HISTORY OF BOTOLAN

Botolan was established in 1819. This was named because of the abundant kind of banana plant
with sweet seedy fruit called “BOTO-AN” which was found along the western bank of the brook, which is
now the eastern boundary of the town. The word “BOTOL” was derived from Zambal (Tina), which
means seed plus “AN” meaning with.

The former site of this town as Babon-Poponan, also named Babayan. The old town of Babayan
was established when Dona Teresa, an intelligent woman fromMabalacat, Pampanga with Pedro Daet
and Lucas, secured permit from Manila to establish a town. Aside from the permits, she was given an
image of Sta. Monica (Patron Saint of the town whose feast day on the 4 th of May) and church bell. Some
missionary priests were assigned to reconquest the town. Among them were Fr. Nicholas Manabat and
Fr. Francisco Salazar (1810-1819) until the people were brought together to form a community. Francis
Caguineman, the founder of this town and leader of the natives who worked harmoniously with Fr.
Salazar in persuading the people to settle together was the first gobernadorcillo. Juan Palos became the
Cabeza de Barangay under Caguineman. The Roman Catholic Church was constructed and finished at
about the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The Spaniards left Botolan on June 1898 and by
December of the same year, the Americans arrived.

In Zambales, Botolan claimed to have the highest mine deposit, the largest arable lands, the
best fishing zones and the most abundant in timber and other forest products. The people living in the
poblacion and in most lowland barangay speak the Botolan, Zambal. Those in the barangays among the
west coast like Bangan, Capayawan, Panan, Binoclutan and Porac speak Ilocano. The ancestors of this
group came from Ilocos region. Cultural minorities, who speak Negrito dialect, inhabited the eastern
barangays. This municipality is composed of thirty-one (31) barangays. As in Region, most of the people
are Roman Catholics and Aglipayans, while the rest belong to other sects.

Most Botolenos are engaged in farming this is the mayor industry of the people. The irregular
coastline makes fishing the second main source of livelihood of the people. Since mountains covered
with thick forest bound the town, logging becomes the one important industry. Botolan has a big
deposit of talc, sulphur, copper, asbestos and other mineral. Cattle raising is becoming a popular
industry because of the wide grazing lands. Salt-making, bocayo-linga, mat weaving and basketry in
some barangays are also among the important source of income of the people of the locality.

The violent eruption of Mt. Pinatubo on June 15, 1991 ranks as one of the largest volcanic
events of this century, has left an indelible imprint in the lives of so many Botolenos. Eleven (11)
barangays were buried deep in volcanic ash and lahar. The people had gone through untold sufferings
and uncertainty. The government has responded with extensive rehabilitation programs, including the
resettlement displaced populations and emergency engineering interventions to protect threatened
communities and infrastructure. The Recovery Action Plan was prepared as a contribution to this on-
going rehabilitation of the long-term alternatives available for responding to this unique challenge.
Resettlement areas were situated in Sitio Daplak-Taugtog, Sitio Baquilan in San Juan and Sitio Loob-
Bunga in Taugtog. Majority of the settlers are unemployed. Most of the families are engaged in farming
and they are dependent on the productive land that the government or any agency can provide them
dared to go back to their original place to plant some root crops in order to sustain their families.
Majority of them are still dependent on government to provide them with sustainable livelihood and
opportunities.
 However, ten (10) years after the big bang, the various social and economic structures of the
town are again grinding briskly. With God’s blessings and the people’s strong resolve to survive, Botolan
has risen from the ashes of Mount Pinatubo.

Year 2009, the town suffered again from disastrous typhoons that had caused massive damaged
to nine (9) barangays namely Carael, Batonlapoc, Paco, San Miguel, Tampo, San Juan, Paudpod,
Capayawan and Bangan. Many areas were affected such as in agriculture, fishery, livelihood and
infrastructure which include rice fields submerged by flood and lahar, scoured roads, classrooms
submerged by mud, destroyed irrigation canals, silted waterways and breached dike. Some houses were
partially and totally damaged. Most of the families were affected. Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) through the help of Local Government Unit (LGU) assisted flood victims by
providing them low cost housing and livelihood.

Botolan, in her present set-up is a municipality that rose from the glorious nest. This may be
credited to the able and proper leadership of those officials who were appointed as well as elected to
govern the town.
 HISTORY OF ZAMBALES
The history of Zambales unfolds in 1572 when the famous Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo
responded to the proposed invitation of the people from the undulating mountain ranges, then still
thick with vegetation, which knifed across the vast lap of virgin land. The earliest towns established in
1607, 1611 and 1612 were Masinloc, Iba, and Sta. Cruz, respectively. Masinloc was the first capital of
the province. At various points in history, the capital shifted from each of the three towns earlier
named. Iba, however in view of its strategic location, finally became the permanent seat of the
provincial government.

Zambales, which covers an area of 361,110 hectares, shares common boundaries with
Pangasinan in the North, Tarlac and Pampanga in the East and Bataan in the South. The entire stretch of
the province in the West is rimmed by the by the crystal-clear waters of vast China Sea. The 13
sprawling towns’ dolting the province from the North to South, most of them along the shoreline are:
Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio,
San Marcelino, Castillejos and Subic. Olongapo, until it became a chartered City, was the 14 th town.

The name Zambales or the Hispanized term for Zambal, is derived from the spoken dialect and
the ethnic site of the early Malay inhabitants of the place. It is alleged that the term was given currency
on account of the fact that the Spanish conquistadors found these people highly superstitious who
worship the spirits of their departed ancestors. Now, the closer equivalent of the word worship is
Sambal in the dialect hence the term Zambales.

The Zambales believed to have originally come from the Celebes, pushed the aborigines, the
kinky-haired, dwarfish Negritoes or Aetas, to the hinterlands and established Villages which were to
become the nuclei of such municipalities as Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan,
Cabangan, and San Felipe, most of them in the northern portion of the province. They can be found
likewise in Infanta, Baleng-Kageng (now Mabini), Alaminos, Agno, Burgos, Bani, Anda and Bolinao, all
within the province of Pangasinan. These eight towns were originally part of Zambales and it was in
view of the physical difficulties in administration that they were ceded to Pangasinan.

While the Northern part of Zambales has long been occupied, the Great Plains in the South for
sometime remained covered by impenetrable forests, thereby allowing the migration of two distinct
groups much later. The Tagalogs formed the fishing villages at the southernmost tip of the province
which later became Subic and Olongapo. The Ilocanos, on the other hand, started the settlements that
subsequently grew into what are now agricultural towns of Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Antonio and
the agro-fishing towns of San Felipe, Cabangan, and the Southern part of Botolan. These great people
from Ilocos Region in exodus, known for their visions and courage, their industry and tenacity, were to
carve out flourishing communities from were nurtured the sons and daughters who enormously
contributed to the socio-economic, political and cultural life of the people all over the country, let alone
the province of Zambales, since then.