Balanga City is a second class city in the province of Bataan, Region III -
Central LuzonCentral Luzon , also known as Region III , is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon , for administrative convenience...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. 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 Cong. Enrique "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.
Barangays
Balanga City is politically subdivided into 25
barangayA barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
s.
- 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
BataanBataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
. 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 UniversityBataan Peninsula State University is the first and only state university in the province of Bataan of the Philippines.-History:The Bataan Peninsula State University was established by Republic Act 9403 which was signed into law on 22nd of March 2007....
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 CollegeTomas del Rosario College is a private college in the Philippines.It was formerly known as Tomas del Rosario Academy. It became a college in 1994. At one time the college was the most popular school in Balanga. Students from this school are called "del Rosarians".Tomas del Rosario College is the...
is one of the oldest private educational institutions in the city. It is located at the Capitol Drive in
BarangayA barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
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 CollegeTomas del Rosario College is a private college in the Philippines.It was formerly known as Tomas del Rosario Academy. It became a college in 1994. At one time the college was the most popular school in Balanga. Students from this school are called "del Rosarians".Tomas del Rosario College is the...
along Capitol Drive and STI College Balanga in Barangay Poblacion.
Other higher educational institutions in the city of Balanga include
AMAAMA Computer University , formerly AMA Computer College, was the first ICT University in Asia. The University serves as the flagship brand of the AMA Education System....
Computer Learning Center – Balanga,
Philippine Women's UniversityThe Philippine Women's University is a non-sectarian academic institution for men and women in the Philippines, founded in 1919 as the Philippine Women's College by Filipino women who envisioned a school that would prepare young women for leadership and service...
- CDCEC Bataan, and Proclesia International Inc.
The city is also a host to the biggest public secondary school in the province, the
BataanBataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
National High School. The other notable public secondary schools in the city are the laboratory high school of
Bataan Peninsula State UniversityBataan Peninsula State University is the first and only state university in the province of Bataan of the Philippines.-History:The Bataan Peninsula State University was established by Republic Act 9403 which was signed into law on 22nd of March 2007....
, 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 CollegeTomas del Rosario College is a private college in the Philippines.It was formerly known as Tomas del Rosario Academy. It became a college in 1994. At one time the college was the most popular school in Balanga. Students from this school are called "del Rosarians".Tomas del Rosario College is the...
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.
Famous People from Balanga
- Joseph Yumul
- Romi Garduce
Romeo "Romi" Garduce He finished His High School at Tomas del Rosario College, who sometimes goes by the nickname "Garduch", is a Filipino mountain climber and works as an IT Professional in Procter and Gamble Philippines...
- Pedro Tuazon
Born in Balanga, Bataan on 15 September 1884 to Clemente Tuazon and Josefa Tiangco, Pedro Tuazon attended the public school in his town and at an escuela de segunda ensenanza...
(Solicitor General of the Philippines 1921)
External links