Ibaan, officially the Municipality of Ibaan (), is a municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

The town is known as the home of the "kulambo" (mosquito net), as its production and trading has become one of the most profitable businesses in the locality. Also known for its tamales that are wrapped in banana leaves.

Etymology

Ibaan is derived from a Tagalog word which means "the town where Iba flourishes." According to historians, the present-day municipality was greatly forested with Iba trees (Averrhoa bilimbi).

History

Once part of the former town of Batangas. Its present-day barangay Matala was the first municipal seat (poblacion) of Batangas beginning in 1780. Ibaan was established as a distinct town on February 11, 1832.

In 1784, a small chapel was constructed in Matala so that Catholic friars could bring religious services to the growing community. In 1801, the convent at Matala was destroyed by fire. In 1805, the town was struck by a severe locust infestation that devastated agricultural production, causing a famine so acute that a cavan of rice rose from one peso to four pesos.

The church endured two major catastrophes: a severe termite infestation, followed by the 1889 earthquake, which caused it to collapse completely at Intensity 8. Reconstruction was undertaken during the term of Father Francisco Alvarez.

In November 1943, the Japanese launched a pacification campaign, and the guerrilla officers made the decision to lay down their arms to protect the civilian population. The resistance was reorganized, but in March 1944, Captain Espina was captured by the Japanese Military Police and was never heard from again. In August 1944, following the collapse of a successor guerrilla organization, the Ibaan Regiment became a founding component of the Batangas Guerrillas alongside the Rosario Regiment.

Geography

Ibaan is located at . It is from Batangas City and from Manila. It is bounded to the northwest by San Jose, to the northeast by Lipa, to the east by Rosario, to the southeast by Taysan, and to the southwest by Batangas City. It has a land area of at an altitude of above sea level.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Batangas.

Barangays

Ibaan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Bungahan was constituted as a barrio in 1956.

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Climate

Temperature is moderate both in its rainy and dry seasons, conducive to farming, agricultural and livestock production, which are the most common occupations. There are fewer farmers each year as residents switch to hog-raising, which provides better income.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, Ibaan had a population of 58,673 people. The population density was .

Language

Tagalog is the local language in the Batangueño dialect; however, English is included in its educational curriculum and is often used in official dealings and transactions.

Religion

thumb|Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint James the Greater

Ibaan is home to the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint James the Greater, the seat of the Roman Catholicism in Ibaan and the oldest church in town.

It is a predominantly Roman Catholic community, with small percentages of Protestants and members of the Iglesia ni Cristo. The indigenous Iglesia ni Cristo has several locales in the town, including the chapels in Coliat and Matala. Other than this, non-denominational full gospel churches are also established to name a few like Jesus the Anointed One Church, United Pentecostal Church and Jesus is Lord Church.

Economy

Ibaan main products include tamales, kulambo (mosquito net), lomi, panutsa (sweet peanut), and sugarcane.

Transportation

The town is served by the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), a toll road that connects the capital, Manila, with Batangas City.

Culture

Festivals

Ibaan celebrates civic and national holidays. The Ibaan Foundation Day is celebrated every December to commemorate the city's founding. Each barangay also has its own festivity guided by their patron saint. The town is host to the Feast of Saint James, held every 25 July, which draws hundreds of Catholic devotees. Another religious feast held in Ibaan is the Procession Feast of Holy Week. Non-religious holidays include New Year's Day, National Heroes' Day, Bonifacio Day, and Rizal Day.

Flower festivals are customarily held every May across the barangays of Ibaan, a tradition observed since at least the early 20th century.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Acts Christian Academy
  • Balanga Elementary School
  • Bright Christian Academy
  • Bungahan Elementary School
  • Coliat Elementary School
  • Gregorio Sison Memorial Elementary School
  • Ibaan Central School
  • Ibaan Nazareth School
  • Ibaan Saint James Academy
  • Lucsuhin Elementary School
  • Mabalor-Catandala Elementary School
  • Malainin Elementary School
  • Maranatha Christian Academy
  • Marfeben Academy
  • Munting Tubig Elementary School
  • Our Lady of Grace Formation School
  • Palindan Elementary School
  • Panghayaan Elementary School
  • Quilo Elementary School
  • Sabang Elementary School
  • San Agustin Elementary School
  • St. Jude Science and Technological School
  • Sto. Nino Elementary School
  • Talaibon Elementary School
  • Tulay Elementary School
  • Tulay-Calamias Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Dr. Juan A. Pastor Integrated National High School
  • Lucsuhin Integrated School
  • Mabalor-Catandala Integrated School
  • Maximo T. Hernandez Memorial Integrated High School
  • Procopio Mailig Memorial Integrated School
  • San Agustin Integrated School

<gallery widths=200 heights=150>

File:IbaanHalljf0080 04.JPG|Municipal hall

File:Ibaanjf0132 13.JPG|Downtown Ibaan

File:Ibaan,Batangasjf9985 03.JPG|B.R.&nbsp;Medrano Memorial&nbsp;Plaza (Demolished)

File:Ibaan exit.jpg|Ibaan Exit of STAR Tollway

</gallery>

References

  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]