History Of New Washington, Aklan

History:

Established on January 15, 1904, the municipality was named after the first president of the United States, George Washington, as a tribute to theThomasites, a group of American teachers who in the early 1900s established a new public education system in the Philippines, taught basic education, and trained Filipino teachers with English as medium of instruction. The municipality was formerly called Fonda Lagatik, which was derived from Lagatik River that stretches along some of the municipality's barangays at a length of 9.6 kilometers.

New Washington is the third most populous municipality in Aklan, holding 8% of the province's total population. According to the 2007 census, it is home to 39,656 residents. The number has increased by 16.7% since the year 2000 when the official count was 33,981.

Majority of the New Washingtonians, as the municipality's residents are sometimes called, are of Aklanon origin. Immigration, generally, is due to marriage and employment.

New Washingtonians speak in Aklanon, Hiligaynon, Filipino and English, the former being their primary medium. Aklanon, as a language, is often described as a cross between Bisaya, Hiligaynon and Karay—a making it quite complicated for local and foreign tourists to speak and comprehend. This is not seen as a problem, considering that residents can speak fluent Filipino and English.^{[citation needed]}

The people of New Washington are predominantly Christians, with such movements as Catholic, Protestant and Nontrinitarian scattered around the town. Religious denominations present in the municipality include Roman Catholic Church, Philippine Independent Church, Baptist churches, Iglesia ni Cristo, Seventh Day Adventist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses and Church of theLatter Day Saints, among others.

Although a considerable number is involved in fishing and farming, New Washingtonians have forayed into a diverse array of professions. The majority of them are into marine transportation, education, nursing and business. A few are involved in the fields of medicine, law, public service, etc. Small to medium-scale businesses abound in the municipality.