History

HISTORICAL ABSTRACT ON THE CREATION / FOUNDING OF IBA

Founded by Recollect priests in 1611, the village of Paynawen moved from one place to another until it settled permanently along the banks of Bancal River, where a fort was built as a defense against pirates who constantly molested the region. In 1860, the administration of the town was turned over to the Dominican priests.There were no available records as to when Paynawen was renamed Iba, but old folks believed, the town was named after a sour fruit called “Iba”. How the town got this name became a legend, that has been told, retold and handed down from generation to generation.The story happened during the early days of Spanish colonization.

It was told, that while most of the Spaniards were busy establishing the pueblo, one of their men sneaked out from the group and curiously wandered around the village of the natives. Along the way, he saw a group of people, who incidentally were eating a certain kind of soft fruit. This particular Spaniard, being stranger to the place, approached them and asked the name of the place, but because of language differences, the natives thought, he was asking the name of the fruit they were eating, immediately, they replied “Iba . ., Iba . ., Iba . . “ from then on, this small pueblo was named Iba.

The early formation of Iba was attributed to the Zambals, an ethnic group who belonged to the Malay race. They originated from the Celebes. They pushed the dwarfish, kinky haired Negritoes or Aetas eastward to the hinterlands. These Zambals eventually established their settlements on what is now the Municipality of Iba.Through the course of time, other ethnic groups like the Tagalog and Ilocanos migrated, occupied and formed their settlements on the southern portion of the province. They later on inter married with the Zambals and became the ancestors of these present generation.At various points in history, the capital of the province shifted from each of the three towns earlier established by the Spanish colonizers, namely, Masinloc, Sta. Cruz and Iba, but because of Iba’s strategic location, it finally became the permanent seat of the provincial government.Several history milestones had swept over the Municipality during the early days. One of which was during the declaration of the establishment of the Zambales province on August 28,1901, by the second Philippine Commission, headed by William Howard Taft at St. Augustine Cathedral - a church built in 1700 out of coral and limestone.

Another memorable event was when WWII broke out, the Japanese invading forces conducted a devastating bombing ran on Dec. 08, 1941 at Iba Airfield which resulted to the annihilation of both civilians and US forces stationed in the area. The Japanese Imperial Army later on, established their garrison at Poblacion, Iba.

Originally, the municipality comprised of forty- five (45) sitios, eight (8) barrios and one (1) poblacion. These barrios were created by virtue of Republic Act 3590 on June 22, 1963.
By virtue of Presidential Decrees of then Pres. Marcos on October 1974, Presidential Decree 86 and Presidential Decree 86-A, the poblacion were subdivided into six (6) zonal districts, and all sitios were integrated to their mother barangay.