Bantayan Island Background

Bantayan, Cebu is an island in the Visayas region abundant of marine life and all the nature’s spectacles. For tourists, this island is a haven of white sand beaches and pristine waters, truly an enchanting and relaxing getaway from the hectic city life. But what others don’t know is that Bantayan is the region’s “egg basket”, producing millions of eggs daily to the mainland, Cebu’s neighboring provinces, and even reaches to Luzon and Mindanao.  

Travelling Back Through Times

This town located on the north tip of Cebu derived its name from “Bantayan sa Hari” meaning “Watchtowers of the King”. From year 1635 to 1644 during the Spanish era, under the jurisdiction of Governor Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera, the Visayas were constantly harassed by the Moros. As defense against the Moro aggression, the locals built tall stone and watchtowers in different parts of the archipelago.

The watchtowers acted as lookouts for the inbound Moro pirate vessels. Throughout the locals’ vigil after the Moros, the phrase “Bantayan!” meaning “Keep Watch!” became a frequently used expression. Hence, Bantayan was officially used as the town’s name. A quick tour around the island will attest how these watchtowers have stood through many generations.

Livelihood Over The Years

Bantayan Cebu is essentially a farming community with its surrounding waters part of the migration path of fish from the equatorial belt to the China Sea. Farming also became one of the main industries of the people but the limited area can’t provide enough products for its neighboring provinces.

Over the years, there were attempts to develop another livelihood in order to provide more jobs for the locals. The first quarter of the 19th century saw a lucrative venture for weaving piña cloth and gathering maguey fiber but this industry became extinct as the demand for such products weakened. Also in the same time, particularly in 1923, hand embroidery emerged as a “spare time industry” where most women in the island actively participated in the livelihood. However, this venture also disappeared due to the unsettled market condition in Manila.

In the previous years, poultry raising was just a backyard affair among most people in the island. But with the thousands of chickens raised and volume of eggs produced in a day, amounting into million, it has grown into a large scale industry bagging the name as the region’s egg basket. Bantayan Cebu is currently providing eggs to its neighboring provinces as far up to Manila and Mindanao.

Historical Events

The present Catholic Church was constructed in the late 18th hundreds. Just like with other century-old churches, the town’s symbol of Catholicism stood through the test of time.

Bantayan had its first local election in 1905, making Gregorio Escario the first “Presidente” of the town, winning by a little margin over his rival.

Progress took place during the administration of Governor General Luke E. Wright (1904-1906). Old Spanish roads trails that connect the three municipalities – Bantayan, Madridejos, Sta. Fe – were changed into more durable roads.

Bantayan Cebu is indeed a place where rich culture and nature’s wonders exist in unison. Visit Bantayan and find out what this quaint little island has to offer.