Bantayan town – the old church town of Bantayan Island.

Don’t mix up the names: Bantayan Island is the whole island, Bantayan (the town) is only its middle part. Santa Fe lies to the south-east and Madridejos to the north.

Bantayan town at a glance

Official name

Municipality of Bantayan, Province of Cebu

Location

Central and western part of Bantayan Island

Population

87,394 (census 2024) · 86,247 (2020)

Land area

approx. 81.7 km²

Barangays

25, four of them form the poblacion: Bantigue, Binaobao, Suba, Ticad

Income class

1st class municipality

ZIP code

6052

Mayor

Orlando "Alex" F. Layese (since 30 June 2025)

Vice Mayor

Arthur "Art" Despi

Patron saints / fiesta

Saints Peter and Paul, late June – dates in our events calendar

Distance to Cebu City

approx. 136 km (bus to Hagnaya, ferry to Santa Fe Port, tricycle)

Checked 8 Nov 2026. Sources: PSA census data via PhilAtlas and citypopulation.de; Province of Cebu.

Town and island – who is who

Bantayan Island has three local governments: Bantayan, Santa Fe and Madridejos. Ferries from Hagnaya land in Santa Fe; from there it is a short tricycle ride to Bantayan town. Bantayan has no barangay called “Poblacion” – the town centre is made up of Bantigue, Binaobao, Suba and Ticad. Several small islands west of the main island, such as Hilotongan, also belong to the town.

Popular day trips like Virgin Island and Hilantagaan are not part of Bantayan town – Hilantagaan belongs to Santa Fe; Virgin Island is usually listed under Santa Fe, but its boundary is not confirmed. Kota Beach is in Santa Fe. Kota Park, the old fort, is in Madridejos.

Barangays

Atop-atop, Baigad, Bantigue (Pob.), Baod, Binaobao (Pob.), Botigues, Doong, Guiwanon, Hilotongan, Kabac, Kabangbang, Kampingganon, Kangkaibe, Lipayran, Luyongbaybay, Mojon, Obo-ob, Patao, Putian, Sillon, Suba (Pob.), Sulangan, Sungko, Tamiao, Ticad (Pob.).

The most populous barangay in the 2020 census was Ticad (7,745), the smallest Kampingganon (1,108).

History in brief

• 1580 – Augustinian friars found the parish, first dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. This makes it one of the oldest parishes in the Philippines and older than the Diocese of Cebu (1595).
• 1600 and 1628 – Raiders from the sea attack the town: in 1600 they burn the church, in 1628 they kill and carry off islanders.
• 1836 – The builder of the church, Don Manuel Rubio, erects two grand houses opposite the church. Their ruins are marked today as a heritage landmark.
• 1839–1863 – The present church is built of coral stone. A marker of the National Historical Institute (today NHCP), set up in 1980, tells its story.
• 1980s – According to parish sources quoted on Wikipedia, Saint Paul is added as second patron, so most people say “Sts. Peter and Paul”. The same sources say that in 2022 the parish went back to its formal name, Parish of Saint Peter Apostle (not yet confirmed by the parish).
• 30 Sept 2025 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake in northern Cebu damages the church’s front gable and cross. Entry was restricted and Masses moved to the church grounds. ⚠ Current status: ask locally before you visit.

The wider story is on our history of Bantayan Island page.

What to see

• Parish church and plaza – the heart of the town and the centre of the Holy Week celebrations. ⚠ Check whether the church interior is open.
• Heritage house ruins – the remains of two 19th-century houses facing the church.
• Obo-ob Mangrove Garden – a community-run boardwalk through the mangroves in Barangay Obo-ob, managed by the local association OMAGIECA. Small entrance fee; confirm it at the gate.
• Beaches in Sillon and Baigad and the lighthouse in Bantigue. ⚠ to be verified locally
• Watchtower on Doong island – an old lookout tower reported on Doong (Wikipedia); a 2026 article calls the Kaongkod tower in Madridejos the last one. ⚠ to be verified locally

Festivals

Holy Week dates change each year; the June celebrations keep their calendar dates, but programmes can change. Confirm with the tourism office.

Meat during Lent? You may read that Bantayan has a papal permission to eat meat during Lent. That permission dates from the 19th century and has long expired; the parish asks visitors to keep the usual Lenten rules.

Practical tips

• Getting there: Bus from Cebu North Bus Terminal to Hagnaya Port (San Remigio), ferry to Santa Fe Port, then tricycle to Bantayan town. Plan most of a day from Cebu City door to door – details in Getting here.
• Getting around: Tricycles are the normal way to move around. There is no official fare list we could verify – agree on the price before you get in. ⚠
• Money: Landbank has a branch with ATM in Barangay Suba. Bring enough cash, especially for Holy Week and the fiesta. ⚠ other ATMs to be verified
• Market and food: The town is known for dried fish. Look for danggit (dried rabbitfish), fish tapa and labtingaw.
• Health: Bantayan District Hospital is the provincial hospital for all three island towns (Level 1; major surgeries have been performed there since January 2026).
• Emergency: National emergency number 911.

Contacts

FAQ