Belison

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Belison
Municipality
Municipality of Belison
Belison Municipal Hall
Flag
Map of Antique with Belison highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Belison Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°50′17″N 121°57′38″E / 10.8381°N 121.9606°E / 10.8381; 121.9606
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Antique
District	Lone district
Founded	March 10, 1961
Barangays	11 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• mayor of Belison[*]	Christopher H. Piccio
• Vice Mayor	Darell B. dela Flor
• Representative	Loren Legarda
• Municipal Council	Members Leoncio O. Abiera Sr. Nonato O. Delima Sr. Jerry M. Chavez Josefa E. Barcenal Rustico D. Arzaga Wenceslao E. Quiman Alma Mae T. Abao Ronie D. Acuña
• Electorate	9,935 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	19.78 km2 (7.64 sq mi)
Highest elevation (Mount Igtangitang)	237 m (778 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	14,129
• Density	710/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
• Households	3,412
Demonym	Bilisongnun
Economy
• Income class	5th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	13.91 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 31.33 million (2012), 34.77 million (2013), 38.72 million (2014), 44.07 million (2015), 48.32 million (2016), 54.07 million (2017), 60.81 million (2018), 62.69 million (2019), 95.16 million (2021), 103.1 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 47.31 million (2012), 53.3 million (2013), 63.74 million (2014), 80 million (2015), 84.18 million (2016), 91.48 million (2017), 150.7 million (2018), 209.4 million (2019), 323.6 million (2021), 355.3 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 24.88 million (2012), 27.09 million (2013), 28.16 million (2014), 36.61 million (2015), 40.67 million (2016), 39.29 million (2017), 47.07 million (2018), 55.75 million (2019), 65.25 million (2021), 83.46 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 11.6 million (2012), 11.36 million (2013), 12.3 million (2014), 21.09 million (2015), 23.08 million (2016), 15.47 million (2017), 58.38 million (2018), 58.14 million (2019), 113.8 million (2021), 149.5 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5701
PSGC	060603000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)36
Native languages	Karay-a Hiligaynon Tagalog
Website	www.belisonantique.gov.ph

Belison (/bɛˈlison/), officially the Municipality of Belison (Kinaray-a: Banwa kang Bilisong, [bɪˈlisʊŋ]; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Belison; Tagalog: Bayan ng Belison), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,129 people.^[3] Making it the least populous, the smallest municipality in the province of Antique and the smallest in Panay island in both area and population.

Belison is the smallest (in area and population)^[5] and the youngest municipality in the province of Antique.^[6]

Belison (Kinaray-a: Bilisong) was merely a barangay in the larger municipality of Patnongon, adjacent to the north. Belison barangay leaders and Manila-based Bilisongnuns ([bɪlɪsʊŋˈnən]; ‘Belison residents’) mapped out a petition requesting the national government to make Belison an independent town. The petition was brought to Malacañan Palace on March 10, 1961, and through Presidential Executive Order No. 421 signed by President Carlos P. Garcia,^[6] Belison was declared a municipality - the smallest and the youngest in the Province of Antique.

During World War II, Japanese war submarines and other marine craft found the shores of Belison easy entry points to Panay, and invaded the Western Visayas in that location. People still tell of the fear created by these foreign intruders, and also of the bravery of those who decided to resist, creating rebel strongholds in the mountainous areas above the municipality.

When the Japanese air raids would bomb Belison and the nearby communities, families from all around fled to Guinobatan Cave, high in the hills of barangay Buenavista. And when the American forces came, they too used the smooth sea landing in Belison, bringing relief food supplies to Bilisongnuns, and troops to attack the Japanese occupying forces. They often used local homes in the area to hide in while planning their strategies for assault against the enemy, and enlisted the help of brave men and women to carry out their plans.

Belison is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the provincial capital, San Jose de Buenavista.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 19.78 square kilometres (7.64 sq mi) ^[7] constituting 0.72% of the 2,729.17-square-kilometre- (1,053.74 sq mi) total area of Antique.

The municipality is bounded on the east by San Remigio, southeast by Sibalom, south by San Jose de Buenavista, north by Patnongon, and west by the Cuyo East Pass.

Belison is politically subdivided into 11 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

The Poblacion, seat of the municipal government, is an urban barangay while the rest are considered rural.

In the 2020 census, Belison had a population of 14,129.^[3] The population density was 710 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,800/sq mi).

Nine (9) of the leading Christian religious dominations^{[citation needed]} in the Philippines established their presence in the town. Most Bilisongnuns are of Aglipayan ancestry.

• Aglipayan or the members of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Parish of Our Lady of Purity & Candles) have a church along Delima Street.
• Roman Catholics, there is the Lady of Candles Parish located along Oliverio Street.
• Seventh-day Adventist Church located along Placer Street.
• Iglesia ni Cristo has two locales, one in Candelaria Street, Poblacion and another in National Road, Barangay Rombang.
• Assembly of God located along Candelaria Street.
• Belison Baptist Church located along Rizal Street.
• Born Again Church located in Barangay Maradiona.
• United Pentecostal Church is located along National Road (Barangay Poblacion).
• Victory Christian Church is located along Bajalan-Lancara Street.

Poverty incidence of Belison

Agriculture continues to be the heartbeat^{[weasel words]} of the town. More than half of its land is riceland, while the rest are planted to corn, coconut, sugar cane and other production like vegetables and peanuts^{[citation needed]}.

The Belison municipal seal was created to commemorate the agricultural heritage of the town, in order to preserve the legacy of the original settlers in the region. It depicts three mainstay agricultural activities:

• The top image represents fishing and the bounties of the neighboring sea.
• The lower left portion is the harvesting of sugar cane, its processing muscovado sugar.
• The lower right depicts tilling of the lowlands for the planting of rice and other grains and vegetables.

Surrounding the great triangle are eleven stars – one representing each barangay in the town. The largest star at the bottom is for the Poblacion. Their strength lies in their connectivity to one another, and in their closeness to the traditions of the past.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code