Hilongos, Leyte

Hilongos
Municipality
Municipality of Hilongos
Immaculate Conception Parish Church
Seal
Map of Leyte with Hilongos highlighted
Hilongos Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°22′N 124°45′E / 10.37°N 124.75°E / 10.37; 124.75Coordinates: 10°22′N 124°45′E / 10.37°N 124.75°E / 10.37; 124.75
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province	Leyte
District	5th district of Leyte
Established as a town	1737
Barangays	51 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Albert Villahermosa
• Vice Mayor	Manuel Gabisan
• Electorate	38,076 voters (2016)
Area [2]
• Total	192.92 km2 (74.49 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)[3]
• Total	63,431
• Density	330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6524
PSGC	083719000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)53
Climate type	Tropical rainforest climate
Income class	2nd municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	143,210,244.38 (2016)
Native languages	Cebuano Tagalog

Hilongos, officially the Municipality of Hilongos, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 63,431 people.^[3]

Hilongos shares its border with the Municipality of Hindang in the north, the Municipalities of Sogod (Southern Leyte) and Bontoc (Southern Leyte) in the east, the Municipality of Bato in the south and the Camotes Sea in the west. Hilongos is the biggest municipality in terms of income, population and land area in the southwestern part of Leyte (a string of five (5) equidistant and progressive municipalities namely, Inopacan, Hindang, Hilongos, Bato and Matalom comprises the southwestern part of Leyte). Hilongos is the center of government and ecclesiastical offices, shipping, rice production, trade, banking and finance, telecommunications, health facilities, education, sports and socio-cultural activities in the southwestern part of Leyte. The Port of Hilongos is one of the biggest and busiest in Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) and is well known for its good ferry and cargo services for Cebu City and vice versa. Due to its strategic location and proximity to the City of Cebu, Hilongos Port caters numerous day and night trips to and from the "Queen City of the South" and is the primary choice for travelers in the area. Also, Hilongos is equipped with an airport, the Hilongos Airport in particular, which can be more helpful and useful if improved (travelers from the southern part of Leyte still needs to go to Tacloban or Cebu just to avail the services of commercial airlines). At present, Hilongos has two (2) public markets, the old one and the new one respectively. The Municipality of Hilongos is composed of fifty-one (51) barangays with vast coastal plains used mainly in the production of rice.

Barangays

Hilongos comprises 51 barangays:^[4]

History

Church Sanctuary

Church Bell Tower

Lore has it that in the 12th century, Amahawin, an Ilonggo from Iloilo, conquered neighboring barangays on Leyte’s western shore and extended his territory to the present limits of Inopacan, Hindang, Bato, and Matalom. He formed a settlement and named it Hilongos, because its inhabitants were Ilonggos.

In 1710, the Jesuits created a residence there. In 1737, according to Redondo 1886:207, Hilongos was already a parish before this year. However, Braganza (1965) claims that Hilongos became a parish only in 1737. This date corresponded to the establishment of the town.(Tantuico 1964:41)

1754 was the date of the oldest parish books (deaths) as of 1884.

In 1768, the Jesuits ceded Hilongos to the Augustinians. In 1774–79, the Augustinians established schools in Hilongos. In 1784, Palompon, a Hilongos visita, became an independent parish.

In 1862, Manicar led a revolt at Barrio Sta. Margarita.

In 1873, Leovio Magia led a revolt. Unlike the towns of eastern Leyte, which were ceded to the Franciscans in 1843, the towns along Leyte’s western coast fell one by one under the seculars.

In December 28, 2016, two explosions rocked the small town during the town fiesta. The explosion occurred in Barangay Central Poblacion were a boxing match was being held. At least 34 people residents were injured and brought to the Hilongos District Hospital and other nearby hospitals.^[5] Officials said an IED was used in the attack. No suspects were identified.^[6]

Demographics

In the 2015 census, the population of Hilongos, Leyte, was 63,431 people,^[3] with a density of 330 inhabitants per square kilometre or 850 inhabitants per square mile.

Heritage sites

Church complex—The present church’s bell tower is attributed by Redondo to a secular Don Leonardo Celis-Díaz, a native of Cebu. The building of the church fabric itself is disputed. Did Celis-Díaz build it or did he merely repair an older structure left by the Jesuits? Oral lore claims that the church and the ruined convento behind it are from the Jesuits; but Repetti reports otherwise. Certainly, there must have been some permanent structures when Hilongos became a residence.

It is quite clear that the church complex underwent major renovations over the centuries. The original church, now incorporated as a transept, was a single-nave structure whose main door was also the gate to a bastioned fortification. Some bastions and walls of that fortification still remain. The main nave of the church is a modern construction, and the bell tower build by Fr. Celis-Diaz is an independent multi story structure, now plastered over with Portland cement.

The church interior is completely new in contrast to the convento which may have been completed in the 19th century. The convento guards many of the church’s antiques including silver vessels from the 18th century.

Transport facilities

Education

Health care

• Hilongos District Hospital
• RHU I (Poblacion)
• RHU II (Concepcion)
• Leyte Baptist Hospital
• Villaflor's Clinic and Hospital
• Sto. Nino Clinic
• Klinika Zamoras
• Dipon Dental Clinic
• S.H. Nevado Dental Clinic
• Other Medical and Dental Clinics

Banks/Financial Institutions

• Rural Bank of Hilongos
• Landbank of the Philippines
• Rural Bank of Hindang
• Cantilan Bank
• Hilongos Multipurpose Cooperative
• SLEM Coop
• OCCCI
• Jerstram Lending
• Other Financial Institutions

Commercial Establishments

• J & F Department Store
• Unity Copy Center and Services
• Hilary (Grocery, Department Store and Pharmacy)
• SF Commercial (Grocery and Pharmacy)
• CARJAMS (Grocery and Pharmacy)
• Estfrank (Grocery)
• Mercury Drugs
• Brodeth (Hardware)
• MLhuillier (2 Branches)
• Palawan Pawnshop (2 Branches)
• Cebuana Lhuillier
• HLhuillier
• RD Pawnshop
• Rose Bakeshop (3 Branches)
• Western Union (Several Branches)
• Generika
• Citihotel (Hotel and Restaurant)
• Cinemar Traders
• Motortrade
• Transcycle
• Skygo
• Chika-an (Restaurant)
• Shell (24 hrs)
• Petron (3 Stations)
• Flying V (2 Stations)
• Caltex (2 Stations)
• Panny's
• Mayong's Bakeshop
• Lola Luz Bakeshop
• The Generics Pharmacy
• Balamban Liempo
• Chooks to Go
• Emirates (Gas Station)
• JRS Express
• LBC
• Other Commercial Establishments

See also

• 2016 Hilongos explosion

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hilongos, Leyte.

• Local Governance Performance Management System
• All about Hilongos