New Washington Tourism, Culture and the Arts

19/10/2026

NEW WASHINGTON

15/10/2026

13/10/2026

🌊✨ 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

A six-minute glimpse of faith, culture, and joyful celebration in the Municipality of New Washington! From the vibrant street dancing to the solemn fluvial procession, every moment reflects the people’s devotion and heartfelt homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

Anchored on the theme, “𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮, 𝗜𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼, 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘄𝗼𝗻,” this celebration showcases 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘊𝘛𝘝 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

12/10/2026

🌊✨ WHEN FAITH MEETS CULTURE: A SPECTACULAR CELEBRATION OF DEVOTION, HERITAGE, AND UNITY IN NEW WASHINGTON! ✨🌊
𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 | 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧

What a truly beautiful and unforgettable celebration! The streets came alive with vibrant colors, rhythmic movements, and joyful cheers, while the waters shimmered with faith, devotion, and the spirit of togetherness during the 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐀𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐧! ❤️💙

With hearts united in faith and a shared commitment to preserving our cultural identity, the people of New Washington gathered for the celebration of “𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐤 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.”

More than a festival, this celebration was a living expression of our faith, a tribute to our cherished traditions, and a beautiful reminder that our cultural heritage remains alive through the people who continue to honor, protect, and pass it on to the next generation.

🙏 A CELEBRATION MADE BEAUTIFUL BY UNITY AND COLLABORATION!

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧, led by our beloved Municipal Mayor, 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐏. 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨, and Municipal Vice Mayor, 𝐇𝐨𝐧. 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐁. 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨, together with the municipal officials, department heads, employees, our beloved devotees and parishioners, community leaders, sponsors, private partners, volunteers, and generous individuals for their invaluable leadership, support, and dedication.

We also extend our sincerest appreciation to the 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥, whose unwavering faith and active participation gave deeper meaning to this sacred celebration.

Our warmest thanks go to the 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐏𝐍𝐏), 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐃𝐑𝐑𝐌𝐎 and the 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 (𝐍𝐰𝐏𝐀𝐔) for their invaluable assistance, security, and commitment to ensuring the safety and orderly conduct of the activities.

𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐁𝐄𝐋, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬—thank you for making this celebration more colorful, meaningful, and memorable!

🌊 FROM THE BOUNTIFUL WATERS TO OUR LIVELY STREETS, every boat that sailed, every step that danced, every prayer that was offered, and every smile that was shared told a story of a community deeply rooted in faith, proud of its heritage, and united in preserving its traditions.

This is the beauty of New Washington, not only in the richness of our seas and the vibrance of our celebrations, but in the generosity of our people, the strength of our faith, and the cultural treasures we proudly call our own.

May this celebration continue to inspire future generations to cherish our traditions, strengthen our devotion, and carry the beautiful story of New Washington to the world.

𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡. 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞! ✨

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘢𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨, 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘣𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘨, 𝘬𝘢𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘨-𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘩𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦.
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯. ❤️💙

🙏❤️ VIVA LA VIRGEN!
💙❤️ VIVA THE BEAUTIFUL AND BOUNTIFUL NEW WASHINGTON!

08/10/2026

🌺 TUNGHAYAN NATIN!🌺

Bukas, October 9, 2026, mapupuno ng kulay, saya, at pagmamahal ang ating mga lansangan para sa Birheng Maria.💙

🌊 Fluvial Procession
💃 Street Dancing

Halina’t makiisa at sama-samang ipagdiwang ang ating pananampalataya, kultura, at pagkakaisa. 🙏✨

Kitakits, New Washington!💙

08/10/2026

🚨 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗬 🚨
𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝟰:𝟬𝟬 𝗔𝗠 – 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗡𝗡
To all motorists, commuters, vendors, students, and the general public:
lease be advised that the following roads will be TEMPORARILY CLOSED / NOT PASSABLE to give way to the Motorcade, Fluvial Procession & Dance Festival:
📍 Municipal Heritage Wharf (PANTALAN)
📍 Entire Manuel Roxas Avenue
📍 Portion of Omeng Venus Street
📍 Aning C. Peralta Street
📍 Jaime Cardinal Sin Avenue
⚠️ PLEASE USE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.
🚓 Follow the instructions of traffic enforcers and the PNP.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

08/10/2026

🌊✨ 𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟵 — 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗛, 𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!

Experience the 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 of New Washington, Aklan—a vibrant celebration of 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻, proudly presented as part of the Municipality’s Faith-Based Tourism Product.🙏🌊💃

❤️ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵.

𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘞𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯.

29/09/2026

🇵🇭 WHEN NEW WASHINGTON BECAME LAGATIC

From the 1903 consolidation of Capiz towns to a forgotten wartime name

The history of New Washington, Aklan is unusual: the municipality was created through an American-era consolidation of several older communities, temporarily renamed Lagatic during the Japanese occupation, and later emerged as one of Aklan’s 17 municipalities.

🏛️ 1903: NEW WASHINGTON IS CREATED

On April 4, 1903, the Philippine Commission enacted Act No. 720, reorganizing the municipalities of Capiz from 34 to 22. Section 1, paragraph 15 created the Municipality of New Washington from:

* the existing Municipality of Batan;
* the former Municipality of Jimeno;
* the former Municipality of Belete (Balete); and
* the barrio of Lagatic of Calibo (Kalibo).

The law designated Lagatic as the seat of the new municipal government.

Thus, New Washington was not simply an old town that received a new name. It was a new administrative municipality formed by consolidating several existing jurisdictions, with Lagatic as its center.

The name New Washington reflected the American colonial period and honored George Washington, first President of the United States.

🌿 THE OLDER NAME: LAGATIC

Although the municipality was called New Washington, Lagatic remained deeply embedded in the area’s geography and identity.

The municipal seat established by Act No. 720 was specifically located at the barrio of Lagatic.

This explains why the later wartime restoration of the name Lagatic was historically significant: it revived a name that predated the American-era municipality.

⸻

🔄 THE FORMER COMPONENT TOWNS LATER SEPARATED

The 1903 consolidation was not permanent for all of its component territories.

The historical record of New Washington notes that the communities of Batan, Jimeno and Balete later sought separation from the consolidated municipality and eventually became independent municipalities again.

One particularly well-documented case was Jimeno.

In 1917, residents of Jimeno petitioned for separation from New Washington. Executive Order No. 88, signed on November 23, 1917, recreated the municipality and renamed it Altavas, honoring Senator Jose Altavas, who had supported its separation. The municipality began functioning under the new name in 1918.

Batan and Balete likewise re-emerged as separate municipalities. By the postwar period, the three former component communities were again recognized separately from New Washington. The 1951 official classification of Capiz municipalities, for example, lists Altavas, Balete, Batan and New Washington as separate municipalities.

This makes the history particularly interesting:

Batan + Jimeno + Balete + Lagatic
⬇️ 1903 consolidation

NEW WASHINGTON

⬇️
separation of the former communities
⬇️

Batan • Altavas • Balete • New Washington

⸻

🇯🇵 1942: NEW WASHINGTON BECOMES LAGATIC

Nearly four decades after its creation, the municipality experienced another extraordinary change.

On December 4, 1942, during the Japanese occupation, the Philippine Executive Commission issued Executive Order No. 110, changing numerous American and Western place names to names of Filipino origin or meaning.

The official list states:

New Washington, Capiz — Lagatic, Capiz

The same order also changed:

New Washington Elementary School, New Washington, Capiz — Lagatic Elementary School, Lagatic, Capiz

The December 1942 Official Gazette therefore provides direct primary-source evidence that Lagatic became the official wartime name of both the municipality and its elementary school.

Importantly, Lagatic was not a Japanese name. It was an older local name associated with the area.

⸻

🔄 FROM LAGATIC BACK TO NEW WASHINGTON

After the liberation of the Philippines, New Washington returned to official government usage.

No separate postwar statute specifically restoring the name New Washington has so far been identified. Instead, postwar government records demonstrate that the prewar name had returned to official use.

By 1951, the official classification of Capiz municipalities again listed New Washington as a separate municipality.

Then, in 1956, Republic Act No. 1414 created the Province of Aklan, consisting of 17 municipalities—including Altavas, Balete, Batan and New Washington.

Thus, the four communities that had once been brought together under the 1903 New Washington consolidation were all ultimately represented as separate municipalities in the new Province of Aklan.

⸻

🕰️ THE NAME’S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY

Before 1903

🌿 Lagatic
An older local settlement and place-name.

April 4, 1903

🏛️ New Washington created
Batan + Jimeno + Balete + Lagatic barrio consolidated into one municipality, with Lagatic as the seat.

1917–1918

🏛️ Jimeno separates
Recreated as a municipality and renamed Altavas.

Later

🏛️ Batan and Balete also re-emerge as separate municipalities, leaving New Washington with its remaining territory.

December 4, 1942

🇯🇵 New Washington → Lagatic
Executive Order No. 110 during the Japanese occupation.

Postwar period

🇵🇭 New Washington returns to official usage.

April 25, 1956

🗺️ Aklan created
New Washington, Altavas, Balete and Batan become four of the province’s 17 municipalities.

⸻

A NAME THAT CONNECTS FOUR AKLAN MUNICIPALITIES

The story of New Washington is therefore also part of the histories of Batan, Altavas and Balete.

For a time, these communities were administratively brought together into one municipality under the American colonial government’s 1903 reorganization.

The experiment did not last.

The former municipalities gradually regained separate identities, while the name New Washington remained with the area centered on historic Lagatic.

Then, during the Japanese occupation, even New Washington’s American-era name temporarily disappeared.

For a brief period, the official records once again called it:

LAGATIC

A remarkable example of how colonial reorganization, local identity, wartime politics and postwar restoration are all preserved in a single place-name.

Ro Akeanon
Preserving Aklan’s history, one document at a time.

17/09/2026