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BRIEF HISTORY
Before the coming of the Spaniards, there
existed a small settlement by the shore of a big lake, called Caligno,
from where a big river originated. Its natives thrived mainly on the
rich fish resource of the lake. Since the main mode of transport was by
water, the settlement became a natural terminus of domestic travel.
The facility of transport and its rich resource
attracted people from other settlements. Many came to fish for days and
weeks, other stayed permanently. Not long after, the once small
settlement grew into a flourishing community which the missionaries
from Manila found when they evangelized Ibalon (Bicol) in the early
1700. When the
missionaries arrived the settlement was ruled by a peace-loving and
wise chieftain named Domogma Lateron who immediately found mutual
accommodation with the missionaries. As to its name Bato, traditional accounts
passed on to generations through words of mouth have it that when a
missionary asked a native of the name of the place, the native who
thought he was being asked what is the name of the rock he was standing
on answered "Bato". Thus, the name of Bato came from which became
official when the Municipality of Bato was formed by a decree of the
Superior Government (National Government) on February 15,
1758.
Location
and Physical Subdivision
The Municipality of Bato is located in the
Bicol Region and within the province of Camarines Sur approximately 500
kilometer southeast of Manila. It is bounded in the north by the municipality
of Nabua and Balatan, on the east by the city of Iriga, on the south by
the municipality of Polangui and Libon, Albay, and on the west by the
Burias Pass. Bato has a total land area of 12,244.2222 hectares
including the famous Lake Bato. The place can be reached through
available means of transportation such as bus, train, jeepney and
trimobile. Lakeside barangay can be reached through bus, jeep via
Bato-Nabua-Goyudan National Road and motorboats or bancas that ply
across Lake Bato, mountain barangay can be reached thru
Nabua-Goyudan-Bato road, coastal barangays can be reached through
Nabua-Balatan Road via Coquit-Pagatpatan Provincial Road.
The municipality of Bato is composed of
thirty-three (33) barangays. It is divided into four (4) geographical
section namely (1) Poblacion which include the barangays of Agos, San
Miguel, Niño Jesus, Masoli, Santiago, San Rafael, Divina
Pastora, Tres Reyes, Sta. Cruz and San Vicente; (2) Lakeside, which
includes the barangays of Bacolodm Tagpolo, Neighborhood, San Roque,
Cawacagan, San Juan, Goyudan, Salvacion, Buliand and Sagrada; (3)
Mountain barangays include Cristo Rey, Caricot, Sooc, Del Rosario,
Lubigan, Mainit, Manga, Lobong and Cotmon and lastly the (4) Coastal
barangays includes Palo, Payak, Pagatpatan and San Isidro.
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