Hinunangan, Southern Leyte

Municipality of Hinunangan
Lungsod sa Hinunangan
—  Municipality  —

Seal
Nickname(s): Rice Granary of the Province
Map of Southern Leyte showing the location of Hinunangan.
Country Philippines
Region Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province Southern Leyte
Districts Legislative district of Southern Leyte
Barangays 40 Barangays
Government
 • Mayor Romeo M. Gomez
 • Vice Mayor Veronico Adlao
Area
 • Total 155.9 km2 (60.2 sq mi)
Population (2007)
 • Total 27,712
 • Density 177.75/km2 (460.4/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code 6608
Area code(s) 53

Hinunangan is a 3rd class (based on NSCB website as of 31 December 2010 Hinunangan Statistics 2010) municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 27,712 a 0.90% growth compared to the 2000 census.[1]

Hinunangan is known as the "Rice Granary of the Province" for its vast plain land that is entirely planted with rice. Hinunangan, one of the key towns of the province, has great potential for tourism because of its beautiful sand beaches and islands. The town is also a producer of rattan and wood-based furnitures, abaca handicrafts items, pineapple, vegetables, other forest products, and bamboo furnitures. It has a potential for mineral water and root crops processing and copper mining.[2]

The highest mountain in the province is Mount Nacolod which can also be found in Hinunangan with an elevation of 948 meters above sea level.[3]

Contents

History

In 1521, Magellan recorded sighting Hunonganan (Hinunangan) during the voyage in Leyte Gulf. As far back in 1750 Hinunangan was a mid-way station of Boholanos trading in Eastern Leyte. They rested overnight at the mouth of Das-ay River where they moored their boats. A shelter was built for the crews and tenders known as "hononganan" or stopover. Thus the name.In 1822, a certain Boholano named Palonoy founded Hinunangan. At this time Silago of the North and Hinundayan and Anahawan on the South were part of Hinunangan.

It was the first place the expedition directed its course to Leyte Island. Again, in 1944, in the greatest naval battle in history the blocking warship of the Liberation waylaid the Japanese Fleet near Hinunangan. Thus, the area in Southern Leyte is the natural frontier of historically significant events in Philippine History.

Barangays

Hinunangan is also known as a major gateway in Leyte because of its near proximity to Tacloban City. The opening of Abuyog - Silago Road cuts travel time to more than 50 percent, from the previous 6 hours (Tacloban - Hinunangan Route) to less than 3 hours. It is also the place in Southern Leyte with the most immigrants from Europe and North America. It has a lot of touristic places, as Tahusan, Talisay or the twin islands (known as Cabugan Grande and Cabugan Chico as Pigafetta stated in his account during their travel with Magellan) and lot of natures. It is also a place far from cities but it is one the first in the province where mobile technology was put in. There are also hotels, inns, a public market and beach resorts. Hinunangan has seen a significant progress, in terms of infrastructure, economy, productivity and improving standards of living

Hinunangan is politically subdivided into 40 barangays. Two of which barangays is a twin island located at the east of the town. The twin islands are accessible by motorized boats thru Brgy. Canipa-an.

Barangay Population(2007) Barangay Population(2007)
Ambacon 637 Patong 706
Badiangon 647 Poblacion 799
Bangcas A 668 Pondol 957
Bangcas B 903 Salog 349
Biasong 609 Salvacion 519
Bugho 961 San Pablo Island 427
Calag-itan 1,167 San Pedro Island 473
Calayugan 678 Santo Niño I 559
Calinao 317 Santo Niño II 946
Canipaan 1,425 Tahusan 920
Catublian 1,373 Talisay 553
Ilaya 520 Tawog 486
Ingan 923 Toptop 434
Labrador 800 Tuburan 600
Libas 463 Union 397
Lumbog 363 Upper Bantawon 197
Manalog 700 Panalaron 588
Manlico 745 Palongpong 405
Matin-ao 506 Otama 543
Nava 1,798 Nueva Esperanza 651

Education

Elementary schools

High schools

Universities

Communication

Mobile

Cable Television

Internet

Recent development

On July 19, 2007, a strong earthquake hit the town with magnitude 6 on Richter scale and damaged some properties. The partial assessment report of Hinunangan dated July 20, a copy of which was obtained by PIA through Gov. Mercado, placed the estimated cost of damage to properties at P1,650,000.00 broken down as P790,000 for government infrastructure and P860,000 from private infrastructure.

Among the public properties destroyed were the water system - P 500,000; Das-ay Bridge railguard - P100,000; East Central School Concrete Fence - P80,000; Otama Elementary School - P50,000; Patong Elementary School - P40,000; and Tahusan Elementary School—P20,000.

The private infrastructure damaged included the Roman Catholic Bell tower - P100,000; Water tank of the Catholic convent - P40,000; Manalog barangay Chapel - P20,000; Sto. Nino barangay Chapel - P10,000; a number of houses - P400,000, and various appliances, P290,000.

Notes

  1. ^ [1], NTSB National Statistics
  2. ^ [2], Southern Leyte LGU website
  3. ^ [3], NSCB Southern Leyte Profile

External links