Putat, Cebu

Putat (/pʊʼtət/; Cebuano: Barangay Putat, Filipino: Barangay Putat) is a human settlement in the Philippine Municipality of Tuburan, Cebu in Central Visayas which is part of the Visayas group of islands. The name Putat came from the name of the tree, putat which is the famous tree in that place that it could be proud of. But until this generation, no one of Putatnons knew when Putat was settled to become the Barangay Putat.

History

Until this present time, no one know when Putat was settled and perhaps its foundation maybe traced back when Don Mariano Montebon founded the Municipality of Tuburan in 1851. Even if no one knew when it was founded; Putat certainly got its name from the name of the tree "putat", a tree that belongs to genus Barringtonia. Old folks said that these trees thrived in the riverbanks and swamps on the place a long time ago but nowadays, one can rarely see it thriving and maybe considered as endangered. Some people also believe in the legend of how the tree first came into the place.

Geography

Putat is one of the 54 barangays of the Municipality of Tuburan which is located in the northwestern part of Cebu. This barangay shares its boundary to the Municipality of Tabuelan, Cebu to the north and to the east are Barangay Kampoot and Barangay Lusong. It is bounded by Barangay Macupa and Barangay Bagasawe to the south and Tañon Strait to the west. It is 97 kilometers away from Cebu City via Lugo, Borbon, approximately 123 kilometers via Naga-Toledo route and about 85 kilometers away traversing the Transcentral Highway.

Putat's terrain is level to highly rolling. Level lands are found in areas bordering the shoreline. One of the seven river systems in Tuburan is found in this barangay, the Chinese River. The source of this river is located in the areas of the Municipality of Sogod, while one of its tributaries is coming from Barangay Montealegre. This river system creates a watershed area, one of the largest in the municipality. The barangay also has four springs which are major sources of potable water, most famous of which is the mystical Biti-an Spring. Other springs are the Guiwanon Spring, one in Sitio Ilaya San Miguel, and one in Sitio Ilaya San Roque.

Climate

Just like the other barangays of Tuburan, Putat falls under the third type of climate in the Philippines characterized by not very pronounced maximum period of rainfall and with a short dry season from March to June.

Sitios

This barangay is divided into sitios namely:

• Duminla
• Ilaya San Miguel
• Ilaya San Roque
• Kalumbangan
• Kanghamog
• Mando
• Mangga
• Matnog
• Matugawe
• Onggo
• Sambag
• Suba
• Tapon
• Timbacol

Demographics

See also:

Being one of the 54 barangays of Tuburan, Putat belongs to the partly urban areas in the Philippines.

According to the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, Putat has 4,001 residents.^[1]

Religion

Majority of the people in this barangay are Roman Catholics; other religious groups include: Iglesia ni Cristo, Baptist, and other Christian religions.

Government

Every city and municipality in the Philippines is divided into barangays, the smallest of the Local Government Units. Barangays can be further divided into sitios and puroks but those divisions do not have leaders elected in formal elections supervised by the national government.

A barangay's executive is the Punong Barangay or barangay captain and its legislature is the Sangguniang Barangay, composed of barangay captain, the Barangay Kagawads (barangay councilors) and the SK chairman.

Attractions

This simple and serene barangay has a number of scenic spots to be proud of.

• Biti-an Spring. This spring located alongside the river was noted for its mystic waters. The water actually looks like a boiling water coming beneath the ground. One could see white butterflies flying around the place (believed to be fairies in the spring).
• Cambunyag. Located in the shores of Sitio Mangga, this rock that looks like a ship is believed to be the ship of Maria Tang-an. Others say that it was a ship struck by lightning a long time ago.
• Bagtingon Cliff. This is a wide cliff located along the shoreline near the border of Putat and Bagasawe. Fisherfolks and seashell gatherers claimed to hear myterious bells ringing in that place. Bagtingon means "to ring".
• Chinese River. This river that traverses the barangay is a place of trade a long time ago. It often brings rich soil suitable for growing vegetables and other crops to Sitio Ilaya making it the "Vegetable Basket of Putat".
• Putat History Tree. It is located above the Municipal Cemetery in Sitio Tapon. This tree is said to be the living witness of the historic World War II for a battle happened in that place. Before, one could see skeletons, war helmets and bullets, but the locals burned the area for they were afraid of the skeletons. Some took the helmets and bullets as souvenirs and could not be traced anymore.
• San Antonio Abad Parish Church. This beautiful church was built in honor of San Antonio Abad (patron batok sa sunog in Cebu). The facade of this Roman Catholic Church has beautiful columns.
• Matnog Beach.
• Sunset.

Education

Putat has three public schools namely: Putat Elementary School, Matnog Elementary School and Putat National High School.

San Antonio Abad Parish

Coordinates: 10°47.4′N 123°51′E / 10.7900°N 123.850°EPutat became a parish in honor of San Antonio Abad (Saint Anthony the Abbot) on July 28, 1974 together with seven other barangays of Tuburan: Bagasawe, Bulwang, Kampoot, Lusong, Macupa, Montealegre and Siotes. Its first parish priest was Rev. Fr. Hilario Narsico.

References

1. "The 2010 Census of Population and Housing Reveals the Philippine Population at 92.34 Million | Philippine Statistics Authority". psa.gov.ph. Retrieved 2016-05-05.