| Flag Size: | 120x80px | ||
| Seal Size: | 120x80px | ||
| Image Map1: |
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| Pushpin Map: | Philippines | ||
| Pushpin Label Position: | left | ||
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within the | ||
| Subdivision Type: | Country | ||
| Subdivision Name: | Philippines | ||
| Subdivision Type1: | Region | ||
| Subdivision Type2: | Province | ||
| Nicknames: | Bataan Capital City; Bataan University Town | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Established Title: | Founded | ||
| Established Date: | 1712 | ||
| Established Title1: | Cityhood | ||
| Established Date1: | December 30, 2000 | ||
| Parts Type: | Barangays | ||
| Parts Style: | para | ||
| P1: | (see Barangays) | ||
| Leader Name: | Francis Anthony S. Garcia | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Leader Name1: | Vianca Lita V. Gozon | ||
| Leader Name2: | Jose Enrique S. Garcia III | ||
| Leader Title3: | City Council | ||
| Leader Title4: | Electorate | ||
| Leader Name4: | voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|) | ||
| Elevation Max M: | 1403 | ||
| Elevation Min M: | -1 | ||
| Population Density Km2: | auto | ||
| Population Blank1 Title: | Households | ||
| Timezone: | PST | ||
| Utc Offset: | +8 | ||
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code | ||
| Demographics Type1: | Economy | ||
| Demographics1 Title2: | Poverty incidence | ||
| Demographics1 Info2: | % | ||
| Demographics1 Title3: | Revenue | ||
| Demographics1 Title4: | Revenue rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title5: | Assets | ||
| Demographics1 Title6: | Assets rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title7: | IRA | ||
| Demographics1 Title8: | IRA rank | ||
| Demographics1 Title9: | Expenditure | ||
| Demographics1 Title10: | Liabilities | ||
| Demographics Type2: | Service provider | ||
| Demographics2 Title1: | Electricity | ||
| Demographics2 Title2: | Water | ||
| Demographics2 Title3: | Telecommunications | ||
| Demographics2 Title4: | Cable TV | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec1: | Native languages | ||
| Blank2 Name Sec1: | Crime index | ||
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Major religions | ||
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Feast date | ||
| Blank3 Name Sec2: | Catholic diocese | ||
| Blank4 Name Sec2: | Patron saint | ||
Balanga (pronounced in Tagalog pronounced as /bɐˈlaŋa/), officially the City of Balanga (Filipino; Pilipino: Lungsod ng Balanga), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 104,173 people. It is southwest of San Fernando, Pampanga (the regional center of Central Luzon) and northwest of Manila (Philippines' capital city). Balanga joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2015.
The word Balanga originates from the Kapampangan word "balañga" (clay pot, or "banga" in Tagalog), which the town used to produce and which were among the best that can be found in the country.
Balanga was formerly a village of Abucay before it was established as a mission of the Dominican Order in the Provincial Charter 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 Governor-General Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban due to its favorable location at the heart of the new territorial jurisdiction.
On December 30, 2000, Balanga was inaugurated as a city by virtue of Republic Act 8984 authored by Congressman Enrique "Tet" Garcia.[1]
The city has extended its urban fringe to the 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. Consequently, with the expansion of the physical limits of the urban core, as well as the expected large increases in population, and the city's 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.[2]
Balanga City is primarily a residential-agricultural city, with a rapidly growing commercial sector. It has a total land area of, which comprises 8.13% of the total land area of Bataan. It is located at the eastern part of the province of Bataan and lies in the southwestern part of Central Luzon. It is bounded inland by the municipality of Abucay in the north, Pilar in the south, the municipalities of Bagac and Morong in the west and Manila Bay in the east. Balanga is from Manila by land and about by ferry to Manila.[3]
Balanga is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
The population of Balanga in the 2020 census was 104,173 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.
The City of Balanga has a total area of of land classified for agricultural use. of irrigated land, and upland, are utilized for crops production. In 2017, of rice were produced.[4]
The city classified of land to be utilized for aquaculture. It is composed of of coastal marine area, of brackish water fishpond and of freshwater fishpond. A total of of marine products with an annual average of per hectare are produced from freshwater fishponds with tilapia is the most common specie cultured. For brackish water fishponds, are produced with an average of per hectare. Some of the species cultured in brackish water are bangus (milkfish), sugpo, vannamei shrimp and alimango (mud crab).
Balanga is well known for its smoked and dried fish products under the One Town One Product (OTOP) program. For the year 2017, there are ninety-nine (99) fish processors in the city mostly located in villages of Tortugas, Sibacan, Puerto Rivas Ibaba and Villa Lina in Barangay Tenejero.
The City of Balanga, while still predominantly agricultural is currently experiencing an accelerated growth in commercial sector. As capital of Bataan, it is the prime commercial hub in the province. Business enterprises are mainly wholesale and retail, servicing, construction, insurance, financing and manufacturing. Retail and trading comprise the largest number of business establishments in this city. Several shopping centers are located in the city, notably SM City Bataan, Vista Mall Bataan, Waltermart Balanga, Capitol Square, Galeria Victoria, Center Plaza Mall, Recar Commercial Complex and Ocampo's Megastore. While Robinsons Place Balanga City's construction is expected to start.
In 2008, of the city's central district was declared as a "University Town" through City Ordinance No. 21, Series of 2008. It aims to encourage the development of Balanga as an emerging hub for start-ups and technology-related businesses in the Philippines.[5]
The city is one of the twenty-five (25) emerging digital hubs identified by The Digital Cities 2025 program by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), and Leechiu Property Consultants, Inc. (LPC).[6] It hosts several business process outsourcing (BPO) companies such as Genpact, Boston-based start-up Botkeeper, and Australia-based Yoonet.
To further improve its revenue generation capability, the City Government entered into several public–private partnership (PPP) projects, such as the Galeria Victoria, the Plaza Property which develops the city's main plaza, and the Capitol Square mall.
See main article: Sangguniang Panglungsod. Pursuant to the Local government in the Philippines",[7] [8] the political seat of the municipal government is located at the City Hall. In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Gobernadorcillo is the Chief Executive who holds office in the Presidencia. During the period of American rule (1898–1946) (History of the Philippines (1898-1946)), the elected Mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones, hold office at the Municipal Town or City Hall. The legislative and executive departments perform their functions in the Sangguniang Panglungsod (Session Hall) and the Regional and Metropolitan Trial Courts, respectively, and are located in the second floor of the City Hall and in the Halls of Justice.
| Position | Name of official |
|---|---|
| District Representative (2nd Legislative District, Bataan) | Jose Enrique S. Garcia III |
| City Mayor | Francis S. Garcia |
| City Vice Mayor | Vianca Lita V. Gozon |
| City Councilors | Noel Valdecañas |
| Jett Nisay | |
| Vic Baluyot | |
| Elmo Sanchez | |
| Hubert Pizarro | |
| Karl Paguio | |
| Joy Panganiban | |
| Carding Magpantay | |
| Tony Tranate | |
| Benjie Meriño | |
The City administration envisions the City of Balanga as U-Town, a World Class University Town in 2020 (City Ordinance No. 21, Series of 2008, "Declaring the eighty point forty-two (80.42) hectares at the city's central district as University Town in the City of Balanga, Bataan").[9]
Balanga listed a 'Record-Breaking' P6B Investments In 2012.Balanga City won the 1st Robredo ICT Awards.[10]
| Mayor | Term | |
|---|---|---|
| Tomas B. Gallardo | 1901–1903 | |
| Angel Mendoza | 1903–1907 | |
| Antonio Tuason Sr. | 1907–1909 | |
| Amado de Leon | 1909–1916 | |
| Jose P. Banzon | 1916–1919 | |
| Venacio Banzon | 1919–1928 | |
| Antonio Tuason Sr. (2nd Term) | 1928–1931 | |
| Venacio Banzon (2nd Term) | 1931–1934 | |
| Mariano Batungbacal | 1934–1937 | |
| Mariano Herrera | 1938–1942 | |
| Mariano Batungbacal (2nd Term) | 1942–1943 | |
| Numeriano Quindoy | 1943–1944 | |
| Carlos Y. Gonzales | 1944–1945 | |
| Mariano Herrera (2nd Term) | 1945–1946 | |
| Jose N. Gonzales | 1946–1947 | |
| Graciano Pastorfide | 1947 | |
| Pedro R. Dizon | 1948–1951 | |
| Crispulo Torrico | 1951 | |
| Faustino V. Vigo | 1952–1955 | |
| Pedro R. Dizon (2nd Term) | 1956–1959 | |
| Emilio Bernabe | 1960–1963 | |
| Vicente Malibiran | 1964–1967 | |
| Teodoro Camacho III | 1968–1971 | |
| Third libunao | 1972–1979 | |
| Teodoro R. Alonzo | 1980–1986 | |
| Teodoro Camacho III (2nd Term) | 1986–1987 | |
| Melanio S. Banzon Jr. | 1988–1998 | |
| Albert S. Garcia | 1998–2004 | |
| Melanio S. Banzon Jr. (2nd Term) | 2004–2007 | |
| Jose Enrique Garcia III | 2007–2016 |
List of accredited transport cooperatives as of January 2021:[14]
Access to health services in the city is adequate with the presence of one government owned general hospital and four private hospitals.
The City of Balanga also has one City Health Office (CHO) and four (4) functional PhilHealth-accredited Rural Health Units (RHU). RHU 1 in San Jose houses the Basic Emergency Maternal and New Born Care Facility. While the Newborn Screening (NBS) facility is located in RHU 3 in Barangay Cupang Proper. RHU 4 in Barangay Tenejero is the newest, established in March 2017. These government-owned facilities provide free pre-natal, delivery and post natal services, family planning, women's health and safe motherhood counseling, control of diarrheal diseases, expanded program on immunization, control of acute respiratory illness, TB Dots clinic, diabetic clinic and STD AIDS social hygiene clinic. These are augmented by 22 smaller barangay health stations and one Dental Bus making health care more accessible to a greater number of the city residents. Numerous privately owned medical facilities can also be found all over the city. These include 19 medical and 19 dental clinics, 14 laboratory and diagnostic centers and 10 beauty and skin care facilities.[17]
Being a Hall of Fame Awardee of the Department of Health's Red Orchid Award, the City of Balanga is strictly implementing the Smoke-Free Policy. Regular anti–smoking campaign for colleges, university and schools, and orientation on health ordinances are conducted regularly across the city. The Comprehensive No Smoking Ordinance of the City of Balanga prohibits the sale, distribution, usage, and promotion of all tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) also known as "vape", within the declared University Town area and within the three (3) kilometers radius of the city.
To ensure and expand the city's strong advocacy for 100% tobacco-free environment, the City Government launched the Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) Campaign last December 2015. It is intended to secure the Millennials’ (those who were born from the year 2000 and onwards) commitment to not smoke. With this program, the City of Balanga was awarded with “World Health Recognition for Heath Cities Best Practice, Youth Engagement to Promote Tobacco Control” last August 29, 2016.
Balanga City is the educational center of the province of Bataan. It currently has one state-owned university and several private colleges offering Baccalauréat degrees in accountancy, business administration, entrepreneurship, computer science and information technology, teaching, engineering, architecture, and health.
Bataan Peninsula State University, a state-owned institution, has its two biggest campuses located in the city: the main campus in the capitol compound, and a satellite campus located in downtown area.
Tomas del Rosario College is one of the oldest private educational institutions in the city. It is located in the Capitol Drive in Barangay San Jose. The other private colleges in the city include Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies, Eastwoods Professional College of Science and Technology (formerly SOFTNET College of Science and Technology), Bataan Heroes Memorial College, Microcity Computer College and St. Joseph's College.
Other higher educational institutions in the city of Balanga include: AMA Computer Learning Center, Philippine Women's University-CDCEC Bataan, Bataan Maritime Institute, and Proclesia International Incorporated.
The city hosts the biggest public secondary school in the province, Bataan National High School. Other public secondary schools present are Balanga City National Science High School, City of Balanga National High School and the Bataan Integrated School. While 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 Colleges of Balanga.