Lobo, officially the Municipality of Lobo (Tagalog: Bayan ng Lobo), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,736 people.[4]
The town was proclaimed as the "Atis Capital of the Philippines" through Resolution 2011-61 in September 2011.[1]
History
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines, Lobo was just a wilderness of thick forest with inhabitants scattered and most of the settlers were hunters who roam from place to place seeking for wild animals for food. Some archeologist believed that a small group of Chinese traders during the pre-Spanish occupation have stayed in this place. This belief was based on the remains that were unearthed in a certain hill in Barangay Sawang, which is presumed to be a small Chinese cemetery during the said period due to the kind of kitchen wares that were found beside their graves. The coming of the ten datus in the Philippines in the 13th century had contributed a vital part in this history of this municipality.
History stated that after Datu Puti and his followers purchased the island of Panay and fully establishing a colony in the island, Datu Puti with Datu Balkasusa and Datu Domangsil left Panay and sailed north in search from greener pastures. The group reached Batangas and caused the founding of the first Malayan colony in Luzon. They first settled the eastern and western sides of Pansipit River which are now Lemery and Taal and later on they scattered in the province settling Kumintang which is named in honor of Lakan Kumintang. The most adventurous follower of Lakan Kumintang was Gat Bahaghari and with his family and a handful of followers, they traveled south to Rosario and trailing along Rosario-Lobo River, they reached the “Wawa of Lobo” (now Fabrica) which his followers named it Bahaghari in honor of him. Attracted by the panoramic view and soil fertility of this place, Gat Bahaghari and his followers decided to establish a permanent settlement in this area.
Some followers of Gat Bahaghari thinked if they want to easily detect the coming of the pirates that may harass their peaceful living, they built their houses on the top of a hill overlooking the sea which is now the Municipal Cemetery of Lobo. Beneath this hill on the west side is low land treasured with “sumasagitsit” or running tiny streams of water which they utilized to irrigate their farms. With the help of the streams, their farms became very productive that enabled them to transport their excess products to their bountiful harvests, they replied that they came from sumasagitsit. The term sumasagitsit was later on changed to Masagitsit until it was changed as Barangay Masaguitsit.
The period of the Spanish colonization of the archipelago brought many changes in the life situations in this place. Construction of bigger and stronger houses and other buildings were introduced in the country, and Lobo, being so rich in raw materials for construction purposes, attracted many loggers and timberman from other places to immigrate in. Residents of the places that were fully occupied were the lowland northwest of Lobo River which is now Poblacion. In 1734, Lobo was already in the map but originally a logging settlement, Lobo was founded on September 27, 1871.[6]
Lobo has white sand beaches and has protected mangrove forests and fish sanctuaries.[7]
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 175.03 square kilometres (67.58 sq mi)[8] constituting 5.61% of the 3,119.75-square-kilometre- (1,204.54 sq mi) total area of Batangas.
Barangays
Lobo is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.[9] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
According to the 2020 census, the most populated barangay in Lobo is Balibago with 3,454 residents living
while the least populated barangay in Lobo is Malalim na Sanog with 306 residents living. Lobo originally had 7 barangays named as Masagitsit (now Masaguitsit), Bignay, Tayuman, Malapad na Parang, Mabilog na Bundok, Malabrigo, and Sabana (non-existent now).
In 1959, the sitio of Biga in Barangay Tayuman was converted into a barangay.
.svg)
