My Little Hometown

The island of Panay is known for its beaches and history. It has 4 major
provinces; Aklan, Antique, Kalibo, ands Iloilo. I am from the province and Iloilo,
and I was born and raised in Barangay. Ermita Dumangas, Iloilo. The town of
Dumangas is located on the island of Panay, south-east of the province of Iloilo,
north-east of Iloilo City. And it is home to the Haw-as Festival.

The old village of Dumangas began as a settlement of old Malays who founded a
community along the Talaguis River sometime in the 12th or 13th century. The
community was known as Araut (a variation of Jalaud), a name derived from the
old Malayan word laut, which means sea, or pa-laut, which means towards the
sea, or laud, which means towards the sea. When the Spaniards landed in Panay,
they discovered the thriving agricultural town of Araut on the shore. Dumangas
produced massive amounts of rice before Iloilo was opened to foreign trade. The
broad plains of Dumangas and its nearby villages provided the majority of the rice
shipped from Iloilo in 1842. In 1855, the port of Iloilo was opened to foreign
trade, paving the stage for additional development in Dumangas. The return of
peace to Dumangas was marked by the surrender of Col. Salas to the Americans.
Dumangasanon who had fled the town during the war began to return, rebuilding
their lives and livelihoods. Following the war, the political scene in Dumangas was
dominated by several pre-war figures as well as those newcomers who had
dabbled in politics. Atty was one among them. In 1948, Gaudencio Demaisip was
elected to Congress. In his role, he made numerous improvements in his
hometown. Politics was a battleground in Dumangas back then for the brilliant,
capable, and service-oriented Dumangasanon. At present, the mayor of the town
is Honorable Onal Golez. The rivers of Barasan, Agdarupan, Paloc, Talusan,
Dumangas, Sulangan, Talauguis, and Jalaur are among its many tributaries. The
mountains and hills of Ermita, Binaobao, and Rosario are among the natural
features present in Dumangas. Sulangan has its own mini-tinagong dagat with a
spring, whereas Binaobao has the Matagsing Caves and Lacaran has the Elehan
Caves. The Lacaran Beach, Bacay Beach, Nalooyan Beach, Tinagong Dagat,
fishponds in several barangays, the Aglipayan Church, the Ermita Shrine, the San
Agustin Catholic Church, the RoRo Port, the coastal road, and seafood restaurants
along the Monfort Coastal Road are among the town's main attractions. In the
2020 census, the population of Dumangas, Iloilo, was 73,899 people, with a
density of 570 inhabitants per square kilometer or 1,500 inhabitants per square
mile.

The historical landmarks of Dumangas include; Saint Augustine Catholic Parish,

Ruins of First Stone Church in Panay, Dumangas Public Plaza, Siete Pecados
Islands Lighthouse, Monument of Col. Quintin D. Salas in Dumangas Public Plaza,
and the Matagsing cave. From these historical landmarks, my favorite would be
the Ruins of First Stone Church in Panay, because it is located in my Barangay
(Brgy. Ermita). The ruins are built on the side of a mountain that overlooks the
town of Dumangas. What I also like about my town is the variety of food,
Dumangas is rich in seafood, because of the coastlines and fishing ponds
(punong). Rice fields are also common in my town, therefore the rice here is
delicious. Lastly, the best thing I like about my town is the comfort. Pre-covid, I
was staying in Iloilo City near CPU because it is more convenient for me than
going home every day to Dumangas. I realized that it may be more fun in the city
but this little town will always be my home.
TOWN MAP
 Resources:

Census of Population (2020). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by

Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 3 November 2021.

Ermita. (n.d.). Retrieved November 3, 2021, from

https://www.philatlas.com/visayas/r06/iloilo/dumangas/ermita.html

HISTORY OF DUMANGAS. (n.d.). Yrralyxious Site. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from

https://sites.google.com/site/yrralyxioussite/history-of-dumangas

Iloilo attractions. (2015, August 11). Province of Iloilo. http://iloilo.gov.ph/iloilo-attractions

Napata, Ruby & Andalecio, Merlina. (2011). Exploitation and Management of Brown Mussel
(Modiolus philippinarum) Resources in Iloilo, Philippines. Philippine Journal of Social
Sciences and Humanities. 16. 22-34.

(N.d.). http://vicilongo.weebly.com/iloilo-history-pa0rt-2.html