Loay, officially the Municipality of Loay ( ceb, Munisipalidad sa Loay; tgl, Bayan ng Loay), is a 5th 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 ...

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Bohol; tl, Lalawigan ng Bohol), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 m ...

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 17,855 people. Located at the mouth of the

Loboc River The Loboc River (also called Loay River) is a river in the Bohol province of the Philippines. It is one of the major tourist destinations of Bohol. The source of the Loboc River is located in the town of Loboc, almost in the center of Bohol. F ...

, the municipality can be divided into a lower and an upper part. The lower part used to be called Canipaan because of the presence of nipa swamps in this part of the town, while the upper part is named Ibabao, being located on a plateau. Recent historical research found that instead of being in

Bool, Tagbilaran Tagbilaran City is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. The city is part of the 1st legislative district of the Province of Bohol. As of 2015, 12 barangays are classified as urban barangays where 93,011 (88.54%) of Tagbilaran City's popula ...

, the actual site of the

Blood Compact Blood compact (Spanish: ''Pacto de sangre''; Filipino: ''Sanduguan'') was an ancient ritual in the Philippines intended to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement. The contracting parties would cut their hands and pour their blood ...

between Legazpi and Sikatuna may be in barangay Hinawanan. Loay is also known for the many antiques discovered in its soils, thus indicating a civilization before the Spanish came to Bohol: it has become an haven for the treasure hunters. The town of Loay, Bohol celebrates its feast in May (the date is movable), to honor the town patron Santisima Trinidad/Blessed Trinity

History

During the period 1751–1754, Loay was a small village called Santissima Trinidad located at the strip of the

, as mentioned in the accounts of Father Juan . As a ''visita'', it formerly belonged to the Municipality of Loboc. It was separated from the Loboc mission in 1795, although some state 1815 as the foundation date, and reflects that it became an independent parish in 1799. The church and belfry of Loay were severely damaged by the 2013 earthquake. On April 27, 2022, the old Clarin Bridge carrying National Route 850 (N850) over the

in Loay collapsed, killing 4 people and injuring 15. The bridge was damaged during the 2013 earthquake and still being used while a new replacement bridge was under construction next to it. One possible cause was the stationary traffic on the bridge that exceeded its capacity.

Geography

Barangays

Loay comprises 24 barangays:

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Tourism

Loay is one of the locations to take a Loboc river lunch cruise. Lunch cruise on the Loboc river.jpg, Lunch cruise on the

Loboc river The Loboc River (also called Loay River) is a river in the Bohol province of the Philippines. It is one of the major tourist destinations of Bohol. The source of the Loboc River is located in the town of Loboc, almost in the center of Bohol. F ...

loaychurch.jpg, Loay church 2006 Remains of Loay church post-2013 earthquake 01.JPG, Remains of Loay church post-2013 earthquake

References

Sources

* *

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Municipality of Loay
{{Authority control Municipalities of Bohol