Batac Ilocos Norte Philippines

The Municipality of Batac as its name denotes is a town where cooperation and unity is a way of life. Batac is considered the primer town of the province and is rapidly growing as a center of trade, finance, health, researches and education. It is also known as the home of eminent men and women who has significant contribution in the development and welfare of our country and fellowmen.

Batac is situated at the heart of the province or in the mid southwestern portion of the province of Ilocos Norte. It lies approximately within altitude 17º17’ north and longitude 120º28’ east. Its boundaries include the Municipality of San Nicolas on the north; Municipality of Sarrat on the northeast; Municipality of Marcos on the east-northeast; Municipality of Banna on the east; Municipality of Pinili on the southeast; Municipality of Currimao on the southwest; and the Municipality of Paoay on the west. It is about 472 kilometers north of Metro Manila, about 18 km. south of Laoag City, the capital of the province; 275 km. north of San Fernando City, the regional center of Ilocos Region and 11.2 km east of the eastern shore of South China Sea. Travel time by motor vehicle at this time is very convenient because of well paved roads and is 15 – 20 minutes to Laoag City and 8 – 9 hours to Metro Manila.

Batac  has a total land area of 16, 101 hectares, of the total area, 211.5 hectares are occupied by the 14 urban barangays and the rural barangays are spread out on 15,889.53 hectares. Lands in the municipality are classified as alienable and disposable.

The terrain of the municipality of Batac is gradually flat or level to rolling and hilly and very steep. The broad valleys are mostly located in poblacion with a slope of 0-8%. All the rural barangays except those in the eastern part have a slope of 0 -30%. There are various soil types that are poorly drained due to the heavy texture of most of the subsoil. The climate of Batac is generally warm and is experiencing two clearly different seasons, the wet season from the later part of May to October, with an annual average rainfall of 114.07 inches (PAG-ASA, 2000) and the dry season from November to April.

One of the depression areas found in Barangay Bil-loca was developed into fresh fishpond now the Billoca Fisheries and is being proposed as an agri-tourism area. Another area is located in Brgy. Pasil, Baligat, which is being utilized as communal fishpond.

There are two rivers that cut across the municipality of Batac, the Quiaoit River and the Garasgas River. A unique characteristic of the municipality is the presence of underground rivers, which produce a free flow of water. These are located at Sitio Baay, Barangay Bungon, near Dariwdiw Elementary School, Barangay Dariwdiw and in Barangay Mabaleng. The free water flow at Barangay Mabaleng can give enough water supplies for the eastern Sitios if properly tapped.