Igbaras

Igbaras
Municipality
Municipality of Igbaras
Seal
Map of Iloilo with Igbaras highlighted
Igbaras Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°43′N 122°16′E / 10.72°N 122.27°E / 10.72; 122.27Coordinates: 10°43′N 122°16′E / 10.72°N 122.27°E / 10.72; 122.27
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas (Region VI)
Province	Iloilo
District	1st district of Iloilo
Founded	1753
Barangays	46 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Vicente E. Escorpion Jr.
• Vice Mayor	Romeo E. Espinosa
• Electorate	18,532 voters (2016)
Area [2]
• Total	148.72 km2 (57.42 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	32,004
• Density	220/km2 (560/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5029
PSGC	063021000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Climate type	Tropical climate
Income class	3rd municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	90,632,128.53 (2016)
Native languages	Kinaray-a language Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.igbaras.gov.ph

Igbaras, officially the Municipality of Igbaras, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 32,004 people.^[3]

Igbaras celebrates its town fiesta annually on May 22 in honor of Sta. Rita de Cascia. The town has many points of interest including the ruins of the church belfry, Mount Napulak, Bahi-Bahi, Nadsadjan Falls, Lagsakan Falls, Timapok Falls, Guiritsan Falls, Sampanan Falls, Bat Cave, Igcabugao Cave, Bais Cave and the Pakuyang sa Tangyan Festival. A species of Rafflesia, the world's largest flower, can also be found here.

Etymology

The name Igbaras comes from a combination of two words, "ig" or "tig" which means "plenty of" or "season of", and "baras" which means "sand". Thus Igbaras means "plenty of sand" which alludes to the nearby sandy river. Igbaras is most commonly mistaken with the similar-sounding and more widely known province of Guimaras.

Geography

Igbaras is located at the south-western part of Iloilo. It is situated between the coordinates of 122.2650’ longitude, and 10.7167’ latitude. It is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Iloilo City.

History

As a result of the implementation of Spanish Governor-General Narciso Claveria's decree on giving Filipinos with Spanish surnames in 1849, inhabitants of Igbaras during that time were apportioned with surnames starting mostly with the letter E.

Igbaras was fused with Guimbal in 1902 until the American regime made it a separate town on January 1, 1919. Don Flor Evidente became the first municipal mayor.

American soldiers water tortured Igbaras leaders then burned the village to the ground during the Philippine-American War^[5]

Igbaras has the distinction of having the first congressman elected to Congress in 1925-1928 in the person of Don Eugenio Ealdama, and the delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention, Don Mariano Ezpeleta who later served as Consul-General and ambassador to several countries.

Demographics

In the 2015 census, the population of Igbaras was 32,004 people,^[3] with a density of 220 inhabitants per square kilometre or 570 inhabitants per square mile.

People from Igbaras speak Kinaray-a, a language associated with Antique province. However, Hiligaynon, a vernacular commonly used in Iloilo City is understood by everyone and widely used mostly by students or those staying in the City.

Schools

Secondary:

• Igbaras National High School
• Igtalongon National High School

Elementary and Primary:

Municipal Mayors

• Don Flor Evidente (1919–1922)
• Lucas Gentica (1922–1925)
• Julian Bucoy Saavedra (1925–1931)
• Justo Estrella (1931–1938)
• Gerardo Escala (1938–1941)
• Toribio Melliza (1941–1945, 1961–1964)
• Perfecto Saavedra (1945–1955)
• Ricardo Ealdama (1955–1961)
• Atty. Daniel Esmeralda (1964–1977)
• Vicente E. Perez (1977–1985)
• Wilfredo C. Uy (1986–1992)
• Fruto J. Saavedra (1992–2001)
• Jaime Esmeralda, MD (2001–2010)
• Atty. Vicente E. Escorpion Jr. (2010–present)

References

External links

• Igbaras Website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System