Batan

Batan lies on the northern coast of Panay, beside a bay opening towards the Sibuyan Sea. Its sheltered waters and surrounding lowlands supported communities linked to the other shores of the Visayas. Under Spanish rule Batan was assigned as an encomienda, and Augustinians established a parish there in 1601. It later belonged to the district of Aklan before becoming a separate town in 1789. The sea remained a natural route between Batan and the neighbouring islands.