History:
New Washington is a municipality in the province of Aklan in the Philippines,articularly famous for being the native town of the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Archbishop of Manila. Dubbed in recent years as New Washington, The Bountiful, it is home to proactive, prolific and development-oriented people.
Established on January 15, 1904, the municipality was named after the first president of the United States, George Washington, as a tribute to the Thomasites, a group of American teachers who in the early 1900s established a new public education system in the Philippines, taught basic education, and trained Filipino teachers with English as medium of instruction. The municipality was formerly called Fonda Lagatik, which was derived from Lagatik River that stretches along some of the municipality's barangays at a length of 9.6 kilometers.
New Washington is the third most populous municipality in Aklan, holding
8% of the province's total population. According to the 2007 census, it is home
to 39,656 residents. The number has increased by 16.7% since the year 2000 when
the official count was 33,981.
Majority of the New Washingtonians, as the municipality's residents are
sometimes called, are of Aklanon origin. Immigration, generally, is due to
marriage and employment.
New Washingtonians speak in Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Filipino and English,
the former being their primary medium. Aklanon, as a language, is often
described as a cross between Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Karay—a making it quite
complicated for local and foreign tourists to speak and comprehend. This is not
seen as a problem, considering that residents can speak fluent Filipino and
English.
The people of New Washington are predominantly Christians with such movements as Catholic, Protestant and Nontrinitarian scattered
around the town. Religious denominations present in the municipality
include Roman Catholic Church, Philippine Independent Church, Baptist churches, Iglesia ni Cristo, Seventh Day of Adventist Church, Jehovah's Witnessess and Church of
the Latter Day Saints among others.
Although a considerable number is involved in fishing and farming, New
Washingtonians have forayed into a diverse array of professions. The majority
of them are into marine transportation, education, nursing and business. A few
are involved in the fields of medicine, law, public service, etc. Small to
medium-scale businesses abound in the municipality.
Barangays
New Washington is politically subdivided into 16 barangay's as
follows:
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To some locals, the barangays are grouped into two, namely
"eanas" and "baybay". The barangays that belong to Eanas
are those involved in rice farming such as Mabilo, Puis, Jalas, Guinbaliwan,
Mataphao, Candelaria, Lawa-an and Jugas. Baybay, on the other hand, covers
barangays along or near the coastline, consisting of Tambac, Poblacion,
Pinamuk-an, Polo, Cawayan, Ochando, Fatima and Dumaguit.
Common among municipalities in the Philippines, the seat of local
government and the center of business are situated in Poblacion. It is also in
that barangay, specifically at the locally iconic Municipal Auditorium and
Sports Complex, where major events of the town are held.
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