Alilem, officially the Municipality of Alilem ( ilo, Ili ti Alilem; fil, Bayan ng Alilem), is a 4th 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 state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Sur; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Sur), is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital o ...
,
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 7,361 people.
Etymology
Long before the Spanish colonizers landed on the Philippine shores, there were already natives living in this place. These people live in huts built on the hillsides located at the northern and eastern parts of the valley. This was so because the present valley was then the course of the
Bakun River Bakun may refer to:
*Bakun, Benguet, a third class municipality in Benguet Province, Philippines
*Bakun Dam, an embankment dam in East Malaysia
*Bakun, a colloquial form of the Russian male first name Avvakum
Avvakum Petrov (russian: link=no, ...
. For many years, the natives lived simply but peacefully. Such peaceful life did not last forever for it was soon disturbed by an unusual and fearful occurrence in the people's environment. It all started with the continuous heavy downpour or “LEMLEM” in the native dialect. This “lemlem” caused the Bakun River to swell to an extraordinary size and overflow its banks. In the middle part of the river, there was a big “ALICONO” or whirlpool which the people feared so much. Even after the rains ceased, the ‘alicono’ remained; so the people believed it to Kabunian's (GOD) punishment for their sins. As it was their custom, the people held native feast called “kaniaw”, the “alicono” vanished and the Bakun River changed its course to the foot of the mountains in the southern part leaving a dry level land suited for residential lots and farms. The people moved their homes to the valley and named the place ALILEM after the “ALICONO” and “LEMLEM”.
History
Accurate and reliable information on the exact date of the founding of the town cannot be secured because there are no complete historical records available. However, basing from its information gathered from the old folks, it could be deduced that the town of Alilem was founded sometime after 1820. What is certainly known only is that the lay-out of the town was done by the Spaniards. During the Spanish occupation, Alilem was noted for being the center of the district government of “commandancia politico-militar” of Amburayan. This commandancia was composed of Alilem, Sigay, Suyo, Tagudin, Sudipen, San Gabriel and Bakun. In 1908, the commandancia of Amburayan became a sub-province of the newly created special capital of the sub-province until the Americans transferred the seat to
Tagudin
Tagudin, officially the Municipality of Tagudin ( ilo, Ili ti Tagudin; tgl, Bayan ng Tagudin), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,538 people.
Etymology
...
.
Geography
Barangays
Alilem is politically subdivided into 9
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 metropolita ...
s. These barangays are headed by elected officials:
Barangay Captain,
Barangay Council, whose members are called
Barangay Councilors. All are elected every three years.
* Alilem Daya (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippine city or municipality, which may take up the ...
)
* Amilongan
* Anaao
* Apang
* Apaya
* Batbato
* Daddaay
* Dalawa
* Kiat
Climate
Demographics
In the 2020 census, Alilem had a population of 7,361. The population density was .
Economy
Government
Alilem, belonging to the
second congressional district of the province of
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur, officially the Province of Ilocos Sur ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ilocos Sur; tl, Lalawigan ng Ilocos Sur), is a province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the capital o ...
, is governed by a mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
Elected officials
References
External links
Municipal Government of Alilem, Ilocos SurPasyalang Ilocos SurPhilippine Standard Geographic CodePhilippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Ilocos Sur