New Washington, Aklan

New Washington Lagatic
Municipality
Municipality of New Washington
Flag Seal
Map of Aklan with New Washington highlighted
OpenStreetMap
New Washington Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°38′54″N 122°26′02″E / 11.6483°N 122.4339°E / 11.6483; 122.4339
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Aklan
District	1st district
Founded	January 15, 1904
Named after	George Washington
Barangays	16 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Atty. Shimonette P. Francisco
• Vice Mayor	Jesus "Molot" B. Quimpo
• Representative	Carlito S. Marquez
• Municipal Council	Members Esboy Quimpo Diosilio "Jojo" F. Malonosan Pitche Joy Alfaro Roly O. Equiña Jr. Jazel P. Bautista Janeth Dela Cruz Estrella "Neneng" Velarde Allan Bernardino
• Electorate	33,891 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	66.69 km^2 (25.75 sq mi)
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Highest elevation	329 m (1,079 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	49,204
• Density	737.8/km^2 (1,911/sq mi)
• Households	11,933
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	13.44 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 216.8 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 479.4 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 171.4 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 72.82 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5610
PSGC	060415000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)36
Native languages	Aklanon Hiligaynon Capisnon Tagalog

New Washington, officially the Municipality of New Washington (Aklanon: Banwa it New Washington; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang New Washington; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bagong Washington), is a municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 49,204 people.^[5]

It is known as the Seafood Capital of Aklan and the home of the Sanduguan Festival or Pacto de Sangre "Blood Compact" in Spanish. As it also the home of the National Shrine of Sanduguan in remembrance of heroes who made a blood compact and started the Spanish revolution in the province of Aklan.

Etymology

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 Lagatic, which was derived from Lagatik River that stretches along some of the municipality's barangays at a length of 9.6 kilometers (6.0 mi).

Geography

New Washington is located at 11°38′54″N 122°26′02″E / 11.6483°N 122.4339°E / 11.6483; 122.4339.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 66.69 square kilometers (25.75 sq mi) ^[6] constituting 3.66% of the 1,821.42-square-kilometer- (703.25 sq mi) total area of Aklan.

New Washington is bounded by Batan in the east, Kalibo in the west and the Sibuyan Sea on the north. It is 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) from Kalibo International Airport, 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) from the province's capital town of Kalibo, and one and a half (11⁄2) hours away from Boracay Island.

Climate

Climate data for New Washington, Aklan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	30 (86)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	47 (1.9)	33 (1.3)	39 (1.5)	48 (1.9)	98 (3.9)	150 (5.9)	169 (6.7)	147 (5.8)	163 (6.4)	172 (6.8)	118 (4.6)	80 (3.1)	1,264 (49.8)
Average rainy days	11.4	8.2	9.3	9.7	19.1	25.6	27.4	25.5	25.5	25.2	18.5	14.5	219.9
Source: Meteoblue[7]

The third type of climate predominates in the locality, season not pronounced. It is relatively dry from February to July and wet the rest of the year.

Of note, to deal with water supply along the long peninsula affected by salt water intrusion and related endemic amoebiasis, New Washington was the site of a unique U.S. Peace Corps-sponsored program to build over 200 low-cost circular water wells using locally produced "curved hollow blocks" made locally using custom wooden forms inspired by a local medical doctor and charismatic social activist Andronico "Andrew" Mendoza. Dr. Mendoza organized families to transport individual pre-cast custom hollow blocks to remote areas; the unique design of the locally designed wells obviated the need for expensive and unwieldy steel bar reinforcement. During the early 1980s, each of the 212 water well was dug and constructed throughout this municipality with voluntary community effort ("bayanihan") and are still in use today and exemplifies the spirit of New Washington.

Barangays

New Washington is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.^[8] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2024[9]		2010[10]
060415001	Candelaria	3.5%	1,708	1,626	▴	0.34%
060415002	Cawayan	8.5%	4,168	3,784	▴	0.66%
060415003	Dumaguit	4.3%	2,139	1,996	▴	0.48%
060415004	Fatima	2.5%	1,219	1,182	▴	0.21%
060415005	Guinbaliwan	6.2%	3,031	2,813	▴	0.51%
060415006	Jalas	3.1%	1,518	1,648	▾	−0.56%
060415007	Jugas	5.2%	2,577	2,427	▴	0.41%
060415008	Lawa-an	2.8%	1,361	1,414	▾	−0.26%
060415009	Mabilo	7.2%	3,552	3,035	▴	1.08%
060415010	Mataphao	3.7%	1,842	1,554	▴	1.17%
060415011	Ochando	6.8%	3,369	3,028	▴	0.73%
060415012	Pinamuk-an	6.0%	2,951	2,692	▴	0.63%
060415013	Poblacion	12.1%	5,974	6,036	▾	−0.07%
060415014	Polo	7.1%	3,514	3,476	▴	0.07%
060415015	Puis	5.4%	2,675	2,360	▴	0.86%
060415017	Tambak	6.9%	3,409	3,041	▴	0.79%
	Total		49,204	42,112	▴	1.07%

To some locals, the barangays are grouped into two, namely "Eanas" or "Interior" and "Baybay" or "Coastal". 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 home to the Municipal Auditorium and Sports Complex, Manuel C. Peralta Community Center, where major events of the town are held.

Demographics

Population census of New Washington

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1918	24,453	—
1939	12,192	−3.26%
1948	13,370	+1.03%
1960	15,966	+1.49%
1970	19,131	+1.82%
1975	22,131	+2.96%
1980	26,119	+3.37%
1990	30,147	+1.44%
1995	31,896	+1.06%
2000	33,981	+1.37%
2007	39,656	+2.15%
2010	42,112	+2.21%
2015	45,007	+1.27%
2020	47,955	+1.34%
2024	49,204	+0.62%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][12][10][13][14]

In the 2024 census, New Washington had a population of 49,204.^[15] The population density was 740 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,900/sq mi).

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.

Languages

New Washingtonians speak in Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Tagalog, 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 complex for local and foreign tourists to speak and comprehend. This is not seen as a problem, considering that residents can speak fluent Hiligaynon, Tagalog, and English. ^{[citation needed]}

Religion

The people of New Washington are predominantly Christians. Religious denominations in the municipality include Roman Catholic Church, Philippine Independent Church, Baptist churches, Iglesia ni Cristo, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among others.

Economy

Poverty incidence of New Washington

10

20

30

40

50

2000
42.49

2003
40.67

2006
28.30

2009
42.04

2012
14.65

2015
17.39

2018
11.35

2021
13.44

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}

As New Washington is surrounded by bodies of water such as Sibuyan Sea and Lagatik River. Fishing has been the leading livelihood among the people, alongside rice farming. The town has the largest area of ricefields among the municipalities in Aklan.^{[citation needed]}

The municipality operates two ports: one in Dumaguit and the other in Poblacion. The port in Dumaguit caters to passenger and commercial boats, while the port in Poblacion is only for the latter.^{[clarification needed]} Both ports serve as major trade routes between the province of Aklan and Manila.

Education

The New Washington Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[24]

All the barangays have either an elementary or primary school. There are four secondary schools: New Washington National Comprehensive High School and Montfort Technical Institute (MTI) in Poblacion, Candelaria National High School in Candelaria and Ochando National High School in Ochando. Montessori de Aklan (MDA),a primary school,is a branch of Montessori de Zamboanga Schools which is an affiliate of AMS or American Montessori Society in Polo, Tertiary education is centered at Aklan State University - College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, which is located in Poblacion. Vocational courses are also offered at MTI. Some families send their children to schools in Kalibo, Capiz, Iloilo and Manila, among others.

Primary and elementary schools

• Candelaria Elementary School
• Cawayan Elementary School
• Celestial Love Center
• Christ the King School
• Don Basilio Refundo Memorial School
• Dumaguit Elementary School
• Guinbaliwan Elementary School
• IFI Holy Rosary Kinder School
• Jalas Elementary School
• Jugas Elementary School
• Lawa-an Elementary School
• Mabilo Elementary School
• Montessori De Aklan School
• Montfort Technical Institute
• New Washington Elementary School
• Ochando Elementary School
• Pinamuk-an Integrated School
• Polo Elementary School
• Polo Youngsters Learning Center
• Precious Faith Learning Center
• Puis Elementary School
• Tambak Elementary School
• Tomas SM Bautista Elementary School (Fatima Elementary School)

Secondary schools

• Candelaria National High School
• Montfort Technical Institute
• New Washington National Comprehensive High School
• Ochando National High School
• Pinamuk-an Integrated School

Holidays

Pink Sisters' Convent

New Washington observes two annual fiestas as a town. One is a patronal fiesta in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, which is held on the second Saturday of October and the other is a civic fiesta commemorating the heroes of Pacto de Sangre, which is held from March 1 to 3. The Pacto de Sangre, or blood compact, took place in the then Sitio Kuntang (now Barangay Ochando) on March 3, 1897.

Tourism

The municipality has numerous beach resorts located near the shores from Mabilo to Dumaguit. Civic attractions include the Jaime Cardinal L. Sin Park, the Rizal Park, the Municipal Children's Park and the Municipal Auditorium and Sports Complex.

The town also hosts the Museo Kardinal, a museum dedicated to the life of Cardinal Jaime Sin established inside his former residence.^[25]

Notable personalities

• Jaime Sin, former Archbishop of Manila

References

1.  Municipality of New Washington | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". psa.gov.ph. July 17, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
6. "Province: Aklan". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
7. "New Washington: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
8. "Municipal: New Washington, Aklan". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
9. Census of Population (2020). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
10. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VI (Western Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
11. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
12. Census of Population (2015). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
13. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VI (Western Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
14. "Province of Aklan". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
15. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
16. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
17. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
18. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
19. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
20. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
21. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
22. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
23. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
24. "Masterlist of Schools" (PDF). Department of Education. January 15, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
25. Aguirre, Jun (September 2, 2024). "Ecclesiastical museum in Aklan celebrates Cardinal Sin's legacy". Rappler. Retrieved September 2, 2024.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code