Belison

Belison ({{langx|krj|Bilisong}}) was merely a barangay in the larger municipality of Patnongon, adjacent to the north. Belison barangay leaders and Manila-based {{langx|krj|label=none|Bilisongnun}}s ({{ipa|[bɪlɪsʊŋˈnən]}}; ‘Belison residents’) mapped out a petition requesting the national government to make Belison an independent town. The petition was brought to Malacañan Palace on March 10, 1961, and through Presidential Executive Order No. 421 signed by President Carlos P. Garcia,{{cite web|title=Executive Order No. 421, s. 1961: Creating the Municipality of Belison in the Province of Antique|url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1961/03/10/executive-order-no-421-s-1961/|website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines|accessdate=23 August 2016|location=Manila|date=March 10, 1961}} Belison was declared a municipality - the smallest and the youngest in the Province of Antique.

During World War II, Japanese war submarines and other marine craft found the shores of Belison easy entry points to Panay, and invaded the Western Visayas in that location. People still tell of the fear created by these foreign intruders, and also of the bravery of those who decided to resist, creating rebel strongholds in the mountainous areas above the municipality.

When the Japanese air raids would bomb Belison and the nearby communities, families from all around fled to Guinobatan Cave, high in the hills of barangay Buenavista. And when the American forces came, they too used the smooth sea landing in Belison, bringing relief food supplies to {{langx|krj|label=none|Bilisongnun}}s, and troops to attack the Japanese occupying forces. They often used local homes in the area to hide in while planning their strategies for assault against the enemy, and enlisted the help of brave men and women to carry out their plans.

Belison is {{convert|15|km}} from the provincial capital, San Jose de Buenavista.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of {{convert|19.78|km2}}{{PSGC detail|area}} constituting {{percentage|19.78|2,729.17|2|pad=yes}} of the {{convert|2,729.17|km2|2|adj=mid|-}} total area of Antique.

The municipality is bounded on the east by San Remigio, southeast by Sibalom, south by San Jose de Buenavista, north by Patnongon, and west by the Cuyo East Pass.

{{Weather box

| location = Belison, Antique

| width = auto

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| Jan high C = 30

| Jan low C = 22

| Feb high C = 31

| Feb low C = 22

| Mar high C = 32

| Mar low C = 22

| Apr high C = 33

| Apr low C = 24

| May high C = 32

| May low C = 25

| Jun high C = 30

| Jun low C = 25

| Jul high C = 29

| Jul low C = 25

| Aug high C = 29

| Aug low C = 25

| Sep high C = 29

| Sep low C = 25

| Oct high C = 29

| Oct low C = 24

| Nov high C = 30

| Nov low C = 23

| Dec high C = 30

| Dec low C = 23

| Jan precipitation mm = 48

| Feb precipitation mm = 41

| Mar precipitation mm = 58

| Apr precipitation mm = 82

| May precipitation mm = 223

| Jun precipitation mm = 300

| Jul precipitation mm = 346

| Aug precipitation mm = 307

| Sep precipitation mm = 311

| Oct precipitation mm = 292

| Nov precipitation mm = 167

| Dec precipitation mm = 81

| Jan rain days = 11.4

| Feb rain days = 7.7

| Mar rain days = 11.3

| Apr rain days = 15.4

| May rain days = 25.7

| Jun rain days = 28.5

| Jul rain days = 29.5

| Aug rain days = 28.7

| Sep rain days = 28.3

| Oct rain days = 28.7

| Nov rain days = 21.8

| Dec rain days = 15.2

| source 1 = Meteoblue

{{cite web

| url = https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/belison_philippines_1725609

| title = Belison: Average Temperatures and Rainfall

| publisher = Meteoblue

| accessdate = 1 May 2020 }} (Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.)

| date = 1 May 2020

}}

Belison is politically subdivided into 11 barangays.{{PSGC detail|nscb/}} Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

The Poblacion, seat of the municipal government, is an urban barangay while the rest are considered rural.

{{PH brgy table lite|top}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603001| Borocboroc | 1261| 1173}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603002| Buenavista | 504| 449}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603003| Concepcion | 1263| 1165}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603004| Delima | 790| 751}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603005| Ipil | 744| 689}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603006| Maradiona | 1613| 1539}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603007| Mojon | 461| 410}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603008| Poblacion| 4503| 4479}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603009| Rombang | 1016| 834}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603010| Salvacion | 497| 464}}

{{PH brgy table lite|060603011| Sinaja | 887| 854}}

{{PH brgy table lite|bottom|12807}}

{{Philippine Census

| align= none

| title= Population census of {{PH wikidata|name}}

| 1903 =

| 1918 =

| 1939 =

| 1948 =

| 1960 =

| 1970 = {{PH census population|1970}}

| 1975 = {{PH census population|1975}}

| 1980 = {{PH census population|1980}}

| 1990 = {{PH census population|1990}}

| 1995 = {{PH census population|1995}}

| 2000 = {{PH census population|2000}}

| 2007 = {{PH census population|2007}}

| 2010 = {{PH census population|2010}}

| 2015 = {{PH census population|2015}}

| 2020 = {{PH census population|2020}}

| 2025 =

| 2030 =

| footnote= Source: Philippine Statistics Authority{{PH census|2015}}{{PH census|2010}}{{PH census|2007}}{{LWUA population data}}

}}

In the 2020 census, Belison had a population of 14,129.{{PH census|current}} The population density was {{convert|{{sigfig|14,129/19.78|2}}|PD/km2}}.

Kinaray-a is the dominant dialect of Belison while Hiligaynon is also spoken and understood by the residents.

Nine (9) of the leading Christian religious dominations{{Citation needed|reason=sources needed|date=April 2014}} in the Philippines established their presence in the town. Most {{langx|krj|label=none|Bilisongnun}}s are of Aglipayan ancestry.

• Aglipayan or the members of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Parish of Our Lady of Purity & Candles) have a church along Delima Street.
• Roman Catholics, there is the Lady of Candles Parish located along Oliverio Street.
• Seventh-day Adventist Church located along Placer Street.
• Iglesia ni Cristo has two locales, one in Candelaria Street, Poblacion and another in National Road, Barangay Rombang.
• Assembly of God located along Candelaria Street.
• Belison Baptist Church located along Rizal Street.
• Born Again Church located in Barangay Maradiona.
• United Pentecostal Church is located along National Road (Barangay Poblacion).
• Victory Christian Church is located along Bajalan-Lancara Street.

{{PH poverty incidence}}

Agriculture continues to be the heartbeat{{weasel inline|date=October 2016}} of the town. More than half of its land is riceland, while the rest are planted to corn, coconut, sugar cane and other production like vegetables and peanuts{{Citation needed|reason=no proof of agricultural development|date=March 2014}}.

{{clear left}}

The Belison municipal seal was created to commemorate the agricultural heritage of the town, in order to preserve the legacy of the original settlers in the region. It depicts three mainstay agricultural activities:

• The top image represents fishing and the bounties of the neighboring sea.
• The lower left portion is the harvesting of sugar cane, its processing muscovado sugar.
• The lower right depicts tilling of the lowlands for the planting of rice and other grains and vegetables.

Surrounding the great triangle are eleven stars – one representing each barangay in the town. The largest star at the bottom is for the Poblacion. Their strength lies in their connectivity to one another, and in their closeness to the traditions of the past.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [{{NSCB detail}} Philippine Standard Geographic Code]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Belison

| North = Patnongon

| East = San Remigio

| Southeast = Sibalom

| South = San Jose

| West = Sulu Sea

}}

{{Antique|state=expanded}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Municipalities of Antique (province)

Category:Political divisions established by Philippine executive order