Banga, Aklan

Banga
Municipality
Municipality of Banga
Downtown, with the rotunda and public market
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  "Magbueoligan Kita" ("We should help each other.")
Map of Aklan with Banga highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Banga Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°38′20″N 122°19′59″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Aklan
District	1st district
Founded	1 January 1912
Barangays	30 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Noel L. Redison
• Vice Mayor	Erlinda Maming
• Representative	Carlito S. Marquez
• Municipal Council	Members Stanley Leigh G. Macahilig Ronald Ray D. Imperial Josel M. Rata Abe R. Pastrana Jr. Teddy C. Tupas Larry T. Maming Johnny M. Rentillo Allen M. Maming
• Electorate	29,166 voters (2022)
Area
• Total	84.53 km2 (32.64 sq mi)
Elevation	48 m (157 ft)
Highest elevation	350 m (1,150 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	40,318
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
• Households	10,055
Demonym	Banganhon
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	14.68 % (2021)
• Revenue	₱ 130.9 million (2020), 60.52 million (2012), 69.72 million (2013), 79.51 million (2014), 87.89 million (2015), 97.96 million (2016), 107.5 million (2017)
• Assets	₱ 328.2 million (2020), 98.16 million (2012), 95.85 million (2013), 114 million (2014), 213 million (2015), 188.8 million (2016), 200 million (2017)
• Expenditure	₱ 116.4 million (2020), 60.52 million (2012), 65.6 million (2013), 58.93 million (2014), 72.17 million (2015), 76.84 million (2016)
• Liabilities	₱ 74.85 million (2020), 17.66 million (2012), 17.7 million (2013), 25.64 million (2014), 110.1 million (2015), 71.66 million (2016), 62.04 million (2017)
Service provider
• Electricity	Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5601
PSGC	060403000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)36
Native languages	Aklanon Hiligaynon Capisnon Tagalog

Banga, officially the Municipality of Banga (Aklanon: Banwa it Banga; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Banga; Tagalog: Bayan ng Banga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,318 people.

Banga is the site of the Aklan State University.

History

The history of Banga dates back to the 15th century upon arrival in Panay Island of the ten datus from Borneo. While some skeptics considered this information a legend, still, Banganhons believed that Datu Manduyog ruled over the place with his seat of government located in Bakan, the ancient name of Banga. The site was at the foot of the Manduyog Hill that was named after Datu Manduyog. Being a legitimate successor to Datu Dangandanan who ruled what was called Akean in the late 1390s, Datu Manduyog became the ruler of Akean in 1437 and made Bakan the capital of Akean.

Another version of Banga's history from Panublion cited that Banga's ancient site was the present location of the Municipality of Malinao. In 1792 the town site was transferred across the Aklan River at the foot of Manduyog Hill. Several prominent families decided to remain in the “old town” which became a barrio and named Malinao after a placid tributary of the Aklan River.

The families of Bernabe Teodosio, Diego Eulalio Teodosio, Esteban Masigon and the Muntuyas established a settlement in 1676 in what is now Sitio Opong-opong of Barrio Cupang. However, these families moved to a higher ground due to its closeness to the Aklan River that overflowed annually. In 1781 they settled in sitio Agbueakan in Barrio Tabayon.

Due to the clayish soil conditions of the sitio, they again decided to resettle in 1783 in what is now the location of Banga poblacion. They named the place Banga after the Banga palm trees that were in abundance. Because of their growing families they had to cut down most of the trees to give way to their layout plans to establish a town close to their farmlands for residential purposes.

American sovereignty over the country started on August 13, 1898. With the natives resisting foreign domination, a revolutionary association was organized. Hostilities between the natives and the Americans began but did not take long since the natives were ill-equipped.

The American hostilities ended upon the signing on March 29, 1901, of the “Pas de Aklan”, a historical document in the Aklan Section of the Province of Capiz. The signing was done at the present municipal park at the corner of Rizal and San Jose Streets.

From January 1, 1904, to December 31, 1911, Banga was merged with Numancia and Lezo to form an “arabal” of the Municipality of Kalibo. Through the efforts of Don Baltazar Teodosio, Banga was separated from Kalibo on January 1, 1912.

A year after, Francisco Lachica was elected the first Municipal President. The following were the leaders of the town from 1912 to 1945:

1912 − 1913 Baltazar Teodosio 1913 − 1916 Francisco Lachica 1916 − 1919 Jacinto Repiedad 1919 − 1925 Edecio Venturanza 1925 − 1931 Baltazar Teodosio 1931 − 1937 Pedro Recto 1937 − 1943 Lorenzo Duran 1943 − 1945 Ereneo Ocutanim

On April 17, 1942, at 2:00 o’clock in the morning, the Japanese Imperial Forces landed at Culasi, Capiz. An hour later the 5th Capiz Cadre at Libas, Banga, Aklan (now Camp Jizmundo) was burned down by the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Six hours later the Banga Rural High School, Banga Elementary School Building and Home Economics Building were likewise burned. About 95% of all the permanent structures in the Municipality of Banga were burned down both by the USAFFE and the Filipino guerrillas to prevent the Japanese Forces from occupying the buildings.

There was a surprising and infamous incident in Banga during the Japanese occupation. Civilians were massacred at 10:00 o’clock on October 21, 1942, at the junction of Rizal and Mabini Streets - now the Rotunda - and at the national road fronting the 5th Capiz Cadre at Libas, Banga. It was in these two places where civilians, who merely desired to please and welcome the Japanese forces, were ordered to squat and haplessly massacred. About 70 persons were killed. The Japanese soldiers conducted a further four-day operation killing about 200 more in order to paralyze the increasing guerrilla activities.

On March 18, 1945, after the landing of the American Liberation Forces in Panay, the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit appointed Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza as the first Municipal Mayor. The first elected Mayor after the Liberation was Mr. Jose Urquiola. He served from 1945 to 1951 and was succeeded by the following:

1951 − 1959 Atty. Vicente Teodosio 1959 − 1963 Dr. Napoleon Macahilig 1963 − 1971 Atty. Tomas Raz 1971 − 1986 Atty. Sergio Rigodon 1986 − 1995 Mr. Jose Urquiola, Jr. 1995 − 2004 Dr. Stevens Fuentes 2004 − 2007 Atty. Jeremy Fuentes 2007 − 2013 Mr. Antonio Maming 2013 − present Ms. Linda Maming

Geography

Variant flag of Banga

Banga is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Kalibo, the provincial capital.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 84.53 square kilometres (32.64 sq mi)  constituting 4.64% of the 1,821.42-square-kilometre- (703.25 sq mi) total area of Aklan.

Climate

Climate data for Banga, Aklan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	30 (86)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	57 (2.2)	37 (1.5)	41 (1.6)	42 (1.7)	98 (3.9)	155 (6.1)	187 (7.4)	162 (6.4)	179 (7.0)	188 (7.4)	114 (4.5)	78 (3.1)	1,338 (52.8)
Average rainy days	12.0	7.7	9.2	10.2	19.5	24.6	26.9	25.1	25.5	25.2	18.0	13.0	216.9
Source: Meteoblue (Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.)

Barangays

Banga is politically subdivided into 30 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2020		2010
060403001	Agbanawan	3.8%	1,524	1,458	▴	0.44%
060403002	Bacan	4.2%	1,703	1,637	▴	0.40%
060403003	Badiangan	4.3%	1,747	1,644	▴	0.61%
060403004	Cerrudo	3.7%	1,485	1,237	▴	1.84%
060403005	Cupang	1.8%	740	736	▴	0.05%
060403006	Daguitan	1.1%	459	477	▾	−0.38%
060403007	Daja Norte	3.3%	1,340	1,563	▾	−1.53%
060403008	Daja Sur	1.3%	512	602	▾	−1.61%
060403009	Dingle	1.7%	698	723	▾	−0.35%
060403010	Jumarap	4.6%	1,835	1,744	▴	0.51%
060403011	Lapnag	1.6%	627	594	▴	0.54%
060403012	Libas	4.3%	1,717	1,662	▴	0.33%
060403013	Linabuan Sur	9.3%	3,756	3,455	▴	0.84%
060403014	Mambog	4.5%	1,803	1,596	▴	1.23%
060403015	Mangan	3.8%	1,542	1,632	▾	−0.57%
060403016	Muguing	1.9%	764	695	▴	0.95%
060403017	Pagsanghan	4.8%	1,917	1,735	▴	1.00%
060403018	Palale	1.7%	678	599	▴	1.25%
060403019	Poblacion	5.0%	1,997	2,469	▾	−2.10%
060403020	Polo	2.4%	955	1,240	▾	−2.58%
060403021	Polocate	4.2%	1,707	1,638	▴	0.41%
060403022	San Isidro	0.8%	320	305	▴	0.48%
060403023	Sibalew	2.5%	989	940	▴	0.51%
060403024	Sigcay	2.5%	1,012	974	▴	0.38%
060403025	Taba-ao	2.9%	1,164	1,196	▾	−0.27%
060403026	Tabayon	4.4%	1,777	1,454	▴	2.03%
060403027	Tinapuay	1.1%	457	381	▴	1.84%
060403028	Torralba	4.7%	1,890	1,550	▴	2.00%
060403029	Ugsod	3.9%	1,566	1,426	▴	0.94%
060403030	Venturanza	2.0%	824	701	▴	1.63%
	Total		40,318	38,063	▴	0.58%

Demographics

Population census of Banga

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	9,830	—
1918	11,432	+1.01%
1939	14,693	+1.20%
1948	17,977	+2.27%
1960	18,582	+0.28%
1970	21,560	+1.50%
1975	22,462	+0.83%
1980	25,034	+2.19%
1990	28,651	+1.36%
1995	30,071	+0.91%
2000	32,128	+1.43%
2007	34,276	+0.90%
2010	38,063	+3.89%
2015	39,505	+0.71%
2020	40,318	+0.40%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, Banga had a population of 40,318. The population density was 480 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,200/sq mi).

Economy

Poverty incidence of Banga

10 20 30 40 2006 23.40 2009 39.58 2012 11.30 2015 18.13 2018 10.61 2021 14.68 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Government

List of former local chief executives

The following headed the town from the American Period until the present under two different titles. On 18 March 1945, after the landing of the American Liberation Forces and Philippine Commonwealth troops in Panay, the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit appointed Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza as the first Municipal Mayor.

Municipal presidents:

• 1899–uncertain — Francisco Lachica
• 1904–1911 — None (town merged with Kalibo)
• 1912–1913 — Baltazar Teodosio
• 1913–1916 — Francisco Lachica
• 1916–1919 — Jacinto Repiedad
• 1919–1925 — Edecio Venturanza
• 1925–1931 — Baltazar Teodosio
• 1931–1937 — Pedro Recto
• 1937–1943 — Lorenzo Duran
• 1943–1945 — Ereneo Icotanim

Mayors:

• 1945 — Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza (appointed)
• 1945–1951 — José Urquiola
• 1951–1959 — Atty. Vicente Teodosio
• 1959–1963 — Dr. Napoleon Macahilig
• 1963–1971 — Atty. Tomas Raz
• 1971–1986 — Atty. Sergio Rigodon
• 1986–1995 — José Urquiola, Jr.
• 1995–2004 — Dr. Stevens Fuentes
• 2004–2007 — Atty. Jeremy Fuentes
• 2007–2013 — Antonio Maming
• 2013–Present — Erlinda Maming

Attractions

At the religious sanctuary of Manduyog Hill, an annual pilgrimage is conducted on Good Friday. Devotees practise the 14 Stations of the Cross, pray the rosary, and light candles at each stop while climbing towards the peak where a 40m cross, sometimes lighted, is visible from due north to Kalibo and the nearby sea.

See also

• Maragtas
• Aklan

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code