HomeThe town was founded by the Augustinians in 1587 under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception. It is the second oldest town established by the Augustinians in the province of Ilocos Norte. Hence, in 1987 Batac reached its 4th centennial.
Batac was officially organized into a ministry on January 5, 1586. The first priest assigned to catechize the natives of tile community was Fr. Esteban Marin, an Augustinian who probably arrived in Batac in 1585. Paoay and Dinglas (Dingras) were then the visitas of Batac.
Folk history states that there were two villages in Batac during the early part of tile foundation of the town, one was an Itneg community that occupied sitio Nangalisan and a Christian community occupying San Jose.
The first site of tile Poblacion was in San Jose, which is now called Barangay Palpalicong. It is said that the ethnic minority groups of Bangui and Nueva Era are the pre-Spanish descendants of early inhabitants of Batac.
The present church is the 1692 reconstruction. Its facade has been renovated recently, whitewashed, and plastered with the original palitada. The original features and authentic colors give the church a Romanesque look with an Italian influence exemplified by recessed portals, embellished wheel windows, and inverted moldings. Heavy twin pilasters complement the large rose window and the wide opening of the main portal.
The Augustinians considered the people of Batac more civilized than tile other tribes because they were better than the other “Indios” in personal cleanliness.
