CITY OF BATAC HOME OF GREAT LEADERS

Batac is a 5th class component city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines.

Batac was founded by the Augustinians in 1587 under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception.
It is the second oldest town established by the Augustinians in the province of Ilocos Norte. Hence,
in 1987, Batac reached its 4th centennial.
Batac was officially organized into a ministry on January 5, 1586. The first priest assigned to
cathecize the natives of the community was Esteban Marin, an Augustinian who probably arrived in
Batac in 1585. Paoay and Dinglas (Dingras) were then the visitas of Batac.
Folk history states that there were two villages in Batac during the early part of tile foundation of the
town, one was an Itneg community which occupied sitio Nangalisan and a Christian community
occupying San José.
The first site of tile poblacion was in San José, which is now called Barangay Palpalicong. It is said
that the ethnic minority groups of Bangui and Nueva Era are the pre-Spanish descendants of early
inhabitants of Batac.
The Augustinians considered the people of Batac more civilized than the other tribes, because they
were better than the other "Indios" in personal cleanliness.
Batac is politically subdivided into 43 barangays, 14 of which constitute the poblacion.

The Batac City Fiesta, a month-long festivity commencing on the 8th of December, is the
longest fiesta in the Province of Ilocos Norte. The fiesta is celebrated in honor of the city's
patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The Electric and Lights Parade marks the
beginning of the City Fiesta every December 8.
The city has two festivals, The Farmers Festival and The Empanada Festival. The Farmers'
Festival, conducted in the first week of May each year is a celebration of bountiful harvest and a
tribute to the farmers of the city. It is participated by the rural barangays of the city. The
Empanada Festival is a festivity held on the 23rd of June in celebration of the city's Charter Day.
The main feature of the festival is the street dancing which chronicles the process of preparing
the empanada.

The Batac City Public Market touted as one of the biggest in the region offers a wide array of goods
– freshly picked local vegetables and fruits, handicrafts, tincrafts, pottery, native delicacies,
chicharon, longganisa, wet market treats and many others.

The Batac Riverside Empanadaan is a retail and dining center catering to tourist selling food
products including the city's primary commodity of Batac, the empanada, and other souvenirs
and products.
The Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Presidential Center, commonly known as the Marcos Museum
and Mausoleum, in Batac, Ilocos Norte houses a large collection of Marcos Memorabilia,
possibly the largest in the country. It shows Marcos through the years, all the way until he ran
for president in 1965.
Ricarte National Shrine is built at the heart of Batac City, the Home of Great Leaders, General
Artemio Ricarte Shrine was inaugurated by former President Fidel V. Ramos in recognition of
General Artemio Ricarte’s legacy. Also known as Vibora (Viper), Ricarte was a key stalwart
during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War. He was a general of the
Philippine Revolutionary Army and was called the Father of the Philippine Army, being
appointed as the first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on 22 March
1897. He never took an oath of allegiance to the United States government.

The General Artemio Ricarte Shrine showcases Vibora’s military uniform, a photo gallery, a
collection of American and Japanese guns used in World War II, and other artifacts and
memorabilia. Erected in front of the shrine is Vibora’s monument, which was built as part of the
celebration of the centenary of his appointment as the first AFP Chief of Staff. Within the park,
there is also a display of howitzer and two bas-reliefs depicting Ilocano history, culture, and
heritage.

BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte, June 7 (PIA) — Why Batac City got the moniker ‘Home of the
Great Leaders’.

Batac has earned the title because three prominent people, who rendered notable services to the
country once lived here.
Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos was born in Sarrat town; but he spent most of his life in
Batac City while Bishop Gregorio Aglipay and General Artemio Ricarte were both natives in this
place.

“The recognition of Batac as Home of the Great Leaders was given during the Marcos era in
which the citation emanated from the national stature of President Marcos, Aglipay and Ricarte,”
said Mark Khey German of the Batac City Tourism Office.

“This accolade of Batac has brought popularity to the place,” he added.

To note, Ferdinand Marcos became the President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. His
many great projects still benefit the Filipinos till the present generation.

Gregorio Aglipay was the founder and first bishop of the Philippine Independent Church or the
so called Aglipayan Church. His heroic exploit was traced when he joined the Katipunan and the
revolution during the Philippine-American war.

Meanwhile, General Artemio Ricarte, the father of the Philippine Army, having been the first
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Ricarte joined the Katipunan that
spearheaded the start of the Philippine revolution in the middle of the last decade of the 18th
century. He led successfully the revolutionists in several fierce battles.
When the Americans arrived and took over the reign of the country in 1899, Ricarte again led the
Filipino forces in a war against the American soldiers. But, he was captured and later exiled to
Guam in the early period of 19th century.

At present, Batac has continued to preserve its title as several of its natives are excelling in their
posts in the national government.

To name a few, they are: General Rodolfo Biazon, the former chief of staff of the AFP; and
former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel whose mother hailed from Batac and father of
incumbent Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel.

Meanwhile, the name of Batac was said to have been derived from the story of a man, who fell
off a deep hole while digging a root crop called “camangeg” during the ancient time. As the man
cried for help from a passerby, he shouted loudly, “Bataquennac!” The word Bataquennac is an
Ilocano term which means “pull me.”

Batac, which became city in 2011, has a total land area of 16,101 hectares with 43 barangays.

“While Batac is sustaining its title as Home of the Great Leaders, the residents are pooling their
efforts together to help one another to achieve their ultimate goal of inclusive growth and
development for the city.” Tourism Officer German concluded. (Freddie G. Lazaro/ PIA-1 Ilocos
Norte & Russel G. Alibuyog, MMSU DevCom Intern)