Banate is a coastal town in the northern part of the Province of Iloilo, Region VI (Western Visayas), Philippines. It is primarily a fishing and agricultural town which has a population of 27,263 inhabitants in 5,279 households as shown by the census of 2000. It is well known for ginamos (Shrimp paste), crabs and the fresh fish, which local entrepreneurs take to and sell in the capital of the province, in many of the non-coastal towns, and even in Manila. The town has a port for boats that transport passengers and local products, like rice, mangoes, and sugarcane to the island of Negroes.

Barangays

Alacaygan Bariga Belen Bobon Bularan Carmelo De La Paz Dugwakan Juanico

Libertad Magdalo Managopaya Merced Poblacion San Salvador Talokgangan Zona Sur Fuentes

History

Banate had been an ancient town and had been known to the Spanish missionaries during the earliest dates of the colonization as Bobog. It was a visita of the Augustinian parish and monastery of Dumangas, Iloilo during the early years of the Spanish Regime. The Augustinian historian, Gaspar de San Agustin, mentioned the existence of the town during 1500-1600’s in his book Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas (1565-1615).^[1] Fray Juan Fernandez in his Monografias de los pueblos de la isla de Panay affirms that Banate was known in the ancient times as Bobog or Bog-og, which is synonymous of catia, that is to say- glass. The Augustinian friar says that the modern name Banate might have been derived from some flora that abundantly thrive in the town. One possibility is the Butacea, named by Linaeus as Murraya exotica. If the spelling and the pronunciation are corrupted, and instead of Banate what is written or pronounced is Bangate, it would therefore be the leguminous papilionácea called in botany as Abrus praecatorius. ^[2]

To the inhabitants, the town’s modern name is commonly attributed to the presence of many Bangate trees in the area. According to a local legend, when the Spaniards arrived, all the inhabitants of Banate fled away for safety. An old man, however, failed to escape because he was of advanced age and was already so weak. It was raining then. So, the old man took shelter under the Bangate tree where a Spanish officer found him later on. The white man asked the native; ‘Come se llama esto pueblo?“, The old man, uncertain what to say, merely said “Bangate” thinking that the Spaniard was asking him about the name of the tree. Unable to understand clearly what the old man mumbled, the Spaniard thought the native had said "Banate". While such legend sounds too absurd to be true, it is the only explanation often given by people when asked why their town is called Banate. Indeed, Bangate trees still abound within the territorial limits of the municipality until now.

Bobog, in the early part of its history as a Christian settlement and a Visita of Dumangas, was placed under the advocation of St. John the Evangelist. ^[3] Fr. Juan Fernandez says that town was established in 1763. It had as its Visita the settlement of Sinaba-an. Fr. Leandro Arias was appointed as the Vicar for the town on October 31, 1763. Later, many people left the town because of the frequent incursions and pillage of the Moros from Mindanao. The town consequently was re-annexed to Dumangas. Later it became a Visita of Barotac Nuevo until 1843 when it was declared an independent parish with St. John the Baptist as its titular patron.^[4] Seven years later, Governor General Antonio Blanco, without doubt forgetting the earlier decree, declared Banate as an independent parish on 15 April 1850, at the same time as that of Anilao.^[5]

There is no extant document or act of legislation recording the date of the formal recognition and establishment of Banate as a municipality. It was, however, with the appointment of Felix Babiera as the first Governadorcillo in 1837 that Banate had been referred to as a town. Included within the territorial jurisdiction of the town of Banate were Barotac Viejo and Anilao. The original site of the Poblacion of Banate was in what is now known as Bularan. The small Church there, around which the town grew, was then situated near the shore. Nearby towards the North was the town cemetery. For the market place, nipa and bamboo shacks were constructed near the area where the first Church used to be. During the later part of the 1800s the present Roman Catholic stone Church was constructed in the adjacent barangay which subsequently became the Poblacion or the capital of the town.

The present Church of the parish was built in 1870 by Fr. Eustaqiuo Torés.^[6] It was made of stone and wood during the Spanish time. His successor, Fr. Manuel Santos,^[7]built the convent made of wood in 1883.^[8]

During the Revolution, on 28 October 1898, Banate, which remained loyal to Spain, was reduced to ashes by the rebels led by the ill-mannered Maraingan.^[9]

The Spanish Augustinian friars who served Banate as parish priests

• P. Alejandro Arias (1763)
• P. Bartolome Villa (1843)
• P. Nicolas Calvo (1854)
• P. Julian Alonso (1859)
• P. Eustaqiuo Torés (1870)
• P. Manuel Santos (1882)
• P. Lazaro Ramirez (1890)
• P. Agapito Lopez (1893)
• P. Bernardo Arquero(1893)

Civil heads of government

Gobernadorcillos of Banate since 1837

• Felix Babiera (1837)
• Alfonso Arroyo
• Eustaquio Fuentes
• Apolinario Juanico
• Pasqual Baylon (1844-1845)^[10]
• Ricardo Baban
• Tomas Juanico (1855-1856)^[11]
• Apolinario Arroyo
• Mariano Fuentes
• Martin Balderas
• Nepomuceno Fuentes
• Mateo Baban
• Julian Bactung
• Sotero Fuentes (1889-1891)^[12]
• Feliciano Espinosa
• Ciriaco Fuentes (1898-1900) ^[13]

Presidents elected for Banate during the American regime

When the Revolution for Independence broke out in 1898, Hon. Ciriaco Fuentes became the first local President. Shortly after, the town became part of the United States territory (1900) when the American soldiers arrived under the command of Commander Brunnel to establish the American Regime. The local political leaders of the town during the American Regime were the following:

• Eugenio Badilla (1901-1903)
• Mauricio Tupas (1903-1905)
• Florencio Villaluz (1905 – 1907)
• Victorio Vargas (1907 – 1909)
• Juanito Balleza (1910 - 1912)
• Alejandro Baban (acting/appointed-1918)^[14]
• Felix Tarrosa (acting/appointed- 1918)
• Elpidio Padilla (1918 – 1920)
• Fernando Banaria(1921 – 1923)
• Elpidio Baylen (1924 – 1926)
• Paulo Badilla (1927 – 1929)
• Fortunato Perez (1930 – 1932)

Mayors of Banate during the U.S. commonwealth government.

• Manuel Bacabac (1933 – 1935)
• Benjamin Buyco (1936 – 1939)^[15]
• Paulo Badilla (1939 – 1940)

Mayors of Banate during the Japanese occupation and after the liberation

• Exequiel Palec (1941)
• Simeon Balladares (1941-liberation)
• Exequiel Palec (liberation – 1947)^[16]

Mayors of Banate during the time of the republic

• Exequiel Palec (1948 – 1951
• Jose Babayo (1952 – 1955)
• Nicolas Tarrosa (1955 – 1959)
• Exequiel Palec (1959 – 1963)
• Marcelino Bacabac (1964 – 1967)
• Antonio T. Seyan (1968-1982)
• Leonardo A. Cabangal (1982-1986)
• Jonathan V. Sanico (1986-1988) ^[17]
• Jonathan V. Sanico (1988-1992)
• Mayor Vicente V. Bacos (1992-2001)
• Carlos O. Cabangal, Jr. (2001-

Statistical information

Population

Banate has a land area of 118.86 km². It is a beautiful coastal town which is about as big as Iloilo City and is 50 kilometers away from the Capital of the Province of Iloilo. The town has large areas planted with rice, sugarcane, vegetables, beans, coconut and bananas. Banate is composed of 18 barangays, seven (7) of which are along the shorelines (coastal) and the rest are in the uplands. According to the latest National Census Count (1995), Banate has a total population of 25,597 (this includes barangay Fuentes).

The 1995 National Census on Population and Housing shows that Banate has a total population of 24,976 excluding those residing in Barangay Fuentes (a contested Barangay between Banate and Anilao). However, if Barangay Fuentes is included, the total population would be 25,597. Banate has average annual population growth rate of 1.21% based on the population change within the years 1990–1995.

Municipal income

Being a very versatile town with livelihood income both coming from the sea and the farmlands, the Municipality of Banate has generated actual income from calendar year 1995 to calendar year 1999 reaching up to P82,167,999.30. The increase of the town's income was mainly due to the increase in revenue allotment, tax, and operating revenue of the municipality. It could be observed that Banate is increasingly growing in commerce and industry.

Household

The 1995 Census of Population and Housing (which includes Barangay Fuentes) recorded a total of 4,761 households with an average household size of 6 person per household for the urban area, and 5 persons per household for the rural area. The urban area, comprising Poblacion, Barangay Alacaygan, Barangay Bularan, Barangay Carmelo, Barangay Talokgangan and Barangay Zona Sur, has a total household of 1653. The 12 rural barangays have a total of 2,908 households with Barangay San Salvador having the highest number households (480). The 12 barangays belonging to the rural area has a population of 15,772 or about 62% of the total population of Banate. Of the 12 barangays, Barangay San Salvador has the highest population (2,380 or 9.31%, while Barangay Fuentes, (a disputed barangay between the Municipality of Banate and the Municipality of Anilao) has the least population of only 621 persons or 4% of the rural population, since some residents have considered themselves residents of Anilao.

Population projection

With the annual growth rate of 1.21, from a population of 26,858 for CY 1999 and 28,182 by year 2003, within the 5 – year period, Banate will have a population increase of 1,324. By year 2010, the population is expected to number about 30,656. This projection was based primarily on the 1995 Census Population and Housing results including Barangay Fuentes using the geometric growth of the municipality and did not consider fertility, mortality and migration trends.

Population density

Banate has an A & D area of 5,240.849 and a population of 25,597 as of CY 1995. The municipal gross density is 500 people/km². Urban density is 1600 people/km², of which Barangay Bularan is the highest having a density of 15,700 people/km². In the rural area, population density is 300 people/km². As projected, within the twelve (12) year period (1999 - 2010), the municipal gross population density will increase from 500 to 600 people/km².

Age-sex distribution

Of the 25,597 (as of CY 1995), the male population has numbered 12,949 or 50.59% with those in the age bracket of 5 – 9 years old having the highest population (1,743 or 13%. The age bracket with the lowest percentage are those with the age ranging from 85 years old and above (30 or 0.23 %).On the other hand, female population has reached to 12,648 or 49.41% with those in the age range of 5 – 9 years old having the highest number (1,649 or 13%). The female residents with age range of 85 and above number 48 or 0.38%. The date of the census of CY 1995 shows that the ration of male and female residents is 102:100.

Religion

Based on the 1990 record, the majority of the Banatenhon’s are Roman Catholics (16,338 or 70%); the next religious denomination with the second highest number of adherence are the Aglipayans or the members of the Philippine Independent Church (5, 057 or 22%); there are 750 Protestants who comprise 3% of the population; Iglesia ni Kristo has 203 churchgoers or 1% of the population; and members of other religious sects like United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, Muslims, etc. number 1,012 or 4% of the local population.

Statistics on marriage

A greater percentage of the population 10 year’s old and over are single (49.32 %) than married (45.75 %). About 3.73 % are widowed; 0.37 % are separated; and 0.82 % are common law partners and unknown. The number of unmarried persons is higher among the adult males (4,840) as compared with those who are married (4,174). Among adult females the proportion of married persons is higher (4,253 or 23.09 %) than those who are unmarried(4,245 or 23.05%).

Language distribution

Majority of the people living in Banate speaks Hiligaynon or 99.54 % and 0.46 % of the population speaks other dialects like Cebuano. Aklanon, Chavacano, etc. English and Talalog is commonly understood and spoken, and are also use in school, business and government day to day transactions.

Economic dependency ratio

As of Census Year 1995, a total of 10,711 persons with ages below 15 and over 64 years old are considered dependents; 14,625 belong to the working population with ages 15-65 years old. Hence, there are 7 dependents out of 10 working persons.

Labor force

As of 1990 the labor force numbered 13,643 persons or 57% of the total population. Of these, there are 6,747 or 49.45% male and 6,896 or 50.55% female ranging the age 15 years old and above. Of the 13,643, 7,886 have stable employment. 5,239 of these are male and 2,647 are female.

Labor force projection

Population projection shows that from 1995 to the year 2010, the population growth rate is 1.21%. This means an additional potential work force for the municipality, which when properly exploited will generate a maximum income to the town of Banate. The labor force within the twelve (12) year period (1999 – 2010) will reach to 18,683 and 11,527 of these, will be economically active labor force (15 years old and over).

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Portraits of some mayors of Banate

Hon. Eugenio Badilla	Hon. Elpedio Badilla, Sr.	Hon. Benjamin Buyco	Hon. Exequiel Palec
Hon. Jose Babayo	Hon. Nicolas Tarrosa	Hon. Marcelino Bacabac	Hon. Leonardo Cabangal
Hon. Jonathan V. Sanico	Hon. Vicente V. Bacos	Hon. Carlos O. Cabangal

Picture gallery

Typical countryside in Banate.
			The Port of Banate.
Banate Ecology Park.	Shorelines of Banate.
		Urban part of Banate.

References

External links

• Official Website of the Municipality of Banate, Iloilo, Philippines
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 2000 Philippine Census Information

City and Municipalities of Iloilo

Ajuy • Alimodian • Anilao • Badiangan • Balasan • Banate • Barotac Nuevo • Barotac Viejo • Batad • Bingawan • Cabatuan • Calinog • Carles • Concepcion • Dingle • Dueñas • Dumangas • Estancia • Guimbal • Igbaras • Iloilo City • Janiuay • Lambunao • Leganes • Lemery • Leon • Maasin • Miagao • Mina • New Lucena • Oton • Passi City • Pavia • Pototan • San Dionisio • San Enrique • San Joaquin • San Miguel • San Rafael • Santa Barbara • Sara • Tigbauan • Tubungan • Zarraga

Coordinates: 11°03′N 122°47′E / 11.05, 122.783

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