Batuan, Masbate

In 1951, the barrios of Batuan, Burgos, Gibraltar, Costa Rica, Panisihan, and Matabao were separated from San Fernando to form the Municipality of Batuan.^[6]

Batuan is located at the southern point of Ticao Island. It is the smallest municipality in Masbate, both in land area and population.

In the 2024 census, the population of Batuan was 15,614 people,^[14] with a density of 280 inhabitants per square kilometre or 730 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Batuan

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}

The municipality is part of Ticao island, which is known as an archaeological landscape, possessing thousands of pre-colonial artifacts such as the Baybayin-inscribed Rizal Stone, Ticao gold spike teeth, Burial jars of varying designs and sizes, jade beads, human face rock statues, and the Ticao petrographs. Much of the homes in Ticao island use these archaeological finds to design their interiors. The island is also an ecological frontier for the conservation of manta rays. The island also possesses a 'rare subspecies' of Visayan warty pig, that is almost near extinction.

The Batuan Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[23]