Hilongos, Leyte

Hilongos Lungsod sa Hilongos (Cebuano) Bayan ng Hilongos (Tagalog)
Municipality
Seal
Map of Leyte showing the location of Hilongos
Hilongos Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°22′N 124°45′E / 10.367°N 124.750°E / 10.367; 124.750Coordinates: 10°22′N 124°45′E / 10.367°N 124.750°E / 10.367; 124.750
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Province	Leyte
District	5th district of Leyte
Established	1737
Barangays	51
Government
• Mayor	Albert R. Villahermosa
• Vice mayor	Manuel M. Gabisan
Area[1]
• Total	192.92 km2 (74.49 sq mi)
Population (2010)[2]
• Total	56,803
• Density	290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Demonym	Hilongosnon
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	6524
Dialing code	053
Income class	2nd class

Hilongos is a second class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It borders 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. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 56,803 people.^[2] Hilongos is a center for commerce, culture, education, health services, rice production, sports, shipping and telecommunications in the southwestern part of Leyte.

Barangays

Hilongos is politically subdivided into 51 barangays.^[3]

History

The Altar.

The 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 (table 5) claims that Hilongos became a parish only in 1737. This date corresponded to the establishment of the town (Tantuico, 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.

Demographics

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.

Local Government Officials

• Mayor: ALBERT R. VILLAHERMOSA
• Vice Mayor: MANUEL M. GABISAN
• Municipal Councilors:

1. ATTY. LEMUEL JAN M. NERVES
2. ATTY. JOSEPH FULACHE
3. ATTY. JOSENILO REOMA
4. RENE ROSE R. SUICO
5. JESUS MODESTO
6. GIOVANNI OLO
7. CRISTUTO F. ONG
8. TOTI ZARATE

Transportation

Shipping companies operating in Hilongos:

• Roble Shipping Inc.: Ro-Ro/Passenger/Cargo service, day & night trips to Cebu City and vice versa
• Gabisan Shipping Lines Inc.: Passenger/Cargo service, day & night trips to Cebu City and vice versa
• Leopards Motorboat Service: daily trips to Ubay, Bohol and vice versa trip to Talibon, Bohol and vice versa is also available

Education

Tertiary

• MLG College of Learning (MLGCL)

Secondary

• Hilongos National Vocational School (HNVS)
• Saint Teresa School of Hilongos (STSH)
• Grelina Osmeña Christian College (GOCC)
• MLG College of Learning (MLGCL)
• Naval National High School
• Bung-aw National High School
• Sta. Margarita National High School
• Concepcion National High School
• Hitudpan National High School

Health Care

• Hilongos District Hospital
• RHU I
• RHU II
• Leyte Baptist Hospital
• Villaflor's Clinic and Hospital
• Sto. Nino Clinic
• Klinika Zamoras
• Other Medical and Dental Clinics

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hilongos, Leyte.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• All about Hilongos
• Hilongos Leyte

		Hindang	Sogod, Southern Leyte
	Camotes Sea		Bontoc, Southern Leyte
	Hilongos
		Bato

v t e Province of Leyte Municipalities Abuyog Alangalang Albuera Babatngon Barugo Bato Burauen Calubian Capoocan Carigara Dagami Dulag Hilongos Hindang Inopacan Isabel Jaro Javier Julita Kananga La Paz Leyte MacArthur Mahaplag Matag-ob Matalom Mayorga Merida Palo Palompon Pastrana San Isidro San Miguel Santa Fe Tabango Tabontabon Tanauan Tolosa Tunga Villaba Component city Baybay Independent component city Ormoc Highly urbanized city Tacloban (Administratively independent from the province, but grouped under Leyte by the National Statistics Office)