Bantay, Ilocos Sur
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Bantay, officially the Municipality of Bantay (; ), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,118 people.


History


Spanish colonization


Foundation

Spanish
conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
Juan de Salcedo first arrived in Ilocos in 1571 and began setting up tribunals that soon became the seat of the municipal government then. Augustinian friars who followed in 1572 built the convent and house of worship that later became the ''Iglesia Parroquial de San Agustín'' (St. Augustine Parish Church). The parish was recognized in 1591, while the town of Bantay was formally founded as a ''pueblo'' that was separate from Vigan in 1593. It is one of the thirty-four (34) towns of the Province of Ilocos Sur, as cited in the Maura Law of 1893. The law also served as the legal basis for its being constituted as a separate political subdivision during the American Regime.


Etymology

Bantay got its name from the Ilocano word, ''to guard'', which was to guard the image of Our Lady of Charity (Apo Caridad) in her sanctuary. The early Spanish settlers made the town beautiful by building the 'tribunal' - otherwise known as the town hall - the church, bell tower, roads and streets by forced labor. The St. Augustine Church was originally constructed by Bantay residents using bamboo and cogon materials to house the miraculous image of Our Lady of Charity. In 1590, a stone structure for the church was commissioned following the good fortune it brought to the people. The Augustinian friars chose St. Augustine de Hippo, the Doctor of Grace, as the Patron Saint and the town fiesta used to be celebrated every 28 August, but because of inclement weather during this month, Most Rev. Alfredo Verzosa (Parish Priest, 1912–1916) caused the transfer of the festivity to May 5 every year. The original inhabitants of the town have family names with letter "P" taken from the designated listing, as an adopted system of the Spanish rulers in all towns of Ilocos Sur, to easily identify and monitor movement of residents. In a report of the Most Reverend Bishop Domingo de Soria on August 15, 1613, the population of Bantay was 4,000 souls, while at the time, Vigan has only 2,000. This can be explained by the fact that by then, Bantay parish was very extensive as it covered the parishes of
Magsingal Magsingal, officially the Municipality of Magsingal (; ) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,308 people. Etymology The name of the municipality came from ...
(separated in 1676),
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
(separated in 1742),
San Ildefonso San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama moun ...
(separated in 1769), San Vicente (separated in 1795), Santa Catalina de Baba (separated in 1795), and Santa Catalina de Alexandria as "visitas". One of the Augustinian friars, Rev. Francisco Lopez, a great Augustinian philologist, with the help of Pedro Bukaneg, the blind genius of the Ilocano tongue who was from this place and author of the epic - "Biag Ni Lam-ang", labored hard to translate the ''Bellarmine Cathechism'' originally written by Robert Cardinal Bellarmine. The book was approved at the Bantay Convent in 1616 printed in Malayan Script and Spanish alphabet and was first published in 1621. The Bellarmine Catechism was the first book in Ilocano to be printed and its influence on the morality, culture and language of the entire Ilocos is measurable. Several battles have spillovers in Bantay, one of which was the Ilocos Revolution (Dec. 24, 1762 to May 1763) led by Diego Silang. Here, this heroic figure resolved to kill the bishop-elect Bernardo Ustariz and all Spanish friars imprisoned by him in Bantay. The prisoners prayed fervently to Our Lady of Charity for their deliverance until a Spanish mestizo nicknamed "Miguel Vicos" treacherously killed Silang on May 28, 1763, with a pistol at his makeshift fort on a place on a hillside referred to as Calle Encuentro (now Crisologo Street). For the Spaniards, the treacherous Vicos was their savior and to his honor a commemorative monument was erected in 1763 which became the epitome of the Town Plaza. It is replaced later by a memorial to Diego Silang towards the end of the 19th century.


Contemporary

Inspired with the common vision that it will strengthen and improve the totality of local governance, Municipal buildings nnex I (Legislative Building) and Annex II (Puericulture Building)were blessed and inaugurated on December 23, 1999, and May 5, 2003, respectively. Considered as major breakthroughs and milestone feats in the History of Bantay, these massive structures were built to 'reinforce' the Old(Main) Building in order to meet the vast administrative demands and service requirements of the public clientele. Sourced from Provincial and Municipal funds, these expansion edifices are the lasting tributes of the municipal and administrators (1998-2001 and 2001–2004) showcasing local accomplishment and a legacy during their incumbency. ;Dur-as Bantay Era The Municipality holds the distinction of being the first Local Government Unit in Ilocos Sur to use an Electronic Scoreboard in a sporting event (the first ever to do so in the province was the
University of Northern Philippines The University of Northern Philippines (UNP; ) is a university in Barangay Tamag, in the City of Vigan in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the first and oldest state university in Northern Luzon which offers low tuition fee, tr ...
); the first to open hiking trails; and the first municipality in Ilocos Sur to hold a National Shootfest.


Geography

The Municipality of Bantay is bordered by the municipalities of San Vicente,
San Ildefonso San Ildefonso (), La Granja (), or La Granja de San Ildefonso, is a town and municipality in the Province of Segovia, in the Castile and León autonomous region of central Spain. It is located in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama moun ...
,
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
,
Magsingal Magsingal, officially the Municipality of Magsingal (; ) is a 1st class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,308 people. Etymology The name of the municipality came from ...
,
Santa Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christma ...
and the city of
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
. It has an average elevation of 100 meters (328.08 feet), with a land area of . It is an elevated and hilly municipality but some barangays, especially those near creeks, are prone to flooding during heavy typhoons. Bantay is situated from the provincial capital
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, and from the country's capital city of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.


Barangays

Bantay is politically subdivided into 34
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. * Aggay * An-annam * Balaleng * Banaoang * Barangay 1 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Barangay 2 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Barangay 3 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Barangay 4 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Barangay 5 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Barangay 6 (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Bulag * Buquig * Cabalanggan * Cabaroan * Cabusligan * Capangdanan * Guimod * Lingsat * Malingeb * Mira * Naguiddayan * Ora * Paing * Puspus * Quimmarayan * Sagneb * Sagpat * San Isidro * San Julian * San Mariano (formerly ''Sallacong'') * Sinabaan * Taguiporo * Taleb * Tay-ac


Climate


Flora and fauna

Bantay's reserved forests and farms make it home to a diverse range of plants, animals, and river creatures. Around more than 60 species can be found in Bantay including over 9 mammal, reptile (including
monitor lizard Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and West African Nile monitor, one species is also found in south America as an invasive species. A ...
s), and amphibian species; 10 bird and fish species; several insects and plants are existing in the farms and wild. Typical of places all over the Philippines,
cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
and
water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...
are domesticated.
Heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...
s are often sighted in rice paddies, and
beetles Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...
(especially the "aros-aros" and the "abal-abal") and
crickets Crickets are orthopteran insects which are related to bush crickets and more distantly, to grasshoppers. In older literature, such as Imms,Imms AD, rev. Richards OW & Davies RG (1970) ''A General Textbook of Entomology'' 9th Ed. Methuen 886 ...
come seasonally. Mudfish,
carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...
, the Abra River
eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 20 families, 164 genera, and about 1000 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...
, and other fish abound in its rivers and creeks, most of which are also seasonal. Monkeys, wild boar, and wild chickens can be seen in the mountains, but not as plentiful as before. Spanish plum trees (known locally as "sarguelas") abound in the municipality, especially in Barangays Paing and Banaoang. Valuable lumber trees such as
mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus ''Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: Universit ...
and molave abound in its mountains, especially in Caniao.
Bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
also abound in the municipality, especially the "bayug," "bikal," and "bulo" ("buho") varieties.


Demographics

In the 2020 census, Bantay had a population of 37,118. The population density was .


Religion

About 94% of the total inhabitants are Christians, while the remaining 6% are Muslims or belong to other major religions/sects. In the total population of Christian Bantayenos, Roman Catholics are 99%. Since it was occupied by Spaniards during the Early Colonial Period.


Language

Since the
Ilocano language Iloco (also Iloko, Ilocáno or Ilokáno; ; Iloco: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language primarily spoken in the Philippines by the Ilocano people. It is one of the eight major languages of the Philippines with about 11 million ...
is the mother tongue of the Ilocanos, most of the Bantayeños especially the Muslims and Indians speak it alongside
Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
. However, in schools and during Legislative Sessions (by the Sangguniang Bayan), they are required to speak English. * Ilocano - 97% * Tagalog - 2% * English - 1%


Economy


Government


Local government

Bantay, belonging to the first congressional district of the province of
Ilocos Sur Ilocos Sur (), officially the Province of Ilocos Sur (; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital of Vigan, while Candon is ...
, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.


Elected officials

For the 2010–2013 term, Samuel C. Parilla was the elected mayor of the town (since 1988–1998; 2007–present), with Floro Jose P. Peredo, Sr. as the vice mayor. The municipality's Sangguniang Bayan members included William Pre, Roberto Reboroso, William Pacpaco, Ireneo Quintinita, Edilberto Mercurio, Nick Pamuspusan, Arnold Paz, and George Leones. Also in the Sangguniang Bayan were ABC President Gloria Ramirez and Sangguniang Kabataan Federated President Jonalyn Pre.


Tourism


Cultural and historical

; Saint Augustine Parish Church: One of two parishes in the municipality. It serves as the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de La Caridad, the Queen of Ilocandia. The church and bell tower are considered to be two of the oldest structures in the province, as the bell tower was built in 1590 and the church was in the following year. The place, especially the bell tower, is a tourist attraction mostly accessed from Vigan by means of horse-drawn carts called "calesas." The original beauty of the structures are still preserved until today. ;Quirino Bridge: This scenic arch bridge traversing the
Abra River The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source near Mount Data in Benguet province. History I ...
is located between two beautiful mountains and is built to honor then-President
Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...
. It was once partly destroyed by Super Typhoon ''Feria'', hence a different-looking third quarter portion. In December 2007, Chinese engineers and a local construction company started to build a new, 456 meter-long replacement, a stone's throw from the original bridge. It was officially opened by then-President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
on December 30, 2009. The old bridge, an iconic symbol of Ilocos Sur, is currently preserved as a tourist attraction, doubling as a backup in case the main bridge is damaged by typhoons. The old bridge was once again damaged during Super Typhoon ''Egay'' on July 24, 2023.


Natural

;Carballo Mountains: The municipality is home to a portion of this mountain range that overlooks the
Cagayan Valley Cagayan Valley (; ), designated as Region II, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Provinces of the Philippines, Philippine provinces: ...
and portions of
Babuyan Islands The Babuyan Islands ( ), also known as the Babuyan Group of Islands, is an archipelago in the Philippines, located in the Luzon Strait north of the main island of Luzon and south of Taiwan. The archipelago consists of five major islands and thei ...
, and to which the municipality partly owes its name. The range has two popular mountain peaks, ''Caniao'' and ''Tupira.'' This is one of the few mountain ranges in Ilocos Sur and the only natural tourist spot of Bantay aside from the Abra River. It has forests and crystal-clear springs, which also supplies drinking water to most of Metro Vigan. It is a destination of the Philippine Army and habitat of unique species like wild pigs and monkeys. Today it is a location of firing ranges, some telecommunications relay facilities (often mistaken by locals as a
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
array), and hiking trails. It also houses the headquarters and nursery for a reforestation project conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.


Education

The Bantay Schools District Office governs all public and private schools within the municipality. These includes from elementary to high schools both public and private.


Primary and elementary schools

* Balaleng Elementary School * Banaoang Elementary School * Bantay East Central School * Bantay West Central School * Bulag Elementary School * Cabusligan-Quimmarayan Elementary School * Capangdanan Elementary School * Great Heights Learning Center (Elementary) * Guimod Elementary School * Jenefa Scholastica (Elementary) * Lingsat Elementary School * Malingeb Elementary School * Ora East Elementary School * Ora West Elementary School * Paing Elementary School * Sallacong Elementary School * San Julian Elementary School * Silang Elementary School * Taguiporo Elementary School * Tay-ac Elementary School


Secondary schools

* Bantay National High School * Great Heights Learning Center * Jenefa Scholastica * Tay-ac National High School


Higher educational institutions

There are two major educational institutions in Bantay: * Ilocos Sur Community College (ISCC) - A college being operated by the provincial government, with its campus located near Quirino Stadium. The college was founded in 1975. * St. Paul College of Ilocos Sur (formerly Rosary College) - The oldest privately funded school in Ilocos Sur, founded as an all-girls' educational institution by the Sisters of Saint Paul of
Chartres Chartres () is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 1 ...
in Vigan. Its former campus near the Vigan Cathedral is now the site of a shopping mall, having recently fully transferred to nearby Bantay. It has recently joined the Saint Paul University System.


References


External links


Pasyalang Ilocos Sur
{{Authority control Municipalities of Ilocos Sur Populated places on the Abra River