| Flag Size: | 120x80px | ||
| Seal Size: | 80px | ||
| 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 | ||
| Named For: | Saint Barbara | ||
| Nickname: | Heritage Center of Western Visayas | ||
| Subdivision Type3: | District | ||
| Parts Type: | Barangays | ||
| Parts Style: | para | ||
| P1: | (see Barangays) | ||
| Leader Title: | Mayor | ||
| Leader Name: | Dennis S. Superficial | ||
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor | ||
| Leader Name1: | Isabelo J. Maquino | ||
| Leader Name2: | Michael B. Gorriceta | ||
| Leader Title3: | Municipal Council | ||
| Leader Title4: | Electorate | ||
| Leader Name4: | voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|) | ||
| Elevation Max M: | 134 | ||
| Elevation Min M: | 11 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Established Title: | Founded | ||
| Established Date: | 1617 | ||
Santa Barbara, officially the Municipality of Santa Barbara (hil|Banwa sang Santa Barbara, tl|Bayan ng Santa Barbara), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 67,630 people.
Santa Barbara is a part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area, centered on Iloilo City.
The Augustinian Archives, Vol. 17–18, which recorded the missionary achievements of the Augustinian missionaries, mentions that in 1617 the missionaries ministered a community then known as Catmon, a name derived from a fruit tree which was an imposing landmark, which sat on a rich and fertile plain traversed by the Salug (now Tigum) and Aganan rivers, producing rice, corn, sugar, mongo and tobacco. Then Catmon was only a “Visita Catmon” of Jaro vicariate.
In 1760, Catmon was established as an independent parish, whose patron saint was Santa Barbara and the settlement became a “pueblo” named after her. Its total population at the time was 15,094.
In 1845, its population was 19,719 and it covered an area which are now the Municipalities of Maasin, Janiuay, Cabatuan, Alimodian, San Miguel, Zarraga, New Lucena and parts of Leganes and Pavia.
When the Philippine Revolution broke out on Luzon in 1896, it did not spread immediately to Iloilo. The Spanish authorities thought that they could keep the Ilonggos loyal to Spain. Governador–General Basilio Agustin organized the Volunteer Militia in Iloilo to enlist Ilonggos to fight the Tagalog rebels. Being a “mestizo” and having occupied the highest office in his town, Martin Teofilo Delgado was appointed commander of the “voluntaries” in Santa Barbara.
Unknown to the Spaniards, however, Delgado had already become a “revolucionario”. On October 28, 1898, he publicly declared himself for the Revolution and seized the municipal building. The Revolutionary Government of the Visayas was organized and on November 17, 1898, was formally inaugurated at the town plaza of Santa Barbara. A large crowd hailing from many places across Iloilo gathered for the historic occasion. The Philippine flag was raised for the first time outside of Luzon.
The officials of the Revolutionary Government were Roque Lopez, president; Vicente Franco, vice president and secretary of the interior; Venancio Concepcion, secretary of finance; Ramon Avanceňa, secretary of state; Jovito Yusay, secretary of justice; Julio Hernandez, secretary of war; Fernando Salas, secretary general. General Martin T. Delgado was chosen General –in-Chief of the Revolutionary Forces.
Santa Barbara became the headquarters of the Revolutionary Forces and from here, Gen. Delgado launched the campaign to liberate the whole province which culminated in the surrender of Iloilo City by Governor-General de los Rios on December 24, 1898.
The victory against Spain was short-lived as the Philippine–American War followed. Gen. Delgado led the same army against Americans from 1899 to 1901. Delgado was forced to surrender on February 2, 1901.
Upon the establishment of the civil government, Martin Delgado was appointed as the first provincial Governor of Iloilo and was elected to the same position in the first elections held in 1903. Santa Barbara became a town under American regime and was incorporated into a municipality by the Commonwealth Government. The town soon began to progress.
In 1948, Barangay Tuburan-Solbud was transferred to Zarraga, Iloilo.[1]
Towards the end of the last term allowed to him by the Philippine Constitution,Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972.[2] This marked the beginning of a 14-year period of one-man rule, historically remembered for its human rights abuses[3] [4] [5] One of the prominent torture-related deaths during this period was that of 2lt Pablo G. Fernandez, who objected to martial law, and as a result was caught, detained, and summarily executed at an unspecified "military camp in Santa Barbara"[6]
Booming developments in Santa Barbara began after the opening of the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan in 2007, as Santa Barbara serves as a thoroughfare to Iloilo City. Developers, including Megaworld's Global-Estate Resorts, were drawn to Santa Barbara and invested in a mixed-use development near the airport. Santa Barbara is also poised to become a hub for provincial and regional government offices, as the Iloilo Provincial Government is gradually relocating government offices from Iloilo City to their new site in Santa Barbara, aiming to alleviate congestion in the city.[7] [8]
Santa Barbara has a land area of, ranks 29th as to size among the 42 municipalities of the province and occupies 1.5% of all lands in the Province of Iloilo. Almost 100% of Santa Barbara's land is cultivated and alienable or disposable.[9] It is from Iloilo City.
The topography of Santa Barbara varies from slightly rolling hills to almost flat or gradually inclined plains, sliced by Tigum River at its centremost, which flows from the north-west to the southeast and the Aganan River in the southern section.
Basically, Santa Barbara is an agricultural town with 84.75% or devoted to agriculture. The rolling hills, amounting to, are unsuitable to farming and are utilized as pasture and open grassland. The built-up areas within the poblacion and the barangay areas total or 8.761%. Also included in this category are the areas utilized for commercial, institutional purposes, parks and open space. Agro-industrial area is 101.928 has. or 1.315%, industrial area is .069 % or 5.330 has., utilities or roads comprise 150.853 has. or 1.946%. The area for the cemeteries is 4.720 has. or .061 % and bodies of water is 1.084% or 84 hectares.[9]
There is a distinct climate in this municipality, which is ideal for planting of multiple crops. It has a type “C” (moist) rain sufficiently distributed with almost 4 ½ dry months or first –type climate with two distinct seasons of six months.[9]
The average annual rainfall is . The average temperature is 27.9C. This municipality is not within the country's typhoon belt although tropical storms and occasional typhoons pass through it.[9]
Santa Barbara is politically subdivided into 60 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Migration occurred in the 20th century to Mindanao in the 1940s under Manuel Roxas who was from Panay. Thousands migrated throughout the 1940s and 1950s as part of a resettlement movement sponsored by the government. Today, many Santa Barbaranon are now living in Mindanao, with a huge presence in:
In the 2020 census, the population of Santa Barbara, Iloilo, was 67,630 people, with a density of NaNPD/km2NaNPD/km2.
The population of Santa Barbara mostly speaks Kinaray-a. Hiligaynon is also spoken as a secondary language. Tagalog and English are also spoken.
Santa Barbara is a major municipality with a high annual income within Metro Iloilo. It serves as a gateway to Iloilo City as it hosts the access road to Iloilo International Airport. The municipality is home to various large commercial establishments, including the newly opened Wilcon Depot, SUVIL Town Center, SM Savemore, and the upcoming Shophouse District. These commercial developments contribute to the economic growth of the area.
A significant project currently underway in Santa Barbara is the development of Santa Barbara Heights by Megaworld's Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. This 173ha mixed-use development encompasses residential, commercial, and office buildings, an international school, residential villages, and more. The project aims to enhance the town's livability and attract investment opportunities.
Moreover, Santa Barbara is set to become a hub for provincial and regional government offices. The new Iloilo Province Government Center, located in Barangay Bolong Oeste, will house offices such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and PhilHealth, among others. The government center will also feature commercial areas, including business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and hotels. There is a proposal to transfer the provincial capital from Iloilo City to Santa Barbara, as it is seen as a more strategic location for the whole province. This move aims to accelerate further development in the metropolitan area outside Iloilo City, fostering growth and progress in the region.[10]
The total road network is ; of which are barangay roads, provincial roads, municipal streets and national highways.
In July 2007, the new Iloilo International Airport, located in Cabatuan and Santa Barbara, Iloilo was opened to the public. As a result, access to air transportation has significantly improved. Before, the plying of taxis in the municipality is an uncommon sight to most Santa Barbaranhon's but with the construction and operation of the New Iloilo Airport the town started progressing economically more and more every year.
In the past few years, there have been proposals for the revival of the defunct Panay Railways, which would include a train station in Santa Barbara. It will re-connect the town to Iloilo City, Roxas City, and Malay, Aklan.[11]