Balangiga

Balangiga (IPA: [ˌbalaŋˈhɪga]), officially the Municipality of Balangiga (Waray: Bungto han Balangiga; Tagalog: Bayan ng Balangiga), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 14,085 people. [3]

Balangiga
Municipality
Municipality of Balangiga
Balangiga Church
Map of Eastern Samar with Balangiga highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Balangiga
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°06′35″N 125°23′15″E
Country Philippines
RegionEastern Visayas (Region VIII)
ProvinceEastern Samar
DistrictLone District
Barangays13 (see Barangays)
Government
 [1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorRandy D. Graza
 • Vice MayorSamuel A. Enciso
 • RepresentativeMaria Fe R. Abunda
 • Councilors
 • Electorate10,501 voters (2019)
Area
 [2]
 • Total190.05 km2 (73.38 sq mi)
Elevation
31 m (102 ft)
Population
 (2015 census) [3]
 • Total14,085
 • Density74/km2 (190/sq mi)
 • Households
3,276
Economy
 • Income class4th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence39.65% (2015)[4]
 • Revenue₱70,096,358.23 (2016)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6812
PSGC
082602000
IDD : area code +63 (0)55
Climate typetropical rainforest climate
Native languagesWaray
Tagalog
Websitewww.balangiga-esamar.gov.ph

Balangiga is the site of the Balangiga Encounter in 1901, which remains one of the longest-running and most controversial issues of the Philippine–American War.

History

Balangiga Encounter and Bells
Further information: Balangiga massacre and Balangiga bells

During the Philippine-American War, on September 28, 1901, Eugenio Daza, Area Commander of Southeastern Samar and Valeriano Abanador, the Balangiga's police chief, launched an attack on U.S. Army Company C 9th Infantry Regiment who were occupying Balangiga. With Philippine Revolutionary Army forces and Balangiga villagers, killing 48 and wounding 22 of the 78 men of the unit, with only four escaping unhurt and four missing in action. The villagers captured about 100 rifles and 25,000 rounds of ammunition. An estimated 20 to 25 of them died in the fighting, with a similar number of wounded.[5]

Statue and Historical Market of Valeriano Abanador, Balangiga.
U.S. soldiers of Company C, 9th Infantry Regiment pose with one of the Balangiga bells seized as war trophy. Photo taken in Calbayog, Samar in April 1902.
The signal bell displayed in the Madison Barracks at Sackets Harbor, New York station of the 9th US Infantry Regiment at the turn of the 20th century. This bell was later moved to Camp Red Cloud in Korea.
Two bells exhibited at Fort D.A. Russel (now Francis E. Warren Air Force Base) c. 1910[6]

In reprisal, General Jacob H. Smith ordered that Samar be turned into a "howling wilderness" and that they shoot any Filipino male above ten years of age[5] who was capable of bearing arms. The American soldiers seized three church bells from the town church and moved them back to the United States as war trophies. The 9th Infantry Regiment maintained that the single bell in their possession was presented to the regiment by villagers when the unit left Balangiga on 9 April 1902. The bell had been actually given to them by the 11th Infantry Regiment, which had taken all three bells when they left Balangiga for Tacloban on 18 October 1901.[7]

Smith and his primary subordinate, Major Littleton Waller of the United States Marine Corps, were both court-martialled for illegal vengeance against the civilian population of Samar. Waller was acquitted of the charges. Smith was found guilty, admonished and retired from service, but charges were dropped shortly after. He was later hailed as a war hero.[8]

The bells were returned on December 11, 2018.[9]

Geography
The Balangiga Church at night

Balangiga is located on the southern coast of the island of Samar facing Leyte Gulf, and sits at the mouth of the Balangiga River. To the west lies the municipality of Lawaan, to the north is Llorente, and to the east are the municipalities of Quinapondan and Giporlos.

Barangays

Balangiga is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. [2]

  • Bacjao
  • Cag-olango
  • Cansumangcay
  • Guinmaayohan
  • Poblacion I
  • Poblacion II
  • Poblacion III
  • Poblacion IV
  • Poblacion V
  • Poblacion VI
  • San Miguel
  • Santa Rosa
  • Maybunga

Climate
Climate data for Balangiga, Eastern Samar
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 29
(84)		 30
(86)		 30
(86)		 29
(84)		 29
(84)		 28
(82)		 29
(84)
Average low °C (°F) 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 23
(73)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 24
(75)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 23
(74)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 90
(3.5)		 67
(2.6)		 82
(3.2)		 70
(2.8)		 97
(3.8)		 145
(5.7)		 152
(6.0)		 127
(5.0)		 132
(5.2)		 152
(6.0)		 169
(6.7)		 144
(5.7)		 1,427
(56.2)
Average rainy days 17.0 13.5 16.0 16.5 20.6 24.3 26.0 25.4 25.2 26.4 23.0 21.1 255
Source: Meteoblue [10]

Demographics
Population census of Balangiga
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 4,914—    
1918 10,125+4.94%
1939 19,858+3.26%
1948 21,621+0.95%
1960 8,215−7.75%
1970 9,538+1.50%
1975 8,474−2.34%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1980 9,559+2.44%
1990 9,565+0.01%
1995 11,100+2.83%
2000 10,662−0.86%
2007 12,428+2.14%
2010 12,756+0.95%
2015 14,085+1.91%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [3] [11] [12][13]

In the 2015 census, the population of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, was 14,085 people, [3] with a density of 74 inhabitants per square kilometre or 190 inhabitants per square mile.

Transportation

Balangiga can be reached through public utility vans and buses from Tacloban City. Pedicabs (potpot), tricycles, and habal-habal by the means of inner town transportation.

Education

Balangiga has 9 public elementary schools, namely:

  • Balangiga Central Elementary School
  • Bacjao Elementary School
  • Bangon Elementary School
  • Cag-olango Elementary School
  • Cansumangkay Elementary School
  • Guinmaayohan Elementary School
  • Maybunga Elementary School
  • San Miguel Elementary School
  • Santa Rosa Elementary School

Has 1 public secondary school:

  • Southern Samar National Comprehensive High School

Has 1 private secondary school:

  • MSH Sisters Academy Balangiga

Daughter Towns

The municipalities of Lawaan, Giporlos, and Quinapondan were former barangays of the municipality of Balangiga.

See also

References
  1.  Municipality of Balangiga | (DILG)
  2. "Province: Eastern Samar". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  3. Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  4. "PSA releases the 2015 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Quezon City, Philippines. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  5. Bautista, Veltisezar. "The Balangiga, Samar, Massacre". Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  6. Dobson, G. B. "Fort D. A. Russell Photos". Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  7. Robson, Seth (7 July 2004). "Book casts doubt on bell's history". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 21 March 2008.
  8. "Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902: A Working Bibliography". Ibiblio.org. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  9. "US returns looted Balangiga church bells to Philippines". BBC. 15 December 2018.
  10. "Balangiga, Eastern Samar : Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  11. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  12. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
  13. "Province of Eastern Samar". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.