Batan, Aklan


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.

History

Pre-Hispanic Period

Batan was believed to be the seat of the government of Datu Bendahara Kalantiaw III, the promulgator of the Code of Kalantiaw in 1433. The code is a collection of 17 laws used during the time of the Datu before the coming of the Spaniards.

Spanish Colonial Era

Batan is one of the oldest towns founded in Aklan. Batan was formerly an encomienda of Miguel Rodriguez in 1591. The parish in Batan was established by the Augustinians in 1601 under the patronage of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Batan was first incorporated into Aclan or Aklan in 1603 and in 1789 it became an independent municipality. In 1903, Batan was again incorporated to the new town of New Washington and became independent again in 1931.

Independent Philippines

In 1957, the Kalantiaw National Shrine marker was erected by the Philippine Historical and Cultural Society to honor the significance of Datu Kalantiaw where it displays a copy of the “original manuscript” of the Code. It was built on a former school building near the municipal seaport which houses the town's historical mementos and antiques, including the original manuscript of the code which the Spaniards obtained from an old chief and translated. In 2004 however, after years of investigation and historical findings, the National Historical Institute concluded that the Code of Kalantiaw was fake and a hoax. Remnants of the Kalantiaw National Shrine marker still remain in Batan, Aklan and the site area was renovated as a park for tourists and locals.

Geography

Batan is from the provincial capital of Kalibo and from Roxas City.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the has a land area of constituting of the total area of Aklan.

Climate

Barangays

Batan is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.

Demographics

In the, had a population of. The population density was.

Local government

As of the May 2019 Philippine National and Local Elections, Batan's local government unit is currently led by:
The members of the Sangguniang Bayan of the Lone District of Batan are:
Batan also has pristine beaches, abundant marine life, seafood, coconut products, grain produce, root crops, fruits, and large forests.

Local Festivals

Elementary