Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Bantay
—  Municipality  —
Map of Ilocos Sur showing the location of Bantay.
Bantay Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°35′05″N 120°23′21″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Ilocos Region (Region I)
Province	Ilocos Sur
District	1st District
Founded	1593
Barangays	34
Government
• Mayor	Samuel "Sammy" C. Parilla
Area
• Total	104.85 km2 (40.5 sq mi)
Population (2010)
• Total	35,439
• Density	338/km2 (875.4/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	2727
Income class	3rd class

Population Census of Bantay
Census	Pop.		Rate
1990	25,719		—
1995	28,128		1.8%
2000	30,519		1.77%
2007	33,174		1.16%

Bantay is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the latest census (2010), it has a population of 35,439 people in 6,001 households.

Barangays

Bantay is politically subdivided into 34 barangays.

Aggay An-annam Balaleng Banaoang Bulag Buquig Cabalanggan Cabaroan Cabusligan Capangdanan Guimod Lingsat

Malingeb Mira Naguiddayan Ora Paing Puspus Quimmarayan Sagneb Sagpat San Mariano (Sallacong) San Isidro

San Julian Sinabaan Taguiporo Taleb Tay-ac Barangay 1 (Pob.) Barangay 2 (Pob.) Barangay 3 (Pob.) Barangay 4 (Pob.) Barangay 5 (Pob.) Barangay 6 (Pob.)

Origin of the Municipality's Name

The municipality's name came from the fact that its patrons, Our Lady of Charity and Saint Augustine of Hippo, protect the town. The miraculous image was found onboard a ship standed somewhere along the Ilocos Coast during the Spanish Era. They enshrined and venerated the image in a chapel made from cogon grass and bamboo. Many other people from other towns came to claim the miraculous statue, but failed to even move it. Only people from the town can move the statue. As a result those who attempted to claim the miraculous statue went home, believing that the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Charity would remain forever to guard the place.

Another origin is that the municipality is bordered by the Carballo mountains, which forms a natural boundary between the town and neighboring Abra. "Bantay" is an Ilocano (and Tagalog) term meaning "mountain," and "guard."

History

The parish of Bantay was founded by the Spaniards in accordance with the Augustinian definitory of April 30, 1593. Other sources say that it was established by Father Juan Bautista de Montoya, its first parish priest, with Geronimo Cavero as his assistant. Another source tells that the Ministry of Bantay was founded in 1591.

At the time of the foundation of the municipality, Bantay had the following rancherias: Turod, Buked (Buquig), Karamayan, and Bantaoay (now the Municipality of San Ildefonso). It had the following visitas: Magsingal, Lapog, Santa, and at one time Santa Catalina, San Vicente and Santo Domingo. The territorial jurisdiction of Bantay was made permanent in 1721, through an agreement between the Augustinian Provincial and the Vicar General of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia. This agreement also put Santa Catalina, San Vicente, Caoayan and Santo Domingo under the jurisdiction of Vigan.

During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, Revolutionary troops, with support from Ilocano rebel fighters, defeated the Spanish Colonial troops and captured the town. It was taken by American Colonial forces during the Philippine-American War.

During World War II, the town was bombed by Japanese planes (December 1941) and was occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces in 1942. Ilocano guerrilla groups provided resistance against the Japanese until the liberation of the town in 1945 by local Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the 1st, 12th and 15th Infantry Divisions, and the USAFIP-NL 11th and 121st Infantry Regiments.

The barrios of Ora East and Ora Centro were burned to the ground in the '70s, in one of the most notorious acts done by the dreaded armed group known as the saka-saka (Ilocano term which literally means "barefooted").

Major Educational Institutions

• Saint Paul College of Ilocos Sur (formerly Rosary College) - the oldest privately-funded school in Ilocos Sur, founded by the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres in Vigan but has fully transferred to Bantay near its boundary with San Vicente

Communications and Mass media

Bantay, part of Metro Vigan, is the official address of the cable provider Eagle Vision which is the home of such cable channels: UPS-18, CORE TV, and Iluko Heritage Channel. ABS-CBN Vigan also holds their office address in Bantay.

TV Stations

• ABS-CBN: Channel 11 (Pending Request from NTC)
• Studio 23: Channel 34 (Pending Request from NTC)

Cable Providers & Cable Stations

• Eagle Vision CATV Systems
• UPS-18
• CORE TV
• Iluko Heritage Channel (IHC)

FM radio stations

• 98.9 DWIS J FM, owned by the Southern Broadcasting Network

Major Business Companies

• Agatep Group of Companies
• North Coast Hotel and Restaurant
• JTC Mall - Owned by the Javier Group of Companies, it is the biggest mall in the First District of Ilocos Sur
• Que Group of Companies

External links

• Pasyalang Ilocos Sur
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• 1995 Philippine Census Information
• 2000 Philippine Census Information
• 2007 Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System