Libagon

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Libagon
Municipality
Municipality of Libagon
Rizal.jpg
Rizal Park of Libagon
Flag of Libagon, Southern Leyte.png
Flag
Official Seal of the Municipality of Libagon.jpg
Seal
Ph locator southern leyte libagon.png
Map of Southern Leyte with Libagon highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Libagon
Philippines location map (square).svg
Red pog.svg
Libagon
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°18′N125°03′E / 10.3°N 125.05°E / 10.3; 125.05
Country Philippines
Region Eastern Visayas
Province Southern Leyte
District 2nd district
Founded 1913
Barangays 14 (see Barangays)
Government
  [1]
 • Type Sangguniang Bayan
 •  Mayor Sabina B. Ranque (PDPLBN)
 •  Vice Mayor Elizabeth L. Saldivar (PDPLBN)
 •  Representative Christopherson M. Yap
 •  Municipal Council
Members
  • Concesa S. Arriola
  • Tomas T. Endico Jr.
  • Marvin A. Magaipo
  • Protacio C. Edillo
  • Mario Oliver B. Ranque
  • Edgar A. Peñaredondo
  • Dionesio B. Amparo Sr.
  • Sulficia C. Endriga
 •  Electorate 11,008 voters (2025)
Area
[2]
 • Total
98.62 km2 (38.08 sq mi)
Elevation
150 m (490 ft)
Highest elevation
887 m (2,910 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2024 census) [3]
 • Total
16,146
 • Density160/km2 (420/sq mi)
 •  Households
3,560
Economy
 •  Income class 5th municipal income class
 •  Poverty incidence
26.31
% (2021) [4]
 •  Revenue ₱ 139.6 million (2022)
 •  Assets ₱ 412.1 million (2022)
 •  Expenditure ₱ 125.2 million (2022)
 •  Liabilities ₱ 103.9 million (2022)
Service provider
 • ElectricitySouthern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO)
Time zone UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6615
PSGC
0806405000
IDD  :  area code  +63 (0)53
Native languages Boholano dialect
Cebuano
Tagalog
Website www.libagon-sleyte.gov.ph

Libagon (Cebuano : Lungsod sa Libagon; Tagalog : Bayan ng Libagon) is a Municipality of Libagon in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,244 people. [5] It is home to the province's frontier mountain, Mount Patag Daku. [6]

Contents

Every 16 July and 8 December, Libagon celebrates two separate town fiestas: the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, [7] and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. [8]

The main sources of income for the residents of Libagon are copra, abacá, agriculture, and fishing.

Etymology

Libagon's name is derived from the Cebuano language, libaong, which means 'small depression of the ground'. Spanish authorities mistakenly recorded this as the area's name, and since then, the area has been known as Libagon. [6]

History

Archaeological and oral histories indicate that Libagon was settled by migrants from Bohol in the late eighteenth century. In 1771, seventeen Boholano families established the visita of Libagon under the jurisdiction of Sogod. [9]

Libagon was formally recognised as a barrio of Sogod in 1850. [10] In March 1870, Governor Don Gabriel Ydjao transferred the town centre (poblacion) to Libagon and briefly renamed it Sogod Nuevo, before the parish seat returned to Sogod in 1924. [11]

During Gobernadorcillo Luis Espina’s term (1891–1893), the sitio of Maak was incorporated into Consolacion barrio, and Libagon remained under Hipgasan visita. [12] In 1885, Gobernadorcillo Nicolas Idjao reinstated Libagon as Sogod Nuevo and Sogod as Sogod Viejo; subsequent municipal centre relocations occurred until 1912. [13]

On 16 October 1913, Libagon and Sogod were separated into independent municipalities, with Libagon comprising fourteen barrios under Presidente Municipal Mariano L. Espina. [13]

Geography

Barangays

Libagon is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. [14] Each barangay consists of puroks, and some have sitios.

Climate

Climate data for Libagon, Southern Leyte
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)28
(82)		28
(82)		29
(84)		30
(86)		30
(86)		29
(84)		29
(84)		29
(84)		29
(84)		29
(84)		29
(84)		28
(82)		29
(84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)22
(72)		22
(72)		22
(72)		23
(73)		24
(75)		25
(77)		25
(77)		25
(77)		25
(77)		24
(75)		24
(75)		23
(73)		24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)78
(3.1)		57
(2.2)		84
(3.3)		79
(3.1)		118
(4.6)		181
(7.1)		178
(7.0)		169
(6.7)		172
(6.8)		180
(7.1)		174
(6.9)		128
(5.0)		1,598
(62.9)
Average rainy days16.713.817.318.523.226.527.126.026.427.524.621.0268.6
Source: Meteoblue [15]

Demographics

Population census of Libagon
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 4,642—    
1918 5,719+1.40%
1939 6,318+0.48%
1948 7,173+1.42%
1960 7,891+0.80%
1970 9,231+1.58%
1975 9,519+0.62%
1980 10,516+2.01%
1990 11,239+0.67%
1995 10,754−0.82%
2000 12,907+3.99%
2007 14,283+1.41%
2010 14,352+0.18%
2015 15,169+1.06%
2020 15,244+0.10%
2024 16,146+1.39%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [16] [17] [18] [19]

Language

The Cebuano language and Boholano dialect (Binol-anon) are commonly spoken in Libagon, with slight linguistic variations in form, meaning, or context. The Filipino language (or Tagalog) and English are taught in elementary and high school.

Religion

Libagonons (or Libagonians) are predominantly Roman Catholic.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Libagon

10
20
30
40
50
2000
39.72
2003
33.43
2006
30.30
2009
42.09
2012
40.90
2015
42.24
2018
28.12
2021
26.31

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]

Culture

Feasts

Libagon celebrates its annual fiesta on 8 December in honor of the Immaculate Conception, the town's patron saint and patroness of the Philippines. [28] Local barangay feasts and Catholic holy days are observed throughout the year.

Caro floral decoration with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mt. carmel.jpg
Caro floral decoration with Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on 16 July, followed by the traditional Pangilis ceremony on 17 July. [29] The Pangilis (from the Visayan "ilis," meaning "change") begins at dawn with a bugle call known locally as "dayana" (from Spanish "diana," meaning reveille). The ceremony transfers the custody of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue from the outgoing hermano or hermana mayor to their successor for the following year's feast. [30]

The celebration includes a street procession, traditional dancing, and the selection of annual "King and Queen" figures. Both December and July feasts feature decorated caro (carriages) bearing religious images, with floral arrangements adorning the carriages and church altar. [31]

The Parish of the Immaculate Conception

The original parish church and convent in Libagon were timber structures built by volunteer labour under the bayanihan tradition. Local hardwoods—including narra (Pterocarpus indicus), molave (Vitex parviflora), and white lauan (Shorea contorta)—were felled, hauled by rope, and hewn into beams and posts. [32] Foundations comprised crushed stone and sand, with egg-white and lime mortar reinforcing the timber columns. Roof tiles were imported from Barcelona, Spain, and the belfry housed three cast bells audible across Sogod Bay. [33]

The wooden church survived earthquakes, typhoons, and wartime fires until it was destroyed by Japanese forces in World War II. It was subsequently rebuilt in a reduced-scale design, reusing salvageable materials where possible. [33]

Padre Don Tomás Logroño of Inabanga, Bohol, served as the first parish priest from June 1870 to April 1882, overseeing the church's early construction and furnishing. [33]

Government

Century-old Spanish-designed Libagon Town Hall Libagon.jpg
Century-old Spanish-designed Libagon Town Hall

List of former chief executives

During the early years of the Spanish regime, the town's leader was addressed as the "Capitan", similar to "Alcalde Municipal" or "Presidente Municipal", and is currently addressed as "Municipal Mayor". The recorded succession of leaders in Libagon from Spanish to American regimes to the Postwar period (Philippine Independence) from 1946–1965 is as follows: [34]

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–1945), Petronilo "Liloy" Ebarle was appointed as the Municipal Mayor from 1942 to 1944. However, the guerrillas alluded to him as a "puppet mayor". Though Mayor Ebarle held the Japanese-appointed position, Mayor Gregorio E. Edillo continued to be the official leader under the authority of the Philippine Commonwealth with the United States. On the other hand, the people also recognized the command of the guerrilla forces of Leyte or the Leyte Area Command under Colonel Ruperto Kangleon, and supported the supervision of the Volunteer Guards in the town level. There were only two leaders of the Volunteer Guards in Libagon; the first was Lieutenant Francisco Barros, followed by Francisco "Dodo" Espina. [35]

The only Libagonian officials of the Leyte Area Command (LAC) were Lieutenant Catalino "Nongnong" E. Soledad, Lieutenant Feliciano "Lily" A. Espina and Lieutenant Marcelo "Celing" E. Espina, who were also officers of USAFFE (U.S. Army Forces in the Far East). These three Libagonians fought in the Battle of Bataan, which represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japan's invasion of the Philippines during World War II. Marcelino Espina did not return to his hometown; his body was left on the battlefield of Bataan. He was the younger brother of Francisco "Dodo" Espina, who became the town's mayor for two terms. Like Celing, many guerrillas from Libagon died during the war. A memorial stone (Ang Bato sa Paghandum) was built in memory of these men of Libagon. Their names were engraved on granite to honor their lives and monumentalize their memory and courageous deeds. [36] The memorial stone now stands in the midst of Libagon Rizal Park.

The Contemporary period includes the final years of the Third Republic (1965–72) and the entirety of the Fourth Republic (1972–86) to the succeeding years following the 1986 People Power Revolution.

Tourism

Libagon offers several natural and cultural attractions backed by official sources.

Patag Daku Rainforest

Patag Daku ("big plain") is a 500-hectare rainforest on the slopes above Libagon town. Guided treks traverse dense vegetation over approximately six hours, connecting to Pacific coastal vistas. [37]

Hindag-an Falls

Hindag-an Falls, located 1 km from St. Bernard town center, features a series of cascades with visitor pools ranging from 0.6 m to 4.5 m in depth. [38]

Pangi Black Sand Beach

Pangi Beach contains fine black sand of volcanic origin. Its formation likely relates to historic lava-sea interactions, though no active volcano exists nearby. [39]

Biasong Springs

Biasong Springs in Barangay Biasong supplies clear spring water to a concrete-lined pool used for local recreation. [40]

Peter's Mound

Peter's Mound is an offshore coral pinnacle 200 m from Otikon shores, noted for diverse reef fish and depths from 10 m to over 40 m. [41]

Municipal Town Hall

The century-old Spanish-style municipal hall, located in Libagon's plaza, is listed among Southern Leyte's heritage buildings. [42]

Old Seaport and Rizal Park

Ruins of the prewar seaport at Jubas and the adjacent Rizal Park are municipal heritage sites commemorating Libagon's maritime history and national hero José Rizal. [43]

Education

The Parish Convent and Libagon Academy

The Parish Convent, built adjacent to the town church, survived wartime fires and numerous typhoons and earthquakes. [44] From 1945 to 1949, rooms in the friary housed the municipality's first Catholic secondary school, initially known as Libagon High School, Inc. [45]

The school's curriculum combined the "3 R's" (reading, writing, and arithmetic) with catechism instruction and Spanish language classes. Students also trained in music for the church choir and town band. [46]

In 1949, following a recommendation by the Bureau of Private Schools, the board renamed the institution Libagon Academy and reconstituted it as the non-profit Libagon Academy Foundation, Inc., directing all proceeds toward campus improvements. [47] The academy remains the only Catholic secondary school in the municipality. [48]

Infrastructure

Transportation

In Sogod, Southern Leyte, single motorcycles known locally as habal-habal provide transport to remote and mountainous villages. [49] Sogod serves as a regional terminus linking Leyte Island with nearby provinces by road.

Scheduled bus, jeepney, and for-hire van services operate from Sogod to Maasin City, Ormoc City, Tacloban City, Bato, Hilongos, Liloan (via Libagon), Hinunangan, and Silago. [50]

The Libagon Highway forms part of the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH26), a 3,517 km network of roads, bridges, and ferry links that connects Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. Its northern terminus is in Laoag City, and its southern terminus is in Zamboanga City. [51]

Travel by bus from Libagon to Manila, including a ferry crossing from Northern Samar to Matnog, typically takes about 24 hours. [52]

References

  1. ↑   Municipality of Libagon | (DILG)
  2. ↑ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Libagon". southernleyte.gov.ph. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Fermin, Margret (16 July 2020). "Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel masses celebration | Philippines Lifestyle News". philippineslifestyle.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  8. ↑ "Feast of the Immaculate Conception spotlights Philippine devotion to Mary". Catholics & Cultures. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Ang Lungsod sa Libagon. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 3.
  10. ↑ Gan, Edito (1990). Sogod of Our Memories. Sogod Municipal Hall.
  11. ↑ Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Gibalhin ang Lungsod. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 5.
  12. ↑ Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Ang Unang Pari sa Libagon. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 7.
  13. 1 2 Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Nabahin sa Duha ang Lungsod sa Libagon. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 13.
  14. ↑ "Libagon, Southern Leyte Profile – PhilAtlas". www.philatlas.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  15. ↑ "Libagon, Southern Leyte : Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  16. ↑ Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  17. ↑ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  18. ↑ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  19. ↑ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  20. ↑ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  21. ↑ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  22. ↑ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  23. ↑ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  24. ↑ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  26. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  27. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  28. ↑ "Libagon Fiesta Calendar". Municipality of Libagon. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  29. ↑ Santos, Maria Elena (2019). Religious Festivals of Southern Leyte. University of the Philippines Press. pp. 112–115.
  30. ↑ Cruz, Roberto (1997). "Folk Catholicism in Southern Leyte". Philippine Studies. 45 (3): 287–290.
  31. ↑ "Traditional Philippine Religious Festivals". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  32. ↑ Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Gitukod ang Simbahan, Kombento ug Balay-Lungsod. Libagon Academy Foundation. pp. 5–6.
  33. 1 2 3 Espina, Francisco Sr. (1985). Ang Unang Pari sa Libagon. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 7.
  34. ↑ Espina 1985, Mga Punoan sa Libagon, p. 21.
  35. ↑ Espina 1985, Mga Punoan sa Libagon, p. 22.
  36. ↑ Espina 1985, Mga Opisyales sa Leyte Area Command, p. 39.
  37. ↑ "Patag Daku Trek". Southern Leyte Provincial Tourism. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  38. ↑ "Hindag-an Falls". Southern Leyte Provincial Tourism. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  39. ↑ Chong, Joaquin (2018). Geology of Southern Leyte Coastlines. University of the Philippines Press. p. 26.
  40. ↑ "Biasong Springs". Municipality of Libagon. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  41. ↑ "Dive Sites in Southern Leyte". Philippines Dives. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  42. ↑ "Libagon Town Hall Heritage Listing". Southern Leyte Provincial Tourism. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  43. ↑ "Jubas Seaport Ruins and Rizal Park". Municipality of Libagon. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  44. ↑ "Libagon Convent Heritage Report" (PDF). Southern Leyte Provincial Government. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  45. ↑ Espina, Rogelio (1985). Natukod ug Gibuksan ang Libagon Academy. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 44.
  46. ↑ "Libagon Academy Curriculum Outline". Libagon Academy Foundation. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  47. ↑ Espina, Rogelio (1985). Natukod ug Gibuksan ang Libagon Academy. Libagon Academy Foundation. p. 46.
  48. ↑ "Libagon Academy History". Libagon Academy Foundation. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  49. ↑ "Public Transport Modes in Southern Leyte". Sogod Municipal Government. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  50. ↑ "Provincial Transit Routes of Southern Leyte" (PDF). Department of Transportation and Communications. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  51. ↑ "Pan-Philippine Highway Overview". Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  52. ↑ "Long-Distance Bus Schedules". Philtranco. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
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