Oton, officially the Municipality of Oton ([ɔˈtɔn]; Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Oton, Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Oton, Tagalog: Bayan ng Oton), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 98,509 people making it as the most populous town in the province and the entire Panay island. [3]

Oton Ogtong
Municipality
Municipality of Oton
Seal
Nickname:  Second oldest Spanish settlement in the Philippines
Motto:  Banwang Panganay of Western Visayas
Map of Iloilo with Oton highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Oton Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°41′35″N 122°28′25″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Iloilo
District	1st district
Founded	1566
Formal town establishment	May 3, 1572
Barangays	37 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Sofronio Fusin Jr.
• Vice Mayor	Jose Neil Olivares
• Representative	Janette L. Garin
• Municipal Council	Members Anna Rena P. Trespeses Grace Marie S. Escanlar-Cruz Eusebio G. Villavicencio Jr. Dennis Q. Geroche Jimmy R. Olivares Lee C. Alison Sofronio L. Fusin Jr. Rodolfo Z. Alconga Jr.
• Electorate	50,568 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	86.44 km2 (33.37 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Highest elevation	147 m (482 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	98,509
• Density	1,100/km2 (3,000/sq mi)
• Households	20,203
Demonym	Ogtonganon
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	11.65% (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱298,606,453.73 (2020)
• Assets	₱895,953,949.30 (2020)
• Expenditure	₱214,734,083.80 (2020)
• Liabilities	₱182,852,855.12 (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Iloilo 1 Electric Cooperative (ILECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5020
PSGC	063034000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Native languages	Kinaray-a Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.oton.gov.ph

It is the second oldest Spanish settlement in the Philippines after Cebu, founded in 1566.

Oton is a part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area, centered on Iloilo City.

History

Ogtong, former name of Oton, was settled by Malays. A gold death mask from that period was unearthed in the 1960s in Barangay San Antonio. There was a mention of Oton in Yuan Dynasty records in the 1300s when Oton was called in Hokkien Chinese: 啞陳; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-tân.[5] The Spanish arrived in middle of 16th century and made Oton as Capital of Panay, Negros, and Romblon.[6] From Oton as capital, Spanish missionaries spread the Catholic church in neighboring settlements such as Jaro, Iloilo, Tigbauan, Cordova, Alimodian, Igbaras, Tubungan, Camando, Damilisan, and Tiolas. New agricultural products from the Manila galleon trade arrived in Oton where a number of ships arriving from Cebu were stationed and then moved to Manila. Because Oton was vulnerable to, and difficult to defend from pirate attacks, Spanish colonial authorities decided to move the capital to few kilometers away to La Punta (now Iloilo City Proper) around 1600s.[7]

Geography

Oton is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west from Iloilo City. Oton is bordered by the municipality of Tigbauan to the west, San Miguel to the north, Pavia to the northeast, Panay Gulf to the south, and the district of Arevalo, Iloilo City to the east. The town is a part of Metro Iloilo-Guimaras which encompasses the whole island province of Guimaras with its municipalities, the Iloilo City, and the Iloilo provincial towns of Pavia, Leganes, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, and Cabatuan.

Barangays

Oton is politically subdivided into 37 barangays. [8]

Climate

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Oton, Iloilo, was 98,509 people, [3] with a density of 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,800 inhabitants per square mile.

Religion

As a Catholic Dominant Municipality, Oton has two parishes.

Parishes:

• Immaculate Concepcion Parish (Town Parish)
• Sta. Monica Parish (Sta. Monica, Oton)

Language

Kinaray-a is the main speech of the people in Oton. Hiligaynon is spoken as a secondary dialect. There is a fairly unnoticed linguistic division of the town between the two aforementioned languages; the eastern part bordering Iloilo City primarily speak Hiligaynon, the western part bordering the other 1st District municipalities generally speak Kinaray-a and Hiligaynon.

Economy

The economy of Oton is fueled by growing number of real estates and geographic advantage due to its proximity to Iloilo City. Due to increasing demand of retail, Gaisano Oton, Puregold Oton, and Vista Mall Iloilo were built. The town has quite a few number of banking institutions as well. The Iloilo Provincial Agricultural Statistics reported rice production and fruits are among top economic drivers. It has a number of hotels, resorts, and restaurants.

Vista City Iloilo, which launched in 2015, is a 500-hectare (1,200-acre) flagship master-planned city by Vista Land in the Visayas that stretches from Barangay Polo Maestra Bita to Barangay Abilay Norte. It will house a new 100-hectare (250-acre) central business district with BPO offices, hotels, and commercials.[21]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oton, Iloilo.

• Official website
• Iloilo Travel Website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System

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