Libagon-Cedar Herald Index

Libagon, officially the Municipality of Libagon (; ), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,244 people.

It is home to the province's frontier mountain, Mount Patag Daku.

Libagon

Every 16 July and 8 December, Libagon celebrates two separate town fiestas, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, respectively.

Libagon

The main sources of income for the residents of Libagon are copra, abacá, agriculture, and fishing.

Libagon

Etymology

Libagon's name was derived from the Cebuano dialect, libaong, which means 'small depression of the ground'. Spanish authorities mistook the reference to the ground fault as the name of the place. As such, the area has been known as Libagon.

History

The Dagohoy revolt prompted more Boholanos to settle the southern towns of Leyte, especially in Hilongos, Bato, Matalom, Maasin, Macrohon, Malitbog, and Hinunangan. In 1771, seventeen families from the different towns of Bohol migrated to the southeastern coast of Sogod. These families founded the visita (satellite barrio with chapel) of Libagon. Andres Espina, a resident of Tamolayag (now the town of Padre Burgos), Malitbog, was invited to instruct the children how to read and write. Despite its growing population, Libagon was only recognized as a visita of Sogod sometime in 1850. [13 Gan, Edito. "Sogod of our Memories: A Special History-Genealogy Account", Sogod Municipal Hall, Sogod, Southern Leyte]

The earliest known settlers of Libagon were of Bol-anon ancestry (Boholano people). The settlers' first chosen leader was Domingo Mateo Espina. Espina's wife, Potenciana Escaño, was called Capitana Potenciana by the townsfolk in recognition of her role as First Lady of Libagon. The town of Libagon was founded in 1845. At this point in the history of the municipality, the barrios or barangays under Libagon included Sogod and Bontoc at the northern end, and Punta at the southern. The poblacion comprised two barangays: Jubas (in the south) and Talisay (in the north).

By March 1870, Don Gabriel Ydjao became the chief executive of Sogod and transferred the poblacion (town center) to Libagon. Since Ydjao was a native of Libagon, and probably because Sogod was far from his residence, he changed Libagon's name to Sogod Nuevo (other historical accounts stated that Libagon was renamed Sogod Sur) and Sogod as Sogod Viejo (which other historical accounts named as Sogod Norte). Ydjao also appealed to the parish curate, Padre Logronio, to transfer the parish church to Libagon, a year after Sogod was made a parish. The church in Libagon would remain there until 1924, when a group of concerned Sogodnons pleaded with Bishop Sofronio Hacbang y Gaborni of Calbayog to return the seat of the parish to Sogod.

During the incumbency of Don Luis Espina as gobernadorcillo (1891 to 1893), the visita of Maak was reduced to a sitio of barrio Consolacion. With Maak's status being demoted, Sogod Viejo was also placed under the jurisdiction of the visita of Hipgasan.

At some point in time, possibly during the years following 1845 until 1885, Libagon was deemed a barrio of Sogod, together with Bontoc and Consolacion. In 1885, Nicolas Idjao was elected as gobernadorcillo and transferred the poblacion of Sogod to Libagon, from Sogod. He then renamed Libagon as Sogod Nuevo or Sogod Del Norte and Sogod as Sogod Viejo or Sogod Del Sur. After twelve years of power, the poblacion was restored to Sogod for a while when Benito Faelnar was appointed as capitan municipal of Sogod. But in 1904, Ladislao or "Estanislao" Decenteceo was elected and transferred the poblacion to Barangay Consolacion, a barrio from Libagon. However, in 1912, the poblacion was again transferred to Sogod when Vicente Cariño took office.

On 16 October 1913, Libagon and Sogod were finally separated into two independent towns – Libagon (14 barrios) and Sogod (45 barrios). The challenges of an increasing population necessitated the division. The new Libagon was under the administration of the new Presidente Municipal, Mariano L. Espina.