Alitagtag, officially the Municipality of Alitagtag (), is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Batangas,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,819 people.
Alitagtag derived its name from the
Tagalog word ''alinagnag'', which means "a small distinct light."
History
Much of Alitagtag was once part of
Bauan. On August 10, 1908, the resolution by the electorate of barrios Alitagtag, Balagbag, Dalipit, Munlawin, and Muzon was transmitted to the Provincial Committee, who would approve it in three months' time.
Batangas Governor Galicano Apacible later endorsed it to the Civil Commission for a hearing that would be held on January 2, 1909.
The aforementioned barrios were separated from Bauan to constitute the new independent municipality of Alitagtag by virtue of Executive Order No. 43 dated May 7, 1909. The order
took effect on January 1, 1910.
In 1957, the following barrios were created: Pingas, composed of
sitios Pingas and Corral; Tadlak, composed of sitios Tadlak and Malukan; and Sambi, composed of the sitio Sambi.
Geography
According to the
Philippine Statistics Authority
The Philippine Statistics Authority (; PSA) is the central statistical authority of the Philippine government that collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes statistical information on economic, social, demographic, political affairs, and gene ...
, the municipality has a land area of constituting of the total area of Batangas.
It is bordered on the north by
Taal Lake, east by
Cuenca and
San Jose, west by
Santa Teresita and
San Luis, and south by
Bauan and
San Pascual.
Barangays
Alitagtag is politically subdivided into 19
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, as shown in the matrix below. Each barangay consists of
puroks and some have
sitios.
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, Alitagtag had a population of 26,819. The population density was .
Economy
Culture
The town is notable for being the original location where a replica of the
True Cross
According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the real instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, cross on which Jesus of Nazareth was Crucifixion of Jesus, crucified.
It is related by numerous historical accounts and Christian mythology, legends ...
was erected in the early
Spanish colonial period. Known as the Holy Cross of Alitagtag or ''Mahal na Poong Santa Cruz'', the image which was supposedly hewn from the post of a fallen house made of ''
anubing'' hardwood, is venerated in surrounding towns for its reputedly auspicious powers.
The ''
sublî'' dance, now popular throughout the province and beyond, is the most widely recognised ritual associated with the
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
devotion to the Holy Cross of Alitagtag.
Gallery
File:Alitagtag,Batangasjf1345 09.JPG, Municipal hall
File:Alitagtag,Batangasjf1394 13.JPG, Park
File:Alitagtag,Batangasjf1345 06.JPG, Multipurpose sports complex
File:AlitagtagChurchjf1414 11.JPG, Invencion de la Santa Cruz Parish Church
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alitagtag, Batangas
Municipalities of Batangas
Populated places on Taal Lake
1910 establishments in the Philippines
Political divisions established by Philippine executive order