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Villalba, Puerto Rico

Coordinates: 18°07′38″N 66°29′32″W / 18.12722°N 66.49222°W / 18.12722; -66.49222
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Villalba
Municipio Autónomo de Villalba
Town and Municipality
Walter McK. Jones School in Villalba
Walter McK. Jones School in Villalba
Flag of Villalba
Flag
Coat of arms of Villalba
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"Ciudad de los Avancinos", "Ciudad del Gandul", "Ciudad de los Lagos", "Ciudad del Cooperativismo"
Anthem: "A las orillas del Río Jacaguas"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Villalba Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Villalba Municipality
Coordinates: 18°07′38″N 66°29′32″W / 18.12722°N 66.49222°W / 18.12722; -66.49222
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
SettledFebruary 1, 1852
FoundedFebruary 14, 1917
Founded byJosé Ramón Figueroa y Rivera, and Walter McJones
Named forDon Juan Villalba
Barrios
8 barrios
Government
 • MayorJavy Hernández (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist.6 - Guayama
Area
 • Total
37.69 sq mi (97.61 km2)
 • Land37 sq mi (96 km2)
 • Water0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total
22,093
 • Rank57th in Puerto Rico
 • Density590/sq mi (230/km2)
DemonymVillalbeños
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Code
00766
Area code787/939
Major routes

Villalba (Spanish pronunciation: [biˈʎalβa]), originally known as Villa Alba, is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region, northeast of Juana Díaz; south of Orocovis; and west of Coamo. Villalba is spread over 6 barrios and Villalba Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the Ponce Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

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Villalba was founded in 1917 by José Ramón Figueroa y Rivera and Walter McJones. Its current mayor is Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz. By 1918, there weren't any highways connecting Villalba to its neighboring towns but by 1927 there was at least one.[2]

Hurricane Maria passed through the area on September 20, 2017 and triggered numerous landslides in Villalba with significant rainfall.[3][4] Bridges were destroyed and many areas where vital infrastructure was located were inaccessible. The entire electrical system was destroyed. Villalba's emergency operations center and an assisted living center were among the many buildings destroyed in Villalba.[5] Villalba received 27.82 inches of rain. The mayor's stated “Our main need is oxygen. Many people depend on oxygen through artificial respirators that require electricity.".[6]

"From Catastrophe to Hope" (De la catastrofe a la esperanza), a documentary describing the destruction of infrastructure in Villalba and how volunteers, community members, the mayor, and emergency service personnel worked to try to save people's lives was published in 2019 by Noticias de Villalba (Villalba News). The mountainous geography of Villalba made restoring electricity and water services extremely challenging. Chaplains, and religious leaders of all denominations, provided emotional support to all involved.[7]

Subsequent to the hurricane, in 2018, Javier Hernández, the mayor discussed other options for electrical power, such as micro-grids, for Villalba, with the mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey, reminding him that recovery from such a powerful hurricane would take years.[8][9] Architect Jonathan Marvel talked about his company's plans to build an off-the-grid, 41-unit building in Villalba on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria.[10]

Map of landslides in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria.

Geography

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Villalba is located in the central region of Puerto Rico, on a valley in the Cordillera Central.[11] The highest point in the municipality is Cerro El Bolo at 3,526 feet (1,075 m) of elevation.[12]

Barrios

[edit]
Subdivisions of Villalba.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Villalba is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as "el pueblo".[13][14][15][16]

  1. Caonillas Abajo
  2. Caonillas Arriba
  3. Hato Puerco Abajo
  4. Hato Puerco Arriba
  5. Vacas
  6. Villalba Abajo
  7. Villalba Arriba
  8. Villalba barrio-pueblo

Sectors

[edit]
Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Villalba, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)[17] are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[18][19][20]

Special Communities

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Main article: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Villalba: Chino neighborhood, Cooperativa neighborhood, Hato Puerco Arriba, Apeaderos, Sector Cubones in Caonillas Arriba, Palmarejo in Villalba Arriba, Céspedes in Pino, Cerro Gordo and Sector El Semil in Villalba Arriba.[21][22]

Energy consortium

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An Energy Consortium was signed in late February, 2019 by the mayors of Villalba, Orocovis, Morovis, Ciales and Barranquitas municipalities. The consortium is the first of its kind for the island. It is intended to have municipalities work together to safeguard their communities, in the event of a catastrophe, by creating resilient, and efficient energy networks with backups.[23]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
192013,040—
193011,847−9.1%
194012,8718.6%
195014,97216.3%
196016,2398.5%
197018,73315.4%
198020,73410.7%
199023,55913.6%
200027,91318.5%
201026,073−6.6%
202022,093−15.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[24]
1920-1930[25]
1930-1950[26] 1960-2000[27] 2010[15] 2020[28]

Tourism

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Landmarks and places of interest

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  • Walter McK Jones School[30]
  • Guayabal Lake
  • La Corona Hill
  • Toa Vaca Lake
  • Toro Negro State Forest
  • Biblioteca Pública
  • Centro de Bellas Artes Adrian Rosado
  • Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Carmen

Economy

[edit]

Agriculture

[edit]
  • Coffee, green pigeon peas.

Industry

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  • Manufacturing of aluminum packaging and electrical and electronic machinery, nutritional products, medical devices, and others.

Culture

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Festivals and events

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Villalba celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Sra. del Carmen is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[11]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Villalba include:

  • Puerto Rico Marathon - July
  • Areyto Festival - November
  • Carlos Báez Marathon - December
  • Festival del ñame y Carne Frita- November[31]

In 2017, Villalba celebrated the 100th year of its founding.[32]

Government

[edit]
Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. Waldemar Rivera Torres (of the Popular Democratic Party) served as mayor since 2005 to 2012. The current mayor is Javier (Javi) Hernández who was elected in 2013.[33]

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI, which is represented by two senators. In 2012, Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.[34]

Symbols

[edit]

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[35]

Flag

[edit]

Four horizontal, unequal stripes in width, that from top to bottom have the following order: green, white, green and yellow. In the immediate side to the flagstaff, in the superior stripe, appears, in white color, the star of the shield.[36]

Coat of arms

[edit]

On a green background, representing land, a 19th-century villa, reflected by six homes and a church in silver and red, the church is adorned with the shield of Carmelites, and a white star prominently displays and shines over the villa. Around its border are five fig leaves. Atop are three golden towers.[36]

Transportation

[edit]
Highways in Puerto Rico by 1927, Villalba is connected to Juana Díaz and the northern municipalities by PR-149
Highways in Puerto Rico by 1918, showing Villalba is not connected to its neighboring towns / municipalities

In 1918, Villalba was not yet connected to neighboring towns or municipalities. By 1927, Villalba was connected to Juana Díaz, and other neighboring municipalities with Puerto Rico Highway 149.

There are 23 bridges in Villalba.[37]

Education

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  • Villalba School District (Puerto Rico Department of Education)
  • Puerto Rico Criminal Justice College- Villalba Campus (Puerto Rico Police Academy)
[edit]
  • Lake Toa Vaca in Villalba
    Lake Toa Vaca in Villalba

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Villalba" (in Spanish). Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  3. ^ "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  5. ^ Mazzei, Patricia (April 7, 2019). "Hunger and an 'Abandoned' Hospital: Puerto Rico Waits as Washington Bickers". Archived from the original on July 25, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. Faltó oxígeno en Villalba para ancianos y refugiados tras María" [Maria, a name we will never forget. After Maria, elderly and people in refuges are without their oxygen equipment]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "De La Catastrofe a La Esperanza" (in Spanish) – via www.facebook.com.
  8. ^ McDonald, Terrence (August 11, 2018). "Puerto Rico mayor visits Hoboken to discuss disaster recovery". nj.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  9. ^ "Hoboken Mayor Returns From Puerto Rico Exchange Trip". NPR.org. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  10. ^ Budds, Diana (September 20, 2018). "How architects and designers are rebuilding Puerto Rico one year later". Curbed. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Villalba Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  12. ^ "Cerro El Bolo". peakery.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  13. ^ Picó, Rafael; Buitrago de Santiago, Zayda; Berrios, Hector H. Nueva geografía de Puerto Rico: física, económica, y social, por Rafael Picó. Con la colaboración de Zayda Buitrago de Santiago y Héctor H. Berrios. San Juan Editorial Universitaria, Universidad de Puerto Rico,1969. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  14. ^ Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  16. ^ "Map of Villalba at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  17. ^ "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
  18. ^ "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  19. ^ Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza: Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (first ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  20. ^ "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  21. ^ Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (First ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
  22. ^ "Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  23. ^ Vazquez, Priscilla. "Asociación de Industriales de Puerto Rico". Industriales Puerto Rico. Archived from the original on March 12, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  24. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  25. ^ "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  26. ^ "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  27. ^ "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  28. ^ Bureau, US Census. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  29. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  30. ^ "Walter McK Jones Foundation". FUNDACION WALTER McK JONES. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  31. ^ "Festival del ñame y la carne frita". Voces del Sur (in Spanish). November 7, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  32. ^ Admin (May 12, 2017). "Fiestas Centenarias de Villalba 2017". MiAgendaPR.com (in Spanish). Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  33. ^ T, Terrence (August 11, 2018). "Puerto Rico mayor visits Hoboken to discuss disaster recovery". nj.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  34. ^ Elecciones Generales 2012: Escrutinio General Archived December 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine on CEEPUR
  35. ^ "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  36. ^ a b "VILLALBA". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  37. ^ "Villalba Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
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