norte
  • Butubut Oeste
  • Butubut Sur
  • Cabuaan
  • Calliat
  • Calungbuyan
  • Camiling
  • Dr. Camilo Osias
  • Guinaburan
  • Masupe
  • Nagsabaran Norte
  • Nagsabaran Sur
  • Nalasin
  • Napaset
  • Pa-o
  • Pagbennecan
  • Pagleddegan
  • Pantar Norte
  • Pantar Sur
  • Paraoir
  • Patpata
  • Sablut
  • San Pablo
  • Sinapangan Norte
  • Sinapangan Sur
  • Tallipugo

History

According to William Scott, "Balaoan itself was an emporium for the exchange of Igorot gold."[6]

Balaoan, formerly "Puraw" (meaning "white') was originally part of Ilocos Sur. The town's present name originated during the Spanish colonial era. A group of Spanish soldiers were on patrol and went on to rest on a sitio. The villagers were curious about the soldiers because of their unusual descent and fair skin color. They flocked the soldiers touching their guns, too afraid that the guns might explode accidentally, one villager asked the soldier in a local vernacular.. "Aoan bala?" (meaning "No bullets?"). The soldier did not understand what the villager meant, he uttered the last word first, and remembering the last, he said "Bala-aoan".

During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, a secret society of insurrectos was organized in the municipality. Its purpose was to fight and revolt against the Spanish Government in the area. On the eve of the revolution, a traitor told the Spanish of their plan. The Spanish soldiers, without any investigation, arrested seven members of the secret society and executed them the same night. Only one, Fernando Ostrea, escaped with leg wounds. He informed the people about what has happened. In memory of the seven Martyrs, a masonic lodge, Siete Martires Lodge No. 177, was organized.

Balaoan is one of the oldest municipalities in La Union, having been founded in 1704. Its first Capitan is Ignacio Duldulao.

Demographics

Population census of Balaoan
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 10,008    
1918 11,276+0.80%
1939 12,773+0.60%
1948 14,274+1.24%
1960 17,401+1.66%
1970 22,331+2.52%
1975 24,381+1.78%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1980 25,197+0.66%
1990 30,042+1.77%
1995 31,420+0.84%
2000 33,786+1.57%
2007 36,829+1.20%
2010 37,910+1.06%
2015 39,188+0.63%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[3][7][8][9]

In the 2015 census, the population of Balaoan was 39,188 people,[3] with a density of 570 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,500 inhabitants per square mile.

The dominant language spoken in Balaoan is Ilocano.

Festivities

The church of Balaoan is under the advocacy of the town's patron saint, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, whose feast day is celebrated on September. Balaoan's town fiesta is celebrated every December 21 to 23 of the year.

Education

Elementary schools

  • Almeida Elementary School
  • Apatut Elementary School (Apatut)
  • Ar-arampang Elementary School (Ar- Arampang,Balaoan)
  • Balaoan Central Elementary School (Antonino and Cabua-an)
  • Balaoan Christian Foundation (Nalasin)
  • Bulbulala Elementary School (Bulbulala)
  • Bungol Elementary School (Bungol)
  • Butubut Elementary School (Butubut Sur)
  • Butubut Norte Elementary School (Butubut Norte)
  • Calliat Elementary School (Calliat)
  • Guinaburan Elementary School (Guinaburan)
  • Masupe Elementary School (Masupe)
  • Nagsabaran Sur Elementary School (Nsgsabaran Sur)
  • Osias Educational Foundation (Dr. Camilo Osias)
  • Pantar Community School (Pantar Norte)
  • Pantar Sur Elementary School (Pantar Sur)
  • Paraoir Elementary School (Paraoir)
  • Patpata Elementary School (Patpata)
  • San Nicolas Academy
  • San Nicolas Academy (Dr. Camilo Osias, Nalasin and Antonino)
  • Sinapangan National High School (Sinapangan Norte)
  • Sinapangan Norte Elementary School (Sinapangan Norte)
  • Sinapangan Sur Elementary School (Sinapangan Sur)

High schools

  • Bungol National High School (Bungol)
  • Butubut National High School (Butubut Norte)
  • Castor Z. Concepcion Memorial National High School (Nalasin and Antonino)
  • Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University National High School (Paraoir)
  • Osias Educational Foundation (Dr. Camilo Osias)
  • San Nicolas Academy

Notable people from Balaoan

References

  1. Municipality of Balaoan | (DILG)
  2. "Province: La Union". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. Census of Population (2015). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. "PSA releases the 2015 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Quezon City, Philippines. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. "Balaoan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  6. Scott, William (1974). The Discovery of the Igorots. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. p. 58. ISBN 9711000873.
  7. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  8. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region I (Ilocos Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
  9. "Province of La Union". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.