Pandan, Antique

Pandan
Municipality
Location within Antique province
Pandan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°43′N 122°06′E / 11.72°N 122.1°E / 11.72; 122.1Coordinates: 11°43′N 122°06′E / 11.72°N 122.1°E / 11.72; 122.1
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas (Region VI)
Province	Antique
District	Lone district
Barangays	34 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jonathan D. Tan
• Vice Mayor	Renato D. Tugon
Area[2]
• Total	113.98 km2 (44.01 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	34,333
• Density	300/km2 (780/sq mi)
• Voter (2016)[4]	20,419
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	5712
IDD : area code	+63 (0)36
Income class	4th class
PSGC	060611000
Website	www.pandan.gov.ph

Pandan, officially the Municipality of Pandan (Karay-a: Banwa kang Pandan; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Pandan; Filipino: Bayan ng Pandan), is a municipality in the province of Antique in the Western Visayas (Region VI) of the Philippines. The population was 34,333 at the 2015 census.^[3] In the 2016 election, it had 20,419 registered voters.^[4]

Pandan is also one of the Antique's industrialized towns and a major tourist destination for its cold spring, the Bugang River and white beaches along the Pandan Bay from Barangay Mag-aba to Barangay Duyong.

History

The town was formally established in 1752 by the Spanish Parishes in the province during the Philippines' colonization by Spain, which started in 1521 and ended with the Spanish–American War in 1899. During World War II, 1942 Japanese occupation of Panay Island saw the harassments and pandemonium in the area. The town was liberated in 1944 as part of the combined Allied forces campaign for the liberation of the Panay Island. In 1945, it was incorporated as a town under the fourth Philippine Republic.

Geography

Pandan is located at 11°43′N 122°06′E / 11.72°N 122.1°E / 11.72; 122.1.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 113.98 square kilometres (44.01 sq mi)^[2] constituting 7000418009999900000♠4.18% of the 2,729.17-square-kilometre- (1,053.74 sq mi) total area of Antique.

Pandan is bounded by Cuyo East Pass as part of Sulu Sea on the west; by Libertad on the north and northwest; by Aklan province on the east and northeast; and Sebaste on the south.

Barangays

Pandan is politically subdivided into 34 barangays,^[5] of which 15 lie along the coast, 12 are inland, and 7 are upland.

Sitios

Demographics

In the 2015 census, Pandan had a population of 34,333.^[3] The population density was 300 inhabitants per square kilometre (780/sq mi).

In the 2016 election, it had 20,419 registered voters.^[4]

Language

The Philippine dialect generally spoken in the province of Antique is called Kinaray-a (Kee-nah-rye-ah). The people of Pandan—called "Pandananons"—uses a version of Kinaray-a which differs somewhat with that used by most of the other Antique residents. The Pandananon version is more similar to the dialect spoken in Aklan province, which shares a boundary with Pandan. Thus, for example, the English word "No" is "Wara" in Kinaray-a but "Uwa" or "Wa" in Pandananon. E.g. "There is no electricity today" translates into "Wara ti sulo kadya" in Kinaray-a, but "Uwa it iwag kaya" in Pandananon. Pandananons also speak and understand the Hiligaynon language.

Economy

The people of Pandan mostly covers 75% of agriculture and fishing. The other percentages were made up by professionals, civil servants, workers and Overseas Filipino Workers.

Tourism

Pandan is becoming one of the top tourist destination in the country. The town is just 36 kilometres (22 mi) away from Boracay Island, which has become one of the world’s popular beach resorts and tourist destinations. Both local and foreign tourists bound originally for Boracay have increasingly added a stop in Pandan before or after visiting Boracay.

The town's major attractions include the Malumpati Cold Spring Resort and the Bugang River, which has been nationally awarded several times as "the cleanest inland body of water" in the Philippines; the Pandan Bay sunset, and white-sand beaches, sandwiched between the Sulu Sea to the west and, in the east, the Central Panay Mountain Range and coconut and other farms.

• Leocadio Alonsagay Dioso Memorial Public Library – Since 2004 Pandan has been home to a library that, according to the National Library of the Philippines, is among the top libraries of its kind in the country. The Dioso Library was built by retired United Nations official Leo Dioso as an ongoing gift to the people and town of Pandan. It is named in honor of the founder's father, Leocadio A. Dioso, whose long career included service as Justice of the Peace, Presidential legal adviser, and Philippine diplomat. Although privately owned and operated, the Library functions officially as the Municipal Library and Information Center of Pandan. Housed in a two-story building on 1,700 sq. meters of land in the town center, the Library has a separate Main Collection Hall, Reading & Reference Room, Computer Room, Children's Room, a "United Nations Corner", and an external stage area for public presentations. Residents of Pandan can borrow books from the Library for up to three weeks at a time.

• Annual festival – Pandan's popular town fiesta, known as the Tugbong Festival, is held in honor of its patron saint, Saint Vincent Ferrer. The Festival runs from the 21st to the 25th of April and includes, among other events: the Agro-Industrial Fair; the Sports Tournament; the Dalmacio Marathon; the Motocross Invitational Competition; the Dasigay Bugsay Boat Rowing Competition; the Search for Miss Teen Pandan Beauty Pageant; the Ati-Atihan, Mardi-Gras and Float Competitions; and the PBI Annual Alumni Homecoming.

• Duyong Golden Beach – A long stretch of white sand beach from where one could see the panorama of the Duyong Mountain Ranges on the east, and a view of Batbatan Island and the setting sun on the west.

• Phaidon Villas and Beach Resort – A white sand beach resort located in Barangay Tingib and a part of Duyong Golden Beach. The resort has a picnic ground and beach volleyball area which is open to the public but with entrance fee. This establishment is a joint venture of Filipino and Austrian investors to promote Pandan eco-tourism. Phaidon is a Greek word meaning “the soul and roots of every life” and it is also an acronym for Philippine–Austrian Investment Duyong Offenberger – Network.

• Bunny's Beach Resort – A Filipino-Australian owned resort with a restaurant and bar, Considered to be one of Pandan, Antique's premier resorts. located at Barangay Mag-aba along a strip of white sand beach from the banks of the Bugang River to the rocky caves of Pari-Pari.

• Rosepoint Beach – a beach located in Brgy. Mag-aba, nestled at the edge where the Bugang river meets the Pandan Bay

Education

Acting under the Department of Education (DEPED), the Pandan School District oversees the implementation of the programs and thrusts of the department. The district is composed of 33 schools—10 mono-grade elementary schools; 5 multi-grade elementary schools, and 18 primary schools—with a total of 200 classrooms.

Secondary education is provided by two private schools (the Pandan Bay Institute (PBI) and the Jinalinan Academy) and four public schools (the Pandan National Vocational High School (PNVHS), and the Patria, Mag-aba, and Santa Ana National High Schools). These six schools have a combined 58 classrooms.

Mag-aba National High School was founded in 1977. At first it was a Barangay High School but upon the term of President Corazon Aquino, all Barangay High Schools were renamed as National High Schools. Mag-aba National High School was relocated to the eastern part of the Barangay Mag-aba in 1992.

Founded in 1947, the PBI (Pandan Bay Institute, Inc.) was formerly run by the Diocese of Antique but is now managed and operated by the Canadian Missionaries (La Mennais Brother). The Jinalinan Academy is operated by the Seventh-day Adventists. Located in the town proper, the PNVHS (Pandan National Vocational High School) was founded in 1997 and had its first graduates at the end of the 2000-2001 school year.

On a limited basis, tertiary education is provided by the Jinalinan Academy (which offers a one-year Health Aide course) and by the PBI (which offers two-year Computer Science and Computer Secretarial courses).

Health services

Pandan has one district hospital, the Justice Calixto Zaldivar Memorial Hospital formerly known as Gov. Leandro Locsin Fullon General Hospital, with a 25-bed capacity located at Brgy. Bagumbayan, one kilometer away from the town center. It is manned by a chief of hospital, two resident physicians, eight nurses, one midwife, one dentist, one pharmacist, one medical technologist, and one nutritionist. Attached to the hospital is the Alexander Liberman Memorial Surgical Pavilion.

There is a private Lying-In-Clinic (Tugon Medical Clinic) which is located at the town center. It has a 10-bed capacity and is manned by one physician, five nurses, one midwife, one dentist, two pharmacists and one medical technologist.

The Municipal Health Office is manned by one Municipal Health Officer (MHO), two Public Health Nurses (PHN), ten Rural Health Midwives (RHM), one Rural Sanitary Inspector (RSI), four casuals, and one janitor. Each RHM has her own catchment area which is composed of 3-4 barangays. One RHM is based at the Main Health Center. Out of nine Barangay Health Stations (BHS), only three have permanent buildings and these need repair. Midwives with no permanent BHS occupy the Barangay Hall.

The programs and services implemented by the Municipal Health Office are: National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP); Health and Sanitation; Maternal and Child Health Care (MCHC); Nutrition; Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI); Control of Diarrheal Disease; Leprosy Control, and Family Planning. These programs and services are implemented throughout the municipality through the efforts of the Rural Health Personnel with the help of the Barangay Health Workers (BHW), Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) and trained hilots in their respective barangays.

Utilities

Water supply

Pandan has a sufficient supply of water in general. It also has good sources of potable water that may not require chemical treatment. The water supply operates at three levels—the individual faucet system (Level III); the communal faucet system (Level II) and the point source system (level I) -- which are in the form of wells and springs common in the rural areas.

A Level III Water Works System operated and maintained by the Pandan Water District supplies 20 barangays in the municipality. The system was built through a joint undertaking of the Japan Asian Friendship Society and the Local Government of Pandan. The system basically draws water from a spring located in Malumpati and pumps it to a reservoir located in Santo Rosario. It then distributes water by gravity to its concessionaires. It is currently capable of supplying 540,000 liters per day, mainly for domestic consumption (currently involving 1,132 users).

Other barangays not covered by the Pandan Water District get their water through gravity-type spring development projects, involving the installation of communal faucets at strategic locations within each barangay.

Level I systems exist in areas where other sources are not available. Prior to the operation of the Level III system, Level I systems were popularly used by most of the households in the municipality. At present, these are still maintained as a back-up source of water supply.

Power supply

The Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) supplies electricity to the municipality. AKELCO sourced its power from the National Power Corporation. Electricity had already reached almost majority of the barangays in the municipality except those, which are located in the hinterlands. One barangay in the hinterland obtains its electricity from a mini-hydro power plant.

In Pandan, the total percentage of household served is 33.31% in the rural area while 86.13% is being served in the urban area. Even though some households can already be reached by electric supply, they choose not to get connected due mainly to its high cost. They rely instead on other means for lighting, cooking and other purposes.

Although the government with the partnership of the AKELCO is currently implementing its electrification program in the barangays, delays in the implementation can be expected because of the high cost of transmission lines and other facilities needed. There is also a low demand in electric connection because some households are not capable of paying installation expenses as well as the monthly bills.

Power outages and fluctuation can be frequently experienced in Pandan which usually occur during weather disturbances. Old and insufficient facilities are also one of the causes.

AKELCO gets its supply of power from NAPOCOR through a 69 kV transmission line traversing the Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan area. When power from this line is cut-off due to maintenance or weather disturbances, Pandan experiences a power outage.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pandan, Antique.

• Pandan on Pandan.ph

		Nabas, Aklan / Ibajay, Aklan
	Libertad		Tangalan, Aklan
		Pandan
	Pandan Bay (Sulu Sea)	Sebaste

Province of Antique
San Jose de Buenavista (capital)
Municipalities	Anini-y Barbaza Belison Bugasong Caluya Culasi Hamtic Laua-an Libertad Pandan Patnongon San Jose de Buenavista San Remigio Sebaste Sibalom Tibiao Tobias Fornier Valderrama