Misplaced Pages

Miagao
Municipality
Municipality of Miagao
Miagao Church
FlagSeal
Nickname: "Onion Capital of the Visayas"
Map of Iloilo with Miagao highlighted
OpenStreetMap
MiagaoLocation within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°38′39″N 122°14′07″E / 10.6442°N 122.2352°E / 10.6442; 122.2352
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Iloilo
District	1st district
Barangays	119 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Oscar "Richard" S. Garin Jr.
• Vice Mayor	Macario M. Napulan, MD
• Representative	Janette L. Garin
• Municipal Council	Members Gemma Rei S. Nismal Gemma S. Nulada Jose Angelo P. Molejona Ma. Salve N. Pechayco Serafin F. Monteclaro Luningning S. Tuparan Mario Thomas Nicolas P. Torrecampo Japhet Grace G. Moleta
• Electorate	41,603 voters (2022)
Area
• Total	156.80 km (60.54 sq mi)
Elevation	29 m (95 ft)
Highest elevation	1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population
• Total	68,115
• Density	430/km (1,100/sq mi)
• Households	16,006
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	16.19% (2021)
• Revenue	₱ 218.5 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 693 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 165.1 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 191.2 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Iloilo 1 Electric Cooperative (ILECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5023
PSGC	063030000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Native languages	Karay-a Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.miagao.gov.ph

Miagao (also written Miag-ao), officially the Municipality of Miagao (Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Miagao; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Miagao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Miagao), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,115 people.

Miagao is considered as the "Onion Capital of the Visayas". The town center of the municipality lies on the western bank of the Tumagbok River, the largest river in the municipality. The poblacion is made up of eight barangays.

The town holds their patronal fiesta in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova (more commonly known as Santo Tomas de Villanueva) every September 22 that lasts several days. The town is also the location of one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Miagao Church, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire town of Miagao was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City and became a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC).

Etymology

The name of Miagao has many disputed etymologies. One of the most popular, and probably the most widely accepted version is that the name of the town was derived from a plant named Miagos. Miagos or Osmoxylon lineare is a flowering plant from the family Araliaceae that used to grow abundantly in the area when the Spaniards came. Because of its abundance in the area, the Spaniards named the place Miagos which later became Miagao. Another version, according to Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Torres of Igbaras, is that a native named "Miyagaw" was asked by the Spaniards for the name of the place but gave his name instead.

History

A settlement in Damilisan were recorded by Spanish Map early in 1700 with 13,493 people and 2,974 houses. Miagao gained its independence as a municipality in 1716 . Prior to that, it used to be a part of an arrabal of four different towns in southern Iloilo. Until 1580, Miagao was an arrabal of Oton. From 1580 until 1652, it was an arrabal of Tigbauan. It was an arrabal of Suaraga (now San Joaquin) from 1652 to 1703 and before becoming independent, it became an arrabal of Guimbal from 1703 to 1716. In 1731, Miagao had its first capitan and teniente mayor (now equivalent to mayor and vice mayor) after an election was held in Guimbal under the supervision of Victorino C. Ma., an authorized representative of the governor.

Geography

Topography

Miagao is a coastal town with a hilly to mountainous terrain. Most of the flat areas in the municipality are found either in coasts or along the town's major rivers which include the Naulid, Tumagbok, Oyaoy, Bacauan, Tabunacan, Oyungan, Lanutan, and San Rafael rivers. A mountain range forms a natural boundary between Miagao and the province of Antique to the north.

The highest point in the municipality is the summit of Mount Tulajon, locally spelled as Tulahong, at 1,100 meters asl located in Barangay Ongyod.

Climate

The municipality has a type I climate based on PAGASA's climate classification chart. The climate of Miagao is greatly affected by north-east and south-west monsoons. The town experiences a pronounced wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The coolest months are the months of December to February while the hottest months are the months of April and May.

Barangays

Miagao is politically subdivided into 119 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

It has more barangays than any other municipality in the Philippines. The municipality has 22 coastal barangays and 97 landlocked barangays.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Miagao was 68,115 people, with a density of 430 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,100 inhabitants per square mile.

Almost all people in Miagao speak Kinaray-a as it is the primary language of the municipality. Hiligaynon is spoken as a second language by many and is especially useful when going to Iloilo City where Hiligaynon is the dominant language.

Healthcare

The municipality's healthcare services is under the management of the Miagao Municipal Health Office (MHO), headed by its Municipal Health Officer, Rural Health Physicians, Nurses, Midwives, and other allied health workers and staff. The MHO is directly under the administration of the Local Government Unit.

The Municipal Health Office ensures that the delivery of basic services and provisions of adequate facilities relative to health services provided under Section 17 of the Universal Healthcare Law of the Philippines (Population-based Health Services) are effectively implemented.

The main components of the Municipal Health Office include the following:

• MHO Office including the headquarters of its different health programs
• First-aid Clinic
• Out-patient Clinic
• Birthing Clinic
• Animal Bite Treatment Center
• DOTS Center and COVID-19 Swabbing Center
• The 19 Barangay Health Stations (BHS) spread across the municipality
  • The Main Health Center (MHC) caters to three BHS, namely: MHC-A, MHC-B, and MHC-C

There are also other private medical, dental and veterinary clinics, laboratories, and pharmacies located primarily in the poblacion area.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Miagao

Agriculture

The municipality of Miagao is a largely agricultural town. Around 52% of the municipal land area is classified as agricultural and around 40% of the total land area is planted. Rice is the primary crop of the town while corn is considered as a secondary crop.

Miagao is hailed as the "Onion Capital of the Visayas" because it is the largest producer of bulb onion not only in Western Visayas but in the whole Visayas and Mindanao. In 2022, 92% of the region's onion production was produced by the municipality of Miagao which targets to further increase production by expanding the plantation area.

Other crops produced by the municipality include eggplants, peanuts, monggo, tomatoes, root crops, and bamboo.

Banks

Miagao is a financial center in southern Iloilo. The town has a total of five banks.

Infrastructure

Public Transport

Miagao is strategically located along the Iloilo-Antique road. Because of this, transportation is not a big problem in the municipality. The town proper is 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Iloilo City and 57 kilometres (35 mi) from San Jose de Buenavista, the capital of Antique.

Buses

Several bus companies operate in Miagao. Buses that ply the Iloilo-Antique, Iloilo-Caticlan via San Jose, and Iloilo-Manila routes pass by the municipality every day. Ceres Liner by Vallacar Transit passes by Miagao almost every 30 minutes on its way to Iloilo from Antique and vice versa.

Manila bound buses also pass by Miagao. Dimple Star Transport, Gasat/Valisno Transport, and Ceres Liner pass by Miagao every morning on their way to Manila. In addition, RM Liner also heads to Manila everyday but passes by Miagao early in the evening.

Jeepneys

Jeepneys serve the Miagao-Iloilo City route more frequently than buses. The typical jeepney can contain around 22 to as many as 34 or more passengers. The town is mainly served by Miagao-Iloilo City bound jeepneys but San Joaquin-Iloilo City bound jeepneys also serve the area. These jeepneys generally pass by every 10–20 minutes so catching a jeepney bound for Iloilo City is not a problem. Several mountain barangays of Miagao are also served by jeepneys because smaller modes of transportation aren't usually strong enough to climb steep and unpaved roads. In that case, habal-habal or plain motocycles can also be used.

Jeepneys serving the hinterlands of the municipality include regular routes from the poblacion area to the following barangays:

• Miagao - Tiglawa/Banga via Banbanan/Cavite
• Miagao - San Jose via Banbanan
• Miagao - Tigmarabo via Banbanan/Oya-oy
• Miagao - Tig-amaga/Pudpud via Ticdalan
• Miagao - Tigmalapad/Igbita
• Miagao - Bacolod (barangay)
• Miagao - Dalije via Bacolod
• Miagao - Alimodias via Olango/Bacolod (rainy season) or via Pudpud (dry season)
• Miagao - Tigbagacay/Naclub
• Miagao - Maricolcol/Baraclayan

Tricycles

Tricycles are the most common form transportation in the municipality. These are the Philippines' version of tuk-tuk in other Asian countries. Tricycles are often limited to operate within the municipality but special and private trips to other places are allowed. Miagao has established several tricycle routes in the municipality. Tricycles are color-coded to indicate the route assigned to them. Yellow ones are northbound while blue ones are southbound. Green tricycles are bound to the mountain barangays of the town passing through barangay Mat-y. Tricycles assigned to operate within the town proper are colored red. The following table shows the routes of all tricycles-for-hire within the municipality of Miagao.

Government

As with other municipal/city level political administration in the country, Miagao is governed by popularly elected Mayor, Vice Mayor, and eight Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Members. The current government officials of the municipality are listed below.

Elected officials

Members of the municipal council (2022-2028):

• Mayor: ENGR. Oscar "Richard" S. Garin Jr.
• Vice Mayor: Macario Napulan, M.D.
• SB Members:
  • Hon. Japhet Grace N. Moleta, RN, MPG
  • Hon. Jun Carlu A. Napulan, MD.
  • Hon. Gemma Rei S. Nismal
  • Hon. Aaron M. Noble
  • Hon. Cezar N. Florece
  • Hon. Mario Thomas Nicolas P. Torrecampo
  • Hon. Ma. Salve N. Pechayco, MD
  • Hon. Richard E. Esposo
• Ex-Officio Member
  • Junjun Galvez (LNB President)

Highlights

Miag-ao Church

The Miagao Church, or the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, was built in 1786 by Spanish Augustinian missionaries and was declared as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Baroque Churches of the Philippines" in 1993. On the front facade, which is flanked by two watchtower belfries, one can see the unique blending of Spanish and native influences.

The central feature of the bas-relief facade is a large coconut tree which reaches almost to the apex. While an integral part of the Philippine landscape, the coconut tree is also the subject of lore. According to an old Philippine legend, the coconut tree was the only bequest from a loving mother to her two children, a tree which sustained them for life. On the church's facade the coconut tree appears as the "tree of life" to which St. Christopher carrying the Child Jesus on his shoulder is clinging to. The lesser facades feature the daily life of Miagaowanons during the time. Also depicted are other native flora and fauna, as well as native dress.

The church and its watchtowers were also built to defend the town and its people against raids by the Moro people. It therefore has thick walls and, reportedly, secret passages. Indeed, stretching along the Iloilo coast are defensive towers, but none that equal the size of the Miagao. It is because of this defensive purpose that it is sometimes referred to as the Miag-ao Fortress Church.

Education

The primary and secondary education in the municipality of Miagao is under the jurisdiction of the Division of Iloilo under the Department of Education Region 6. Miagao is subdivided into two school districts namely, Miagao East and Miagao West. The schools under each district as well as private, secondary, and tertiary schools in the municipality are listed below.

Elementary education

Miagao East elementary schools:

• Aguiauan ES
• Bacauan-Mambatad ES
• Guibongan-Igtuba ES
• Indag-an-Tanagan ES
• Kirayan ES
• La Consolacion ES
• Malagyan ES
• Miagao (East) Central ES
• Miranda ES
• Monteclaro ES
• Pungtod-Caitib ES
• San Jose ES
• Ticdalan ES
• Tigmarabo ES
• Valencia ES

Miagao West elementary schools:

• Alimodias ES
• Bacolod ES
• Cadoldolan ES
• Dalije ES
• Diday ES
• Igbita-Tigmalapad ES
• Igdulaca ES
• Igpajo ES
• Ilog-ilog ES
• Jesus Nievales Memorial ES
• Miagao West Central ES
• Naclub ES
• Olango ES
• Oyungan ES
• San Fernando ES
• San Rafael ES

Private primary schools:

• Kaunlaran Learning Center (KLC)
• Acorn Dale Montessori

Secondary education

Secondary schools:

• Alejandro Firmeza Memorial NHS
• Bacolod NHS
• Kirayan NHS
• Miagao NHS
• Palaca-Damilisan NHS
• San Jose NHS
• San Rafael NHS
• Supt. Arsenio M. Napud Memorial NHS

Private secondary schools:

• Doanne Christian Fellowship Academy
• Kaunlaran Integrated School Foundation INC
• St. Louise de Marillac School of Miagao

Colleges and Universities

University of the Philippines Visayas

The Miagao campus of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) spreads out over 12 km on the outskirts of the town proper. This is the main campus of UPV which is composed of the UPV College of Management (CM) in Iloilo City, UPV High School in Iloilo (UPVHSI) in Iloilo City, UPV College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), UPV School of Technology (SoTech), and the flagship college of this campus, the UPV College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) which focuses on marine science, aquaculture, fish processing, natural products development, and post-harvest/food science. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Thailand and Cambodia sent exchange students to the school to study fish and rice production, and after graduating returned home where they began out-producing and out-exporting the Philippines in these commodities.

Iloilo Science and Technology University - Miagao Campus

The Iloilo Science and Technology University - Miagao Campus (formerly Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College) is one of the tertiary institutions in the municipality. The college started as Miagao Regional High School in 1945 and became the Miagao Vocational School in 1958. In 1984, Miagao Vocational School was converted to Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College (SIPC) to meet the demands of the changing times and for expansion purposes. SIPC was then integrated to Western Visayas College of Science and Technology (now Iloilo Science and Technology University) on November 24, 2000, by virtue of the Republic Act(RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994 and RA No. 8292". Currently, the school offers courses in the fields of electronics and technology, hospitality, and primary and secondary education.

Media

• DYUP-FM 102.7
• DYUP-AM 873
• Hot-FM Miag-ao
• Falconite – FM/AM Miagao

See also

• Baroque Churches of the Philippines
• Organization of World Heritage Cities

References

1.  Municipality of Miagao | (DILG)
2. "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.
3. ^ Census of Population (2020). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. ^ Miagao Satellite Map
6. Miagao Barangays Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ Miagao History
8. "Iloilo History Part 4".
9. "Spanish Towns and Date of Incorporation".
10. ^ "Miagao Website".
11. "Mount Tulajon mountain".
12. "Miagao Monthly Climate Average, Philippines". World Weather Online. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
13. "Province: Iloilo". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
14. Barangay in numbers
15. "PSA - ActiveStats - PSGC Interactive - Municipality: MIAGAO". Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
16. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
17. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VI (Western Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
18. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
19. "Province of Iloilo". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
20. Ethnologue - Languages of the World
21. "Municipal Health Office". miagao.gov.ph. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
22. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
23. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
24. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
25. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
26. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
27. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
28. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
29. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
30. News Feature: Miagao town prides itself as onion capital of Western Visayas Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
31. Miagao town notes increased onion production Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
32. Other Crops: Volume of Production by Region and by Province
33. DA eyes 200 hectares of onion plantation in W. Visayas
34. Socio-Economic Profile of the Municipality of Miagao
35. Miag-ao FITS Center Opens to Clients Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
36. Municipality of Miagao
37. "Miagao, Iloilo Elections". ph.rappler.com. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
38. Department of Education, Region IV
39. Division of Iloilo
40. Miagao Website
41. Private Schools - Philippines
42. "Southern Iloilo Polytechnic College". Archived from the original on 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2014-07-30.

External links

• Official website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Miagao" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

v t e Places adjacent to Miagao
Sibalom, Antique Igbaras Miagao Guimbal San Joaquin Panay Gulf

v t e Province of Iloilo
Iloilo City (capital and largest city)
Municipalities	Ajuy Alimodian Anilao Badiangan Balasan Banate Barotac Nuevo Barotac Viejo Batad Bingawan Cabatuan Calinog Carles Concepcion Dingle Dueñas Dumangas Estancia Guimbal Igbaras Janiuay Lambunao Leganes Lemery Leon Maasin Miagao Mina New Lucena Oton Pavia Pototan San Dionisio San Enrique San Joaquin San Miguel San Rafael Santa Barbara Sara Tigbauan Tubungan Zarraga
Component city	Passi
Highly urbanized city	Iloilo City (Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Iloilo by the Philippine Statistics Authority.)

• Municipalities of Iloilo