Balanga, Bataan

Balanga Lungsod ng Balanga
—  City  —
Balanga as seen from the top of Mount Samat
Seal
Map of Bataan showing the location of Balanga City.
Balanga Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°41′N 120°32′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Bataan
District	2nd District
Founded	1712
Cityhood	December 30, 2000
Barangays	25
Government
• Representative, 2nd Congressional District	Albert Raymond S. Garcia (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
• Governor	Enrique T. Garcia, Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
• Mayor	Jose Enrique S. Garcia III (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
• Vice Mayor	Noel Joseph L. Valdecañas (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
Area
• Total	111.63 km2 (43.1 sq mi)
Population (2007)
• Total	84,105
• Density	753.4/km2 (1,951.4/sq mi)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code	2100
Income class	1st class city; component city
Website	cityofbalanga.gov.ph

Population Census of Balanga City
Census	Pop.		Rate
1995	60,912		—
2000	71,088		3.37%
2007	84,105		2.35%

Balanga City (Filipino: Lungsod ng Balanga) is a second class city in the province of Bataan, Region III - Central Luzon, Philippines. It is the capital city of Bataan. According to the latest census, it has a population of 84,105 people in 14,065 households. Its citizens are called Balangueños.

Balanga City is primarily a residential-agricultural city. 8 out of 10 men engage in the driving of local tricycles, it is the local taxi of the city and obviously the main source of income for men in this town. In recent years, it is increasingly becoming an important commercial city in Region III. Unfortunately it also has a very unreliable electricity supply and the city is prone to power cuts almost daily. The local electricity company is called Penelco.

History

Balanga, the capital of Bataan, was formerly a visita of Abucay before it was established as a mission of the Dominican Order in the Provincial Chapter of April 21, 1714 and later declared a vicariate on April 18, 1739, under the patronage of Saint Joseph. Upon the establishment of Bataan as a separate province in 1754, Balanga was made its capital by General Pedro Manuel Arandia due to its favorable location, at the heart of the new territorial jurisdiction.

The word Balanga originates from the Kapampangan word "balañga" (clay pot) and to the Tagalog word "banga" (clay pot), which the town used to produce and which was among the best that can be found in the country.

On December 30, 2000, Balanga was inaugurated as City by the Republic Act 8984 authored by Congressman Enrique "Tet" Garcia - Tet Garcia.

Today, Balanga has just recently been transformed into a City. Prior to this development, the City has extended its urban fringe to west of Roman Superhighway and a new growth center in Barangay Tuyo has been delineated in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. During the past years, the city saw a high record of residential growth. The consequent expansion of the physical limits of the urban core as well as the expected large increases in population, and its attractiveness to commercial and employment activities, the City Government of Balanga decided to undertake a Master Planning exercise and to propose various developmental projects that would establish Balanga as a well-planned community with quality and character that is innovative and special, although this is currently hindered by an unreliable electricity supply.

Administration

Barangays

Balanga City is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.

Bagong Silang Bagumbayan Cabog-Cabog Camacho (Cadre) Cataning Central Cupang North Cupang Proper Cupang West Dangcol (Bernabe) Doña Francisca Subdivision Ibayo Malabia

Munting Batangas Poblacion Barcenas Pto. Rivas Ibaba Pto. Rivas Itaas Pto. Rivas Lote San Jose Sibacan Talisay Tanato Tenejero Tortugas Tuyo

City Mayor

Name	Year of Service
Jose Enrique Garcia III	2010-
Jose Enrique Garcia III	2007-2010
Melanio S. Banzon Jr.	2004-2007
Albert S. Garcia	1998-2004
Melanio S. Banzon Jr	1988-1998
Teodoro Camacho III	1986-1987
Teodoro Alonzo	1980-1986
Celso Valdecañas	1972-1979
Vicente Malibiran	1964-1967
Emilio Bernabe	1960-1963
Pedro Dizon	1948-1959
Faustino V. Vigo	1952-1955
Graciano Pastorfide	1946-1947
Numeriano Quindoy	1944-1945
Mariano Batungbacal	1942-1943

Education

Balanga City is the educational center of the province of Bataan. It currently has one public university and several private colleges offering various courses such as Accountancy, Business Administration, Computer Science and Information Technology, Elementary and Secondary Education, Engineering, and Health Professions like Nursing and Midwifery.

Bataan Peninsula State University is the lone state university in the city. It operates two campuses in the city, the main campus which is located in the capitol compound and the Balanga City campus which is located in downtown area.

Tomas del Rosario College is one of the oldest private educational institutions in the city. It is located at the Capitol Drive in Barangay San Jose.

The other private colleges in the city include Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies and EastWoods Professional College of Science and Technology (formerly SOFTNET College of Science and Technology), both located in Barangay Ibayo, Bataan Heroes Memorial College located in Bataan Provincial Expressway, Microcity Computer College located at Capitol Drive, St. Joseph's College in upper Tuyo, Tomas del Rosario College along Capitol Drive and STI College Balanga in Barangay Poblacion.

Other higher educational institutions in the city of Balanga include AMA Computer Learning Center – Balanga, Philippine Women's University - CDCEC Bataan, and Proclesia International Inc.

The city is also a host to the biggest public secondary school in the province, the Bataan National High School. The other notable public secondary schools in the city are the laboratory high school of Bataan Peninsula State University, and the Bataan Integrated School.

Notable Private secondary schools in the city include the high school departments of Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies, Bataan Infant Jesus School, Bataan Montessori School, Inc., Tomas del Rosario College and St. Joseph College's of Balanga.

Ban on Contraceptives

In March 2011, Barangay Ordinance No. 3 banned the sale of modern forms of contraception in seven barangays in Bataan: Puerto Rivas Itaas, Puerto Rivas Ibaba, Puerto Rivas Lote, Tortugas, Cupang Proper, Cupang West and Tanato.

The ordinance which was written in Filipino is called “Protection of the Life and Safety of the Unborn”. It defines abortifacients as any device, medication or substance that harms, puts in harm’s way or causes the death of an unborn child. The ordinance further lists IUDs and hormonal contraception like birth control pills as abortifacients. It also states that condoms promote promiscuity among the youth and infidelity among married couples.

Persons engaged in the promotion, sale, prescription, and advertisement of these forms of contraception can be fined between P200 to P400 for a first offense and a maximum of P1,000 for their third offense. If a commercial establishment violates any of the provisions their barangay permit to operate will be revoked.

This, however, is strongly criticized because it deprives people of choices. Similar case in Ayala, Alabang was considered unconstitutional and therefore deemed void.

Famous People from Balanga

• Pablo Roque Tecson - Pablo Roque Tecson - He was one of the two the Secretaries of Malolos Congress who drafted the Malolos Constitution. He became Fiscal of Bataan and later elected in the first 'Philippine Congress' - Congress of the Philippines. He was appointed as Assessor of Manila. He was an alumnus of College of Law - U.S.T. [University of Santo Tomas] - University of Santo Tomas, Manila. The Tecson of Balanga, Bataan, the Tecson of Candaba, Pampanga, the Tecson of San Miguel, Bulacan, and the Tecson of San Jose, Batangas - 1806 Governor Juan Tecson as well as the Ticzon of San Pablo, Laguna are descendants of Tek Sun - Three brothers from Guangzhou, China. In Saint Patrick Church of Candaba, Pampanga are three tombstone in the front step of the church. One of the tombstone has Chinese characters which denote a name and a place in Chinese: Jose Tecson - Jose Tecson: Hu Si Tek Sun Bu who passed 1728. The place in Chinese character is 'Immortal Torch'. Guangzhou, China is called 'Immortals City'.

• Joseph Yumul - Joseph Yumul

• Romi Garduca - Romi Garduce

• Pedro Tuazon - Pedro Tuazon (Solicitor General of the Philippines 1921)

See also

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga

External links

• Balanga City General Information
• Bataan National High School
• Filipino Community
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 1995 Philippine Census Information
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information