Jaro (IPA:
haɾo, officially the Municipality of Jaro (; ), is a First Income Class
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
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 been ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,758 people.
History
In the early time of the Spanish regime, the section where the Jaro is situated today was a lush forest enjoying its primitive freedom undisturbed by human beings.
In those days, struggles between Christianity and Mohammedanism took place. Datu Buisan and Sirungan led one of the Moro expeditions. They came to the
Visayas
The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
leading a fleet of colorful moro
vinta
The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau, Tausug and Yakan peoples living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. It is also made by t ...
s razing Christian towns to the ground, killing the inhabitants and taking some as slaves. Christians had to unite against the invaders and this was how Jaro came into being.
There were two Leyteños known far and wide for their skill with the native arms and bravery in wars. These two men were Bonsilao of Ormoc and Sinirungan of Dagami. These two men were so strong that the people concluded that they possessed supernatural powers. This belief was strengthened by the fact that they managed to drive the Moros away. Later, the two men decided to settle in a centrally located place where they could easily give aid to the beleaguered Christians especially the inhabitants of ''
Balugu'', ''
Kalgara'' and the neighboring towns. An ideal place was finally found. This was atop a hill and this same hill is where the parochial church of Jaro is situated. As time went by, the place was consequently cleared and homes were built. Small crooked paths were widened and thus a town was born.
The legendary background of this municipality has been for the most part connected with the surging Cabayongan River, which crisscrosses the town. This river had served the inhabitants in many ways, becoming as it were the flesh and blood of the community. As historical data points out, the municipality of Jaro was once called “Salug,” a proximate location to the Cabayongan River. Its fertile soil and abundant fruit-bearing trees contributed immensely to its early growth and expansion. It became a “visita” because of the periodic baptismal visit regularly made by the priest coming from the town of Barugo. This “visita” became the second name of the municipality of Jaro.
In later years, the village became the centrifuge of people coming from the outlying districts and regions due to a running well found at the foot of the hill where the present church now stands, the water of which was believed to be medicinal because of herbs whose roots were leading to the well. The old folks termed the mixture of the herbs from the hill as “Haro,” a medicinal potent drug supposed to cure all kinds of afflictions and diseases. People from near and far municipalities flocked to this place to be treated.
Thus, ultimately, the word “Haro” became a by-word among the people as seen in the first
Murillo-Velarde Map published in 1734 and later on used to denote the name of the place when it became a municipality in 1851. When the Spaniards came, “Haro” was transcribed as “Jaro”.
Notre Dame of Jaro, a Catholic school run by the sisters of the Oblates of Notre Dame, is located in Jaro.
Geography
Barangays
Jaro is politically subdivided into 46
barangay
The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok
A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s and some have
sitios
A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
.
* Alahag
* Anibongon
* Atipolo
* Badiang
* Batug
* Bias-Zabala
* Buenavista
* Bukid
* Burabod
* Buri
* Caglawaan
* Canapu-an
* Canhandugan (formerly San Francisco Javier)
* Crossing Rubas
* Daro
* District I (
Poblacion
''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
)
* District II (Poblacion)
* District III (Poblacion)
* District IV (Poblacion)
* Hiagsam
* Hibucawan
* Hibunawon (formerly Islabay)
* Kalinawan
* La Paz
* Licod
* Macanip
* Macopa
* Mag-aso
* Malobago
* Olotan
* Palanog (formerly Mooc)
* Pange
* Parasan
* Pitogo
* Sagkahan
* San Agustin
* San Pedro
* San Roque
* Santa Cruz
* Santo Niño
* Sari-Sari
* Tinambacan
* Tuba
* Uguiao
* Villa Conzoilo (Villa Consuelo)
* Villa Paz
Climate
Government
Mayors
Demographics
In the 2020 census, the population of Jaro, Leyte, was 43,758 people, with a density of .
Economy
Education
There are a total of 42 elementary schools and 5 high schools in Jaro, Leyte:
Elementary schools
Secondary/High School
References
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Codebr>
Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Leyte (province)