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Poblacion (from Spanishpoblación, meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated asPob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to theadministrative center,downtown,old town, orcommercial area of acity ormunicipality. It may consist of a singlebarangay or multiple barangays. Colloquially, thepoblacion area is also referred to as thebayan (see also other definitions ofbayan),plaza, orcentro.
During theSpanish rule, the colonial government founded hundreds of towns and villages across the archipelago modeled on towns and villages inSpain. The authorities often adopted a policy ofReducción, for theresettlement of inhabitants in far-flung scatteredbarangays to move into a centralizedcabecera (town/district capital) where a newly built church and anayuntamiento (town hall) were situated.[1] This allowed the government to defend, control andChristianize the indigenous population, to conductpopulation counts, and to collecttaxes.
Thepoblación is considered the commercial and industrial center of the city or municipality. Most citizens of a city or municipality residing in the outlying barangays and satellitesitios flock to thepoblación on market days (which is set by alocal ordinance of thelocal government) because most local products and goods from thebarrios are brought to the public market located in thepoblación. In this way their products could be sold faster by a wide range of buyers, though there are instances where some citizens would choose to go to another town'spoblación because it is closer to their residences. In some cities and towns, thepoblación (usually the areas surrounding the parish church) doubles as anold town district that features one or more ofa few remaining Spanish-built structures in the country. There are also some cases of cities that have multiplepoblaciónes, likeIloilo City, where eachgeographical district has its own, as they were former independent municipalities during theSpanish era.
Thecabecera (or thepoblación of amunicipio/pueblo) has a basic plan, with aplaza mayor, church and attachedconvento, civic buildings such as thetown hall, and houses of prominent Spaniards.[2][3][4]
Other features include the publicmarket, the centralelementary school andhigh school, police station, fire station, and hospital.[5]
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