Pototan Explained

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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
Native Name:Banwa ka Pototan
Nickname:Rice Granary and Christmas Capital of Western Visayas
Subdivision Type3:District
Established Title:Founded
Established Date:1593
Parts Type:Barangays
Parts Style:para
P1: (see Barangays)
Leader Name:Rafael Enrique P. Lazaro
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Tomas M. Peñaflorida
Leader Name2:Lorenz R. Defensor
Leader Title3:Municipal Council
Leader Title4:Electorate
Leader Name4: voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|)
Elevation Max M:59
Elevation Min M:12
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Households
Population Demonym:Filipino

Taga-Pototan
Kinaray-a: Pototanon
Hiligaynon: Pototanon

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
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Blank3 Name Sec2:Catholic diocese
Blank4 Name Sec2:Patron saint

Pototan (Banwa ka Pototan, Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Pototan, Tagalog: Bayan ng Pototan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 78,298 people.

The town lies on the banks of the Suage River, north from Iloilo City. The town has an area of 94 km2, 85% of which is agricultural land. In December 1997, it was declared as the "Christmas Capital of Western Visayas" because of its famed Christmas Festival of Lights.

Considered the rice granary of Panay, the town is bordered by Dingle to the north, Zarraga to the south, Barotac Nuevo to the east, New Lucena, Iloilo and Mina to the west.

History

Early history

The first people of Pototan were the family of Datu Ramon, grandson of Datu Puti, a Malay from the town of Dumangas. They first settled at Barangay Naslo, which was formerly the poblacion (town center). In that place was found a luxuriant growth of trees called "putat", after which the place was subsequently called "Kaputatan" or "place of many Putat trees." However, due to its hilly terrain and poor water supply, they decided to move nearer the bank of the Suage River, now called Pototan.

In the middle of the 16th century, the Chinese traders arrived in Pototan.

Spanish era

The arrival of the Spaniards in 1593 sparked new changes in the socio-economic and political life of the natives. It was the start of a new era, the natives were converted to Catholicism through the efforts of Augustinian Friars. The settlement was subsequently made into a Parish. Education, though at the onset only for the privileged few, was introduced. The name "Kaputatan", which the Spanish have difficulty pronouncing, was changed to "Pototan".

The Spanish built roads and bridges. Don Tomas Sajen and Don Escribano supervised the construction of the Tribunal (municipal hall) with the natives contributing the labor. The Tribunal withstood World War II and in the early 50s was modified into what is now the Western Visayas Hospital.

In 1874, Pototanons began to run their own political affairs with the appointment of Don Juan Marcelo as the first Capitan Municipal. This form of government continued until the arrival of the Americans.

During the incumbency of Capitan Municipal Braulio Peñaranda in 1891, there was a cholera outbreak.

During the Philippine Revolution, Pototanons such as Teresa Magbanua (known as the Joan of arc of the Visayas[1]) and her two brothers, Elias and Pascual Magbanua took up arms and joined the revolution.

The Americans arrived after Spain ceded Philippines to the United States in 1898. The remaining Spanish population fled to the hills together with many Filipinos including the last Gobernadorcillio, Don Maurilio Mendoza. He was later held prisoner by the Americans but subsequently named the first Municipal President.

American era

Under the Americans, the natives were granted the freedom of speech and worship. Education was liberalized; more and better roads and bridges were constructed. Improvements were also noticed in the economic, social and cultural life of the people.

During the incumbency of Mun. President Maurillo Mendoza, the Pototanons again witnessed another unforgettable event: the burning of the entire half of the poblacion in November 1914. The cause of the fire is unknown.

When the Philippine Constitution was ratified in 1935, another change in the town's local governance was introduced: the title of Municipal President was changed to Municipal Mayor. Santiago Puig was the first Municipal Mayor. He was succeeded by Mariano Peñaflorida in 1940. Peñaflorida served until September 16, 1942.

World War II

The coming of the Japanese during World War II spread chaos and fear among Pototanons. Mayor Peñaflorida continued to act as Mayor under the Free Revolutionary Government of Tomas Confesor while the Japanese Imperial Forces designated Tomas Ferrariz as Puppet Mayor.

Geography

Barangays

Pototan is politically subdivided into 50 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Pototan, Iloilo, was 78,298 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2. Karay·a is the primary language in the municipality.[2]

Education

Private Schools

Tertiary

Secondary

Primary

Government

List of chief executives

Gobernadorcillos

Order Name Years in Office
1 Juan Marcelo 1774
2 Juan Dato-on 1775
3 ? Mangungud 1776
4 Tomás Codese 1777
5 Esteban Balas 1778
6 Juan Figueroa 1779
7 Juan Marcelo 1780
8 Agustín Diego 1781
9 Pedro Suganag 1782
10 Diego Magbanua 1783
11 Juan Figueroa 1784
12 Salvador Fiharon 1785
13 Francisco Zabia 1786
14 Juan Figueroa 1787
Juan Figueroa1788
15 Agustín Aliso 1789
16Miguel Pérez1790
17Tomás Antesa1791
18Juan Figueroa1792
19Juan Cordero1793
20Silvestre Feliciano1794
21Antonio Mosquera1795
22Juan Faustino1796
23Miguel Jacinto1797
24José Amador1798
25Juan Macario1799
26Fulgencio Felipe1800
27Juan Miguel1801
28Alejandro Tingson1802
29Agustín Bolívar1803
30Nicolás Oberio 1804
31Gregorio Mariano1805
32Julián Narciso1806
33Fernando Casumpang1807
34Fernando Macario1808
35José Belarmino1809
36Fulgencio Bernardo1810
37Mariano Fausto1811
38Miguel Jacinto1812
39Fernando Casumpang1813
40Fernando Macario1814
41Francisco Samas1815
42José Ynocencio1816
43Juan Faustino1817
44Juan Dionisio1818
45Juan Domingo1819
46Juan Faustino1820
47Juan Apolinario Delgado1821
48Juan Felipe Álvarez1822
49Francisco Pedro1823
50Francisco Luciano1824
51Mariano de la Cruz1825
52Juan Francisco1826
53Domingo Tecson1827
54Mariano de la Cruz1828
55Bernardo Macario1829
56Fernando Faustino1830
57Antonio Bolívar1831
58Agustín Bostrano1832
59Juan Bartolomé 1833
60Francisco Luciano1834
61Castro Bolívar1835
62Domingo Nerio1836
63Lucas Bolívar1837
64Salvador Ortega1838
65Gregorio Marcelo1839
66Antonio de Padua1840
67Juan Ilisan1841
68Juan Franco1842
69Gregorio Casimero1843
70Juan Hipólito1844
71Mateo Remigio1845
72Fernando Casumpang1846
73? Peñafort1847
74Blas ?1848
75Fernando Felipe1849
76Manuel Erarco1850
77José Tecson1851
José Tecson1852
78Ambrosio Cordero1853
79Francisco Catequista1854
80Juan Apolinario1855
81Domingo Prudente1856
82Benito Ferrariz1857
83Nicolás Casumpang1858
84Antonio Tingson1859
85Bartolomé Magbanua1860
86Antonio Peremne1861
87Benito Ferrariz1862-1863
88Borromeo Penero1864-1865
89Esteban Peñaranda1866
90Dámaso Pineda1867-1868
Dámaso Pineda1869
91Benito Ferrariz1870-1871
92Alejo Pineda1872-1873
93Nicolasito Paranga1874-1875
94Felipe Parreño1876-1877
95José Mendoza1878
96Cayetano Bolívar1879
97León Fernando Nograles1880-1881
98Vicente Parreñas1882
99Justo Nograles1883
100Barcelio Peñaranda1884
101Pedro Belasa1885
102Cayetano Bolívar1886-1887
103Vicente Peñaflorida1888
104Tomás Pulmones1889
105Cayetano Bolívar1890-1891
106Hilario Magbanua1892-1893

Capitán municipal

In 1893, the Maura Law was passed to reorganize town governments with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous. The law changed the title of chief executive of the town from gobernadorcillo to capitán municipal.[3]

Order Name Years in Office
107 Julián Ubaldo 1894
108Maurilio Mendoza1895-1900

Presidentes & vice presidentes municipal

Order Presidente municipalYears in OfficeOrderVice presidente municipalYears in Office
109Mariano Peñaflorida1900-19041
110Rafael Parcon1904-1906
111Magdaleno Silva 1906-1907
112Ceferino Palabrica1907-1908
113Matias Yusay 1908-1909
114Ceferino Palabrica 1909-1913
115Generoso Solinap1913-1916
116Tomás Peñaflorida 1916-1919
117Primitivo Ledesma 1919-1922Paulino Pérez
118Manuel Mendoza 1922-1925
119Generoso Solinap1925-1928
120Sofronio Daguay1928-1931
121Nemesio Cordero1931-1933

Municipal Mayors

Order MayorYears in OfficeOrderVice-mayorYears in Office
122Fernando Parcon1933-1936Silverio Quesaba
123Mariano Peñaflorida1936-1945
Tomás Ferrariz (Japanese Puppet Mayor)1942-1945
124Fortunato Camarista1946-1951
125Roque Mosquera1951
126Fortunato Camarista1952-1955
127Florentino Perez1956-1960
128Santiago Puig1960-1962
129Manuel Parcon1963-1998
130Licurgo Tirador1998-2001Peter Parcon
131Manuel Parcon2001-2002Pablo Perez
132Pablo Perez2002-2013
133Tomas Peñaflorida2013-2019Joselito Romualdo Ilisan
134Rafael Enrique Lazaro2019–present

Municipal officials

The elected municipal officials of the local government unit of Pototan, Iloilo for 2022-2025.

Local Government Unit of Pototan
Representative
Lorenz R. Defensor (NUP)
Mayor
Rafael Enrique P. Lazaro (NUP)
Vice Mayor
Tomas M. Peñaflorida (NUP)
Sangguniang Bayan Members
Paolo Lorenzo L. Tirador (NUP)Donnabelle S. Mendoza (AKSYON)
Romualdo Joselito M. Ilisan (AKSYON)Ma. Concepcion Q. Dayot-Sumergido (NUP)
Kirk P. Pedrajas (AKSYON)Nonito Q. Pasuelo Jr. (AKSYON)
Grace P. Abul-Lim (AKSYON)Eugenio Rodrigo J. Palu-ay (NUP)
ABC President
Sherwin S. Peñaranda
SK Federation President
Verna Angelique G. Pastolero

External links

Notes and References

  1. Cook, Bernard A. (2006). Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present. ABC-CLIO. p. 465. .
  2. Aspect in Pototan Kinaray-a. Sosa Peña. Andrew Rey. 2019. 10.13140/RG.2.2.31348.91520.
  3. Book: Laurel . José . Local government in the Philippine Islands . 1926 . Manila: La Pilarica Press . 30, 36–37.