Batuan Bohol Travel Guide

Batuan is an interior town and is considered a sixth class municipality of the province of Bohol. The town is about fifty one kilometers away the province’s lone and capital city, Tagbilaran City and it takes about one hour of travel. It is accessible via the Tagbilaran Loay-Carmen National Road route. Tagbilaran-Balilihan-Batuan provincial road is also another option.

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The municipality of Sagbayan bounded the town on the north, the municipality of Bilar on the south, the municipalities of Carmen on the east, and by the municipalities of Catigbian and Balilihan on the west.

The town’s total land area of 7908 hectares is politically subdivided into 15 barangays, to wit: Aloja, Behind the Clouds, Cabacnitan, Cambacay, Cantigdas, Garcia, Janlud, Poblacion Norte, Poblacion Sur, Poblacion Vieja, Quezon, Quirino, Rizal, Rosariohan, and Santa Cruz. The town population is approximately 12, 137 people.

Basically, Batuan is an agricultural town as more than half of its total land area is devoted to agriculture, about 4,952 has or 63 %. This is the main source of livelihood in the locality where a great portion of its income is derived from crop production, livestock and poultry raising. Rice and corn are the principal crops grown in the area. Coconut, fruits root crops and leafy vegetables come next. Despite the absence of effective irrigation facilities, 1,794 hectares are devoted to rice production, with an average production of 60 cavans per hectares. A total of 1,313 has is devoted to corn production. Coffee and cacao are among the industrial crops grown in the locality. Just launched by the LGU is the Fish Culture Farming program designed to encourage to go into small backyard fishponds to address the scarce supply and high costs of fish in the area.

History

Batuan was once a barangay of the town of Bilar, Bohol during the reign of the Spaniards. However, through the efforts of some local leaders, the barangay found its way to the seat of the towns in the province of Bohol by virtue of the Act No. 968 on October 31, 1903.

These leaders were put into prison for advocating the movement to separate Batuan from its mother town, Bilar, and its creation as a distinct and separate town. However, they pursued their aspirations with greater inspiration and strong determination after they were released from prison. Despite the protests of the municipal officials, the Municipality of Batuan was created comprising only five original barangays, namely: Lindugon, Cambacay, Rosariohan, Janlud and Cantigdas. Now, along with their respective land area, the town is already composed of fifteen barangays based on the Municipal Comprehensive Development Plan for 1983-1992.

Batuan was said to have gotten its name from edible trees of the same nomenclature, which abounds in the locality. Oddly enough, these trees can hardly be found in the area nowadays.

During the Japanese occupation, Batuan was a haven of evacuees from the provinces of Cebu, Leyte and from other parts of the island/province. It was at the Batuan Central School site were the unification of the guerilla forces of Bohol was forged on June 29, 1942, paving the way for the creation of the Bohol Area Command (BAC) under the command of the late Major Ismael Ingeniero, whose election was hotly contested by rival factions. The command had its headquarters in barangay Behind the Clouds.

Batuan, located within the provinces tourist belt area, is the gateway to the beautiful and exotic Cocolate Hills” wonder and only about three (3) kilometers away from the Chocolate Hills Complex at Buenos, Aires, Carmen.

Other info

There are eighteen (18) learning institutions in Batuan of which nine are primary schools, six (6) elementary schools, one (1) public schools and one (1) private high school, providing secondary education. A privately owned college school offering technical and short courses in a close tie-up with TESDA, the Batuan Colleges, has been in operation for 7-8 years.

The town has its own hymn which is called “Batuan Hymn” or in the Visayan dialect “Awit sa Batuan”. This was composed by Arnell Baguio. Below is the Batuan Hymn.

Batuan Hymn (Awit Sa Batuan)
Words and Music (Pulong ug Huni): Arnell Baguio

Bantugan'g yuta'ng tabonon
Angkong lungsod Bol-anon
Nag'sidlak bulawan ang kahumayan
Tikad kamut sa mga kugihan
Ug nagabugwak ang katubigan
Gikan sa gabudlan
Ang Ginoo gipasalamatan
Nagsaulog sa Guimbawan!

Bigkis sa gugma ki'ng lungsod
Abag sa atong nasud
Tubod sa kalinaw kahiusa sa tanan
Ugmad sa katawhan
Ang kalag ug lawas, ihalad ta'ng tanan
Ning mahal ta'ng lungsod - Batuan!

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