Bataraza

Bataraza Bayan ng Bataraza
Municipality
Municipality of Bataraza
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Pineapple Capital of Palawan, Tip of the Isle
Map of Palawan with Bataraza highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Bataraza Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 8°40′N 117°37′E / 8.67°N 117.62°E / 8.67; 117.62
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Palawan
District	2nd district
Founded	January 1, 1964
Named for	Bataraza Narrazid
Barangays	22 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• mayor of Bataraza[*]	Abraham M. Ibba
• Vice Mayor	Johnmain A. Jaafar
• Representative	Jose Alvarez
• Municipal Council	Members Al-Shariff W. Ibba Laurence P. Amores McDonald R. Saiyo Gomer L. Miano John Emmer S. Gamo Yusa I. Musa Eddie N. Sagun Lexandy B. Usop
• Electorate	53,833 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	726.20 km2 (280.39 sq mi)
Elevation	55 m (180 ft)
Highest elevation	614 m (2,014 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	85,439
• Density	120/km2 (300/sq mi)
• Households	21,294
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	31.09 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 483.4 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 1,723 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 381.9 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5306
PSGC	1705305000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)48
Native languages	Molbog Palawano Tagalog

Bataraza, officially the Municipality of Bataraza (Tagalog: Bayan ng Bataraza), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 85,439 people making it the second most populous city/town in Palawan (after Puerto Princesa).^[3]

The town was named after Datu Bataraza Narrazid who served as the father of the town. He was a locally influential Muslim chieftain and father of the town's first mayor and former mayor of Brooke's Point, then Datu Sapiodin Narrazid.

The area that forms the present-day Bataraza was previously part of the municipality of Brooke's Point. On June 18, 1961, the barrios of Bonobono, Bulalacao, Buliluyan, Culandanum, Igang-Igang, Inogbong, Iwahig, Malihud, Malitub, Marangas, Ocayan, Puring, Rio Tuba, Sandoval, Sarong, Sapa, Sumbiling, Tabud, Tagnato, Tagolango, Taratak, and Tarusan were separated from Brooke's Point and constituted into a new municipality known as Batarasa, by virtue of Republic Act No. 3425.^[5] The law took effect on January 1, 1964, following the election of its first municipal officials in November 1963.^[6]

Bataraza is located on the southernmost tip of Palawan Island, 218 kilometres (135 mi) from Puerto Princesa City. It has total land area of 957 km² (369 sq mi).

Bataraza is situated some 775 kilometers (480 mi) south-west of Manila, between roughly 8.3 and 8.75 degrees latitude north of the equator. It stretches approximately 80 kilometers (50 mi) in north-easterly to south-westerly direction along the Sulu Sea, from the Malis River to Cape Buliluyan in the south. On the western side, it extends up to Wangly River.

It is bounded in the east by the Sulu Sea, in the west by a great mountain range, extending from Mount Mantalingahan (the highest peak of the province) to Mount Malitub, which serves as the divider between Bataraza and Rizal, and in the south-west by the South China Sea.

Bataraza is politically subdivided into 22 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Rio Tuba is one of the populated barangays of Bataraza and known for its nickel mineral reserves. The primary mine site of Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation is located within its jurisdiction.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2020 census, the population of Bataraza was 85,439 people,^[3] with a density of 120 inhabitants per square kilometre or 310 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Bataraza

Main industries of Bataraza includes farming, fishing, and nickel mining and processing.

The Molbog people dominate the municipality of Bataraza, as well as the municipality of Balabac in the south. The area constitute the homeland of the Molbog people since the classical era prior to Spanish colonization. The Molbog are known to have a strong connection with the natural world, especially with the sacred pilandok (Philippine mouse-deer), which can only be found in the Balabac islands. A Muslim tale tells the Philippine mouse-deer once tricked a prince into giving up his bag of gold and facing a hive of angry bees.^[20] Another tale depicts him as a clever guardian of the environment, using his wisdom as an advantage against those who destroy forests, seas, and wildlife.^[21] The coconut is especially important in Molbog culture at it is their most prized agricultural crop.^[22]

• Bataraza Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System