Calatagan

The word "Calatagan" is taken from the Tagalog word "latag" and is closely associated with "kapatagan", which means a vast portion of flat land lying between the hills and mountains. Thus, Calatagan means a large expanse of wide flat land.[5]

The town is the site of the historically and archaeologically famous Calatagan Excavation whose antique pottery and utensils contributed important facts about the culture and activities of the Filipinos before the coming of the Spaniards. Chinese pottery, unearthed from six large cemeteries by archaeologists Olov T.R Jones and Robert B. Fox led to a conclusion made by K. Otley Bayer which points out the existence of a sizable pre-Spanish population in the town. The same studies suggested that there were direct Chinese trade by water in Calatagan and centered at a place called Balong-Bato, wherein an entrance through the reef, which surrounds Calatagan, is still presently used by vessels coming from Mindoro and Manila.

The land occupied by the municipality of Calatagan was acquired by Domingo Roxas from the Spanish Crown in 1829 and was called Hacienda de Calatagan. The successors Pedro P. Roxas and Antonio R. Roxas continued to develop it.

In 1912, through Executive Order No. 78 by then Governor General William Cameron Forbes, Calatagan became a municipality independent from its mother municipality, Balayan.

In 1931, Carmen Roxas, the last heir of the Roxas Clan transferred ownership of the Hacienda to the Zobel brothers, Jacobo and Alfonso. During the time of the Zobels, the hacienda came to be known as Central Azucarera de Calatagan or simply "Central Carmen" when referring to the sugar milling complex.

In 1934, the barangays of Baha and Talibayog, which were parts of the Municipality of Balayan at the time, were annexed to Calatagan since surveys showed that they are part of the land titled to the original owner of Hacienda Calatagan. This added a big area to the municipality.

In October 28, 1957, a decade after the Philippines gained independence from the Americans, the Land Tenure Administration, upon petition of the people of Calatagan bought the Hacienda Lands from the Zobels. These were apportioned to the inhabitants and sold to them at ₱5.00 per hectare payable in installment within a period of 25 years.[5]

Calatagan is located at 13°49′56″N 120°37′56″E.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 112.00 square kilometres (43.24 sq mi) [2] constituting 3.59% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometre- (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.

In the 2015 census, Calatagan had a population of 56,449. [3] The population density was 500 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,300/sq mi).

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  Municipal Hall
• 
  Downtown Calatagan
• 
  Plaza
• 
  Saint Dominic of Silos Parish Church
• 
  Beach in Calatagan

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Calatagan, Batangas.

• Official website
• Calatagan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code