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Balabac, officially the Municipality of Balabac (Tagalog: Bayan ng Balabac), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,527 people. [3]

Balabac Tagbariri
Municipality
Municipality of Balabac
Benlen Sandbar
Seal
Map of Palawan with Balabac highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Balabac Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 7°59′N 117°03′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Palawan
District	2nd district
Founded	1957
Barangays	20 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Shuaib J. Astami
• Vice Mayor	Al-Hazni A. Astami
• Representative	Jose Alvarez
• Municipal Council	Members Fatima Ariesa Ulyzziz U. Hussin Rabbana B. Ami Alkhases K. Omar Salamia A. Asli Madsabbri H. Leging Rudy A. Mohammad-Ain Abdul Aziz S. Astami Cherry-lyn S. Hamja
• Electorate	22,776 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	581.60 km2 (224.56 sq mi)
Elevation	4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Highest elevation	1,035 m (3,396 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	42,527
• Density	73/km2 (190/sq mi)
• Households	8,411
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	29.74% (2018)[4]
Service provider
• Electricity	Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5307
PSGC	175304000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)48
Native languages	Molbog Kagayanen Palawano Tagalog

The municipality consists of some 36 islands,[5] including the eponymous Balabac Island. The islands are notable for their uncommon indigenous plant and animal species, such as the nocturnal Philippine mouse-deer (or Pilandok). The islands are also home to dugongs, saltwater crocodiles, sawfishes, and sea turtles. Due to its biodiversity, the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Balabac archipelago are currently being pushed by scholars to be included in the tentative list of the Philippines for a possible UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination in the future.

History

Balabac was converted from a municipal district to a full municipality in 1957. Before that, it was a barrio of neighboring Bataraza.[6]

Cape Melville Lighthouse

The Cape Melville Lighthouse, located on the island of Balabac, is one of the Philippines oldest lighthouses built in 1892[7] during the Spanish era and a major landmark of the town.

Geography

Not considering the disputed Spratly Islands, the municipality is the westernmost point in the Philippines. It is separated from Sabah by the Balabac Strait.

Islands

The municipality of Balabac is composed of a group of 36 major and minor islands, notable of which are the following:

Shoals and Sandbars

The municipality of Balabac is composed of various islands located at the Balabac Strait. The strait is known for its shallow waters due to the presence of shoals and numerous sandbars. Balabac has the third and fourth longest sandbars in the Philippines. The third longest is Queen Helen Sandbar at the southern tip of Bugsuk and the fourth is the Angela Sandbar east of Mansalangan.[8]

Barangays

Balabac is politically subdivided into 20 barangays:

Climate

Balabac has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with moderate rainfall from February to May and heavy rainfall in the remaining months.

Demographics

Population census of Balabac

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1918 2,109 —     1939 2,760 +1.29% 1948 3,355 +2.19% 1960 4,591 +2.65% 1970 7,912 +5.59% 1975 11,152 +7.13% 1980 15,044 +6.17%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 20,056 +2.92% 1995 21,677 +1.47% 2000 25,257 +3.33% 2007 29,622 +2.22% 2010 35,758 +7.09% 2015 40,142 +2.23% 2020 42,527 +1.14%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [10] [11] [12][13]

In the 2020 census, the population of Balabac was 42,527 people, [3] with a density of 73 inhabitants per square kilometre or 190 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Culture

The Molbog people dominate the municipality of Balabac, as well as the municipality of Bataraza in the north. The area is the homeland of the Molbog people since the classical era prior to Spanish colonization. The Molbog are known to have a strong connection with the natural world, especially with the sacred pilandok (Philippine mouse-deer), which can only be found in the Balabac islands. An indigenous folktale tells the story of a naughty Philippine mouse-deer that tricked a prince into giving up his bag of gold while facing a hive of angry bees.[21] Another tale depicts him as a clever guardian of the environment, using his wisdom as an advantage against those who destroy forests, seas, and wildlife.[22] The coconut is especially important in Molbog culture at it is their most prized agricultural crop.[23]

Transportation

Balabac is a three-hour boat trip from Bataraza on the island of Palawan; Bataraza in turn can be reached from Palawan's capital city Puerto Princesa.

An old airstrip located on the island of Bugsuk serves no commercial flights. Another private airstrip is located on the island of Ramos.

Healthcare

• Balabac District Hospital is situated in Barangay Catagupan

References

External links

• Balabac Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System

На других языках

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[de] Balabac

Balabac ist eine philippinische Insel und Stadtgemeinde in der Provinz Palawan. Sie hat 40.142 Einwohner (Zensus 1. August 2015). In der Gemeinde befindet sich ein Campus der Palawan State University. Bei der gleichnamigen Insel wurde 1993 das Schiffswrack von Pandanan entdeckt.

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- [en] Balabac, Palawan

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