Алабат: Филиппин қаласының тарихы мен мәдениеті

Municipality in Quezon, Philippines
the island

Alabat, officially the Municipality of Alabat , is a 5th class municipality in the province of Quezon, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,936 people. The name Alabat came from the local Tagalog word Alabat, meaning "balustrade". The town is home to a few speakers of the critically endangered Inagta Alabat language, one of the most endangered languages in the world as listed by UNESCO.

Long before the colonial Spanish, Japanese, or Americans set foot on Alabat Island, the mountains were already inhabited by the “Baluga” (aborigines). Nomadic by nature, they would clean patches of land, plant rice and vegetables and hunt. After harvest, they would migrate to another part of the forest and repeat the cycle. The elder of the community was their leader and adviser. During drought, they made temporary houses near the shore and used fishing as their primary means of livelihood. Local folklore says that a Spanish priest from the mainland saw the Island from across Lamon Bay. He was curious as to what lay in that island and its inhabitants. The Spanish priest crossed the bay on the boat and founded a church at what is today barangay Gordon. The church today is underwater but the cross can still be seen. The name Alabat which has been used as it is now, came from the word Alâbât (local Tagalog word for balustrade or balcony). The early inhabitants of this place made balustrades across their doors to prevent small children from walking out of the house or falling from the stairwells. Local history says that a platoon of American soldiers came to Lupac after the Philippine independence to conduct a survey. They entered a native's hut and asked the person what the name of the place was. The owner of the house at that time was holding the balustrade that he was making. Unable to understand the English language, he thought they were asking what he was doing so the native replied alâbât! The leader took his diary and wrote the word A L A B A T without any accent. Another local folklore says that the name 'Alabat' was from Muslim origins where Alabat comes from Allah bat, and if the word is mixed up actually means bat ala or bathala which is the local word for god. But according to the RA 956, Alabat was founded on Oct. 23, 1903. Meanwhile, the legal basis of creation is May 15, 1900

The separation of Silangan (now Quezon) as an independent municipality was declared in 1914. This municipality was named in honor of President Manuel L Quezon. In 1929, the inhabitants of Sangirin (now Perez) clamored also for separation from Alabat. By the end of the same year, Sangirin was granted freedom and became an independent municipality named in honor of then Felimon Perez, who was the Governor of the Province. Today, Alabat island is composed of 3 towns, Perez in the northern tip, Alabat town proper at the center and Quezon in the south. The town of Alabat saw new development in the early 21st century: a modern port was built to replace the old one, more paved roads are being constructed, telephone service, cellphone sites, wireless internet and local government projects to improve the lives of Alabateños. Alabat, Quezon has been featured several times in various television programs in the country such as Tapatan Ni Tunyin, Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Motorcycle Diaries and more, because of its natural beauty. In an article published in Inquirer, written by Lester Villegas Alabat, Quezon was dubbed as the "Hidden Paradise of Quezon Province".

Located centrally on the eponymous Alabat Island, It is between the Pacific Ocean and Lamon Bay, with good fishing grounds, fertile soil, wide plains and near to a river and safe landing shore.

Alabat experiences tropical rainforest climate (Af) as rainfall in all months exceeds There is a significant difference between the driest and the wettest month whereas the driest month is April with rainfall total , while the wettest month is December with rainfall total .

In 2010, UNESCO released its 3rd world volume of Endangered Languages in the World, where 3 critically endangered languages were in the Philippines. One of these languages in the Alabat Island Agta language which has an estimated speaker of 30 people in the year 2000. The language was classified as Critically Endangered, meaning the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently and hardly pass the language to their children and grandchildren anymore. If the remaining 30 people do not pass their native language to the next generation of Alabat Agta people, their indigenous language will be extinct within a period of 1 to 2 decades. The Alabat Agta people live only on the island of Alabat in Quezon province. They are one of the original Negrito settlers in the entire Philippines. They belong to the Aeta people classification, but have distinct language and belief systems unique to their own culture and heritage.

Economic activities in Alabat are heavily concentrated in the poblacion and other sub urban barangays. Improved road network provides access from all towns in the island of Alabat to this partially urbanized town. Well paved radial routes criss crossing in and out of the town facilitate the transport of unlimited assortment of merchandise, supplies, and raw materials to and from the town on a round the clock basis. The major crops of the town are rice, coconut and calamansi.

Alabat is considered one of the most important commercial and trading point in the island and in the whole Lamon Bay Area. This town are nested among a wide expanse of coconut trees, rice land and moderately rolling hills of gross and shrinks for pleasure. It has a rich fishing ground which supplies fish and other seafoods to neighboring towns. Port of Alabat is considered one of the longest port in the province.

Alabat is accessible by land where tricycles are administered by Alabat Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (ALTODA) and jeepneys travelling in and out of the town; and water transportation via Atimonan Alabat Route through the Alabat Feeder Port. Traveling around the town proper is no problem since there are hundreds of tricycles circling the Town Proper.

Alabat is served by a landline company like SANTELCOR, while the wireless phones and internet are provided by national communications companies Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular and a postal service is served by PHILPost.

The Alabat Cable TV System operates and covers most of the town while Quezon I Electric Cooperative provides Electricity to Alabat and nearby towns. Alabat Municipal Waterworks System provide the waterworks.

Alabat has a public hospital that is capable of providing most common medical services, as well as in handling medical emergencies. Alabat Island District Hospital, the institution which are considered to provide the same standard of healthcare and services, differing mainly with the medical and diagnostic facilities at hand. These are staffed with qualified medical practitioners. The doctors are graduates of the many top reputable medical schools in the Philippines. Likewise, the nurses are the products of the many credible nursing schools in the country.

Kat Galang an actress known as "Tassel Girl". She is no stranger to the limelight, having appeared in short films, commercials, TV series and theater plays. Her first big break is her portrayal on Kadenang Ginto. Gionna Cabrera was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2005 who competed for the Miss Universe pageant in Thailand during the same year, representing the Philippines. She was awarded as Ms. Photogenic. Gionna is daughter of former Alabat Vice Mayor Nida J. Cabrera.