Pandan, Antique

Municipality of Pandan
Banwa it Pandan (Kinaray-a)
Bayan ng Pandan (Filipino)

Municipality

Sunset at Pandan Bay

Nickname(s): Jewel of Antique

Map of Antique with Pandan highlighted

 Pandan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 1143N 12206ECoordinates: 1143N 12206E

Country Philippines

Region Western Visayas (Region VI)

Province Antique

District Lone district

Barangays 34

Government[1]

Mayor Jonathan D. Tan

Area[2]

Total 113.98 km2 (44.01 sq mi)

Population (2010)[3]

Total 32,494

Density 290/km2 (740/sq mi)

Time zone PST (UTC+8)

Zip Code 5712

Dialing code 36

Website www.pandan.gov.ph

Pandan a fourth class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines.[2] At the 2010 census, it had a population of 32,494
people.[3] Pandan is also one of the Antique's industrialized towns and a tourist destination for its natural beauty, its cold spring, the
Bugang River and white beaches along the Pandan Bay from Barangay Mag-aba to Barangay Duyong.

Contents
[hide]

1 Barangays

2 History

3 Language

4 Demographics

5 Attractions

6 Education facilities

7 Health services

8 Economy

9 Utilities

o 9.1 Water supply

o 9.2 Power supply

10 References

11 External links
Barangays[edit]

Pandan consists of 34 barangays, of which 15 lie along the coast, 12 are inland, and 7 are upland.

Coastal Barangays Inland Barangays Upland Barangays

Bagumbayan Buang Aracay

Baybay Cabugao Badiangan

Botbot Candari Maadios

Dionela Carmen Napuid

Dumrog Centro Norte Perfecta

Duyong Centro Sur San Joaquin

Idiacacan Fragante Sta. Ana

Jinalinan Guia

Mag-aba Luhod Bayang

Nauring Sta. Cruz

Patria Sto. Rosario

San Andres Talisay

Sta. Fe

Tingib

Zaldivar

History[edit]

According to a story whose source is unknown but which is widely accepted in the area, the town's name is a combination of the
Spanish word "pan" (bread), and the Visayan demonstrative pronoun "dan" (that). Supposedly, when Spanish explorers first met the
area's natives and asked them if they had any food, one native said "Dan", pointing to a basket containing some "kamotes" (sweet
potatoes). Mistaking the kamotes at first glance for bread, one Spaniard happily exclaimed "Pan!" [citation needed]
Those who regard the above account as more myth than fact believe that the town's name more probably came from "Pandanus", a
genus of monocot plants that together are termed pandans, or "Pandanus amaryllifolius", a plant which yields the pandan leaf used
widely in Southeast Asian cuisine.
It was under the Spanish Colonial Empire during the 1800s and came to the American occupation by the start of the 20th century. At
the start of World War II by 1941, The Japanese invaded the Panay Island and landed at the local shores. Terror and Fear from
some stories in Manila about the Japanese, pushed the locals into the mountains. By the time of the liberation, American Forces
landed at the Pandan Bay. In 1946, The town was put into the new republic's government.

Language[edit]

Although the town is located to the Province of Antique in which the local dialect is purely Kinaray-a, The Town has its different
version of Kinaray-a due to its nearer location to the Province of Aklan. Most Antiqueos uses "Wara" or saying "NO" in
conversations. People in Pandan use "Uwa" or "Wa", Other words are used occasionally. e.g. "Uwa it iwag kaya" (There is no
electricity today). In Kinaray-a, it would be "Wara kang Sulo kaja". Due to the Language structure of the town, the people can easily
understood and could communicate to the People of Aklan using the Akeanon Dialect.

Demographics[edit]

Population census of Pandan

Year Pop. % p.a.

1990 23,894

1995 24,978 +0.89%

2000 27,647 +2.05%

2007 29,518 +0.94%

 2010 32,494 +3.25%

Source: National Statistics Office[3]

Attractions[edit]

This section appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting
promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (April
2014)

Malumpati Cold Spring, Pandan

Bugang River
Bugang River has been given the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapiligiran (Presidential Environmental Award) as the cleanest
river in the Philippines. It had previously been ranked no. 1 multiple times among the "cleanest inland bodies of water" in
the Western Visayas region.
The river is supported by several springs, one of which is the major source of the municipalitys water supply. Moreover,
the same river serves as the municipalitys tourist resort whose cool and fresh water provides a soothing and relaxing
sensation to many local excursionist and tourists.
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
best in the entire country. The Dioso Library was built by retired United Nations official Leo Dioso, who operates it with his
wife Chiqui from the United States, assisted by a local staff of five headed by a Director (a position currently occupied by
one-time Pandan Mayor Arthur R. Dionela). The library is named in honor of the founder's late father, Leocadio A. Dioso,
whose long career included service as Justice of the Peace, Presidential legal adviser, and Philippine diplomat. Following
retirement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, he had settled with his wife in the late 1970s in the United States,
where he died in 1996.
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. It offers all visitors free entry to the building and grounds, and free use of or access to
computers and the Internet, plus more than 20,000 volumes of (a) fiction, nonfiction, and self-help/how-to books in
English, Filipino, and a few other languages, for both children and adults; (b) encyclopedias, atlases, dictionaries, and
other reference materials; (c)audiobooks; (d) popular movies and documentaries on DVDs and videotapes; (e) Philippine
newspapers, and (f) a large selection of international magazines.
The Library holds regular storytelling, puppet shows, and read-aloud programs to promote reading among children, as
well as free movie shows for the general public. In addition, the Library organizes other programs that promote education,
culture, and the arts, either directly or in cooperation with local groups.
Although privately owned and operated, the Library functions officially as the municipal public library of Pandan. Its full-
time local staff are supported by around 100 active and retired schoolteachers, day care workers, and other local
professionals who volunteer their services as storytellers and puppeteers. They received special training organized by
the Dioso Library in cooperation with the National Library of the Philippines on how to entertain and promote reading
among children through storytelling programs and puppet shows.

Pandan's Famous Destination: The Malumpati Cold Spring

In addition to funding provided by the founder, the Library receives financial and in-kind contributions from the municipal
and provincial governments, as well as from private individuals and institutions in the Philippines and other countries,
particularly the United States of America.
Annual festival
Pandan's popular town fiesta, known as the Tugbong Festival, is held in honor of St. Vincent Ferrer, its patron saint. 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,
the spectacular view of Batbatan Island and the beautiful golden rays of 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 PhilippineAustrian 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
Located in Brgy. Mag-aba, Pandan Antique, Philippines. Nestled at the edge where the Bugang river meets the Pandan
Bay, unwind in a peaceful paradise.

Education facilities[edit]

Acting under the Department of Education (DEPED), the Pandan School District oversees the implementation of the programs and
thrusts of the department. It is currently undergoing changes in order to achieve its goal: "Quality Education and Education For All".
The district is composed of 33 schools10 mono-grade elementary schools; 5 multi-grade elementary schools, and 18 primary
schoolswith 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 Sta. Ana National High Schools).
These six schools have a combined 58 classrooms.

Mag-aba National High School Inner Campus

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 and it is now the permanent location. Mag-aba National High School
earned Academic qualities and participated in contests in the province and the region alongside with its fellow schools in Pandan.
Founded in 1947, the PBI (Pandan Bay Institute) was formerly run by the Diocese of Antique but is now managed and operated by
the Canadian Missionaries (La Menanais Brother) . The Jinalinan Academy is operated by the Seventh Day Adventists. Located in
the town proper, the PNVHS 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[edit]

Pandan has one district hospital, the 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. Despite these
difficulties, the health personnel deliver health services regularly to their constituents.
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.

Economy[edit]

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.
By 2010, in the new administration of Mr. Jonathan D. Tan, the municipality mayor, the town began experiencing tremendous waves
of developments in tourism and industry[citation needed].

Utilities[edit]
Water supply[edit]
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 levelsthe 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 Sto. 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[edit]
Power is necessary for the development of a locality. 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.