Banga, Aklan

Banga, officially the Municipality of Banga (Aklanon: Banwa it Banga; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Banga; Bayan ng Banga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,318 people.

Banga is the site of the Aklan State University.

History


The history of Banga dates back to the 15th century upon arrival in Panay Island of the ten datus from Borneo. While some skeptics considered this information a legend, still, Banganhons believed that Datu Manduyog ruled over the place with his seat of government located in Bakan, the ancient name of Banga. The site was at the foot of the Manduyog Hill that was named after Datu Manduyog. Being a legitimate successor to Datu Dangandanan who ruled what was called Akean in the late 1390s, Datu Manduyog became the ruler of Akean in 1437 and made Bakan the capital of Akean.

Another version of Banga's history from Panublion cited that Banga's ancient site was the present location of the Municipality of Malinao. In 1792 the town site was transferred across the Aklan River at the foot of Manduyog Hill. Several prominent families decided to remain in the “old town” which became a barrio and named Malinao after a placid tributary of the Aklan River.

The families of Bernabe Teodosio, Diego Eulalio Teodosio, Esteban Masigon and the Muntuyas established a settlement in 1676 in what is now Sitio Opong-opong of Barrio Cupang. However, these families moved to a higher ground due to its closeness to the Aklan River that overflowed annually. In 1781 they settled in sitio Agbueakan in Barrio Tabayon.

Due to the clayish soil conditions of the sitio, they again decided to resettle in 1783 in what is now the location of Banga poblacion. They named the place Banga after the Banga palm trees that were in abundance. Because of their growing families they had to cut down most of the trees to give way to their layout plans to establish a town close to their farmlands for residential purposes.

American sovereignty over the country started on August 13, 1898. With the natives resisting foreign domination, a revolutionary association was organized. Hostilities between the natives and the Americans began but did not take long since the natives were ill-equipped.

The American hostilities ended upon the signing on March 29, 1901, of the “Pas de Aklan”, a historical document in the Aklan Section of the Province of Capiz. The signing was done at the present municipal park at the corner of Rizal and San Jose Streets.

From January 1, 1904, to December 31, 1911, Banga was merged with Numancia and Lezo to form an “arabal” of the Municipality of Kalibo. Through the efforts of Don Baltazar Teodosio, Banga was separated from Kalibo on January 1, 1912.

A year after, Francisco Lachica was elected the first Municipal President. The following were the leaders of the town from 1912 to 1945:

1912 − 1913    Baltazar Teodosio 1913 − 1916    Francisco Lachica 1916 − 1919    Jacinto Repiedad 1919 − 1925    Edecio Venturanza 1925 − 1931    Baltazar Teodosio 1931 − 1937    Pedro Recto 1937 − 1943    Lorenzo Duran 1943 − 1945    Ereneo Ocutanim

On April 17, 1942, at 2:00 o’clock in the morning, the Japanese Imperial Forces landed at Culasi, Capiz. An hour later the 5th Capiz Cadre at Libas, Banga, Aklan (now Camp Jizmundo) was burned down by the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Six hours later the Banga Rural High School, Banga Elementary School Building and Home Economics Building were likewise burned. About 95% of all the permanent structures in the Municipality of Banga were burned down both by the USAFFE and the Filipino guerrillas to prevent the Japanese Forces from occupying the buildings.

There was a surprising and infamous incident in Banga during the Japanese occupation. Civilians were massacred at 10:00 o’clock on October 21, 1942, at the junction of Rizal and Mabini Streets - now the Rotunda - and at the national road fronting the 5th Capiz Cadre at Libas, Banga. It was in these two places where civilians, who merely desired to please and welcome the Japanese forces, were ordered to squat and haplessly massacred. About 70 persons were killed. The Japanese soldiers conducted a further four-day operation killing about 200 more in order to paralyze the increasing guerrilla activities.

On March 18, 1945, after the landing of the American Liberation Forces in Panay, the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit appointed Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza as the first Municipal Mayor. The first elected Mayor after the Liberation was Mr. Jose Urquiola. He served from 1945 to 1951 and was succeeded by the following:

1951 − 1959    Atty. Vicente Teodosio 1959 − 1963    Dr. Napoleon Macahilig 1963 − 1971    Atty. Tomas Raz 1971 − 1986    Atty. Sergio Rigodon 1986 − 1995    Mr. Jose Urquiola, Jr. 1995 − 2004     Dr. Stevens Fuentes 2004 − 2007    Atty. Jeremy Fuentes 2007 − 2013    Mr. Antonio Maming 2013 − present Ms. Linda Maming

Geography
Banga is 9 km from Kalibo, the provincial capital.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 84.53 km2 constituting NaN% of the 1,821.42 km2 total area of Aklan.

Barangays
Banga is politically subdivided into 30 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Demographics
In the 2020 census, Banga had a population of 40,318. The population density was undefined PD/km2.

List of former local chief executives
The following headed the town from the American Period until the present under two different titles. On 18 March 1945, after the landing of the American Liberation Forces and Philippine Commonwealth troops in Panay, the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit appointed Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza as the first Municipal Mayor.

Municipal presidents:
 * 1899–uncertain — Francisco Lachica
 * 1904–1911 — None (town merged with Kalibo)
 * 1912–1913 — Baltazar Teodosio
 * 1913–1916 — Francisco Lachica
 * 1916–1919 — Jacinto Repiedad
 * 1919–1925 — Edecio Venturanza
 * 1925–1931 — Baltazar Teodosio
 * 1931–1937 — Pedro Recto
 * 1937–1943 — Lorenzo Duran
 * 1943–1945 — Ereneo Icotanim

Mayors:
 * 1945 — Dr. Boanerjes Venturanza (appointed)
 * 1945–1951 — José Urquiola
 * 1951–1959 — Atty. Vicente Teodosio
 * 1959–1963 — Dr. Napoleon Macahilig
 * 1963–1971 — Atty. Tomas Raz
 * 1971–1986 — Atty. Sergio Rigodon
 * 1986–1995 — José Urquiola, Jr.
 * 1995–2004 — Dr. Stevens Fuentes
 * 2004–2007 — Atty. Jeremy Fuentes
 * 2007–2013 — Antonio Maming
 * 2013–Present — Erlinda Maming

Attractions
At the religious sanctuary of Manduyog Hill, an annual pilgrimage is conducted on Good Friday. Devotees practise the 14 Stations of the Cross, pray the rosary, and light candles at each stop while climbing towards the peak where a 40m cross, sometimes lighted, is visible from due north to Kalibo and the nearby sea.