Santa Barbara

History

The Augustinian Archives, Vol. 17–18, which recorded the missionary achievements of the Augustinian missionaries, mentions that in 1617 the missionaries ministered a community then known as Catmon, named after an imposing katmon tree used as a landmark. The town sat on a rich and fertile plain traversed by the Salug (now Tigum) and Aganan rivers, producing rice, corn, sugar, mongo and tobacco. Then Catmon was only a “Visita Catmon” of Jaro vicariate.

In 1760, Catmon was established as an independent parish, whose patron saint was Santa Barbara and the settlement became a “pueblo” named after her. Its total population at the time was 15,094.

In 1845, its population was 19,719 and it covered an area which are now the Municipalities of Maasin, Janiuay, Cabatuan, Alimodian, San Miguel, Zarraga, New Lucena and parts of Leganes and Pavia.

When the Philippine Revolution broke out on Luzon in 1896, it did not spread immediately to Iloilo. The Spanish authorities thought that they could keep the Ilonggos loyal to Spain. Governador–General Basilio Agustin organized the Volunteer Militia in Iloilo to enlist Ilonggos to fight the Tagalog rebels. Being a “mestizo” and having occupied the highest office in his town, Martin Teofilo Delgado was appointed commander of the “voluntaries” in Santa Barbara.

Unknown to the Spaniards, however, Delgado had already become a “revolucionario”. On October 28, 1898, he publicly declared himself for the Revolution and seized the municipal building. The Revolutionary Government of the Visayas was organized and on November 17, 1898, was formally inaugurated at the town plaza of Santa Barbara. A large crowd hailing from many places across Iloilo gathered for the historic occasion. The Philippine flag was raised for the first time outside of Luzon. Gen. Adriano Hernández y Dayot headed the Ejército Libertador or the Liberating Army in the province of Iloilo.

The officials of the Revolutionary Government were Roque Lopez, president; Vicente Franco, vice president and secretary of the interior; Venancio Concepcion, secretary of finance; Ramon Avanceňa, secretary of state; Jovito Yusay, secretary of justice; Julio Hernández y Dayot, secretary of war; Fernando Salas, secretary general. General Martin T. Delgado was chosen General –in-Chief of the Revolutionary Forces.

Geography

Santa Barbara is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Iloilo City and is part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area.

It has a land area of 13,196 hectares (32,610 acres), ranks 29th as to size among the 42 municipalities of the province and occupies 1.5% of all lands in the Province of Iloilo. Almost 100% of Santa Barbara's land is cultivated and alienable or disposable. It is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Iloilo City.

The topography of Santa Barbara varies from slightly rolling hills to almost flat or gradually inclined plains, sliced by Tigum River at its centremost, which flows from the north-west to the southeast and the Aganan River in the southern section.

Land Use

Basically, Santa Barbara is an agricultural town with 84.75% or 6,568.19 hectares (16,230.4 acres) devoted to agriculture. The rolling hills, amounting to 155.99 hectares (385.5 acres), are unsuitable to farming and are utilized as pasture and open grassland. The built-up areas within the poblacion and the barangay areas total 678.98 hectares (1,677.8 acres) or 8.761%. Also included in this category are the areas utilized for commercial, institutional purposes, parks and open space. Agro-industrial area is 101.928 has. or 1.315%, industrial area is .069 % or 5.330 has., utilities or roads comprise 150.853 has. or 1.946%. The area for the cemeteries is 4.720 has. or .061 % and bodies of water is 1.084% or 84 hectares.

Climate

There is a distinct climate in this municipality, which is ideal for planting of multiple crops. It has a type “C” (moist ) rain sufficiently distributed with almost 4 ½ dry months or first –type climate with two distinct seasons of six months.

The average annual rainfall is 137.47 centimetres (54.12 in). The average temperature is 27.9 °C (82.2 °F). This municipality is not within the country's typhoon belt although tropical storms and occasional typhoons pass through it.

Barangays

Santa Barbara is politically subdivided into 60 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Migration from Santa Barbara to Mindanao

Migration occurred in the 20th century to Mindanao in the 1940s under Manuel Roxas who was from Panay. Thousands migrated throughout the 1940s and 1950s as part of a resettlement movement sponsored by the government. Today, many Santa Barbaranon are now living in Mindanao, with a huge presence in:

Cities

Cotabato City

General Santos

Kidapawan City

Koronadal City, South Cotabato

Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat

Municipalities

Banga, South Cotabato

Columbio, Sultan Kudarat

Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat

Isulan, Sultan Kudarat

Kabacan, Cotabato

Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

Midsayap, Cotabato

M’lang, Cotabato

Norala, South Cotabato

Pikit, Cotabato

Polomolok, South Cotabato

Santo Niño, South Cotabato

Surallah, South Cotabato

Tampakan, South Cotabato

Tantangan, South Cotabato

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Santa Barbara was 68,467 people, with a density of 520 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,300 inhabitants per square mile.

Languages

The population of Santa Barbara primarily speaks Kinaray-a and Hiligaynon. Tagalog and English are also spoken.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Santa Barbara (%)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Santa Barbara serves as a gateway to Iloilo City, hosting the access road to Iloilo International Airport. The municipality is home to large commercial establishments, including the newly opened Wilcon Depot, SUVIL Town Center, SM Savemore, and the upcoming Shophouse District. A key project underway in Santa Barbara is the development of Santa Barbara Heights by Megaworld’s Global-Estate Resorts, Inc., located near the international airport.

Santa Barbara is also set to become a hub for provincial and regional government offices. The new Iloilo Province Government Center in Barangay Bolong Oeste will house provincial satellite offices and government agencies such as the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and PhilHealth. The development aims to decongest Iloilo City by relocating some government offices outside the urban core.

Transportation

The total road network is 159.60 kilometres (99.17 mi); 117.20 kilometres (72.82 mi) of which are barangay roads, 25.49 kilometres (15.84 mi) provincial roads, 9.06 kilometres (5.63 mi) municipal streets and 7.85 kilometres (4.88 mi) national highways.

In July 2007, the new Iloilo International Airport, located in Cabatuan and Santa Barbara, Iloilo was opened to the public. As a result, access to air transportation has significantly improved. Before, the plying of taxis in the municipality is an uncommon sight to most Santa Barbaranhon's but with the construction and operation of the New Iloilo Airport the town started progressing economically more and more every year.

In the past few years, there have been proposals for the revival of the defunct Panay Railways, which would include a train station in Santa Barbara. It will re-connect the town to Iloilo City, Roxas City, and Malay, Aklan.

Landmarks

Roman Catholic Church and Convent

One of the better restored and preserved churches in the province, Santa Barbara Church is an excellent example of the Filipino baroque colonial architecture. It is a neoclassical church where General Martin T. Delgado of the Visayan Revolutionary Government convened the junta that raised the first of cry revolution against Spain in Iloilo. The church was dedicated to the towns patron saint, Santa Barbara last December 3, 2015. It was also declared as a National Historical Landmark in 1991, National Museum in 2015, and Philippine National Treasure also in 2015 because of the importance of the church and convent in the history of the Philippines.

Cry of Santa Barbara Marker

This lies in the same site where the Filipino Flag was first raised outside Luzon. The event is now popularity known as Cry of Santa Barbara, one which recognizes the heroism and bravery of General Martin T. Delgado and his Liberating Army. This marker is the anchor of the Town's important role in the Philippine History.

Roman Catholic Cemetery

One of the oldest landmarks in the town. Its facade bears the mark of the Spanish influence in the country and considered as one of the strongest structure in the town. It was constructed in 1845.

Catmon Tree

A tree with thick, green foliage and distinctly big, white flowers, this is where the town was first named after. Standing alone at the front, left side of the Municipal Hall Building, the Catmon Tree is the only one of its kind that can be found in the town now.

Flagpole

In front of the Municipal Hall building, stood a 120-feet flagpole amidst a well manicured mini-park. This was constructed in time with the 1998 Philippine Centennial Celebration and it flies the biggest Philippine Flag outside Luzon. This flag is one of the only five giant flags in the country.

Media

106.7 DYIS Radyo Kahilwayan