Balabac, officially the Municipality of Balabac ( tgl, Bayan ng Balabac), is a 2nd class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,527 people. The municipality consists of some 36 islands, including the eponymous

Balabac Island Balabac Island is the southernmost island of the Palawan province, and therefore the westernmost undisputed island in the Philippines, only about north from Sabah, Malaysia, across the Balabac Strait. Administratively, the island forms the m ...

. The islands are notable for their uncommon

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

plant and animal species, such as the nocturnal

Philippine mouse-deer The Philippine mouse-deer (''Tragulus nigricans''), also known as the Balabac chevrotain or ''pilandok'' (in Filipino), is a small, nocturnal ruminant, which is endemic to Balabac and nearby smaller islands (Bugsuk and Ramos) southwest of Palawa ...

(or Pilandok). The islands are also home to

dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...

saltwater crocodile The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been l ...

sawfish Sawfish, also known as carpenter sharks, are a family of rays characterized by a long, narrow, flattened rostrum, or nose extension, lined with sharp transverse teeth, arranged in a way that resembles a saw. They are among the largest fish ...

es, and

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhe ...

s. Due to its biodiversity, the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of the Balabac archipelago are currently being pushed by scholars to be included in the tentative list of the Philippines for a possible

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

nomination in the future.

History

Balabac was converted from a municipal district to a full municipality in 1957. Before that, it was a barrio of neighboring

Bataraza Bataraza, officially the Municipality of Bataraza ( tgl, 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. The municipality was named ...

Cape Melville Lighthouse

The Cape Melville Lighthouse, located on the island of Balabac, is one of the

oldest lighthouses built in 1892 during the Spanish era and a major landmark of the town.

Geography

Not considering the disputed

Spratly Islands The Spratly Islands ( fil, Kapuluan ng Kalayaan; zh, c=南沙群島/南沙群岛, s=, t=, p=Nánshā Qúndǎo; Malay, id, Kepulauan Spratly; vi, Quần đảo Trường Sa) are a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea. Composed ...

, the municipality is the westernmost point in the Philippines. It is separated from

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

by the

Balabac Strait The Balabac Strait ( fil, Kipot ng Balabak; ms, Selat Balabak) is one of the straits that connects the South China Sea with the Sulu Sea. It separates Balabac Island (Palawan province), Philippines, from Balambangan and the Banggi Islands no ...

Islands

The municipality of Balabac is composed of a group of 36 major and minor islands, notable of which are the following: ;Major islands: * Balabac () *

Bugsuk Bugsuk is an island barangay in the Balabac municipality of Palawan province in the Philippines. Its area is . History Eight crew members of the USS ''Flier'' reached Bugsuk Island after their submarine struck a mine on August 13, 1944, whil ...

() * Bancalan () * Mantangule () * Pandanan () * Ramos () ;Minor islands: * Canabungan * Candaraman * Gabung * Mansalangan (Byan) * Secam * Bowen * Lumbucan * South Mangsee * North Mangsee * Salingsingan

Shoals and Sandbars

The municipality of Balabac is composed of various islands located at the

. The strait is known for its shallow waters due to the presence of shoals and numerous sandbars. Balabac has the third and fourth longest sandbars in the Philippines. The third longest is Queen Helen Sandbar at the southern tip of Bugsuk and the fourth is the Angela Sandbar east of Mansalangan.

Barangays

Balabac is politically subdivided into 20

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

s: * Agutayan * Bugsuk (New Cagayancillo) * Bancalaan * Indalawan * Catagupan * Malaking Ilog * Mangsee * Melville * Pandanan * Pasig * Rabor * Ramos * Salang * Sebaring *

Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippine city or municipality, which may take up th ...

I * Poblacion II * Poblacion III * Poblacion IV * Poblacion V * Poblacion VI

Climate

Balabac has a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...

(Am) with moderate rainfall from February to May and heavy rainfall in the remaining months.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Balabac was 42,527 people, with a density of .

Economy

Culture

The Molbog people dominate the municipality of Balabac, as well as the municipality of Bataraza in the north. The area is 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'' (

), which can only be found in the Balabac islands. An indigenous folktale tells the story of a naughty Philippine mouse-deer that tricked a prince into giving up his bag of gold while facing a hive of angry bees. 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. The

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the f ...

is especially important in Molbog culture at it is their most prized agricultural crop.

Transportation

Balabac is a three-hour boat trip from Bataraza on the island of Palawan; Bataraza in turn can be reached from Palawan's capital city

Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa, officially the City of Puerto Princesa (Cuyonon language, Cuyonon: ''Siyudad i'ang Puerto Princesa''; fil, Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the ...

. An old airstrip located on the island of Bugsuk serves no commercial flights. Another private airstrip is located on the island of Ramos.

Healthcare

* Balabac District Hospital is situated in Barangay Catagupan

References

External links

Balabac Profile at PhilAtlas.com
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Palawan Island municipalities in the Philippines