Pototan (, , ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
In December 1997, it was declared as the "Christmas Capital of Western Visayas" because of its famed Christmas Festival of Lights.
History
Early history The first people of Pototan were the family of Datu Ramon, grandson of Datu Puti, a Malay from the town of Dumangas. They first settled at Barangay Naslo, which was formerly the poblacion (town center). In that place was found a luxuriant growth of trees called "putat", after which the place was subsequently called "Kaputatan" or "place of many Putat trees." However, due to its hilly terrain and poor water supply, they decided to move nearer the bank of the Suage River, now called Pototan.
In the middle of the 16th century, the Chinese traders arrived in Pototan.
Spanish era
The arrival of the Spaniards in 1593 sparked new changes in the socio-economic and political life of the natives. It was the start of a new era, the natives were converted to Catholicism through the efforts of Augustinian Friars. The settlement was subsequently made into a Parish. Education, though at the onset only for the privileged few, was introduced. The name "Kaputatan", which the Spanish have difficulty pronouncing, was changed to "Pototan".
The Spanish built roads and bridges. Don Tomas Sajen and Don Escribano supervised the construction of the Tribunal (municipal hall) with the natives contributing the labor. The Tribunal withstood World War II and in the early 50s was modified into what is now the Western Visayas Hospital.
In 1874, Pototanons began to run their own political affairs with the appointment of Don Juan Marcelo as the first Capitan Municipal. This form of government continued until the arrival of the Americans.
During the incumbency of Capitan Municipal Braulio Peñaranda in 1891, there was a cholera outbreak.
During the Philippine Revolution, Pototanons such as Teresa Magbanua (known as the Joan of arc of the VisayasCook, Bernard A. (2006). Women and War: A Historical Encyclopedia from Antiquity to the Present. ABC-CLIO. p. 465. .) and her two brothers, Elias and Pascual Magbanua took up arms and joined the revolution.
The Americans arrived after Spain ceded Philippines to the United States in 1898. The remaining Spanish population fled to the hills together with many Filipinos including the last Gobernadorcillio, Don Maurilio Mendoza. He was later held prisoner by the Americans but subsequently named the first Municipal President.
American era Under the Americans, the natives were granted the freedom of speech and worship. Education was liberalized; more and better roads and bridges were constructed. Improvements were also noticed in the economic, social and cultural life of the people.
During the incumbency of Mun. President Maurillo Mendoza, the Pototanons again witnessed another unforgettable event: the burning of the entire half of the poblacion in November 1914. The cause of the fire is unknown.
When the Philippine Constitution was ratified in 1935, another change in the town's local governance was introduced: the title of Municipal President was changed to Municipal Mayor. Santiago Puig was the first Municipal Mayor. He was succeeded by Mariano Peñaflorida in 1940. Peñaflorida served until September 16, 1942.
World War II The coming of the Japanese during World War II spread chaos and fear among Pototanons. Mayor Peñaflorida continued to act as Mayor under the Free Revolutionary Government of Tomas Confesor while the Japanese Imperial Forces designated Tomas Ferrariz as Puppet Mayor.
Geography Pototan lies on the banks of the Suage River, from Iloilo City and from Janiuay. The town has an area of 94 km2, 85% of which is agricultural land.
Considered the rice granary of Panay, the town is bordered by Dingle to the north, Zarraga to the south, Barotac Nuevo to the east, New Lucena and Mina to the west.
Barangays Pototan is politically subdivided into 50 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Abangay Amamaros Bagacay Barasan Batuan Bongco Cahaguikican Callan Cansilayan Casalsagan Cato-ogan Cau-ayan Culob Danao Dapitan Dawis Dongsol Fundacion Guinacas Guibuangan Igang Intaluan Iwa Ilaud Iwa Ilaya Jamabalud Jebioc Lay-ahan Primitivo Ledesma Ward (Pob. Lopez Jaena Ward (Poblacion) Lumbo Macatol Malusgod Naslo Nabitasan Naga Nanga Pajo Palanguia Fernando Parcon Ward (Poblacion) Pitogo Polot-an Purog Rumbang San Jose Ward (Poblacion) Sinuagan Tuburan Tumcon Ilaya Tumcon Ilaud Ubang Zarrague
Climate
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Pototan was 78,919 people, with a density of .
Languages Karay·a is the primary language in the municipality.
Economy
Education Private Schools Adventist Academy - Iloilo, Inc. (West Visayan Academy) Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepción - Hijas de Jesús EXEL Montessori de Pototan First Bible Baptist Academy Pototan Baptist Church Learning Center Pototan Christian Learning Center The Integrated Academy School System, Inc.
Tertiary West Visayas State University - Pototan Campus
Secondary Alberto Sorongon Sr. Memorial NHS Pototan National Comprehensive HS Jamabalud NHS Jose Facultad Memorial NHS Palanguia NHS
Primary
Barasan ES Batuan ES Cahaguikican ES Cansilayan ES Casalsagan ES Danao ES Dapitan ES Doña Trinidad ES Dolores P. Tirador ES Edmundo Dayot Memorial ES Guibuangan ES Guinacas ES Igang ES Iwa-Macatol ES Jamabalud ES Juana Bolivar Peñaflorida ES (Amamaros ES) Lay-ahan ES Lumbo ES Maravilla ES Matias Yusay Memorial ES Nabitasan ES Naslo ES Palanguia ES Pototan Pilot ES Rizal ES San Juan ES Sinuagan ES Tuburan ES Ubang ES
Government
List of chief executives
Gobernadorcillos Order Name Years in Office 1 Juan Marcelo 1774 2 Juan Dato-on 1775 3 ? Mangungud 1776 4 Tomás Codese 1777 5 Esteban Balas 1778 6 Juan Figueroa 1779 7 Juan Marcelo 1780 8 Agustín Diego 1781 9 Pedro Suganag 1782 10 Diego Magbanua 1783 11 Juan Figueroa 1784 12 Salvador Fiharon 1785 13 Francisco Zabia 1786 14 Juan Figueroa 1787Juan Figueroa1788 15 Agustín Aliso 178916Miguel Pérez179017Tomás Antesa179118Juan Figueroa179219Juan Cordero179320Silvestre Feliciano179421Antonio Mosquera179522Juan Faustino179623Miguel Jacinto179724José Amador179825Juan Macario179926Fulgencio Felipe180027Juan Miguel180128Alejandro Tingson180229Agustín Bolívar180330Nicolás Oberio 180431Gregorio Mariano180532Julián Narciso180633Fernando Casumpang180734Fernando Macario180835José Belarmino180936Fulgencio Bernardo181037Mariano Fausto181138Miguel Jacinto181239Fernando Casumpang181340Fernando Macario181441Francisco Samas181542José Ynocencio181643Juan Faustino181744Juan Dionisio181845Juan Domingo181946Juan Faustino182047Juan Apolinario Delgado182148Juan Felipe Álvarez182249Francisco Pedro182350Francisco Luciano182451Mariano de la Cruz182552Juan Francisco182653Domingo Tecson182754Mariano de la Cruz182855Bernardo Macario182956Fernando Faustino183057Antonio Bolívar183158Agustín Bostrano183259Juan Bartolomé 183360Francisco Luciano183461Castro Bolívar183562Domingo Nerio183663Lucas Bolívar183764Salvador Ortega183865Gregorio Marcelo183966Antonio de Padua184067Juan Ilisan184168Juan Franco184269Gregorio Casimero184370Juan Hipólito184471Mateo Remigio184572Fernando Casumpang184673? Peñafort184774Blas ?184875Fernando Felipe184976Manuel Erarco185077José Tecson1851José Tecson185278Ambrosio Cordero185379Francisco Catequista185480Juan Apolinario185581Domingo Prudente185682Benito Ferrariz185783Nicolás Casumpang185884Antonio Tingson185985Bartolomé Magbanua186086Antonio Peremne186187Benito Ferrariz1862-186388Borromeo Penero1864-186589Esteban Peñaranda186690Dámaso Pineda1867-1868Dámaso Pineda186991Benito Ferrariz1870-187192Alejo Pineda1872-187393Nicolasito Paranga1874-187594Felipe Parreño1876-187795José Mendoza187896Cayetano Bolívar187997León Fernando Nograles1880-188198Vicente Parreñas188299Justo Nograles1883100Barcelio Peñaranda1884101Pedro Belasa1885102Cayetano Bolívar1886-1887103Vicente Peñaflorida1888104Tomás Pulmones1889105Cayetano Bolívar1890-1891106Hilario Magbanua1892-1893
Capitán municipal In 1893, the Maura Law was passed to reorganize town governments with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous. The law changed the title of chief executive of the town from gobernadorcillo to capitán municipal. Order Name Years in Office 107 Julián Ubaldo 1894108Maurilio Mendoza1895-1900
Presidentes & vice presidentes municipal Order Presidente municipal Years in OfficeOrderVice presidente municipalYears in Office 109 Mariano Peñaflorida1900-19041110Rafael Parcon1904-1906 111 Magdaleno Silva 1906-1907112Ceferino Palabrica1907-1908 113 Matias Yusay 1908-1909 114 Ceferino Palabrica 1909-1913115Generoso Solinap1913-1916 116 Tomás Peñaflorida 1916-1919 117 Primitivo Ledesma 1919-1922Paulino Pérez 118 Manuel Mendoza 1922-1925119Generoso Solinap1925-1928120Sofronio Daguay1928-1931121Nemesio Cordero1931-1933
Municipal Mayors Order Mayor Years in OfficeOrderVice-mayorYears in Office122Fernando Parcon1933-1936Silverio Quesaba123Mariano Peñaflorida1936-1945Tomás Ferrariz (Japanese Puppet Mayor)1942-1945124Fortunato Camarista1946-1951125Roque Mosquera1951126Fortunato Camarista1952-1955127Florentino Perez1956-1960128Santiago Puig1960-1962129Manuel Parcon1963-1998130Licurgo Tirador1998-2001Peter Parcon131Manuel Parcon2001-2002Pablo Perez132Pablo Perez2002-2013133Tomas Peñaflorida2013-2019Joselito Romualdo Ilisan134Rafael Enrique Lazaro2019–present
Municipal officials The elected municipal officials of the local government unit of Pototan, Iloilo for 2025-2028.
Local Government Unit of Pototan Representative Lorenz R. Defensor (NUP) Mayor Rafael Enrique P. Lazaro (PFP) Vice Mayor Romualdo Joselito M. Ilisan (AKBYN) Sangguniang Bayan MembersPaolo Lorenzo L. Tirador (PFP)Mark Angelo C. Perez (PFP)Kirk P. Pedrajas (AKBYN)Ma. Concepcion Q. Dayot-Sumergido (Lakas)Nonito Q. Pasuelo Jr. (AKBYN)Eugenio Rodrigo J. Palu-ay (PFP)Donnabelle S. Mendoza (AKBYN)Reynaldo E. Umalay Jr. (AKBYN)ABC President Sherwin S. PeñarandaSK Federation President Verna Angelique G. Pastolero
Notable personalities Espiridion Guanco – first President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines and Secretary to Senate President Manuel L. Quezon.
References
External links
[ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System