Abuyog (IPA:
">ɐ'bujog, officially the Municipality of Abuyog ( war, Bungto han Abuyog; ceb, Lungsod sa Abuyog; tl, Bayan ng Abuyog), is a 1st class
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 61,216 people.
Facing
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao ...
out into the
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippine archipelago (hence the name), the largest in the world, occupying an estimated surface area of . The Philippine Sea Plate forms the floor of the sea. Its ...
, it is the largest town of the island of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in terms of land area. It is bordered to the north by
Javier Javier may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Javier, in video game ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike''
* Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise.
* Javier (album), ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier ...
, to the west by
Mahaplag
Mahaplag (IPA: ɐ'hɐplɐg, officially the Municipality of Mahaplag; ( war, Bungto han Mahaplag ; ceb, Dakbayan sa Mahaplag ; tl, Bayan ng Mahaplag), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
and
Baybay City
Baybay (IPA: Help:IPA/Tagalog, aɪ'baɪ, officially the City of Baybay ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Baybay; war, Syudad han Baybay), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city in the Provinces of the Philippines, pro ...
and to the south by
Silago in
Southern Leyte
Southern Leyte ( ceb, Habagatang Leyte; Kabalian language, Kabalian: ''Habagatan nga Leyte''; war, Salatan nga Leyte; tl, Timog Leyte), officially the Province of Southern Leyte, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines loc ...
.
Abuyog got its name when
Spanish bread sailors came ashore in an early settlement at the mouth of the
Abuyog River to replenish their supplies. Swarms of
bees
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
were all over the shore. The Spaniards asked the natives "''¿Cómo se llama el pueblo?''", not knowing that the Spaniards asked for the town's name, the natives answered "''Buyog''". Repeating after the natives, the sailors muttered, "''Ah! Buyog''". Eventually the town came to be known as "Abuyog" to which some Spanish chroniclers often used in reference to the whole island of Leyte. But Abuyog in the early annals, though grown prosperous, remained obscure because of the absence of a powerful chieftain. It was Datu Bangcao, who had his seat of government in
Carigara
Carigara (), officially the Municipality of Carigara ( war, Bungto han Carigara; tl, Bayan ng Carigara), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 54,656 people.
The ...
, who ruled Abuyog.
People mostly from
Samar
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
migrated to Abuyog because of the many opportunities the immigrants got from its rich soil. The language of this town which acquired the name "melting pot" became
Waray-Waray language
Waray (also known as Waray-Waray or Bisaya/Binisaya nga Winaray/Waray) is an Austronesian language and the fifth-most-spoken native regional language of the Philippines, native to Eastern Visayas. It is the native language of the Waray people ...
from the Samar immigrants.
Geography
Barangays
Abuyog is politically subdivided into 63
barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...
s.
* Alangilan
* Anibongon
* Buaya
* Bagacay
* Bahay
* Balinsasayao
* Balocawe
* Balocawehay
* Barayong
* Bayabas
* Bito (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Buenavista
* Bulak
* Buntay (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Bunga
* Burubud-an
* Cagbolo
* Can-aporong
* Canmarating
* Can-uguib (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Capilian
* Cadac-an
* Combis
* Dingle
* Guintagbucan (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Hampipila
* Katipunan
* Kikilo
* Laray
* Lawa-an
* Libertad
* Loyonsawang (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Mahagna (New Cagbolo)
* Mag-atubang
* Mahayahay
* Maitum
* Malaguicay
* Matagnao
* Nalibunan (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Nibga
* Odiongan
* Pagsang-an
* Paguite
* Parasanon
* Picas Sur
* Pilar
* Pinamanagan
* Salvasion
* San Francisco
* San Isidro
* San Roque
* Santa Fe (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Santa Lucia
* Santo Niño (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
* Tabigue
* Tadoc
* New Taligue
* Old Taligue
* Tib-o
* Tinalian
* Tinocolan
* Tuy-a
* Victory (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish language in the Philippines, Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippines, Philippi ...
)
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Abuyog, Leyte, was 61,216 people, with a density of .
Economy
History
In 1588, presumably on account of mal-administration of the incumbent ''encomendero'', the inhabitants revolted. Capitan
Juan Esguerra had to send a punitive force to chastise the assassins of the ''encomendero''. In 1613, Sanguiles and Caragas plundered and marauded the town.
In 1655 the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
made Abuyog their second post, with
Dagami
Dagami (IPA: ɐ'gami, officially the Municipality of Dagami ( war, Bungto han Dagami; tl, Bayan ng Dagami), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 36,178 people.
...
as the center. The year 1716 saw the founding of the town and parish under the patronage of
St. Francis Xavier, the
apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
of the
Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in East (disambiguation)#Geography, the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and ...
. The
Augustinians
Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
took over in 1768 and continued the work of Frs. Jose Herrera and Cipriano Barbasan. The people of this era, according to Fr. Augustin Maria de Castro, were very rich though extremely belligerent; the continually defied the
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros /ˈmɔːrɒs/ or Morus /ˈmɔːrəs/ (Ancient Greek: Μόρος means 'doom, fate') is the 'hateful' personified spirit of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. It was also said that Moros gave peop ...
. In 1843 the town was given to the
Franciscan Order
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
with Fr. Santiago Malonda as the first Franciscan parish priest. A horse path was opened between Abuyog and
Dulag in 1851.
The early captains were Galza, Foran, Nicolas Mandia, Faustino Remanes, Prudencio Remanes, Felipe Costin, Ciriaco Costin, Eulalio Brillo, and Vicente Tiaoson. Eulalio Brillo became president in 1896-1899 while Nazario Tupa took office in 1900. Eugenio Villote finished Tupa's term.
The period 1901 to 1906 was notable for the notorious
pulahanes or bolero attacks, the most infamous leader of which was Faustino Ablen. The municipal building was razed. Ex-Capitan Eugenio Villote, Pedro Gonazaga, and two other policemen were killed in the encounter.
In the electoral division made by the
Philippine Assembly
The Philippine Assembly (sometimes called the Philippine National Assembly) was the lower house of the Philippine Legislature from 1907 to 1916, when it was renamed the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The Philippine Assembly wa ...
, Abuyog was placed in the third district of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
. During the Commonwealth regime, Abuyog was transferred to the fourth district. During these periods, the town prospered under the administration of Arturo Brillo, Vicente Brillante, Basilio Adolfo (two terms), Antero Brillo and Ricardo Collantes (three terms). In 1940, Pedro Gallego was elected mayor and served until July 3, 1946, Mayor Pedro Remanes Gallego was the only mayor of Leyte province who did not surrender to the Japanese forces. On July 4, 1946, Catalino Landia was appointed mayor. He was re-elected for three terms.
Abuyog's progress took greater strides with the inauguration of the first passenger bus service in 1925. In 1936, the vice-president
Sergio Osmeña
Sergio Osmeña Sr. (, ; 9 September 1878 – 19 October 1961) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fourth president of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was vice president under Manuel L. Quezon. Upon Quezon's sudden ...
inaugurated the
Baybay
Baybay (IPA: aɪ'baɪ, officially the City of Baybay ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Baybay; war, Syudad han Baybay), is a 1st class component city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It has a population of 111,848 people.
With an area of , it is the ...
-Abuyog road, thus linking for the first time, by good road, the eastern and western coasts of
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
.
At the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Abuyog became a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
occupied area. Pedro Gallego retreated to the mountains to administratively led the guerrilla resistance while encouraging his people to continue working on agricultural lands. His wife, Ignacia Regis Gallego, organised the non-combatant Auxiliary Forces to fed guerrillas fighting the Japanese
On October 13, 1942, the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
abandoned the town due to
guerrilla pressure. They came back on November 26, 1943, much stronger this time, yet they suffered heavy losses in the hands of the guerrillas.
On July 14, 1944, when the submarine "Nautilus" landed in Barangay San Roque, Mayor Gallego provided the logistics (manpower, bamboo rafts, transport, lookouts) to Colonel Ruperto Kangleon (the head of Leyte Resistance Movement) to unload 72 tons of automatic weapons (Thompson submachine guns and other rapid fires like carbine and M1 Garand guns), ammunition, food and propaganda materials for
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
and
Samar
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
guerrillas.
Kangleon tipped the naval officers of Nautilus on the locations of Japanese fortifications in Leyte province, which MacArthur bombed during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf on October 23–26 that year, the last but largest naval battle of WWII.
The local guerrillas of Abuyog, with headquarters in Barangay Kikilo under the command of Mayor Gallego, used the automatic weapons to repeatedly ambush the Japanese forces. When the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Armada under General Douglas MacArthur was sighted off
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a gulf in the Eastern Visayan region in the Philippines. The bay is part of the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, and is bounded by two islands; Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. On the south of the bay is Mindanao ...
, the weakened Japanese forces were forced to desert Abuyog, even before the landing of Allied Forces, which included the Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary military units.
After liberation, elementary school education was resumed on December 4, 1944, under the supervision of the
Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU).
In 1946, the new Quirino administration of the opposing political party appointed a liberal mayor (Catalino Landia, the guerilla Captain who rescued Colonel Kangleon after he was captured by the Japanese).
Daughter towns
Javier Javier may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Javier, in video game ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike''
* Javier Rios, a character in the Monsters, Inc. franchise.
* Javier (album), ''Javier'' (album), a 2003 album by the American singer Javier ...
used to be Barangay Bugho,
MacArthur used to be Barangay Taraguna and
Mahaplag
Mahaplag (IPA: ɐ'hɐplɐg, officially the Municipality of Mahaplag; ( war, Bungto han Mahaplag ; ceb, Dakbayan sa Mahaplag ; tl, Bayan ng Mahaplag), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
used to be Barangay Mahaplag.
Tourism
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/St._Francis_Xavier_Parish_at_Abuyog.jpg)
*The Church of St.
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December 1 ...
was first built with nipa, wood and bamboo in 1718 by the Jesuits. Fr. José Herrera and Cipriano Barbasan restored the church and convent, as well as, the school and Casa Real. The Augustinians took over the church's supervision in 1768 after it was rebuilt. The church's design was changed in 1781 to conform with the architecture of Roman Renaissance. A more durable church and convent of masonry was later built, with a galvanized iron roof and wooden floor. In 1965, the church was renovated when an extension was built at the center of the church through the effort of Msgr. Luis D. Caintic who also facilitated in the construction of the new bell tower.
*
Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park
Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located in the municipalities of Abuyog and Baybay on Leyte island of Eastern Visayas. The park covers an area of 364 hectares deep within the mountainous forests of Leyte I ...
, along the Mahaplag-Baybay Rd., is a 364-hectare campsite located between Abuyog and Baybay. It offers a wide panorama of primeval forests, rolling hills with many attractive picnic spots, caves and a view of Mt. Lobi.
*The 7-m. high, 10-tiered Malaguicay Falls, in Barangay Malaguicay, has a 3-m. deep pool. From Tab-ok Port, take a 20-min. motorized boat ride to Barangay Malaguicay along the Higasaan River and then a 20-min. hike to the waterfalls.
*Caves are found in Brgys. Balocawehay (along the highway) and Nebga (Higasaan).
*Tib-o Islet and Undersea Water Cave, in Barangay Tib-o, Abuyog, Leyte, is a unique destination for divers and swimmers to experience and explore the beauty of the cave located within the Leyte Gulf Area. Using the islet as a diving board or as a stop-over to view the beauty of the Leyte Gulf. There is a coarsely formed rock formation at the side of the cave.
*Waterfalls are located in Brgys. Malaguicay, Balinsasayao, Katipunan and Nebga.
*The 0.5-hectare Cagbolo Hot Spring (Barangay Cagbolo)
*Danghol Hill (Barangay San Isidro)
*Layog River (BarangayBalinsasayao) is a stream and the estimated terrain elevation above sea level is 4 meters. There are variant forms of spelling for Layog River or in other languages.
*Lake Bito The main source of Leyte Metropolitan Water Service, it covers almost all municipalities in
Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
*Cold Spring (Castanas Spring Resort) along the Maharlika Highway, Barangay Balinsasayao
*Abuyog Lighthouse is facing the sea and another attraction in the municipality which serves as a beacon for ships and for the fishermen to prevent them from getting lost at sea during nighttime. Legend says that during the night when a fierce typhoon struck Abuyog, the patron saint St. Francis Xavier was seen here waving his crucifix in order to spare the town from the wrath of the typhoon.
Healthcare
*Abuyog District Hospital
*Abuyog Rural Health Unit
*Balocawehay Rural Health Unit
Education
*Abuyog Community College
;Secondary
*Abuyog Academy
*Abuyog National High School
*Balocawehay National High School
*Kikilo National High School
*Hampipila National High School
*Libertad National High School
*
Notre Dame of Abuyog
;Primary
*Abuyog South Central School
*B.V. Closa Central School
*Bahay Primary School
*Balinsasayao Elementary School
*Balocawe Elementary School
*Balocawehay Elementary School
*Barayong Elementary School
*Bayabas Elementary School
*Buenavista Elementary School
*Bunga Elementary School
*Canmarating Elementary School
*Gabaldon Central School
*Hampipila Elementary School
*Picas Primary School
*Salvacion Elementary School
*San Isidro Elementary School
*Santa Fe - Santo Nino Elementary School
*Tadoc Primary School
*Tabigue Elementary School
*Maitum Elementary School
*Capili an Elementary School
*Odiongan Elementary School
*Katipunan Elementary School
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Local Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Leyte (province)