Bato
History
Bato used to be referred to in the pre-Spanish times as ‘Kalilingo’, the name of the river that spans along the area. So how did the the town came to be known as Bato? It was said that when the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the area, they saw a native sitting on a big rock. When the Spaniards asked her the name of the place, she thought they were asking about the name of what she was sitting on, and she replied, “bato”. Thus the town was referred to as Bato since then.
It was in February 15, 1753 when Bato became a ‘pueblo’ or town. Since then until now, the lives of the people of Bato revolved around Lake Bato
Lake Bato
situated in the town’s midst. The lake is the 7th largest lake in the country, and teems with various kinds of fishes mostly Tilapia with some Sinarapan, the smallest fish in the world.
Bato is the southernmost town of Camarines Sur bordering the province of Albay along the Maharlika National Highway.