Rosario, officially the Municipality of Rosario (Tagalog: Bayan ng Rosario), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 128,352 people. [4]

Rosario
Municipality
Municipality of Rosario
(From top, left to right) downtown skyline, downtown street view, Rosario Public Market, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, and the Risen Christ monument atop Tombol Hill.
Seal
Nicknames:  Rice Granary of Batangas, Agro-Industrial Capital of Southern Tagalog Home of Sinublian Festival[1]
Map of Batangas with Rosario highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Rosario Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°50′46″N 121°12′22″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Calabarzon
Province	Batangas
District	4th district
Founded	June 9, 1687
Barangays	48 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Leovigildo K. Morpe
• Vice Mayor	Atanacio G. Zara
• Representative	Lianda B. Bolilia
• Municipal Council	Members Edward B. Aguilar Marciano S. Aquino Albino M. Altura Joaz Martin I. De Veyra Angel B. Alvarez Teodoro Karr D. Luansing Jose M. Galicha Darius M. Aguado
• Electorate	74,408 voters (2019)
Area [3]
• Total	226.88 km2 (87.60 sq mi)
Elevation	148 m (486 ft)
Highest elevation	232 m (761 ft)
Lowest elevation	100 m (300 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [4]
• Total	128,352
• Density	570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
• Households	25,971
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	11.92% (2018)[5]
• Revenue	₱396,228,830.49 (2020)
• Assets	₱865,569,762.68 (2020)
• Expenditure	₱312,669,936.07 (2020)
• Liabilities	₱172,879,377.73 (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Batangas 2 Electric Cooperative (BATELEC 2)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4225
PSGC	041021000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)43
Native languages	Tagalog
Website	www.rosariobats.gov.ph

Rosario is considered as among the interior municipalities of the Batangas Bay Region comprising eleven municipalities and two cities whose catchment areas drain into the Batangas Bay. The town is also dubbed as "The Rice Granary of Batangas".[1]

History

This section includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2016)

Accounts show that the origin of Rosario was a Christian settlement along the coast of Lobo. The settlement became prey to the pirate raids during the Moro wars of the 18th century.

The Moro or pirate raids forced the inhabitants of the settlement to the safety of the ravine and forest on the north-west bank of Kansahayan River (now the Municipality of Taysan). Here the settlement was relocated. However, at the height of the Moro Wars in the second half of the 18th century, the vicious Moro raids reached Kansahayan. In one of their forays the Parish Priest is said to be among those slain.

The inhabitants decided to leave Kansahayan. They headed farther north holding a novena and praying the rosary in the process of their flight. On the 9th night of the novena, the fleeing inhabitants reached the river bank of Tubig ng Bayan (a river originating from Lipa) in now the town of Padre Garcia. Here they finally settled. Living in peace and prosperity, the grateful town's people erected a stone church south of the river bank in honor of their benefactress, the Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish. The town was named Santo Rosario.

Santo Rosario was razed to the ground during the Philippine–American War. In the early American military occupation of Santo Rosario, a cavalry officer, Captain Daniel H. Boughton, came upon the big spring at the foot of Tombol Hill. He decided to relocate the town west of the spring, where Rosario's population center is now.

Official records show that on June 9, 1902, a council of prominent citizens of the town met under a mango tree beside Tombol Spring. On the spot they formally organized the municipal government of Rosario. The following assumed the first key positions of the town government:

• Geronimo Carandang (Presidente)
• Diego Rosales (Bise Presidente)
• Luis Greñas (Secretario)
• Leon Magtibay (Tesorero)

A wealthy landowner, Don Antonino Luancing donated for the town's public buildings and plaza.

Local historians were not unanimous as the exact date of the founding of this town. Certainly it was among those organized by the ecclesiastical authorities after the creation of Batangas as a province in 1581. It is generally believed to have come to the existence in 1687 while still located along the coast of Lobo during the term of Don Nicolas Morales as gobernadorcillo. Originally, Rosario comprised the whole parts of the municipalities of Lobo, Taysan, Ibaan, San Juan de Bolbok and the entire municipality of Padre Garcia.

The old settlement in Kansayahan now bears the name of Pinagbayanan, a thriving marketing post in the municipality of Taysan. The old town site of Santo Rosario had been named Lumang Bayan before it was renamed Padre Garcia when the latter was created and carved out Rosario in 1949 as a separate municipality.[6]

Geography

Rosario is located at 13°50′46″N 121°12′22″E.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 226.88 square kilometres (87.60 sq mi) [7] constituting 7.27% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometre- (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.

Climate

Barangays

Rosario is politically subdivided into 48 barangays.[9] Malaya was formerly known as Munting Tubig.[10]

Clusters

For purposes of community organization and effective delivery of social development projects, the Office for Sustainable Development under supervision of the Office of the Municipal Mayor in 1995, divided the 48 barangays into 8 barangay clusters with 6 member barangays each.[12]

This system was patterned after the resolutions traditionally passed by the Sangguniang Bayan as part of its organizational plan following the general elections when new members are elected into office for a new term.

Consequently, the barangay cluster arrangement was adopted and served as the framework for land use development strategies enunciated under the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Rosario, Batangas for Planning Period 2000–2010 (CLUP).[13]

Demographics

In the 2020 census, Rosario had a population of 128,352. [4] The population density was 570 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,500/sq mi).

Economy

Education

The Leon Manigbas Elementary School (LMES)[24] is a government primary school located in San Jose, Rosario, Batangas, Philippines.[25] The "school code" is 107578.[26] As of 2020, the principal is Ella Castillo, and the school colors are Blue and Yellow.[27]

Leon Manigbas Elementary School was established in 1993 and has existed for 27 years as of 2020.[28]

Government

Elected officials

The current set of municipal officials were elected during the 2022 General Elections; their term is set to expire in 2025.

Tourism

Attractions include:

• Tombol Hill and The Grotto
• Naambon Falls
• Batangas Racing Circuit in Barangay Maligaya

Notable personalities

• Jovit Baldivino – Pilipinas Got Talent Season 1 winner

Gallery

• 
  Rosario Cultural and Sports Center
• 
  Laurel Park
• 
  Rosario Night Market
• 
  Hall of Justice
• 
  Batangas Racing Circuit arch in Barangay Maligaya
• 
  Holy Family Parish in Barangay Alupay
• 
  The Grotto
• 
  Tombol Hill

Sister cities

• Iloilo City[29]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rosario, Batangas.

• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code