NATURE CRADLED BY TIME
Barangay Mantang never fails to calm, surprise or captivate. Its pristine sanctuary overwhelms the adventurous. Almost everything about it is a treasury of rustic elegance and dignity.
Windswept coconut trees stretch the helmlines of kilometer-long soft, silver-gray sand beaches caressed by soothing clear blue waters. A foray into the heart of Mantang will lead to quaint sitios, lush virgin forests, bountiful wildlife, extant flora and fauna, cold water springs, ancestral landmarks. Along the way, there will always be gracious, hospitable and industrious people of the barangay.
BRIEF HISTORY
Local historians variably call Mantang as Alejandra, Cota, Binugtuan and Butangyad. They also believe that the pre-Spanish Mantanganons knew how to build ships, weave abaca fabric, manufacture war implements, native wine and abaca textiles. The elaborate relics of stonewalls in "Cota Rawis" and the stone walls of the preserved church today were telltale signs of their art.
During the Spanish era, Jesuit Missionaries came over to evangelize the towns and the barangays on the eastern coast of Samar. The Jesuits were replaced by the Franciscans who were the last of the Spanish missionaries to handle religious works in the area before its turn-over to the Filipino clergy. One of the Spanish missionaries who handled the natives of Butangyad was Fr. Manuel Valverde. Such missionary handled exemplary performance and established harmonious relationship with the natives and for those reasons, he was well-loved by the inhabitants.
In 1767, Charles III of Spain ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from all Spanish dominions. The decree reach the Philippines in 1768 and immediately all the Jesuit's missions in Leyte and Samar were then handed over to the Franciscans.
In memory of this friar, syllable MAN was taken from Manuel and TANG from Butangyad, making it MANTANG.
LOCATION AND COMPOSITION
Mantang is situated along the coast of Pacific Ocean, lying south of Barangay San Isidro of Sulat and north of Barangay Dacul of Taft, a former sitio of Mantang. Mantang is composed of four (4) puroks and forty-one (41) upstream sitios along Mantang River namely: Alha, Batas, Baras, Bobohoan, Can-agta, Candawi, Cagaycay, Cagtutuba, Can-imot, Cambalhag, Canmantang, Calumpinig, Calahogan, Calayo, Cansanli, Can-omangyao, Cayari, Danao, Himborongan, Ganap, Ginbat-angan, Gintam-an, Kilala, Lapinig, Layhanan, Malogo, Magbinog, Mogho, Naagawan, Naolikot, Olango, Oragyao, Pinasakay, Potong, Rawis, Saugan, Sayaw, Taboc, Tagabas, Tiguib and Tarongtongan.
DEMOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY
Mantang is the largest barangay in the Municipality of Taft with a total land area of one thousand eight hundred two point thirty (1802.30) hectares. The terrain is relatively flat to gently rolling becoming mountainous and rough towards the center. It has no distinct dry or wet season although rainfall is evenly distributed the whole year round.
Mantang is a primary agricultural barangay. Coconut plantation occupies the biggest space of agricultural land while other crops are rice and a minimal plantation of sugarcane, corn, abaca, rootcrops, bananas, fruits and vegetables. According to the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences who were able to test the area, there are some gold and carbon deposits in this barangay. There are also some sources of non-metallic group such as gravel and stones.
Along the western and north-western portion of the barangay are forest areas wherein valuable timber species such as lawaan, apitong, yakal, sambolawon, narra and orchids are found. Mantang is blessed with a generous marine sanctuary along the coastal areas that makes marine products abundant with species such as tuna fish, lobsters, crabs, octopus, squids, lapu-lapu and others.
Mantang is the most densely populated barangay of Taft. In the 2003 Census based on local BHW Data, it has a total of two thousand two hundred eight (2208) residents. One thousand twenty eight (1028) are male, one thousand twenty four (1024) are female and a total population belongs to the 0 - 15 age group. The median age is 17 years. The labor force participation rate was 58.8% and the employment rate was 34.20%. The literacy rate is 91.6%
INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITES AND UTILITIES
Mantang has almost 90% concrete barangay roads which provide greater population mobility and speedier movement of cargo to and from the poblacion and other neighboring barangays. Public utility vehicles offer commuters transit through this barangay roads down to national highway and municipal roads. Mantang has a two-storey barangay hall where the second floor houses the Office of the Punong Barangay and the Session Hall. The ground floor caters the pre-school children for it serves as the Day Care Center with a permanent Day Care Worker.
Beside the Barangay Hall is a concrete Health Center with ohne regular assigned Midwife from MHO - RHU and 17 Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) who pleasantly assist health care in the barangay. At front is a 24 sq. meter Barangay Plaza that also serves as the basketball court. It has two concrete basketball goals and two steel-based spotlight.
Mantang has one river landing with shade along Imelda Road which provides immediate transport of agricultural products coming from upstream sitios. It also serves as seaport to some fishermen along Imelda Road. Mantang has 137 functional water jetmatic pumps, both public and private, that serves as source of potable drinking water. ESAMELCO is the electric service provider of Mantang. It has a complete line of barangay street lights. Communication facilities like SMART and GLOBE operates in the trading area in Taft and Mantang is within its cellular site coverage making it possible to call, send and receive text messages.
Mantang is a peaceful barangay, free from insurgency and have low crime indices. There are 14 Barangay Tanods and one Chief Tanod detailed at night for public safety.
