Belison, Antique
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Belison (), officially the Municipality of Belison ( krj, Banwa kang Bilisong, ; hil, Banwa sang Belison; tl, Bayan ng Belison), is a 5th class municipality in the province of
Antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,129 people. Making it 18th most populous, the smallest municipality in the province of Antique and the smallest in Panay island in both area and population. Belison is the smallest (in area and population) and the youngest municipality in the province of Antique.


History

Belison ( krj, Bilisong) was merely a barangay in the larger municipality of
Patnongon Patnongon, officially the Municipality of Patnongon ( krj, Banwa kang Patnongon; hil, Banwa sang Patnongon; tl, Bayan ng Patnongon), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
, adjacent to the north. Belison barangay leaders and Manila-based krj, label=none, Bilisongnuns (; ‘Belison residents’) mapped out a petition requesting the national government to make Belison an independent town. The petition was brought to Malacañan Palace on March 10, 1961, and through ''Presidential Executive Order No. 421'' signed by President
Carlos P. Garcia Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...
, Belison was declared a municipality - the smallest and the youngest in the Province of Antique. During World War II, Japanese war submarines and other marine craft found the shores of Belison easy entry points to
Panay Panay is the sixth-largest and fourth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of and has a total population of 4,542,926 as of 2020 census. Panay comprises 4.4 percent of the entire population of the country. The City o ...
, and invaded the Western Visayas in that location. People still tell of the fear created by these foreign intruders, and also of the bravery of those who decided to resist, creating rebel strongholds in the mountainous areas above the municipality. When the Japanese air raids would bomb Belison and the nearby communities, families from all around fled to ''Guinobatan Cave'', high in the hills of barangay Buenavista. And when the American forces came, they too used the smooth sea landing in Belison, bringing relief food supplies to krj, label=none, Bilisongnuns, and troops to attack the Japanese occupying forces. They often used local homes in the area to hide in while planning their strategies for assault against the enemy, and enlisted the help of brave men and women to carry out their plans.


Geography

Belison is from the provincial capital,
San Jose de Buenavista San Jose de Buenavista, officially the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, ( krj, Banwa kang San Jose de Buenavista; hil, Banwa sang San Jose de Buenavista; tl, Bayan ng San Jose de Buenavista), is a 1st class municipality and capital of th ...
. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Antique. The municipality is bounded on the east by San Remigio, southeast by
Sibalom Sibalom, officially the Municipality of Sibalom, ( krj, Banwa kang Sibalom; hil, Banwa sang Sibalom; tl, Bayan ng Sibalom), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population ...
, south by
San Jose de Buenavista San Jose de Buenavista, officially the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, ( krj, Banwa kang San Jose de Buenavista; hil, Banwa sang San Jose de Buenavista; tl, Bayan ng San Jose de Buenavista), is a 1st class municipality and capital of th ...
, north by
Patnongon Patnongon, officially the Municipality of Patnongon ( krj, Banwa kang Patnongon; hil, Banwa sang Patnongon; tl, Bayan ng Patnongon), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popul ...
, and west by the
Cuyo East Pass Cuyo may refer to: * Cuyo (Argentina) * Cuyo Province, historic, Argentina * Cuyo, Palawan, Philippines * Cuyo Airport, Philippines * Cuyo Archipelago The Cuyo Archipelago or Cuyo Islands, is a group of about 45 islands lying to the northeast of ...
.


Climate


Barangays

Belison is politically subdivided into 11 barangays, each with a duly constituted government unit known as the barangay council headed by the barangay captain. The Poblacion, seat of the municipal government, is an urban barangay. The other 10 are considered rural.


Demographics

In the 2020 census, Belison had a population of 14,129. The population density was .


Religion

Nine (9) of the leading Christian religious dominations in the Philippines established their presence in the town. Most krj, label=none, Bilisongnuns are of Aglipayan ancestry. *
Aglipayan , native_name_lang = fil , icon = Logo of the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church).svg , icon_width = 80px , icon_alt = Coat of arms of the Philippine Independent Church , image ...
or the members of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Parish of Our Lady of Purity & Candles) have a church along Delima Street. *
Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, there is the Lady of Candles Parish located along Oliverio Street. *
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
located along Placer Street. * Iglesia ni Cristo has two locales, one in Candelaria Street, Poblacion and another in National Road, Barangay Rombang. * Assembly of God located along Candelaria Street. * Belison Baptist Church located along Rizal Street. * Born Again Church located in Barangay Maradiona. * United Pentecostal Church is located along National Road (Barangay Poblacion). * Victory Christian Church is located along Bajalan-Lancara Street.


Economy

Agriculture continues to be the heartbeat of the town. More than half of its land is riceland, while the rest are planted to corn, coconut, sugar cane and other production like vegetables and peanuts.


Government


Municipal seal

The Belison municipal seal was created to commemorate the agricultural heritage of the town, in order to preserve the legacy of the original settlers in the region. It depicts three mainstay agricultural activities: * The top image represents fishing and the bounties of the neighboring sea. * The lower left portion is the harvesting of sugar cane, its processing muscovado sugar. * The lower right depicts tilling of the lowlands for the planting of rice and other grains and vegetables. Surrounding the great triangle are eleven stars – one representing each barangay in the town. The largest star at the bottom is for the Poblacion. Their strength lies in their connectivity to one another, and in their closeness to the traditions of the past.


References


External links

*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
{{Authority control Municipalities of Antique (province)