An Icon of Progress and Development
Laua-an is a 4th Class municipality locatedin the Central
part of the province of Antique. It is bounded on the North by the Municipality
of Barbaza, of the East by that of Tapaz, Capiz, on the South by the
Municipality of Bugasong and the Cuyo East Pass on the West. It is 55.10
kilometers away from the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista the Capital
town of Antique and 153 kilometers from Iloilo City. A coastal town where the
Nautical Highway passes through, Laua-an can be reached by almost all types of
land vehicles and by Roll-on Roll -off means of transportation, if one travels
from Manila. The municipality is composed of 40 Barangays, 12 of which are
located along the coast and the rest are considered inland /upland barangays
located along two big rivers of Paningayan and Cairawan. It has a total of 85
sitios. The total land area of Laua-an is approximately 18,692,456.5 hectares,
representing 7.41% of the total land area of the Province of Antique. Of the
total land area 7,832,222.9 or 42% is alienable and disposable land and
10,860,233.6 or 58% is classified as a timber land as reflected in the approved
Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) of the municipality in 2010. It must be noted, that
a total of 8,890 hectares of timber land is being claimed by the Municipalities
of Bugasong and Valderrama. Total Population of Laua-an in 2010 as per survey
conducted by the National Statistics Office (NS0), reached to 25, 211 with
total households of 5,090. Laua-an has an agriculture -based economy. Farming
is the major occupation of the people and fishing is the secondary source of
income. About 6,591.89 hectares are devoted to agricultural crop production
representing 35.26% of the total land areaof the municipality. Laua-an produces
rice, muscovado, corn, vegetables, peanuts, mango, banana, abacca and other
crops. Poultry and livestock are being raised at the backyard level. It has 42
Day Care Centers, 12 Complete Elementary Schools, 14 Primary and 3 Secondary
Schools. In health services, it has one Rural Health Center, 8 Brgy. Health
Stations and 13 Health & Nutrition Posts. Laua-an has a total of 76.065
kms. of Barangay road: 2.450 km. of provincial road and 11.125 kms. of National
Road. A mini –hydro project was constructed at Brgy. San Ramon by Sun West
Water 64 Electric Company and at SitioSadsadan, Brgy. Maybunga and Villa Siga
Bugasong.
It was then that
Francisco G. Nietes, as Officer of the Ministry of Interior and Local
Government(MILG) took his designation as OIC Mayor of Laua-an for one week,
hence, marked the shortest reign on the history of Laua-an's executive
pedestal. A sort of power struggle interrupted ma anticipated smooth
transition. Jose B. Bantolo, being the incumbent Vice Mayor then, invoked his
right of assumption by virtue of the Law of Succession. The other contender,
Andres Maglugan, conceded the dispute I favour of the legal successor. He then
preferred to go back to Military Service with the Coast Guard. In the
aftermath, Mayor Bantolo ascended to the Mayoralty seat as OIC on October 28,
1986 until February 6, 1987. He took a 3 –month official leave for
hospitalization February to May of 1987. By that time, Basilio N. Ungsod, a
member of the Municipal Council took over as OIC Mayor of Laua-an. Mayor
"Joe" Bantolo reassumed his position on May until November 1987. As
an electoral mrequisite, Bantolo resigned the OIC post somewhere on November of
1987 as he signified his intention to run as mayoralty candidate in the forthcoming
election. In lieu of his resignation, Francisco C. Villafuerte from the Department
of Local Government was appointed OIC Mayor of the Municipality from December of
1987 to January 18, 1988. When a local election was conducted, Rafael Baladjay
emerged victorious in the mayoralty race. He then served his tenure of seven
years from January of 1988 to June 30, 1995. Time favours those who learn to
wait... Seems to be destined by fate, Andres J. Magluyan had been given the peoples'
mandate, to serve as mayor of the municipality. Could this be heaven's reward
for being meek and humble? Who can tell. He held the position for a nine years
that was July 1, 1995 to June 30, 2004. The succeeding term of service fell on
the shoulder of Aser S. Baladjay. He started his remarkable leadership as the
town's chief executive on July 1, 2004, and eventually completed his three terms
of 9 years as an undefeated mayor of Laua-an. He relinquished the executive
seat on June 30, 2013. And as the preludes to the centenary subsided, the
crowning glory of Laua- an's grandeur blossomed with the reign of the
Centennial Mayor, the Honorable FranciscoG. Baladjay Jr. — July 1, 2013 to the
present.
source:Laua-an, Antique, Philippines
source:Laua-an, Antique, Philippines
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