Botolan

Botolan
Municipality
Municipality of Botolan
Poblacion, Botolan
Flag Seal
Map of Zambales with Botolan highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Botolan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°17′23″N120°01′28″E / 15.2896°N 120.0245°E / 15.2896; 120.0245
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Zambales
District	2nd district
Founded	1572 [1]
Founded by	Governor-General Juan de Salcedo
Barangays	31 (see Barangays)
Government   [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Jun Omar Ebdane
•  Vice Mayor	Doris D. Ladines
•  Representative	Doris E. Maniquiz
•  Municipal Council	Members Edmund Dante D. Perez Angelito B. Diesta Amor B. Caasi Nick L. Manzo Fernando D. Igrobay Aris George D. Lingat Jesus D. Jaring Glenn C. Manangan
•  Electorate	44,728 voters (2022)
Area [3]
• Total	735.28 km2 (283.89 sq mi)
Elevation	28 m (92 ft)
Highest elevation	1,486 m (4,875 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [4]
• Total	66,739
• Density	91/km2 (240/sq mi)
•  Households	17,547
Economy
•  Income class	1st municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	12.75 % (2018) [5]
•  Revenue	₱ 317.4 million (2020)
•  Assets	₱ 867 million (2020)
•  Expenditure	₱ 348.5 million (2020)
•  Liabilities	₱ 328.6 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Zambales 1 Electric Cooperative (ZAMECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2202
PSGC	037101000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)47
Native languages	Ilocano Tagalog
Major religions	Roman Catholicism Aglipayan Church Protestantism Islam
Feast date	January 24
Ecclesiastical dioceses	Diocese of Iba (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Zambales (Aglipayan Church)
Patron saint	Our Lady of Poon Bato

Botolan, officially the Municipality of Botolan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,739 people. ^[4]

The municipality was founded by Spanish Governor-General Juan de Salcedo in 1572. ^[1] Botolan is known for its larger Aeta population, wide gray sand beaches, and as the location of Mount Pinatubo.

Etymology

The name Botolan came from the a native variety of banana common in the area called "Boto-an". The word "Boto-an" is a Sambal word which combines the word botol which means "seeds" and the locative prefix -an, referring to a place with many seeded bananas. ^[6]

Geography

Located just south of the provincial capital of Iba, Botolan has the largest land area of the municipalities in Zambales.

Botolan is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Iba, 71 kilometres (44 mi) from Olongapo, and 197 kilometres (122 mi) from Manila.

Barangays

Botolan is politically subdivided into 31 barangays. ^[7] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bancal
• Bangan
• Batonlapoc
• Belbel
• Beneg
• Binuclutan
• Burgos
• Cabatuan
• Capayawan
• Carael
• Danacbunga
• Maguisguis
• Malomboy
• Mambog
• Moraza
• Nacolcol
• Owaog-Nibloc
• Paco (poblacion)
• Palis
• Panan
• Parel
• Paudpod
• Poonbato
• Porac
• San Isidro
• San Juan
• San Miguel
• Santiago
• Tampo (poblacion)
• Taugtog
• Villar

Climate

Climate data for Botolan, Zambales
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31 (88)	32 (90)	33 (91)	34 (93)	32 (90)	31 (88)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)
Average low °C (°F)	20 (68)	20 (68)	21 (70)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	20 (68)	23 (73)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	16 (0.6)	18 (0.7)	28 (1.1)	51 (2.0)	200 (7.9)	253 (10.0)	301 (11.9)	293 (11.5)	246 (9.7)	171 (6.7)	70 (2.8)	28 (1.1)	1,675 (66)
Average rainy days	6.2	7.1	10.4	15.5	24.4	26.4	28.2	27.5	26.2	23.6	15.9	8.7	220.1
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) [8]

Demographics

Population census of Botolan

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 5,174 —     1918 8,814 +3.62% 1939 11,817 +1.41% 1948 11,535 −0.27% 1960 16,417 +2.98%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 23,848 +3.80% 1975 27,307 +2.75% 1980 27,125 −0.13% 1990 35,604 +2.76% 1995 41,084 +2.72%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2000 46,602 +2.74% 2007 51,675 +1.44% 2010 54,434 +1.91% 2015 57,707 +1.12% 2020 66,739 +2.90%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [9] [10] [11] [12]

In the 2020 census, the population of Botolan was 66,739 people, ^[4] with a density of 91 inhabitants per square kilometre or 240 inhabitants per square mile.

Government

See also: Sangguniang Bayan

Town hall of Botolan

Elected officials

Municipal officials (2019-2022)

• Mayor: Omar Ebdane
• Vice Mayor: Doris Ladines

Tourism

The beach at Barangay Beneg, looking south towards the Bucao River

The barangay of Binoclutan is the "Beach Capital" of Botolan, featuring several first class resorts. The area is a habitat of sea turtles, as is all of the Zambales coastline. Olive Ridley, Green turtles and Hawksbill turtles nest along the beaches of Botolan every year between September and January. A turtle hatchery located is located in Binoklutan. The area also has many other attractions, beach resorts, waterfalls, hiking paths, views of the lahar fields left by the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and views of Mount Pinatubo itself.

The Fiesta Poon Bato, held January 23–24, is a religious festival that attracts up to 500,000 devotees. Features include cultural dancing from local Aeta tribes in the town plaza on the first night.

The Domorokdok Festival, held May 3–4, includes street parades, street dancing, a beauty pageant and displays of Botolan products and industries.

Ina Poon Bato

Left: Original Statue of Apo Apang (Aglipayan Church), Right: Replica Statue of Ina Poon Bato (Roman Catholic).

The Ina Poón Bató is a purportedly miraculous, syncretised image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. ^[20] Legend has it that before the arrival of the Spanish in the area sometime in the 17th century, local Aeta peoples had discovered a carved wooden statue on a large rock and began worshipping the image. On the arrival of Recollect missionaries in 1607, the natives associated the statue with the Roman Catholic depictions of the Virgin Mary, and the image was subsequently Christianised as Ina Poonbato (Our Lady of Poonbato) . ^[20] The original image was previously in the Recollect missionaries’ custody. During the Philippine Revolution, the Filipino revolutionaries took the image and enshrined it in an Aglipayan Church.

The Catholic image was canonically blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1985 at a ceremony in Vatican City. ^[21] After the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo destroyed the original village of Poonbato, the patio image (which was found intact and buried chest-deep in lahar) ^[22] and its shrine were moved to the nearby resettlement area of Loob-Bunga. ^[23] The feast of Ina Poón Bató is celebrated every late January, with devotees flocking to the original image inside a chapel belonging to the Aglipayan Church, and the 1976 replica enshrined in the Catholic chapel. ^[22]

References

1. "Municipalities" Archived 2013-02-09 at the Wayback Machine . Zambales Now, Official Website of Zambales. Retrieved on 2012-05-24.
2.   Municipality of Botolan | (DILG)
3. "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.
4. Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
5. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
6. Valencia, Minda (2000). "Botolan and Its People in Botolan". Continuity and Change . Cesar Inc.
7. "Philippine Standard Geographic Code listing for Botolan" ^{[ permanent dead link ]}. National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
8. "Botolan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
9. Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
10. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
11. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
12. "Province of Zambales". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
13. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
14. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
15. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
16. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
17. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
18. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
19. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
20. "Our Lady of Poon Bato". dacopofoundation.com. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
21. "The Story of Ina PoonBato". Ina Poon Bato "The Miraculous Blessed Mother". Retrieved 10 July 2015.
22. Macatuno, Allan (24 March 2014). "Wooden Marian image draws devotees to Zambales". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
23. "Ina Poonbato Shrine". Botolan Official Website. Retrieved 21 August 2011.^{[ permanent dead link ]}

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information