Also known as the bamboo capital of Iloilo, the mountainous municipality of Maasin is an agricultural community. This friendly, clean town in the west-central part of Iloilo Province is quite attractive, scenic route with a beautiful view of mountains from neighboring municipalities and provinces.
The Third-Class municipality of Maasin is situated in the west-central portion of the province and 29.5 kilometers away from Iloilo City. It shares boundaries in the north-east by the town of Janiuay; the municipality of Cabatuan in the east; in the south by the town of Alimodian, and; north-west by the mountain ranges of the Province of Antique. It has a total land area of 15, 658 hectares and is politically subdivided into 50 barangays.
Maasin is populated by 36, 922 (2015 Census on Population) Maasinhons. Market day is every Mondays and Thursdays. It annually celebrates its Religious Fiesta every 30th of December in honor of San Santiago El Mayor.
To get to Maasin, one can take a jeepney ride at the Transport Terminal in front of Christ the King Memorial Park in Jaro, Iloilo City.
HISTORY
Maasin meaning “salty” derived its name from a salt spring in Barangay Magsaysay, almost 2 kilometers from the poblacion. Folk history states that the early settlers frequented the spring for the basic need for salt. During the Spanish period in 1775, Maasin acquired status of a pueblo with the appointment of Don Agustin Garcia as its first Kapitan. Under the American occupation, the town was made an arrabal of Cabatuan in 1903. It eventuallyu regained its previous status as an independent municipality in 1916 when Don Vicente Malaga was appointed as its first Municipal President.
ATTRACTIONS
GROTTO OF LOURDES AND THE PAET SALTY SPRING is the place where Maasin gots its name. It is this attraction of a salty spring located at Barangay Magsaysay.
SACRED HEART SHRINE AND GINES HILL is a 106-step to the statue of the Sacred Heart and where visitors can have a panoramic view of the Municipality of Maasin.
FESTIVAL
TULTUGAN celebrated every 3rd week of December, got its name from a native bamboo percussion instrument used by natives of long ago as a tool for communication and as a musical instrument. Tultugan is a root word of tultug which has been defined as an action verbalizing the act of playing sound on bamboo. Usually this is rendered through a bamboo stick striking it against the body of the bamboo, thus becoming a rhythmic instrument called Tultugan.
As a festival, it aims to promote its local bamboo industry highlighting its significance and importance in the lives of the people in the community. It also showcases Maasin’s rich natural environment with spectacular bamboo landscapes for people to get to know its main local industry and local artisans. The festivity also promotes its various natural products and social enterprises that protect and promote some of its best assets: natural landscapes and traditional skills.