Iba, Zambales
Iba, officially the Municipality of Iba (Sambal: Babali nin Iba; Ilocano: Ili ti Iba; Tagalog: Bayan ng Iba), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,581 people.[3]
Iba | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Iba | |
 Street of Iba | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: Bagong Iba! | |
 Map of Zambales with Iba highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap | |
.svg.png.webp)  Iba Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 15°20′N 119°59′E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Central Luzon |
| Province | Zambales |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | 1611 |
| Founded by | Rodrigo de San Miguel |
| Barangays | 14 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Irene Maniquiz (SZP) |
| • Vice Mayor | Joan Ballesteros |
| • Representative | Cheryl Deloso-Montalla |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 36,083 voters (2022) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 153.38 km2 (59.22 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 402 m (1,319 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[3] | |
| • Total | 55,581 |
| • Density | 360/km2 (940/sq mi) |
| • Households | 13,949 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 1st municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 6.00 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 251.8 million (2020) |
| • Assets | ₱ 836.8 million (2020) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 220.3 million (2020) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 538.4 million (2020) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Zambales 1 Electric Cooperative (ZAMECO 1) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 2201 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)47 |
| Native languages | Sambal Ilocano Tagalog |
| Major religions | Roman Catholicism Aglipayan Church Protestantism |
| Feast date | August 28 |
| Ecclesiastical dioceses | Diocese of Iba (Roman Catholic) Diocese of Zambales (Aglipayan Church) |
| Patron saint | Augustine of Hippo |
| Website | ibazambales |
Etymology
The municipality was named after the tree Phyllanthus acidus, which bears edible sour fruits. It is locally known as iba, a name which also applies to the similar kamias (Averrhoa bilimbi).[5][6]
History
Iba was founded by the Order of Augustinian Recollect priests led by Rodrigo de San Miguel in 1611 as the village of Paynauen.[6] The early inhabitants of the town are called Zambals. They were later joined by the Ilocanos who migrated to the town which resulted in intermingling of customs and traditions. The Aeta people settled in the hinterlands and the majority of them dwelled in the Mount Pinatubo area. In 1860, the administration of the town was turned over to the Dominican priests until the civil government came to power. There are no available records as to when Paynauen was renamed to Iba.[6]
The permanent capital of Zambales was moved from Masinloc to Iba because of its strategic location being on the central part of Zambales. On August 28, 1901, American Civil Governor William Howard Taft held the historic session of the Second Philippine Commission establishing the Province of Zambales under the American rule held at Roman Catholic Church of Iba.
Cityhood
The League of Cities of the Philippines has disagreed with the proposed conversion of sixteen municipalities into constituent cities. The LCP had tried to influence then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to certify as call for immediate attention a draft of a law imposing a suspension on the conversion of additional towns into cities.
The Local Government Code states that before a town could be classified as a city, it must have an annual income of at least Php100 million and a land area of at minimum 100 square kilometres (39 square miles) or a population of 150,000.
Senator Sonny Angara advocated for House Bill 24 filed by Zamboanga Sibugay Representative Dulce Ann Hofer giving automatic cityhood to capitals of provinces without cities, and freeing the capital towns of provinces from the income needs of the cityhood.
Geography
The municipality of Iba is bounded by the municipalities of Botolan to the south, Palauig to the north, the province of Tarlac to the east, and the South China Sea to the west. Like most of the municipalities in the province, Iba is geographically bound by the coast in the west with the Zambales Mountains in the eastern portion of the municipality.
As the capital of the province, it is second largest provincial capital in terms of land area in Central Luzon Region after Tarlac City.
Iba is 78 kilometres (48 mi) from Olongapo and 204 kilometres (127 mi) from Manila.
Barangays
Iba is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. [7] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
There are 9 barangays which are considered urban (highlighted in bold) while the rest are considered rural.
- Amungan
- Bangantalinga
- Dirita-Baloguen
- Lipay-Dingin-Panibuatan
- Palanginan
- San Agustin
- Santa Barbara
- Santo Rosario
- Zone 1 Pob.
- Zone 2 Pob.
- Zone 3 Pob.
- Zone 4 Pob.
- Zone 5 Pob.
- Zone 6 Pob.
Climate
Iba has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen climate classification Am). Iba's climate is no different from the other towns where rainy season begins from May and ends in October, while the dry season is from November to April. An average of 43.15 centimetres (16.99 in) of annual rainfall with a temperature of 22 °C (72 °F) is observed during rainy season. The highest temperature recorded is 34 °C (93 °F) while the lowest is 19.18 °C (66.52 °F).
| Climate data for Iba, Zambales (1981–2010, extremes 1910–2012) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.2 (99.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
38.5 (101.3) |
38.8 (101.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
38.2 (100.8) |
38.6 (101.5) |
35.7 (96.3) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.0 (98.6) |
38.3 (100.9) |
38.1 (100.6) |
38.8 (101.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.8 (87.4) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.9 (89.4) |
33.2 (91.8) |
32.7 (90.9) |
31.5 (88.7) |
30.4 (86.7) |
29.9 (85.8) |
30.4 (86.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.1 (88.0) |
31.3 (88.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.8 (78.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.4 (79.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.4 (79.5) |
27.0 (80.6) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 20.8 (69.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
22.9 (73.2) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.8 (73.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
13.0 (55.4) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
14.0 (57.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
17.8 (64.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 4.1 (0.16) |
9.3 (0.37) |
19.8 (0.78) |
38.1 (1.50) |
254.7 (10.03) |
519.9 (20.47) |
838.1 (33.00) |
897.7 (35.34) |
559.5 (22.03) |
234.2 (9.22) |
62.3 (2.45) |
13.2 (0.52) |
3,450.7 (135.85) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 133 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 76 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 80 |
| Source: PAGASA[8][9] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 4,482 | — |
| 1918 | 5,452 | +1.31% |
| 1939 | 8,299 | +2.02% |
| 1948 | 9,741 | +1.80% |
| 1960 | 14,555 | +3.40% |
| 1970 | 19,521 | +2.98% |
| 1975 | 21,020 | +1.49% |
| 1980 | 22,791 | +1.63% |
| 1990 | 29,221 | +2.52% |
| 1995 | 31,503 | +1.42% |
| 2000 | 34,678 | +2.08% |
| 2007 | 44,344 | +3.45% |
| 2010 | 46,761 | +1.95% |
| 2015 | 50,506 | +1.48% |
| 2020 | 55,581 | +1.90% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13] | ||
In the 2020 census, the population of Iba, Zambales, was 55,581 people,[3] with a density of 360 inhabitants per square kilometre or 930 inhabitants per square mile.
The population of Iba has become a mixture of different people over the last twenty years as opportunities in employment and business attracted people from Pangasinan, Bataan, and Batangas. Originally, the population was composed of the Sambal and Ilocano speaking people. While Sambal and Ilocano are spoken by many of the population, Tagalog has become the common dialect spoken in Iba.
Religion
The majority of the people in Iba, Zambales are Roman Catholics second was the Aglipayan Church, The largest minority religion is Iglesia ni Cristo followed by various Protestant denominations.
Ecclesiastical District
The seat of the Ecclesiastical District of Zambales North of the Iglesia ni Cristo is located in Iba. The INC district administration and district office oversees several locales and extensions from different municipalities in the northern part of Zambales province.
Diocese of Iba
The Cathedral of Iba, also known as the Cathedral of Saint Augustine, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church of the diocese is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Augustinian Recollects. It is located adjacent to the Provincial Capitol Building. Currently, the appointed bishop is Bishop Bartolome G. Santos Jr. since Bishop Florentino Lavarias became the Archbishop of San Fernando, Pampanga.
Economy
The population of Iba increases during daytime because of traders, market buyers, students, government and private employees flocking into town. There are currently two malls in the municipality, Iba Town Center Mall - the first community mall in the town, and City Supermarket, Inc. (CSI Mall). Happy Go Shopping Center is also a major shopping destination in town, with Robinsons Place Iba and WalterMart Iba being planned. Several supermarket chains including SM Savemore Market, Robinson's Supermarket, PureGold Iba, CSI Supermarket and Ramrod Supermarket have branches in Iba. Some of the major fast food restaurants such as Jollibee, McDonald's, Greenwich, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Max's Restaurant, Andoks, Goldilocks, Red Ribbon, Cindy's, Roberto's Steak House, Shakey's Pizza and more have franchises in Iba. Metrobank, BDO, BPI, EastWest Bank, PS Bank, Landbank, PNB, RCBC, Bank of Commerce, GM Bank, Bridge Bank, Producers Bank, Cooperative Bank of Zambales and Chinabank have branches in Iba. Some national government offices can also be found in Iba, such as the SSS, NBI and PhilHealth.
With a continuously growing number of commercial establishments, banks, and financial institutions in Iba, it contends among the most competitive municipalities in Philippines, and is pushing forward towards a progressive city.
Tourism
Tourism is one of the major economic activity in Iba during the summer period. It has become a popular destination for summer vacationists and tourists due to the pristine and beautiful beaches that line the shorelines of Iba, and adventure trekking to the unique 3-series of Iba waterfalls. Its pollution-free beaches due to the absence of industrial-polluting activities in the locality, make it one of the best places in the Philippines.
In response to the growing number of both local and foreign visitors, investments in beach resorts have increased in the last fifteen years. Today there are about 50 beach resorts in Iba.
Festivals
- Zambales Mango Festival
- The festival is a celebration of a bountiful harvest of mangoes and other agricultural products which the province is known for. It is also aimed to highlight the attractions and places of interest in all of its towns. As a way of promoting and giving thanks for a good harvest, the people of Zambales annually celebrate the six-day Mango Festival in March or April in Iba.[21]
- Paynauen Festival
- A summer festival in Iba featuring local traditional arts and culture first celebrated in the 1980s, Paynauen Festival (also spelled as Paynawen) has become a yearly tradition and a tourist attraction lasting for about seven days. Paynauen's festivities include street dancing, singing competition, boxing events, sports events, sand castle building, carabao race, kite flying contests, Miss Paynauen competition, cooking contest, barangay booth displays, products display and sales, ballroom dancing, traditional parade, concerts and many others.
- The festival is held late April, during the summer season where thousands of visitors flock to Iba for beach activities. Led by the Iba Tourism Council, Paynauen is supported by the local government, different civic organizations, volunteers and the private business sector.
Transportation
- By land
- Iba is easily reached from Manila and Pangasinan by land transportation. It is 204 kilometres (127 mi) from Rizal Park in Manila via North Luzon Expressway exiting in San Fernando, Pampanga to Olongapo. From Olongapo, Iba is 78 kilometres (48 mi) away.[22]
- By air
- The town can be also reached by small aircraft using the Iba Airport, a small feeder airport with a 900-metre (3,000 ft) runway located along the coast of Iba.
Healthcare
The provincial government administers the President Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Hospital in Bargy. Palanginan to provide convenient medical services at a lower costs to the people of the Zambales. The hospital received a ₱50-million equipment upgrade in 2011 to better serve its patients.[23][24]
The Santa Cecilia Medical Center is a private institution offering one of the most complete and advance medical facilities in the province.[25]
Saint Pio's Medical Center is also a large medical facility and a private institution located along Govic Highway in Brgy. Dirita.
Education
Tertiary education
The President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU), formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU), is a government-funded higher education institution founded in 1910. The school was merged with two other colleges in the province in 1998 to become the present multi-campus university system. Its main campus is located in the center of Iba with satellite campuses located all over the province.[26]
The provincial office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in Zambales is located on Magsaysay Avenue. TESDA was established by the Philippine government to manage and supervise the vocational education and skills development of the country's human resources through training and scholarships.[27]
All Asia Aviation Academy is a flying school offering flight and ground training located in Iba Airport between Brgy. LDP and Brgy. Sto. Rosario.
Micro Asia College of Science and Technology located in Brgy. Zone 1.
Marasigan Technological College located in Brgy. Zone 1.
Hopeful Beginnings Institute located in Brgy. Palanginan.
Popular culture
- The movie Apocalypse Now (shot in 1976; released in 1979) was about to be filmed by Francis Ford Coppola in Iba when Typhoon Olga (Didang) destroyed the sets constructed for the movie. The sets were recreated in Pagsanjan, Laguna and the beach scenes were filmed in Baler, Aurora.[28][29]
Government
Local government
| Elected Officials (2019-2022) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Jun Rundstedt "Rundy" Ebdane | June 30, 2013 | 3rd Term |
| Vice Mayor | Aireen Maniquiz-Biñan | June 30, 2016 | 2nd Term |
| Member's Sangguniang Bayan | Margie Maniquiz Noveno | June 30, 2019 | 1st Term |
| Salvador Redondo | June 30, 2013 | 3rd Term | |
| Danilo Ballesteros | June 30, 2019 | 1st Term | |
| Francisco "Frank" Aldea | June 30, 2013 | 3rd Term | |
| Al Fallorin | June 30, 2013 | 3rd Term | |
| Isagani Yap | June 30, 2016 | 2nd Term | |
| Lanie Tabile | June 30, 2019 | 1st Term | |
| Lilia Butaran | June 30, 2019 | 1st Term | |
Notable peresonalities
- Ramon Magsaysay, a former Philippine President
References
- Municipality of Iba | (DILG)
- "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- Census of Population (2020). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- Merrill, Elmer Drew (1903). A Dictionary of the Plant Names of the Philippine Islands. Manila: Bureau of Public Print. p. 8.
- "Municipalities". Zambales Now, Official Website of the Province. Retrieved on 2012-05-30.
- "Province: Zambales". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
- "Iba, Zambales Climatological Normal Values". Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- "Iba, Zambales Climatological Extremes". Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- Census of Population (2015). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region III (Central Luzon)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region III (Central Luzon)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
- "Province of Zambales". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
- "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
- "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
- "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
- "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
- "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- "Events/Festivals". Zambales Now, Official Website of Zambales. Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
- "Manila to Iba". Google Maps. Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- Online (2012-01-21). "Zambales hospital acquires P50M equipment". Tempo. Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
- Bayarong, Anthony (2011-09-21). "Zambales hospital gets major upgrade worth P50 million". Sun Star Philippines. Retrieved on 2012-06-02.
- "Welcome to SCMC, Iba, Zambales". Santa Cecilia Medical Center Official Website. Retrieved on 2012-06-02.
- "About us - RMTU at a Glance". RMTU Official Website. Retrieved on 2012-05-31.
- "Directory". Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Retrieved on 2012-05-28.
- Webmaster (2012-05-23). "Apocalypse Now". The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations. Retrieved on 2012-05-30.
- "Trivia: Apocalypse Now". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2012-05-30.
External links
- Official Website of Iba, Zambales
- Iba Profile at PhilAtlas.com
- Philippine Standard Geographic Code
- Local Governance Performance Management System - Iba,Zambales
- Iba Travel Guide
Places adjacent to Iba, Zambales | |
|---|---|
