Cabatuan is a 2nd class municipality known as traditional and mostly religious town about 24 kilometers from Iloilo City, a lying in the center of Panay Island, in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. It has a total population of 58,422 people according to NSO survey of 2015. Residents of CABATUAN are known as CABATUANanons, with the main language used by the residents being Kinaray-a, while Hiligaynon, English, and Tagalog are occasionally used as well. Roman Catholicism is the most influential religion in this municipality.
For the most part of CABATUAN it is agronomic with 8, 251.18 hectares of agricultural land. Rice, corn, sweet potato, taro, and cassava are richly wrought in this province. Crops are amply wrought including rice, corn, sweet potato, taro, and cassava. Sugar cane, coffee, tropical fruits and vegetables, and coconut are also yielded in some areas. CABATUANanons gain from livestock and poultry. In addition, the land is also an excellent supplier of gravel and sand and fabricated concrete products.
The location of new Iloilo International Airport in CABATUAN is meant to operate for Iloilo City and the whole province. The New Iloilo International Airport is sited in barangay Gaub, Duyan-duyan, Manguna, and Tiring, CABATUAN. It is accessible from Iloilo City through the Santa Barbara road.
The town of CABATUAN was first distinguished for the “Sinulugans” or hillside tribesmen who perform the art of “Sinulog” or Dance of Death characterized by sword fighting tradition yearly. “Tulisanes” and Rustlers also occupied the place before the Spaniards arrived in 1732.
The town was established on April 9, 1732 after a molave cross (with only its base presently standing) was placed on the peak of Pamul-ogan Hill. It was initially planned by Tono whose statue stands opposite of the Municipal Building. He was formerly a town leader along with other leaders Gomoc and Amihan. This first community was then thriving on a level zone of land next to the northern bank of the Tigum River where the poblacion or the commercial center of the town is now situated.
In 1733, CABATUAN was officially structured upon the ordination of Rev. Fr. Antonio Lopez as its first priest and Tono as its first “gobernadorcillo”. Moreover, the town was identified by the priest in the spiritual fortification of Saint Nicholas de Tolentino whom CABATUANanons respect as their Patron Saint whose feast is feted from September 1–10 every year through a 10-day celebration that is pontifically ended on September 10. While theTinuom Festival celebration from August 20 -30 and ended with highly peformance of Tinuom Festival competation.
Throughout the Second World War, CABATUAN formally became the final cover of Western Visayas in opposition to the Japanese forces which led to the destruction of most of its structures.
It is geographically located at 10° 52′ 47″ North and at 122° 29′ 7″ East.