Lobo, Batangas
Municipality in Batangas, Philippines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lobo, officially the Municipality of Lobo (Tagalog: Bayan ng Lobo), is a municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,736 people.[4]
Lobo | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Lobo | |
From top to bottom: Downtown, Malabrigo Point Lighthouse, Lobo River, Saint Michael the Archangel Parish, Municipal Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Etymology: Wolf | |
| Nickname: | |
| Anthem: "Himno ng Lobo" | |
 Map of Batangas with Lobo highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg) Lobo Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 13°38′50″N 121°12′37″E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Calabarzon |
| Province | Batangas |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | September 27, 1871 |
| Barangays | 26 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Lota Manalo |
| • Vice Mayor | Geronimo Alfiler |
| • Representative | Gerville Luistro |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 29,032 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 175.03 km2 (67.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 109 m (358 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 905 m (2,969 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[4] | |
• Total | 40,736 |
| • Density | 230/km2 (600/sq mi) |
| • Households | 9,944 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 3rd municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 8.13 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 253.7 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 695.7 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 194.3 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 131 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Batangas 2 Electric Cooperative (BATELEC 2) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 4229 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)43 |
| Native languages | Tagalog |
| Major religion/s | Roman Catholic |
| Feast date | September 23–30 |
| Catholic diocese | Archdiocese of Lipa |
| Patron saint | Saint Michael |
| Website | www.ilovelobo.ph |
Etymology
The name "Lobo" may have come from:
- the Spanish and Tagalog term for "wolf", lobo
- the Tagalog word "lubog", that later became the word "Lobu" or "Lobo"
- the Lobo River, which flows through Lobo itself and
- the balloon that landed into Mt. Banoi.
The town was proclaimed as the "Atis Capital of the Philippines" through Resolution 2011-61 in September 2011.[1]
History
Summarize
Perspective
Legend of Datu Kumintang and Gat Bahaghari
According to legend, Lobo was first inhabited by the followers of Datu Kumintang of Borneo, along with Gat Bahaghari and his family. They traveled to Rosario and trailing along the Rosario-Lobo River, they reached the “Wawa of Lobo” (now Fabrica) which his followers named Bahaghari in honor of Gat Bahaghari. Attracted by the panoramic view and soil fertility of this place, Gat Bahaghari and his followers decided to establish a permanent settlement in this area.
Some followers of Gat Bahaghari thought that in order to detect approaching pirates, they built their houses on the top of a hill overlooking the sea which is now the Municipal Cemetery of Lobo.
Beneath this hill on the west side is low land treasured with sumasagitsit or running tiny streams of water which they utilized to irrigate their farms. With the help of the streams, their farms became very productive that enabled them to transport their excess products to their bountiful harvests, they replied that they came from sumasagitsit. The term sumasagitsit was later on changed to Masagitsit until it was changed as Barangay Masaguitsit.[6]
Foreign rule
Lobo's history is related with that of Rosario. Rosario was founded by Augustinian friars in 1687 that originated from the southeastern coast of Batangas which is Lobo. When Rosario was founded, Lobo became a barrio of Rosario with the present municipalities of Taysan, San Juan, and Padre Garcia.
The inhabitants were forced to flee the coast of Lobo to avoid the Moros. While fleeing, the inhabitants recited the rosary that gave Rosario its name. The settlement was reestablished at the north-west bank of Kansahayan River in Hilerang Kawayan, now a barangay called Pinagbayanan of Taysan. However, at the height of the Moro Wars in the second half of the 18th century, the Moro raids reached Hilerang Kawayan.[7][8]
Rosario was moved again by the Dominican priests fearing that the Moros will attack them. They headed north holding a novena and praying the rosary while fleeing from Hilerang Kawayan. On the last day of the novena, the inhabitants settled at the river bank of Tubig ng Bayan (lit. 'Water of Town', a river from Lipa now known as Balintawak River/Creek), now Padre Garcia. They residents erected a stone church south of the river bank in honor of their saint, the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (known as Nuestra Señora del Rosario in the municipality).[9] The town was named Santo Rosario. Rosario remained in the location for a long time until 1902.
On December 12, 1848, the barrio of Bolbok was separated from Rosario and was named San Juan de Bocboc, then in 1850, the barrio of Mercedes also became an independent municipality now known as Taysan. It was not until September 27, 1871 that the barrio of Lobo became an independent municipality. The Spaniards did not know what to name the place until they saw that a balloon that came from the people celebrating their fiesta in the Municipality of Batangas fly towards Mt. Banoi. They eagerly waited for the balloon to fall down. They were so amazed that they named the place "Lobo" to commemorate the incident.[10] The parish of Lobo was established on February 4, 1873. The parish was then named Parroquia de San Miguel Arcanghel meaning "Saint Michael the Archangel Parish" being the patron saint of Lobo. Don Cayetano Macarandang was the first parish priest of the church serving from 1871 until 1873.
According to Manuel Sastron's publication of Batangas y su Provincia, he described Lobo as "the most remarkably isolated municipality in Batangas". Lobo's road was so narrow that horses could only barely pass through it. Travelling by sea was also seen as dangerous for small boats due to big waves. He also said that the Lobo's population in the 19th century was only 6,700 people. He referenced the Lobo River as being large and being fed by four or five tributaries. Sastron said that Lobo was peaceful and crimes rarely occur.[11] Before the end of the Spanish period, the Malabrigo Point Lighthouse was proposed to be made in barrio Malabrigo. It was one among the Spaniards built as part of the Plan General de Alumbrado de Maritimo de las Costas del Archipelago de Filipino which would make 55 lighthouses in the Philippines.[12]
1918 Map of Batangas with Lobo
When the American occupation began, Lobo was consolidated to Taysan through the Act No. 708 (An Act Reducing Thirteen of the Municipalities in the Province of Batangas into Five) but became independent again when Taysan was consolidated to Rosario in the same year through Act No. 958 (An Act Reducing The Twenty-two Municipalities of the Province of Batangas to Sixteen, and Repealing Act Numbered Seven Hundred and Eight, entitled "An Act Reducing Thirteen of the Municipalities in the Province of Batangas into Five.").[13][14] Lobo was commonly misspelled as Loboo by the Americans.
Geography
Summarize
Perspective
Lobo is located at 13°38′50″N 121°12′37″E. The town is located near the southern tip of the Batangas province, about 145 kilometres (90 mi) from Manila.
Lobo has white sand beaches and has protected mangrove forests and fish sanctuaries.[15]
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 175.03 square kilometres (67.58 sq mi) [16] constituting 5.61% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometre- (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.
Barangays
Lobo is politically subdivided into 26 barangays, as shown in the matrix below.[17] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
According to the 2020 census, the most populated barangay in Lobo is Balibago with 3,454 residents living while the least populated barangay in Lobo is Malalim na Sanog with 306 residents living. Lobo originally had 7 barangays named as Masagitsit (now Masaguitsit), Bignay, Tayuman, Malapad na Parang, Mabilog na Bundok, Malabrigo, and Sabana (non-existent now).
In 1959, the sitio of Biga in Barangay Tayuman was converted into a barangay.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020[4] | 2010[18] | |||||
| 041015001 | Apar | 2.9% | 1,176 | 959 | 2.06% | |
| 041015002 | Balatbat | 5.9% | 2,400 | 2,137 | 1.17% | |
| 041015003 | Balibago | 8.5% | 3,454 | 2,967 | 1.53% | |
| 041015004 | Banalo | 6.2% | 2,515 | 2,195 | 1.37% | |
| 041015005 | Biga | 5.0% | 2,030 | 1,782 | 1.31% | |
| 041015006 | Bignay | 1.2% | 501 | 432 | 1.49% | |
| 041015007 | Calo | 2.3% | 918 | 913 | 0.05% | |
| 041015008 | Calumpit | 2.0% | 819 | 734 | 1.10% | |
| 041015009 | Fabrica | 5.0% | 2,056 | 1,742 | 1.67% | |
| 041015010 | Jaybanga | 4.6% | 1,873 | 1,652 | 1.26% | |
| 041015011 | Lagadlarin | 5.1% | 2,086 | 1,853 | 1.19% | |
| 041015012 | Mabilog na Bundok | 4.3% | 1,740 | 1,675 | 0.38% | |
| 041015013 | Malabrigo | 4.3% | 1,744 | 1,546 | 1.21% | |
| 041015014 | Malalim na Sanog | 0.8% | 306 | 205 | 4.09% | |
| 041015015 | Malapad na Parang | 3.6% | 1,461 | 1,455 | 0.04% | |
| 041015016 | Masaguitsit | 3.4% | 1,377 | 1,234 | 1.10% | |
| 041015017 | Nagtalongtong | 5.1% | 2,066 | 1,994 | 0.36% | |
| 041015018 | Nagtoctoc | 1.5% | 617 | 591 | 0.43% | |
| 041015019 | Olo‑olo | 3.5% | 1,406 | 1,377 | 0.21% | |
| 041015020 | Pinaghawanan | 1.2% | 488 | 419 | 1.54% | |
| 041015021 | San Miguel | 2.0% | 802 | 732 | 0.92% | |
| 041015022 | San Nicolas | 2.3% | 939 | 763 | 2.10% | |
| 041015023 | Sawang | 5.2% | 2,138 | 1,831 | 1.56% | |
| 041015024 | Soloc | 5.5% | 2,223 | 1,801 | 2.13% | |
| 041015025 | Tayuman | 4.1% | 1,652 | 1,409 | 1.60% | |
| 041015026 | Poblacion | 6.7% | 2,717 | 2,672 | 0.17% | |
| Total | 40,736 | 37,070 | 0.95% | |||
Climate
| Climate data for Lobo, Batangas | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
29 (84) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21 (70) |
20 (68) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52 (2.0) |
35 (1.4) |
27 (1.1) |
27 (1.1) |
82 (3.2) |
124 (4.9) |
163 (6.4) |
144 (5.7) |
145 (5.7) |
141 (5.6) |
100 (3.9) |
102 (4.0) |
1,142 (45) |
| Average rainy days | 12.0 | 8.1 | 8.8 | 9.7 | 17.9 | 22.6 | 26.2 | 24.5 | 24.6 | 22.0 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 208 |
| Source: Meteoblue[19] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 5,781 | — |
| 1918 | 6,999 | +1.28% |
| 1939 | 8,964 | +1.19% |
| 1948 | 11,711 | +3.01% |
| 1960 | 15,197 | +2.19% |
| 1970 | 19,376 | +2.46% |
| 1975 | 22,092 | +2.67% |
| 1980 | 24,333 | +1.95% |
| 1990 | 26,881 | +1.00% |
| 1995 | 31,849 | +3.23% |
| 2000 | 33,909 | +1.35% |
| 2007 | 37,798 | +1.51% |
| 2010 | 37,070 | −0.71% |
| 2015 | 41,504 | +2.18% |
| 2020 | 40,736 | −0.37% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[20][18][21][22] | ||
In the 2020 census, Lobo had a population of 40,736.[4] The population density was 230 inhabitants per square kilometre (600/sq mi).
Economy
Poverty incidence of Lobo
10
20
30
40
50
60
2000
58.04 2003
49.64 2006
5.10 2009
19.07 2012
25.86 2015
21.46 2018
20.52 2021
8.13 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] |
Government
Elected officials
Lota L. Manalo and Jurly R. Manalo are the current mayor and vice mayor, respectively.[2]
The Municipal Councilors are:
- Geronimo Alfiler
- Angelito Abiera
- Michael Cueto
- Jan-Michael Anyayahan
- Victoriano Dueñas
- Mark Ernani Tiu
- Amador Ambrocio Sulit
- Leslee Aguilar
Lobo Church
Summarize
Perspective
| Lobo Church | |
|---|---|
| Saint Michael the Archangel Parish Church | |
 Church facade in 2024 | |
.svg) Lobo Church Location in Luzon Lobo Church Location in the Philippines | |
| 13°38′54″N 121°12′35″E | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Dedication | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Consecrated | 1987 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Neo-classic |
| Groundbreaking | 1980 |
| Completed | 1986 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Concrete |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Lipa |
| Deanery | Immaculate Conception[31] |
| Parish | St. Michael the Archangel |
Saint Michael the Archangel Parish Church, commonly known as Lobo Church, is a Neo-classic parish church in the municipality of Lobo. The church is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa. The parish is dedicated to Saint Michael and its feast day is celebrated every May 8. The church was founded in 1873 while the current building was built in 1980 to 1986.
History
In March 1871, Lobo, a visita under the jurisdiction of Taysan, and its residents requested the Governor-General for the visita to be an independent town and its parish due to reasons of long walking distance and difficult travel to the mother town. On September 27, 1871, the visita with the barrios of Masagitsit, Tayuman, Bignay, Malapad na Parang, Mabilog na Bundok, Malabrigo, and Sabana was made into a town. Still, the request to the parish was temporarily suspended until the church, the convent, and a school were adequately built.
On November 20, 1872, the King of Spain approved the request to build the parish[32] and on February 4, 1873, the Governor, Viceroy of the Philippine Islands, enacted the king's order, formally founding the parish. The parish started as a tuklong made from bamboo and cogon in 1874, then it was built into a church and a convent made of wood and bamboo in 1886, initiated by Fr. Isidro Gamboa. The parish was administered by Augustinian Recollect friars until 1902.
When the Diocese of Lipa was made in 1910, the parish was given to a Belgian priest, Fr. Raymundo Esquinet, along with the parishes of San Jose, Ibaan, Bauan, Taysan, Cuenca, and Tombol. In 1915, the parish was given to the OSJ missionaries along with Taysan's parish, Nuestra Señora de la Merced Parish Church. The parish was under the guidance of the congregation until 1917.
In 1979, the church was renovated into a concrete building but was destroyed by Typhoon Yeyeng in 1981. A temporary chapel was made to continue parish activities. Five years later, the parish church was completely rebuilt and was blessed in 1987.[32]
Nave in 2013
Arcades and clerestories
Fish sanctuaries
Lobo has several fish sanctuaries:[33][34]
- Lobo Mangrove Conservation Area
- Sawang and Olo-Olo Fish Sanctuary and Refuge Area
- Malabrigo Fish Sanctuary and Refuge Area
- Biga Fish Sanctuary and Refuge Area
Gallery
Malabrigo Point Lighthouse
Park
Downtown Lobo
References
External links
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