Naujan

Naujan
Municipality
Municipality of Naujan
Naujan Church
Flag Seal
Map of Oriental Mindoro with Naujan highlighted
Interactive map of Naujan
Naujan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°19′24″N 121°18′10″E / 13.32328°N 121.30282°E / 13.32328; 121.30282
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Oriental Mindoro
District	1st district
Founded	1693
Incorporated	1905
Barangays	71 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Henry Joel C. Teves
• Vice Mayor	Candido J. Melgar Jr.
• Representative	Arnan C. Panaligan
• Electorate	64,553 voters (2025)
Area
• Total	503.10 km2 (194.25 sq mi)
Elevation	99 m (325 ft)
Highest elevation	476 m (1,562 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)
• Total	109,122
• Density	216.90/km2 (561.77/sq mi)
• Households	26,504
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	19.82 % (2023)
• Revenue	₱ 587 million (2024)
• Assets	₱ 1,433 million (2024)
• Expenditure	₱ 59.83 million (2024)
• Liabilities	₱ 313 million (2024)
Service provider
• Electricity	Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO)
• Telecommunications	PLDT
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5204
PSGC	1705208000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)43
Native languages	Alangan Tagalog
Feast Date	September 10
Patron saint	San Nicolas de Tolentino

Naujan (Filipino pronunciation: [naʔuˈhan]), officially the Municipality of Naujan (Tagalog: Bayan ng Naujan), is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 109,122 people.

It is famous for the fifth largest lake in the Philippines the Naujan Lake.

History

The town of Naujan was established in 1639 under a Royal decree issued by King Phillip of Spain. Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, traces of an earlier civilization existed, as evidenced by the unearthed artifacts of Chinese origin dating from the Sung, Yuan, and the Ming dynasties in barangays of Dao and San Jose. This reinforces the theory that the natives of Naujan have trade relations with the Chinese during those early years. Its name according to legend, came from the word, “nauhaw”, or “went thirsty”.

Still, the Mangyans that are of malayan descent are known to be the first inhabitants and were just pushed to the interior mountanous area due to the arrival of Christian settlers. They currently reside in the reservation areas of Barangays Metolza, Caburo, Balite, Paitan, Magtibay and Banuton.

In the 17th century, a Recollect priest built a church in Barrio Bancuro with walls made of stone. This served as the house of worship and at the same time as a fort and a place of refuge against the Moro invaders. However in 1824, the Moros were able to conquer them and burned the fort. The 1800s census showed that Naujan had 924 native families and 6 Spanish-Filipino families.

In 1898, the Moro raids ceased and the settlement was transferred to Matandang Naujan commonly known as Lumangbayan along the seacoast. At that time, the rebellion against Spanish rule started to break out in Mindoro.

Naujan has its on share of revolutionaries. Francisco Manalaysay had his own insurrectionary forces against the Spaniards. Captain Valeriano Gasic was then the Presidente del Municipal of Naujan. He went underground when the Americans started to rule Mindoro and declared him “tulisan”. He was eventually captured and was sentenced to life imprisonment. This was later commuted to five years in exile in the island of Culion, Palawan where he died. The guerilla movement against the Japanese Occupation was headed by Esteban Beloncio, Felix Boquio and Gomersindo Dela Torre. During the Martial Law years, Father Ed Dela Torre was the prominent son of Naujan who actively fought the dictatorship.

Geography

It covers a land area of 52,804.15 hectares (130,481.9 acres), making it the largest municipality in the province and accounting for 12% of the province's total land area. Naujan is 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Calapan. The town is bounded in the north of Calapan, in the northwest by the municipality of Baco, in the east by part of the Verde Island Passage and Tablas Strait, in the south by the town of Victoria, in the southeast by the town of Pola and in the southwest by the town of Sablayan, province of Occidental Mindoro.

The town of Naujan is a First-Class municipality and partially urban, has a population of roughly more than 109,122 people from 70 barangays according to a recent PSA 2024 Census of Population report, has all the amenities of a town of its size. It has its own Town Plaza and its own Conference Center. It is also the home of the newly built Oriental Mindoro Sports Complex located in Barangay Santiago.

On January 4, 1905, under Act 1280, Naujan was recognized as a full-pledged municipality while its boundaries were permanently established in 1919.

Demographics

Economy

Poverty incidence of Naujan (%)

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Government

28th Sangguniang Bayan Elected Officials (2025):

• Municipal Mayor: Kgg. Henry Joel C. Teves
• Vice Mayor: Kgg. Candido J. Melgar Jr.
• Sangguniang Bayan Members:
  • Kgg. Keneth Wilson A. Viray, Councilor
  • Kgg. Jun S. Bugarin, Councilor
  • Kgg. Marion Francis F. Marcos, Councilor
  • Kgg. Joefel C. Ylagan, Councilor
  • Kgg. Elmar B. De Villa, Councilor
  • Kgg. Allan M. Balbacal, Councilor
  • Kgg. Michael Gregory D. Vargas, Councilor
  • Kgg. Princess Patricia Mhey R. Dolor, Councilor
  • Kgg. Ralph Jonnel C. Recto, Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial Federation President
  • Kgg. Pedro M. Aday, Liga ng mga Barangay Vice President
  • Kgg. Christian Kent C. Nagutom, SK Municipal Federation President
  • Kgg. Rogelio P. Banlugan, Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative

Education

There are three schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. These are the Naujan East Schools District, Naujan South Schools District, and Naujan West Schools District.

See also

• List of Cultural Properties of the Philippines in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro
• Naujan Lake

References

External links

• Naujan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Official website
• www-naujan-gov.blogspot.com
• Naujan.com