Iba, Zambales
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Iba , officially the Municipality of Iba (; ; ), 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' ...
and capital of 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
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...
,
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 55,581 people. The municipality was named after the tree '' Phyllanthus acidus'', which bears edible sour fruits. It is locally known as ''iba'', a name which also applies to the similar ''kamias'' ('' Averrhoa bilimbi'').


History

left, Historical marker at the Zambales Provincial Capitol Iba was founded by the Order of Augustinian Recollect priests led by Rodrigo de San Miguel in 1611 as the village of Paynauen.. Zambales Now, Official Website of the Province. Retrieved on 2012-05-30. The early inhabitants of the town are called Zambals. They were later joined by the Tagalogs and Ilocanos who migrated to the town, which resulted in the intermingling of customs and traditions.History of Iba
/ref> The Aeta people settled in the hinterlands and the majority of them dwelled in the
Mount Pinatubo Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains in Luzon in the Philippines. Located on the tripoint of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga provinces, most people were unaware of its eruptive history before the pre-eruption volc ...
area. In 1860, the administration of the town was turned over to the Dominican priests until the civil government came to power. There are no available records as to when Paynauen was renamed Iba. The permanent capital of Zambales was moved from Masinloc to Iba because of its strategic location being on the central part of Zambales. On August 28, 1901, American Civil Governor William Howard Taft held the historic session of the Second Philippine Commission at the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
of Iba and established the Province of Zambales under American rule.


Cityhood

The League of Cities of the Philippines has disagreed with the proposed conversion of sixteen municipalities into constituent cities. The LCP had tried to influence of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to certify as call for immediate attention a draft of a law imposing a suspension on the conversion of additional towns into cities. The Local Government Code states that before a town could be classified as a city, it must have an annual income of at least Php100 million and a land area of at minimum or a population of 150,000. Senator
Sonny Angara Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Manalang Angara (; born July 15, 1972) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who has served as the 37th Secretary of Education (Philippines), secretary of education since 2024. He has concurrently served as chairman of the ...
advocated for House Bill No. 24 filed by Zamboanga Sibugay Representative Dulce Ann Hofer giving automatic cityhood to capitals of provinces without cities, and freeing the capital towns of provinces from the income needs of the cityhood.


Geography

The municipality of Iba is bounded by the municipalities of Botolan to the south, Palauig to the north, the province of Tarlac to the east, and the West Philippine Sea to the west. Like most of the municipalities in the province, Iba is geographically bound by the coast in the west with the
Zambales Mountains The Zambales Mountains is a mountain range in western Luzon. The mountains spread along a north-south axis, separating Luzon's central plain from the South China Sea. The range extends into five Provinces of the Philippines, provinces: Zambales, ...
in the eastern portion of the municipality. As the capital of the province, it is second largest provincial capital in terms of land area in Central Luzon Region after Tarlac City. Iba is from Olongapo and from
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

Iba is politically subdivided into 14
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, as indicated below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. There are 9 barangays which are considered urban (highlighted in bold) while the rest are considered rural. * Amungan * Bangantalinga * Dirita-Baloguen * Lipay-Dingin-Panibuatan * Palanginan * San Agustin * Santa Barbara * Santo Rosario * Zone 1 Poblacion * Zone 2 Poblacion * Zone 3 Poblacion * Zone 4 Poblacion * Zone 5 Poblacion * Zone 6 Poblacion


Climate

Iba has a tropical monsoon climate (
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Am''). Iba's climate is no different from the other towns where rainy season begins from May and ends in October, while the dry season is from November to April. An average of of annual rainfall with a temperature of is observed during rainy season. The highest temperature recorded is while the lowest is .


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Iba, Zambales, was 55,581 people, with a density of . The population of Iba has become a mixture of different people over the last twenty years as opportunities in employment and business attracted people from Pangasinan, Bataan, and Batangas.


Languages

Originally, the population was composed of Sambal and Ilocano-speaking people. While Sambal and Ilocano are spoken by many of the population, Tagalog has become the common language spoken in Iba. Sambal residents have switched their language from Sambal to Ilocano and Tagalog.


Religion

The majority of the people in Iba, Zambales are Roman Catholics second was the Aglipayan Church, The largest minority religion is
Iglesia ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...
followed by various
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
denominations.


Ecclesiastical district

The seat of the Ecclesiastical District of Zambales North of the
Iglesia ni Cristo The (INC; ; ) is an independent Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, church founded in 1913 and registered by Felix Manalo, Félix Manalo in 1914 as a corporation sole, sole religious corporation ...
is located in Iba. The INC district administration and district office oversees several locales and extensions from different municipalities in the northern part of Zambales province.


Diocese of Iba

The Cathedral of Iba, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church of the
diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
is a 17th-century
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
church built by the Augustinian Recollects. It is located adjacent to the Provincial Capitol Building. Currently, the appointed
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
is Bishop Bartolome G. Santos Jr. since Bishop Florentino Lavarias became the Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga.


Economy

The population of Iba increases during daytime because of traders, market buyers, students, government and private employees flocking into town. There are currently two malls in the municipality, Iba Town Center Mall - the first community mall in the town, and City Supermarket, Inc. (CSI Mall). Happy Go Shopping Center is also a major shopping destination in town, with Robinsons Place Iba and WalterMart Iba being planned. Several supermarket chains including have branches in Iba. Some national government offices can also be found in Iba, such as the SSS, NBI and PhilHealth. With a continuously growing number of commercial establishments, banks, and financial institutions in Iba, it contends among the most competitive municipalities in Philippines, and is pushing forward towards a progressive city.


Tourism

Tourism is one of the major economic activity in Iba during the summer period. It has become a popular destination for summer vacationists and tourists due to the pristine and beautiful beaches that line the shorelines of Iba, and adventure trekking to the unique 3-series of Iba waterfalls. Its pollution-free beaches due to the absence of industrial-polluting activities in the locality, make it one of the best places in the Philippines. In response to the growing number of both local and foreign visitors, investments in beach resorts have increased in the last fifteen years. Today there are about 50 beach resorts in Iba.


Festivals

;Zambales Mango Festival: The festival is a celebration of a bountiful harvest of
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...
es and other agricultural products which the province is known for. It is also aimed to highlight the attractions and places of interest in all of its towns. As a way of promoting and giving thanks for a good harvest, the people of Zambales annually celebrate the six-day Mango Festival in March or April in Iba. ;Paynauen Festival: A summer festival in Iba featuring local traditional arts and culture first celebrated in the 1980s, Paynauen Festival (also spelled as ''Paynawen'') has become a yearly tradition and a tourist attraction lasting for about seven days. Paynauen's festivities include street dancing,
singing Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
competition, boxing events, sports events, sand castle building, carabao race, kite flying contests, Miss Paynauen competition, cooking contest, barangay booth displays, products display and sales, ballroom dancing, traditional parade, concerts and many others. :The festival is held late April, during the summer season where thousands of visitors flock to Iba for beach activities. Led by the Iba Tourism Council, Paynauen is supported by the local government, different civic organizations, volunteers and the private business sector.


Transportation

;By land: Iba is easily reached from
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 ...
and Pangasinan by land transportation. It is from Rizal Park in Manila via North Luzon Expressway exiting in San Fernando, Pampanga to Olongapo. From Olongapo, Iba is away. ;By air: The town can be also reached by small aircraft using the Iba Airport, a small feeder airport with a runway located along the coast of Iba.


Healthcare

The provincial government administers the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in Bargy. Palanginan to provide convenient medical services at a lower costs to the people of the Zambales. The hospital received a ₱50-million equipment upgrade in 2011 to better serve its patients. The Santa Cecilia Medical Center is a private institution offering one of the most complete and advance medical facilities in the province. Saint Pio's Medical Center is also a large medical facility and a private institution located along Govic Highway in Brgy. Dirita.


Education


Tertiary education

The President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU), formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU), is a government-funded
higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...
institution founded in 1910. The school was merged with two other colleges in the province in 1998 to become the present multi-campus
university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
system. Its main campus is located in the center of Iba with satellite campuses located all over the province. The provincial office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Zambales is located on Magsaysay Avenue. TESDA was established by the Philippine government to manage and supervise the vocational education and skills development of the country's human resources through training and scholarships. All Asia Aviation Academy is a flying school offering flight and ground training located in Iba Airport between Brgy. LDP and Brgy. Sto. Rosario. Micro Asia College of Science and Technology located in Brgy. Zone 1. Marasigan Technological College located in Brgy. Zone 1. Hopeful Beginnings Institute located in Brgy. Palanginan.


Popular culture

* The movie ''
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American psychological epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkn ...
'' (shot in 1976; released in 1979) was about to be filmed by
Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
in Iba when Typhoon Olga (Didang) destroyed the sets constructed for the movie. The sets were recreated in Pagsanjan, Laguna and the beach scenes were filmed in Baler, Aurora."Trivia: Apocalypse Now"
Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
. Retrieved on 2012-05-30.


Government

Elected officials (2022-2025): *Mayor: Irenea Maniquiz-Biñan (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) *Vice Mayor: Joan D. Ballesteros (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) *Member's Sangguniang Bayan: **Margie Maniquiz Noveno (since June 30, 2019 - 2nd term) **Ryan E. Castillo (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) **Alire John T. Fallorin (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) **Edgar C. Payumo (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) **Paulo A. Fallorin (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) **Isagani Guimson (since June 30, 2016 - 3rd term) **Jessie S. Echaure (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term) **Ruel M. Butaran (Since June 30, 2020 - 1st term)


Notable personalities

* Ramon Magsaysay, former
Philippine President The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in- ...


References


External links


Official website of Iba, Zambales
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Local Governance Performance Management System - Iba, ZambalesIba travel guide
{{Authority control Municipalities of Zambales Provincial capitals of the Philippines