Libona, officially the Municipality of Libona (
Bukid and
Higaonon
Higaonon is a Manobo language spoken on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is partially (80%) intelligible with Binukid.
Higaonon is spoken in the Butuan River basin of north-central Mindanao, comprising northwestern Agusan del Sur P ...
: Banuwa ta Libona; ceb, Lungsod sa Libona; tl, Bayan ng Libona), 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
Bukidnon
Bukidnon(), officially the Province of Bukidnon ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bukidnon; fil, Lalawigan ng Bukidnon; hil, Kapuroan sang Bukidnon; Binukid and Higaonon: ''Probinsya ta Bukidnon''), is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the ...
,
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 48,965 people.
Libona is situated in the northern part of the province and is approximately 103 kilometers from
Malaybalay
Malaybalay, officially the City of Malaybalay ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Malaybalay; Bukid language, Bukid and Higaonon language, Higaonon: ''Bánuwa ta Malaybaláy''; fil, Lungsod ng Malaybalay), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classificat ...
, the capital city of Bukidnon. The municipality can be reached from
Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
, the major trade center of
Northern Mindanao
Northern Mindanao ( tl, Hilagang Mindanao; ceb, Amihanang Mindanao; Maranao: ''Pangotaraan Mindanao'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. It comprises five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, ...
, through a 52 kilometer-route passing Barangay Alae of
Manolo Fortich
Manolo Fortich, officially the Municipality of Manolo Fortich ( Bukid and Higaonon: Banuwa ta Manolo Fortich; ceb, Lungsod sa Manolo Fortich; tl, Bayan ng Manolo Fortich), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. ...
, or through a 32 kilometer road northward passing Barangay Indahag,
Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
.
History
According to history, gold had flourished in the locality that prompted people from the neighboring towns flocked into this place in their quest for the golden fame and fortune. It was said that on January 17, 1817, A Spanish soldier who was on patrol was tasked to write down the names of the places he would come across within the course of his mission. He happened to pass by a group of men who were digging gold on one of the gold mines. Talking in Spanish, the soldier inquired about the name of the place. The natives, who did not understand the language, thought the soldier was asking them how many gold stones they have already gathered. In response, they answered "''libo na''" meaning a thousand already. The Spanish soldier jotted the word "''Libona''" in his record book believing it was the name of the locality.
Libona was once a municipal district of Maluko, now the Municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, created under EO No. 5 dated April 4, 1917 issued by then acting Governor Ponciano C. Reyes of the defunct
Department of Mindanao and Sulu
The Department of Mindanao and Sulu was an agency of the United States colonial administration in the Philippine Islands task to administer all Muslim-dominated areas in the territory. It was established on July 23, 1914, pursuant to Act No. 2 ...
. Due to its progressive stride in both the socio-economic and political infrastructure, Libona was finally able to separate itself from her mother municipality when it was granted political identity. then President
Carlos P. Garcia
Carlos Polestico Garcia (November 4, 1896 – June 14, 1971) was a Filipino teacher, poet, orator, lawyer, public official, political economist, guerrilla and Commonwealth military leader who was the eighth president of the Philippines. A l ...
, issued EO No. 272, dated October 4, 1957 declaring Libona a regular municipality. By virtue of the said order, Libona became the 14th municipality in the province of Bukidnon.
Geography
Climate
Barangays
Libona is politically subdivided into 14
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.
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Libona, Bukidnon, was 48,965 people, with a density of .
Economy
Local government
Municipal officials (2022-2025):
* Mayor: Aurelio B. Lopez
* Vice Mayor: Leonardo Genesis T. Calingasan
* Sangguniang Bayan Members:
** Hanalee T. Calingasan
** Noel B. Woo
** Czar Ian R. Abas
** Feliciano C. Gabito Jr.
** Vladimir P. Gallego
** Rex W. Tacandong
** Fernando P. Ibarita
** Rella A. Fernandez
Education
*Learning Centers
The MSWDO have established several Children learning centers in the municipality where in fact every barangays have one or two centers.
*Preparatory
The most notable one is the
San Miguel Escuela de Jesus Nazareno in the barangay of Crossing.
DepEd Libona are divided into two districts; the Libona 1 and Libona 2
*Elementary Schools
Currently Libona accounted over 20 Elementary School that caters the youth in the different barangays in the municipality.
*Junior/Senior High Schools
1.Libona National High School (Crossing)
2.Kinawe National High School (Kinawe)
3.Hossana Academy of Bukidnon Inc. (Gango)
4.Sil-ipon Integrated School
(Sil-ipon)
Tertiary
1.Bukidnon State University - Libona Satellite Campus (Poblacion)
And also every barangay hosted Alternative Learning Systems for the out of-school-youth in the municipality.
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Bukidnon