Balanga, Bataan

Balanga
Component city
City of Balanga
From top, clockwise: Plaza Mayor de Balanga, Balanga City Hall, Balanga Cathedral, and Wetland Park Information Center
Seal
Nicknames:  Bataan Capital City; Bataan University Town
Map of Bataan with Balanga highlighted
show OpenStreetMap Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Balanga Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°41′N 120°32′E / 14.68°N 120.53°E / 14.68; 120.53Coordinates: 14°41′N 120°32′E / 14.68°N 120.53°E / 14.68; 120.53
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon
Province	Bataan
District	2nd district
Founded	1712
Cityhood	December 30, 2000
Barangays	25 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Panlungsod
• Mayor	Francis Anthony S. Garcia
• Vice Mayor	Vianca Lita V. Gozon
• Representative	Jose Enrique S. Garcia III
• City Council	show Members Noel Joseph L. Valdecañas Jovy Z. Banzon Christian Laurence Z. Manalaysay Victor A. Baluyot Jr. Ma. Liza A. Vasquez Hubert B. Pizarro Ricardo M. Magpantay Jorescel S. Panganiban Pedro T. Yuzon Jr. Benigno P. Meriño
• Electorate	70,769 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	111.63 km2 (43.10 sq mi)
Elevation	138 m (453 ft)
Highest elevation	1,403 m (4,603 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	104,173
• Density	930/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
• Households	20,832
Economy
• Income class	4th city income class
• Poverty incidence	9.46% (2015)[4]
• Revenue	₱574,310,731.02 (2016)
Service provider
• Electricity	Peninsula Electric Cooperative (PENELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2100
PSGC	030803000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)47
Climate type	tropical monsoon climate
Native languages	Mariveleño Tagalog
Website	www.cityofbalanga.gov.ph

Balanga, officially the City of Balanga (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Balanga; Kapampangan: Lakanbalen ning Balanga), is a 4th class component city and capital of the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 104,173 people. ^[3]

History[]

Balanga, the capital of Bataan, was formerly a village of Abucay before it was established as a mission of the Dominican Order in the Provincial Charter of April 21, 1714, and later declared a vicariate on April 18, 1739, under the patronage of Saint Joseph. Upon the establishment of Bataan as a separate province in 1754, Balanga was made its capital by General Pedro Manuel Arandia due to its favorable location, at the heart of the new territorial jurisdiction.

The word Balanga originates from the Kapampangan^{[citation needed]} word "balañga" (clay pot, or "banga" in Tagalog), which the town used to produce and which were among the best that can be found in the country.

On December 30, 2000, Balanga was inaugurated as a City by the Republic Act 8984 authored by Congressman Enrique "Tet" Garcia.^[5]

The city has extended its urban fringe to the west of Roman Superhighway and a new growth center in Barangay Tuyo has been delineated in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. During the past years, the city saw a high record of residential growth. Consequently, with the expansion of the physical limits of the urban core, as well as the expected large increases in population, and the city's attractiveness to commercial and employment activities, the City Government of Balanga decided to undertake a Master Planning exercise and to propose various developmental projects that would establish Balanga as a well-planned community with quality and character that is innovative and special, although this is currently hindered by an unreliable electricity supply.^[6]

Geography[]

Balanga City is primarily a residential-agricultural city, with a rapidly growing commercial sector. It has a total land area of 11,163 hectares (8.13% of Bataan). It borders Pilar to the south, Abucay to the north, Morong to the west, and Manila Bay to the east.

Climate[]

Barangays[]

Balanga is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.

Demographics[]

Population census of Balanga

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	7,347	—
1918	8,275	+0.80%
1939	11,684	+1.66%
1948	12,379	+0.64%
1960	18,143	+3.24%
1970	28,484	+4.61%
1975	34,289	+3.79%
1980	39,132	+2.68%
1990	51,512	+2.79%
1995	60,912	+3.19%
2000	71,088	+3.37%
2007	84,105	+2.35%
2010	87,920	+1.63%
2015	96,061	+1.70%
2020	104,173	+1.61%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8] [9] [10][11]

The population of Balanga in the 2020 census was 104,173 people, ^[3] with a density of 930 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,400 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy[]

Poverty Incidence of Balanga
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17]

Local government[]

Pursuant to the Local government in the Philippines",^[18][19] the political seat of the municipal government is located at the City Hall. In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Gobernadorcillo is the Chief Executive who holds office in the Presidencia. During the period of American rule (1898–1946) (History of the Philippines (1898-1946)), the elected Mayor and local officials, including the appointed ones, hold office at the Municipal Town or City Hall. The legislative and executive departments perform their functions in the Sangguniang Panglungsod (Session Hall) and the Regional and Metropolitan Trial Courts, respectively, and are located in the second floor of the City Hall and in the Halls of Justice.

• Mayor: Francis S. Garcia (National Unity)
• Vice Mayor: Vianca Lita V. Gozon (National Unity)
• Councilors:
  • Noel Valdecañas
  • Jett Nisay
  • Vic Baluyot
  • Elmo Sanchez
  • Hubert Pizarro
  • Karl Paguio
  • Joy Panganiban
  • Carding Magpantay
  • Tony Tranate
  • Benjie Meriño

Administration[]

The City administration envisions the City of Balanga as U-Town, a World Class University Town in 2020 (City Ordinance No. 21, Series of 2008, "Declaring the eighty point forty-two (80.42) hectares at the city's central district as University Town in the City of Balanga, Bataan").^[20]

Balanga listed a 'Record-Breaking' P6B Investments In 2012. Balanga City won the 1st Robredo ICT Awards.^[21]

Former mayors[]

Landmarks and places of interest[]

• SM City Balanga with Toy Kingdom (Opening in late December 2019 & early January 2020)

• Balanga Wetland Park^[22]
• "Ibong Dayo" Festival in Barangay Tortugas (December 4–7)^[23]
• Plaza Mayor de Balanga
• Bataan Capitol Compound
• Bataan Peninsula State University
• Bataan World War II Museum
• Galleria Victoria Mall
• The Plaza Hotel Balanga City
• GAP Plaza Hotel
• La Vista Balanga Inland Resort
• Center Plaza Mall
• Balanga Public Market
• Balanga Cathedral
• Capitol Square Mall Balanga
• Fall of Bataan Marker
• Balanga Surrender Site Marker
• Divine Mercy Shrine of Diocese Balanga
• Hillside Garden Mansions, Munting Batangas, Roman Superhighway
• WalterMart Balanga, Roman Highway

• 

  Balanga City as seen from the top of Mount Samat

• 

  The facade of Balanga City Hall

• 

  Balanga Cathedral

Health care[]

• Bataan Doctors Hospital
• Bataan General Hospital
• Bataan Women's Hospital
• Isaac Catalina Medical Center
• Centro Medico de Santisimo de Rosario
• St. Joseph Hospital

Education[]

Balanga City is the educational center of the province of Bataan. It currently has one public university and several private colleges offering various courses such as accountancy, business administration, computer science and information technology, elementary and secondary education, engineering, and health professions like nursing and midwifery.

Bataan Peninsula State University is the lone state university in the city. It operates two campuses in the city: the main campus, which is located in the capitol compound, and the Balanga City campus, which is located in downtown area.

Tomas del Rosario College is one of the oldest private educational institutions in the city. It is located on Capitol Drive in Barangay San Jose.

The other private colleges in the city include Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies and EastWoods Professional College of Science and Technology (formerly SOFTNET College of Science and Technology), both located in Barangay Ibayo, Bataan Heroes Memorial College located in Bataan Provincial Expressway, Microcity Computer College located at Capitol Drive and St. Joseph's College in upper Tuyo.

Other higher educational institutions in the city of Balanga include: AMA Computer Learning Center, Balanga; Philippine Women's University, CDCEC Bataan; Bataan Maritime Institute, Cupang Balanga; and Proclesia International Inc.

The city is also host to the biggest public secondary school in the province, the Bataan National High School. The other notable public secondary schools in the city are the laboratory high school of Bataan Peninsula State University, and the Bataan Integrated School.

Notable Private secondary schools in the city include the high school departments of Asia Pacific College of Advanced Studies, Bataan Infant Jesus School, Bataan Montessori School, Inc., Tomas del Rosario College and St. Joseph Colleges of Balanga.

Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III's noted 2,050 scholars of the University Town of the Peninsula Foundation, Inc. which earned P10 million from private donors and per the December 2012 Balanga UTown Musical Mini-Series musical.^[24]

Notable people[]

• Julian Banzon, Filipino biochemist and National Scientist of the Philippines.
• Albert Garcia, 24th Governor of Bataan, former representative of Bataan's Second District, and former Mayor of Balanga.
• Jose Enrique S. Garcia III, current representative of Bataan's Second District, and former Mayor of Balanga.
• Romi Garduce, first Filipino to climb the Seven Summits.
• Chito Jaime, Filipino professional basketball player who plays for the Muntinlupa Cagers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and the Philippine Basketball Association.
• Luz Magsaysay, wife of Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and the seventh First Lady of the Philippines.
• Pedro Tuazon, former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (1946-1954) and former Solicitor General of the Philippines (1936-1938).
• Janine Mari Tugonon, first runner-up of Miss Universe 2012
• Oscar Cruz, archbishop-emeritus of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.
• Elisse Joson, Filipina actress, endorser, model and businesswoman

See also[]

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Balanga

References[]

External links[]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Balanga.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Balanga, Bataan.

• Official website
• Balanga City General Information^{[permanent dead link]}
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information