Bagac
A Brief History of Bagac
Legend
Upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines some of them traveled along the seacoasts looking for a better place to live in. Traveling without any fixed direction, they happen to pass by this place that is partly hidden between two sharp points extending to the sea. The Spaniards. Asked the Aeta, who was traveling with them as their guide, for the name of that place. The Aeta answered that that is called “lumbak” meaning lying between two hills. As their ship was crossing this place they sighted a flock of herons flying above them. When the Spaniards inquired about them to their guide, the Aeta replied, “Iyon po ay mga ibong tagak.” Came “bak and “gak”, and soon it became Bagac.
Background
Bagac is the biggest town in terms of land area in Bataan. Established in 1873, one of the oldest churches in the Philippines may be found here in Bagac with St. Catherine of Alexandria as the patron saint.
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PRESENT
Bagac is primarily an agricultural and aquatic area rich in bounty. While other municipalities and provinces are agricultural land into other uses, Bagac stands to serve and utilize whatever prime agricultural land area left to be nurtured.
Bagac sits on the top a vast potential “goldmine” that is rich in natural wonders and full of historical feats. It is a showcase of pristine coastal and marine marvels. Sumptuous exotic seafood can be bought at town’s public market. The white sand beaches and rugged mountain terrain are the primary destination in Bagac. Rainforest, caves, waterfalls, commemorative WW II Japanese shrines on battle sites, and breathtaking coral gardens can be explored by intrepid nature lovers. Several fairly-priced inland and seaside resorts can accommodate visitors at a short notice.
FAST FACTS
Bagac is located on the western side of Bataan which is 151 kilometeres from Manila and 27.82 kilometers away from Balanga, the provincial capital.
The town has the largest land area of 23,120 hectares representing 16.84% of the total Bataan area and covers 14 barangays.
Bagac is accessible through both land and water transportation. Ferry boats going to and from Manila are available at the Orion port.
The town has a population of 31,365 as of May, 2020, projected to be at 34,531 by 2023 (2021 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023). The major fields in which the labor force specializes in are of masonry, carpentry, and welding.
UTILITIES AND AMENITIES
Power is provided by the National Power Corporation and administered by the Peninsula Electric Cooperative (PENELCO). All the 14 barangays of Bagac are serviced by PENELCO.
Potable water is supplied by the Bagac Water District although the townfolks can also get their water from springs and deepwells.
There are 2 banks, the CARD SME Inc. Thrift Bank and the Rural Bank of Bagac; Bagac has 19 schools, 14 of which are for public education and 5 are for private education. There are 6 health facilities operating in Bagac. There is 1 hospital – Bagac Community and Medicare Hospital, 1 RUral Health Unit, 2 Medical & Laboratory Clinic, 1 Dental Clinic, and 1 Optical Clinic (2021 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023).
Thirty-five beach resorts operating in Bagac the most famous of which are: Montemar, Morning Breeze, Fajardo’s Sun Moon, and Bagac Bay Beach Resort.
MAJOR INDUSTRIES
Bagac specializes in the manufacture of garments, gift, toys, houseware(GTH) and processed food. Beach resorts which cater initially to local tourist have also started to emerge in the area, foremost of these is the Montemar Beach Resort.
PALAY PRODUCTION
As of 2021 (2021 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023), the effective rice production area covers 1,726.06 hectares, resulting in an estimated 8,323.12 metric tons or 180,937 cavans of rice. The average yield per hectare of rice-land is calculated at 4.82 metric tons or 105 cavans.
The municipality of Bagac is highly self-sufficient in its rice supply, with a sufficiency level of 208.71%. This indicates that, taking into account production, post-harvest losses, and actual consumption, there is a surplus of 108.71% of the net yield (2021 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023).
FISHERIES
The number of full-time fishermen in Bagac is 1695. They operate 483 motorized boats and 36 non-motorized boats. These fisherfolk have access to a shared fish port, which serves the post-harvest fish processing industry, including smoking, and value-adding (2021 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 2023).
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Municipality of Bagac is home to world-renowned historical hotels, resorts, and restaurants including the world-famous Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, hailed as one of the Best Historic Hotels in Asia and the Pacific in 2021.
Las Casas showcases restored Spanish-Filipino houses from the 18th to the 19th century and imparts history with festival dances, re-enactment of important events via exemplary performances by local talents. Las Casas records a total of ___ visitors per year, which accounts for ___ percent of tourist influx in Bataan.
Aside from its booming tourism industry, Bagac also boasts of a large area of arable land ideal for agriculture-related businesses. The location is also suited for investors in sustainable energy solutions as there are several wind turbines and other renewable energy infrastructure in the locality.
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