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Belison | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Belison | |
.jpg) Belison Municipal Hall | |
 Flag | |
 Map of Antique with Belison highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Belison | |
.svg)  Belison Location in thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:10°50′17″N121°57′38″E / 10.8381°N 121.9606°E /10.8381; 121.9606 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Western Visayas |
| Province | Antique |
| District | Lone district |
| Founded | March 10, 1961 |
| Barangays | 11 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Christopher H. Piccio |
| • Vice Mayor | Darell B. dela Flor |
| • Representative | Loren Legarda |
| • Municipal Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 10,017 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.78 km2 (7.64 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation (Mount Igtangitang) | 237 m (778 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 14,433 |
| • Density | 729.7/km2 (1,890/sq mi) |
| • Households | 3,412 |
| Demonym | Bilisongnun |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 5th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 13.91 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 103.1 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 355.3 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 83.46 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 149.5 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 5701 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)36 |
| Native languages | Karay-a Hiligaynon Tagalog |
| Website | belisonantique |
Belison (/bɛˈlison/), officially theMunicipality of Belison (Kinaray-a:Banwa kang Bilisong,[bɪˈlisʊŋ];Hiligaynon:Banwa sang Belison;Tagalog:Bayan ng Belison), is amunicipality in theprovince ofAntique,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 14,433 people.[5]
Belison is the smallest (in area and population)[6] and the youngest municipality in the province of Antique.[7]
Belison (Kinaray-a:Bilisong) was merely a barangay in the larger municipality ofPatnongon, adjacent to the north. Belison barangay leaders andManila-basedBilisongnuns ([bɪlɪsʊŋˈnən]; ‘Belison residents’) mapped out a petition requesting the national government to make Belison an independent town. The petition was brought toMalacañan Palace on March 10, 1961, and throughPresidential Executive Order No. 421 signed by PresidentCarlos P. Garcia,[7] Belison was declared a municipality - the smallest and the youngest in the Province of Antique.
DuringWorld War II,Japanese war submarines and other marine craft found the shores of Belison easy entry points toPanay, and invaded theWestern Visayas in that location. People still tell of the fear created by these foreign intruders, and also of the bravery of those who decided to resist, creating rebel strongholds in the mountainous areas above the municipality.
When the Japanese air raids would bomb Belison and the nearby communities, families from all around fled toGuinobatan Cave, high in the hills of barangay Buenavista. And when theAmerican forces came, they too used the smooth sea landing in Belison, bringing relief food supplies toBilisongnuns, and troops to attack the Japanese occupying forces. They often used local homes in the area to hide in while planning their strategies for assault against the enemy, and enlisted the help of brave men and women to carry out their plans.
Belison is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the provincial capital,San Jose de Buenavista.
According to thePhilippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 19.78 square kilometres (7.64 sq mi) [8] constituting0.72% of the 2,729.17-square-kilometre- (1,053.74 sq mi) total area of Antique.
The municipality is bounded on the east bySan Remigio, southeast bySibalom, south bySan Jose de Buenavista, north byPatnongon, and west by theCuyo East Pass.
| Climate data for Belison, Antique | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 33 (91) | 32 (90) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 48 (1.9) | 41 (1.6) | 58 (2.3) | 82 (3.2) | 223 (8.8) | 300 (11.8) | 346 (13.6) | 307 (12.1) | 311 (12.2) | 292 (11.5) | 167 (6.6) | 81 (3.2) | 2,256 (88.8) |
| Average rainy days | 11.4 | 7.7 | 11.3 | 15.4 | 25.7 | 28.5 | 29.5 | 28.7 | 28.3 | 28.7 | 21.8 | 15.2 | 252.2 |
| Source: Meteoblue[9](Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.) | |||||||||||||
Belison is politically subdivided into 11barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
ThePoblacion, seat of the municipal government, is an urban barangay while the rest are considered rural.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024[10] | 2010[11] | |||||
| 060603001 | Borocboroc | 8.7% | 1,261 | 1,173 | ▴ | 0.53% |
| 060603002 | Buenavista | 3.5% | 504 | 449 | ▴ | 0.84% |
| 060603003 | Concepcion | 8.8% | 1,263 | 1,165 | ▴ | 0.59% |
| 060603004 | Delima | 5.5% | 790 | 751 | ▴ | 0.37% |
| 060603005 | Ipil | 5.2% | 744 | 689 | ▴ | 0.56% |
| 060603006 | Maradiona | 11.2% | 1,613 | 1,539 | ▴ | 0.34% |
| 060603007 | Mojon | 3.2% | 461 | 410 | ▴ | 0.85% |
| 060603008 | Poblacion | 31.2% | 4,503 | 4,479 | ▴ | 0.04% |
| 060603009 | Rombang | 7.0% | 1,016 | 834 | ▴ | 1.44% |
| 060603010 | Salvacion | 3.4% | 497 | 464 | ▴ | 0.50% |
| 060603011 | Sinaja | 6.1% | 887 | 854 | ▴ | 0.28% |
| Total | 14,433 | 12,807 | ▴ | 0.87% | ||
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 7,189 | — |
| 1975 | 7,627 | +1.19% |
| 1980 | 8,626 | +2.49% |
| 1990 | 10,095 | +1.59% |
| 1995 | 11,174 | +1.92% |
| 2000 | 11,621 | +0.84% |
| 2007 | 12,467 | +0.97% |
| 2010 | 12,807 | +0.98% |
| 2015 | 13,539 | +1.06% |
| 2020 | 14,129 | +0.90% |
| 2024 | 14,433 | +0.51% |
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][11][14][15] | ||
In the 2024 census, Belison had a population of 14,433 people.[16] The population density was 730 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,900/sq mi).
Kinaray-a is the dominant dialect of Belison whileHiligaynon is also spoken and understood by the residents.
Nine (9) of the leading Christian religious dominations[citation needed] in the Philippines established their presence in the town. MostBilisongnuns are of Aglipayan ancestry.
Poverty incidence of Belison
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]
Agriculture is the main economic activity of the town.[citation needed] More than half of its land is riceland, while the rest are planted to corn, coconut, sugar cane and other production like vegetables and peanuts[citation needed].
The Belison municipal seal was created to commemorate the agricultural heritage of the town, in order to preserve the legacy of the original settlers in the region. It depicts three mainstay agricultural activities:
Surrounding the great triangle are eleven stars – one representing each barangay in the town. The largest star at the bottom is for the Poblacion. Their strength lies in their connectivity to one another, and in their closeness to the traditions of the past.
The Belison Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.[25]
Places adjacent to Belison | |
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