Aborlan

Aborlan
Municipality
Municipality of Aborlan
Palm plantation in Sagpangan, in Aborlan municipality
Flag
Map of Palawan with Aborlan highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Aborlan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°26′19″N118°32′53″E / 9.438639°N 118.548136°E / 9.438639; 118.548136
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Palawan
District	3rd district
Founded	June 28, 1949
Barangays	19 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Lito O. Tito
•  Vice Mayor	Marvin C. Madeja
•  Representative	Gil A. Acosta Jr.
•  Municipal Council	Members Marissa U. Zumarraga Alex Pedro P. Peneyra David C. Mosteiro Jr. Mamerto N. Chavez Marvin C. Madeja Ibandio M. Caralipio Joel P. Lumis Jr. Roger B. Jagmis
•  Electorate	28,433 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	807.33 km2 (311.71 sq mi)
Elevation [3]	210 m (690 ft)
Highest elevation	64 m (210 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [4]
• Total	39,972
• Density	50/km2 (130/sq mi)
•  Households	9,715
Economy
•  Income class	1st municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	15.44 % (2021) [5]
•  Revenue	₱ 446.1 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 1,119 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 260.1 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 228.9 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5302
PSGC	1705301000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)48
Native languages	Aborlan Tagbanwa Palawano Tagalog

Aborlan, officially the Municipality of Aborlan (Tagalog : Bayan ng Aborlan), is a municipality in the province of Palawan , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 38,736 people. ^[6]

Aborlan is the province's only town with an agricultural college, now called Western Philippines University. It was founded in 1910. ^[7]

Etymology

Many stories tell about how the town got its present name: ^[8]

• Abelnan, a legendary tree of the gods; and
• The English phrase "A Boar Land" that an American man shouted as he noticed the place with wild boars, thus making the place called Aboarland.

History

Legend

During ancient times, there was a legendary supernatural chief called Biarongbarongan, who lived in the other side of the Iraan River at the present site of the Agricultural High School. He had two sons, namely Baybayaren and Palaysegen. At one time, Biarongbarongan went for a tournament in a foreign land and was defeated. Because of this, he was defeated, and his head was pierced at the plaza. His fierceful son Palaysegen rode an enormous ship with hundreds of followers to avenge his father's death. When he was exhausted in his battle, he alighted in a tree and only his sword and shield continued to fight until he was victorious and went home to Aborlan. One afternoon, an ordinary man and woman happened to meet at the sinful persons, thus he and his family together with his kinds left Aborlan for another virgin land. ^[9]

American era

Aborlan was made a town in 1910 and became a municipal district. This municipal district was initially made as a reservation where no Christians were allowed to settle except teachers. Eventually, the Tagbanuas were given the opportunity to govern themselves in 1916 through a plebiscite, voting their mayor and vice-mayors for the first time. ^[9]

By 1933, the Aborlan River flooded the whole town and some people were carried away by the flood. ^[9]

World War II

On May 12, 1942, Japanese forces came to Aborlan, leading to the evacuation of many civilians throughout the hinterlands. They quartered themselves in the Central School building. The Japanese forces garrisoned in this town were not cruel, and as soon as the people learned of this, they returned back to the town. During this period, guerrilla forces became active in southern Palawan and made attacks on public schools in Aborlan. ^[9]

By late 1944, as soon as the Japanese learned of the American landing at Leyte, the Philippine Constabulary in Aborlan abandoned their posts and joined the guerrillas at Brooke's Point. However, the guerrillas were suspicious of the PC defectors and made them war prisoners, only releasing them 6 months after incarceration. ^[9]

Post-war independence

Formerly a municipal district, Aborlan became a municipality on June 28, 1949, by virtue of Executive Order No. 232. ^{[7] [10]} In 1951, the municipality lost the barrios of Berong and Alfonso XII when those were transferred to the newly created town of Quezon. ^[11] By this point, the majority of the inhabitants were still non-Christian. ^[9]

Geography

It lies in a vast plain between the Sulu Sea and the mountains, 68 kilometres (42 mi) south of Puerto Princesa City.

Barangays

Aborlan is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Apo-Aporawan
• Apoc-apoc
• Apurawan
• Barake
• Cabigaan
• Culandanum
• Gogognan
• Iraan
• Isaub
• Jose Rizal
• Mabini
• Magbabadil
• Plaridel
• Ramon Magsaysay
• Sagpangan
• San Juan
• Tagpait
• Tigman
• Poblacion

Climate

Climate data for Aborlan, Palawan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	26 (79)	26 (79)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	25 (76)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	73 (2.9)	68 (2.7)	96 (3.8)	104 (4.1)	193 (7.6)	246 (9.7)	225 (8.9)	199 (7.8)	213 (8.4)	250 (9.8)	226 (8.9)	143 (5.6)	2,036 (80.2)
Average rainy days	15.4	13.7	17.8	19.4	27.0	28.5	29.1	27.8	28.3	28.5	25.6	21.8	282.9
Source: Meteoblue [12]

Demographics

Population census of Aborlan

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1918 2,734 —     1939 5,780 +3.63% 1948 6,351 +1.05% 1960 17,530 +8.83% 1970 8,880 −6.57% 1975 10,452 +3.32% 1980 11,799 +2.45% 1990 18,751 +4.74%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1995 21,650 +2.73% 2000 25,540 +3.61% 2007 27,953 +1.25% 2010 32,209 +5.29% 2015 35,091 +1.65% 2020 38,736 +2.10% 2024 39,972 +0.76%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

In the 2020 census, the population of Aborlan was 38,736 people, ^[18] with a density of 48 inhabitants per square kilometre or 120 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Aborlan

10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 54.93 2003 53.77 2006 37.30 2009 23.37 2012 22.35 2015 21.56 2018 13.33 2021 15.44 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]

Culture

The town celebrates the Rakudan Festival (Palawano for 'gathering in an agreed place') annually every June. It features the lechon or roast pig which references the theory of the town's name origin coming from the phrase "a boar land". ^[27]

References

1.   Municipality of Aborlan | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. "Elevation of Aborlan, Palawan, Philippines".
4. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
5. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
6. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
7. "Aborlan" (PDF). Provincial Government of Palawan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
8. "Executive Summary (Aborlan)" (PDF). Commission on Audit. 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
9. "NLP Digital Collection HD01.p36.cmd1 .cmd1". nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
10. Executive Order No. 232, s. 1949 (June 28, 1949), Converting into municipalities the municipal districts of Aborlan and Brooke’s Point, both of the Province of Palawan, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines , retrieved September 22, 2023
11. Republic Act No. 617 (May 15, 1951), An act to create the municipality of Quezon in the province of Palawan, The Corpus Juris, retrieved September 22, 2023
12. "Aborlan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
13. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
14. Census of Population (2015). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
15. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
16. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region IV-B (Mimaropa)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
17. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
18. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
19. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
20. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
21. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
22. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
23. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
24. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
25. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
26. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
27. Payo, Jasmine (19 July 2025). "Spotlight on Aborlan: Palawan's overlooked coastal town". Rappler. Retrieved 20 July 2025.

External links

• Media related to Aborlan at Wikimedia Commons
• Aborlan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System