Abuyog, Leyte - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Abuyog, the home of the Buyogan Festival is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is the largest town of the island of Leyte in terms of land area facing Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...

out into the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. It is bordered to the north by Javier

Javier

Javier may refer to:* Javier * San Javier , Spanish-language references to Saint Francis XavierGeography:* Javier, Spain, a town and municipality in Navarre* Javier, Leyte, PhilippinesFictional characters:...

, to the east by Mahaplag and Baybay City and to the south by Silago and Sogod

Sogod

Sogod may refer to:* Sogod, Cebu, Philippines* Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines...

in Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte

Southern Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Maasin City is the capital of the province. Southern Leyte was once a sub-province of Leyte before it was divided from the latter...

.

Abuyog got its name when Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

sailors came ashore in an early settlement at the mouth of the Abuyog River to replenish their supplies. Swarms of bees were all over the shore. The Spaniards asked the natives "Como si y llama el pueblo?", not knowing that the Spaniards asked for the town's name, the natives answered "Buyog". Repeating after the natives, the sailors muttered, "Ah! Buyog". Eventually the town came to be known as "Abuyog" to which some Spanish chroniclers often used in reference to the whole island of Leyte. But Abuyog in the early annals, though grown prosperous, remained obscure because of the absence of a powerful chieftain. It was Datu Bangcao who had is seat of government in Carigara

Carigara, Leyte

Carigara is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 43,455 people in 8,571 households.-Barangays:Carigara is politically subdivided into 49 barangays.-History:...

, who ruled Abuyog.

People mostly from Samar migrated to Abuyog because of the many opportunities the immigrants got from its rich soil. The language of this town which acquired the name "melting pot" became "waray-waray" from the Samar immigrants.

Barangays

Abuyog is politically subdivided into 63 barangay

Barangay

A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

Alangilan
Anibongon
Buaya
Bagacay
Bahay
Balinsasayao
Balocawe
Balocawehay
Barayong
Bayabas
Buenavista
Bulak
Bunga
Burubud-an
Cagbolo
Can-aporong
Canmarating
Capilian
Cadac-an
Combis
Dingle
Hampipila
Katipunan
Kikilo
Laray
Lawa-an
Libertad

Mahagna (New Cagbolo)

Mag-atubang

Mahayahay

Maitum

Malaguicay

Matagnao

Nibga

Odiongan

Pagsang-an

Paguite

Parasanon

Picas Sur

Pilar

Pinamanagan

Salvacion

San Francisco

San Isidro

San Roque

Santa Lucia

Tabigue

Tadoc

New Taligue

Old Taligue

Tib-o

Tinalian

Tinocolan

Tuy-a

Bito (Pob.)

Buntay (Pob.)

Can-uguib (Pob.)

Guintagbucan (Pob.)

Loyonsawang (Pob.)

Nalibunan (Pob.)

Santa Fe (Pob.)

Santo Niño (Pob.)

Victory (Pob.)

History

In 1588, presumably on account of mal-administration of the incumbent encomendero, the inhabitants revolted. Capitan Juan Esguerra had to send a punitive force to chastise the assassins of the encomendero. In 1613, Sanguiles and Caragas

Caragaş

Caragaş is a commune in the Slobozia sub-district of Transnistria, Moldova. It is composed of a single village, Caragaş. It is currently under the administration of the breakaway government of the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic....

plundered and marauded the town.

In 1655 the Jesuits

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

made Abuyog their second post, with Dagami

Dagami, Leyte

Dagami is a municipality in the Province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the August 2007 census of population in the Philippines, the town has a population of 30,451 inhabitants with a density of 188 persons per square kilometer...

as the center. The year 1716 saw the founding of the town and parish under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier

Francis Xavier

Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...

, the apostle of the Indies

Indies

The Indies is a term that has been used to describe the lands of South and Southeast Asia, occupying all of the present India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and also Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines, East Timor, Malaysia and...

. The Augustinians

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

took over in 1768 and continued the work of Frs. Jose Herrera and Cipriano Barbasan. The people of this era, according to Fr. Augustin Maria de Castro, were very rich though extremely belligerent; the continually defied the moros

Moros

In Greek mythology, Moros is the personification of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. He is one of the offspring of Nyx , who had conceived him without male intervention, and brother of the Moirae ....

. In 1843 the town was given to the Franciscan Order

Franciscan

Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....

with Fr. Santiago Malonda as the first Franciscan parish priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

. A horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

path was opened between Abuyog and Dulag

Dulag, Leyte

Dulag is a third-class municipality in the province of Leyte in Eastern Visayas in the Philippines. This coastal town covering 11,007 hectares of land is home to 44,143 residents...

in 1851.

The early captains were Galza, Foran, Nicolas Mandia, Faustino Remanes, Prudencio Remanes, Felipe Costin, Ciriaco Costin, Eulalio Brillo, and Vicente Tiaoson. Eulalio Brillo became president in 1896-1899 while Nazario Tupa took office in 1900. Eugenio Villote finished Tupa's term.

The period 1901 to 1906 was notable for the notorious pulahanes or bolero

Bolero

Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...

attacks, the most infamous leader of which was Faustino Ablen. The municipal building was razed. Ex-Capitan Eugenio Villote, Pedro Gonazaga, and two other policemen were killed in the encounter.

In the electoral division made by the Philippine Assembly

Philippine Assembly

The Philippine Assembly was the lower house of the legislative body of the Philippines during the early part of American colonial period. It was created by the Philippine Organic Act, passed in 1902, which also established the Philippine Commission as the upper house of the Philippine Legislature,...

, Abuyog was placed in the third district of Leyte. During the Commonwealth regime, Abuyog was transferred to the fourth district. During these periods, the town prospered under the administration of Arturo Brillo, Vicente Brillante, Basilio Adolfo (two terms), Antero Brillo and Ricardo Collantes (three terms). In 1940 Pedro Gallego was elected mayor and served until July 3, 1946. On July 4, 1946 Catalino Landia was appointed mayor. He was re-elected for three terms.

Abuyog's progress took greater strides with the inauguration of the first passenger bus service in 1925. In 1936, the vice-president Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña

Sergio Osmeña y Suico was a Filipino politician who served as the 4th President of the Philippines from 1944 to 1946. He was Vice President under Manuel L. Quezon, and rose to the presidency upon Quezon's death in 1944, being the oldest Philippine president to hold office at age 65...

inaugurated the Baybay

Baybay, Leyte

The City of Baybay, is a component city located in the Province of Leyte, Philippines. It is situated on the western coast of the province of Leyte...

-Abuyog road, thus linking for the first time, by good road, the eastern and western coasts of Leyte.

At the outbreak of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Abuyog became a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese occupied area. But on October 13, 1942, the Japan

Japan

ese abandoned the town due to guerrilla

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...

pressure. They came back on November 26, 1943, much stronger this time, yet they suffered heavy losses in the hands of the guerrillas.

On July 14, 1944, the submarine "Nautilus" landed in Barangay San Roque, Abuyog, to unload 72 tons of much-needed weapons and ammunitions, food and propaganda materials for Leyte and Samar guerrillas. When the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Armada was sighted off Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf

, the Japanese forces deserted the town of Abuyog before the American landing and entered to the Filipino troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary military units. After liberation, elementary school education was resumed on December 4, 1944 under the supervision of the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU). From then on, Abuyog's development went on steadily under the consistent leadership of Mayor Catalino T. Landia.

Daughter Towns

Javier

used to be Baranggay Bugho, MacArthur

MacArthur

MacArthur or Macarthur may refer to:-Geography:* Division of Macarthur, Sydney* General MacArthur, Eastern Samar, Philippines* John D...

used to be Baranggay Taraguna and Mahaplag used to be Baranggay Mahaplag.

Places of Interest

The Church of St. Francis Xavier was first built with nipa, wood and bamboo in 1718 by the Jesuits. Fr. José Herrera and Cipriano Barbasan restored the church and convent, as well as, the school and Casa Real. The Augustinians took over the church’s supervision in 1768 after it was rebuilt. The church’s design was changed in 1781 to conform with the architecture of Roman Renaissance. A more durable church and convent of masonry was later built, with a galvanized iron roof and wooden floor. In 1965, the church was renovated when an extension was built at the center of the church through the effort of Msgr. Luis D. Caintic who also facilitated in the construction of the new bell tower.

The Kuapnit Balinsasayao National Park, along the Mahaplag-Baybay Rd., is a 364-hectare campsite located between Abuyog and Baybay. It offers a wide panorama of primeval forests, rolling hills with many attractive picnic spots, caves and a view of Mt. Lobi.

The 7-m. high, 10-tiered Malaguicay Falls, in Brgy. Malaguicay, has a 3-m. deep pool. From Tab-ok Port, take a 20-min. motorized boat ride to Brgy. Malaguicay along the Higasaan River and then a 20-min. hike to the waterfalls.

Caves are found in Brgys. Balocawehay (along the highway), Nebga (Higasaan) and Tib-o (Dagat Area).

Waterfalls are located in Brgys. Balinsasayao, Katipunan and Nebga.

The 0.5-hectare Cagbolo Hot Spring (Brgy. Cagbolo)

Danghol Hill (Brgy. San Isidro)

Layog River (Brgy.Balinsasayao)

Education

Tertiary:
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Abuyog Community College
Visayan Christian Institute of Technology

Secondary
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Notre Dame of Abuyog
Abuyog Academy
Abuyog National High School
Balocawehay National High School
Kikilo National High School
Libertad National High School

Primary
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B.V. Closa Central School
Abuyog South Central School
Gabaldon Central School
Bahay Primary School
Balinsasayao Elementary School
Balocawehay Elementary School
Balocawe Elementary School
Barayong Elementary School
Bayabas Elementary School
Buenavista Elementary School
Bunga Elementary School
Canmarating Elementary School
Picas Primary School
Tabigue Elementary School
San Isidro Elementary School
Sta. Fe - Sto. Nino Elementary School

Healthcare

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Abuyog District Hospital
Abuyog Rural Health Unit
Balocawehay Rural Health Unit

Accommodations

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Abuyog Hotel(Newly opened)
Florina Country Lodge

Telecommunication

Mobile
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Serviced by Smart Communications & Talk n Text
Serviced by Globe Telecom & TM
Serviced by Sun Cellular

Internet
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Internet through SMART Network (Smart Bro)
Internet through Globe Network (Globe Tattoo)
Internet through Bayantel Network

Commerce

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Abuyog St. Francis Xavier Credit Cooperative (AFCCO)
Berkeley Pharmacy
Generics Pharmacy
Sepulveda Pharmacy
Rural Bank of Dulag Leyte (Abuyog Branch)
M.Lhuillier Pawnshop - Abuyog Branch
LBC
Gracoz Pharmacy
Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop
Caltex Fuel Station
Microvase Pharmacy
Shell Fuel Station
St. Peter Chapels
Palawan Pawnshop
Motortrade

External links

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