Botolan, officially the Municipality of Botolan, is a 1st class municipality in the province of

Zambales, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 66,739 people. The
municipality was founded by Spanish Governor-General Juan de Salcedo in 1572. Botolan is known for
its larger Aeta population, wide gray sand beaches, and as the location of Mount Pinatubo. The name
Botolan came from the native variety of banana common in the area called "Boto-an". The word "Boto-
an" is a Sambal word which combines the word botol which means "seeds" and the locative prefix -an,
referring to a place with many seeded bananas. Botolan is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.

Bancal, Bangan, Batonlapoc, Belbel, Beneg, Binoclutan, Burgos, Cabatuan, Capayawan, Carael,
Danacbunga, Maguisguis, Malomboy, Mambog, Moraza, Nacolcol, Owaog-Nibloc, Paco, Panan, Parel,
Paupod, Poonbato, Porac, San Isidro, San Juan, San Miguel, Santiago, Tampo, Taugtog and Villar.

The barangay of Binoclutan is the "Beach Capital" of Botolan, featuring several first-class resorts.
The area is a habitat of sea turtles, as is all of the Zambales coastline. Olive Ridley, Green turtles and
Hawksbill turtle nest along the beaches of Botolan every year between September and January. A turtle
hatchery located is located in Binoclutan. The area also has many other attractions, beach resorts,
waterfalls, hiking paths, views of the lahar fields left by the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, and views
of Mount Pinatubo itself. The Fiesta Poon Bato, held January 23–24, is a religious festival that attracts up
to 500,000 devotees. Features include cultural dancing from local Aeta tribes in the town plaza on the
first night. The Domorokdok Festival, held May 3–4, includes street parades, street dancing, a beauty
pageant and displays of Botolan products and industries.

The Ina Poón Bató is a purportedly miraculous, syncretized image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Legend has it that before the arrival of the Spanish in the area sometime in the 17th century, local Aeta
peoples had discovered a carved wooden statue on a large rock that they called Apo Apang ("Little
Queen") and began worshipping the image. On the arrival of Recollect missionaries in 1607, the natives
associated the statue with the Roman Catholic depictions of the Virgin Mary, and the image was
subsequently Christianised as Ina Poón Bato ("Mother of the Lord Rock"). The image was canonically
blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1985 at a ceremony in Vatican City. After the 1991 eruption of Mount
Pinatubo destroyed the original village, the image (which was found intact and buried chest-deep in
lahar) and its shrine were moved to the nearby resettlement area of Loob-Bunga. The feast of Ina Poón
Bató is celebrated every late January, with devotees flocking to the original image inside a chapel
belonging to the Aglipayan Church, and the 1976 replica enshrined in the Catholic chapel.