Hinunangan, Southern Leyte

Hinunangan, officially the Municipality of Hinunangan ( Kabalian: ''Lungsod san Hinunangan''; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,149 people.

Hinunangan is known as the "Rice Granary of the Province" for its vast plain land that is entirely planted with rice. Hinunangan has great potential for tourism because of its beautiful sandy beaches and islands. The town is also a producer of rattan and wood-based furniture, abaca handicraft items, pineapple, vegetables, other forest products, and bamboo furniture. It has a potential for mineral water and root crop processing and copper mining.

Hinunangan is also known as a major gateway in Leyte because of its near proximity to Tacloban City. The opening of Abuyog– Silago Road cuts travel time from Tacloban by half from the previous 6 hours to less than 3 hours. It is also the place in Southern Leyte with the most immigrants from Europe and North America.

It has a lot of tourist places, such as Tahusan, Talisay, or the twin islands (known as Cabugan Grande and Cabugan Chico as Pigafetta stated in his account during their travel with Magellan).. There are also hotels, inns, a public market, and beach resorts.

History

Hinunangan, originally known as Hononganan (meaning "''resting place''"), has a history dating back to 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan recorded its sighting during his voyage through Leyte Gulf. By 1750, the area had become a midway trading station for Boholano merchants trading in Eastern Leyte. These traders would moor their boats and rest overnight at the mouth of the Das-ay River, where they built a shelter known as a "hononganan" or stopover, which later became the town’s namesake.

In 1822, Palonoy, a Boholano settler, formally established Hinunangan as a permanent settlement. At the time, Silago (north) and Hinundayan and Anahawan (south) were part of Hinunangan’s territory. The town later became a mission station under Abuyog, with Fray Pedro Monasterio arriving in 1850. Due to difficulty pronouncing "Hononganan," he began referring to it as "Hinunangan", a name that became official.

The Hinunangan Parish was formally established on March 26, 1851, with Fray Pedro as its first parish priest. In 1853, Palonoy donated land for the construction of Hinunangan Church, which was built using hardwood, reflecting the town’s strong religious foundations. The Municipal Building and Parochial House were initially built from nipa, signifying the greater importance given to religious structures over government institutions at the time.

By 1886, Hinunangan had a population of 5,140 and 1,338 taxpayers, with rice, abaca, corn, and coconut as its main agricultural products. The town also had a community-supported primary school under Fray Pedro’s guidance. Over time, Silago, Hinundayan, and Anahawan became independent parishes and later separate municipalities.

Hinunangan also played a role in World War II history. In 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf—the largest naval battle in history—a blocking warship of the Allied Liberation forces engaged the Japanese fleet near Hinunangan, marking the area as a significant frontier in Philippine and global history.

Today, Hinunangan remains a historic coastal town with deep cultural and religious roots, shaped by centuries of trade, colonization, and war.

2007 earthquake

On July 19, 2007, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck Hinunangan, causing an estimated ₱1.65 million in damages—₱790,000 to government infrastructure and ₱860,000 to private properties.

Public damage included the water system (₱500,000), Das-ay Bridge railguard (₱100,000), and several schools, while private losses affected the Roman Catholic bell tower (₱100,000), Catholic convent water tank (₱40,000), chapels, homes (₱400,000), and appliances (₱290,000). The disaster impacted key facilities, but recovery efforts followed soon after.Hinunangan MDCC bares earthquake partial damage assessment report
, Philippine Information Agency

Geography

Hinunangan is home to the highest mountain in the province, Mount Nacolod, with an elevation of above sea level.

Barangays

Hinunangan is politically subdivided into 40 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

There are two of which are island barangays located at the east of the town. The twin islands are accessible by motorized boats through Barangay Canipa-an.

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Banking and Finance

*Philippine National Bank
* Saints Peter & Paul Multi-Purpose Cooperative
* Leyte South Multi-Purpose Cooperative

Education

Primary schools

* Hinunangan East Central School
* Hinunangan West Central School
* Catublian Elementary School
* Nava Elementary School
* Canipaan Elementary School
* Ambacon Elementary School
* Calag-itan Elementary School
* Pondol Elementary School
* Manalog Elementary School
* Patong Elementary School
* Otama Elementary School
* Ingan Elementary School
* Kabaskan Elementary School
* Ilaya Elementary School
* Senda Elementary School
* Tuburan Elementary School

Secondary schools

* Holy Rosary Academy - a Private Roman Catholic school
* Hinunangan National High School - formerly Hinunangan Agricultural and Vocational School
* Canipaan National High School
* Nava National High School
* Sto. Niño National High School

Tertiary Schools

* Southern Leyte State University - Hinunangan Campus (formerly Southern Leyte Institute of Agriculture and Technology; Hinunangan Agricultural and Vocational School)

Others

* Hinunangan Skills and Technological Center - TESDA accredited vocational school.

Healthcare

*Zenon T. Lagumbay Memorial Hospital
*Hinunangan Community Hospital
*Santo Domingo Family Clinic
*Hinunangan Dialysis Center

Media

*Hinunangnon - crowdsourcing social news network in Hinunangan, founded in 2016 that brings digital news and top stories locally from Hinunangan and its Province or around the world.
*92.1 MHz FM - Spin FM Hinunangan (Defunct)
*90.8 MHz FM - Mix FM Hinunangan
*105.0 MHz FM - Best FM Hinunangan

Communication

Mobile:
* Smart Communications (Since 2002)Smart increases coverage in remote, rural areas
/ref>
* Globe Telecom (Since 2004)

Cable television:
* Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite TV Service providers

Internet:
* SMART 4G Network
* Globe 4G Network
* MKG Fiber Broadband Data Solutions
* NGN Fiber Broadband Data Solutions
* RV-Tech Fiber Broadband Solutions
* Starlink Satellite Broadband

Gallery

File:Hinunangan Night September 2024.jpg, Hinunangan at Night, September 2024
File:Hinunangan bay by Kevin.JPG, View of Hinunangan Bay from Poblacion
File:San pedro and san pablo islands.JPG, San Pablo and San Pedro Islands off the coast of Hinunangn. The town's major tourist attraction.
File:San Pablo Island Hinunangan.jpg, White beach at San Pablo Island, Hinunangan

References

External links

Hinunangan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
* Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System

Travels through Hinunangan

{{Authority control

Municipalities of Southern Leyte