Ligao City
Encyclopedia
Ligao City is a 4th class city in the province of Albay, 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...

. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 101,179 people in 17,031 households. Ligao City is strategically located in the heart of the Third District of Albay. Ligao City is a newly created city being born only last March 24, 2001 during a plebiscite with an overwhelming Yes vote of 17,754 as against 1,387 No votes. It was created by virtue of R.A. No. 9008, signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last February 21, 2001, known as an Act Converting the Municipality of Ligao into a Component City of the Province of Albay, the third city of the province and the sixth city in the Bicol Region.

Ligao City is located 502 kilometers south of Manila. Centrally located in the 3rd District of Albay, it is bounded on the north by the municipality of Oas; on the south by the municipality of Guinobatan, Tabaco on the east and Pioduran on the West. It is 27 kilometers from the Provincial Capitol of Albay and approximately 30 kilometers from Legazpi City.

Ligao has a total land area of 24,640 hectares, 23.05 percent of which are fertile flatlands suitable for high value crops and 76.95 percent are mountainous and hilly terrain with potential for agriculture and traversed by secondary rivers. Tertiary rivers originate from Mt. Masaraga and Mayon Volcano located at the south and eastern side of the city. Ligao's soil is generally fertile giving great flexibility practically to all types of crops. There are six common soil types found in the city: Ligao loam; Guinobatan sandy loam; Mauraro gravelly sandy loam; Libon silt; Tigaon clay and Sevilla clay.
Ligao City is a 4th class city in the province of Albay composed of 55 barangays, 11 urban and 41 rural and with 3 coastal barangays. The 2000 Census placed its population at 90,603 in 17,031 households.

The population of Ligao City is a mixture of traits and culture because of its strategic location. Ligao City is centrally located in the 3rd district of Albay being the converging point of population from the surrounding municipalities of Pioduran on the west, Tabaco on the east, Oas and Polangui on the north and Guinobatan on the south. Because of the accessibility of the place lying along the Pan Philippine Highway that stretches from Aparri in the north through Davao in the south, people as far as these places has come to settle in Ligao City bringing along with them their own culture and tradition.

The dialects varies as the people who came to settle, from the Ilocano dialect to Kapampangan to Tagalog, Visayan and even transient Muslim traders with their own dialects. But Ligao City has a distinct dialect which differs in pronunciation, meaning and spelling even from other Bicol dialects. The local dialect is quite similar to Kinaray-a, a dialect in Antique.

Roman Catholic is the dominant religion accounting for 96.92 percent of the population as of 1995. Religious tolerance is practiced among the inhabitants as indicated by various denominations present in the city.
SELECTED INDICATORS FOR LIGAO CITY
Total Population 2000 90,603
Male 2000 45,692
Female 2000 44,911
Population Growth Rate 2000 2.47
Sex Ratio (males per 100 females) 2000 101.7
Household Population 2000 90,536
Male 2000 45,658
Female 2000 44,878
Number of Households 2000 17,031
Average Household Size (Persons/HH) 2000 5.32
Number of Occupied Housing Units 2000 16,885
Households in Occupied Housing Units 2000 17,031
Source: 2000 Census of Population and Housing, National Statistics Office
City Profile - Ligao City, Albay

Infrastructure and Utilities

Road Network

Ligao City has a total road length of 237.36 kilometers, 66.75 kilometers of which are national roads, 43.96 kilometers are provincial roads, 9.17 kilometers are city roads and 117.48 kilometers of barangay roads.

Communication

Two cable television companies and four telephone companies operate within the city. Two courier services, a post office and three of the country's biggest cellular network providers (Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular) and an FM radio station (DZRH Radio Natin) also operate within the city providing the communication needs of the people.

Water Supply

Ligao City Water District serves a total of 3,197 households in the urban area collected from 23 spring sources. Springs are the major source of water for human consumption, irrigation, aquatic resources and agri-industrial use. Almost 90 percent of water supply is sourced from spring, the rest of the needs are taken from ground water. Ground water has been unreliable both in supply and quality due to lowering of groundwater level as well as the presence of chemicals in the ground.

Education

There are 13 private pre-schools located in the urban barangays. This is not to mention the pre-schools integrated in the public school system in the elementary schools located in Ligao West Central School, Ligao East Central School and in Pandan Elementary School. These three elementary schools are under the Model of Excellence Program prescribed by the Harrington Foundation. Pre-school education is also being offered in 74 day care centers situated in 55 barangays citywide manned by day care volunteers hired by the City Government. All the teaching materials in the day care centers are provided free by the local government.

The public elementary schools of Ligao City are covered by two school districts - the West and East District. The West District covers 20 schools while the East District is composed of 27 schools. There are four private elementary schools in the city.

The city is operating and maintaining the Ligao Community College. Having no facilities of its own, the college is using the school facilities of the Ligao National High School. Courses offered include Bachelor of Science major in PEHM, English, Math, Economics, Political Science and Associate in Arts. Computer courses such as Computer Secretarial and Computer Technician are being offered by two privately-run technical schools, the Albay Institute of Technology and the Mayon Institute of Science and Technology. The Information Technology Center located at the Ligao National High School compound offers free computer courses to the city's constituents. The curriculum is TESDA accredited and the graduates are presented with TESDA certificates.

History

The name Ligao is derived from the local word "ticao", once an abundant tree whose poisonous leaves were used to catch fish in rivers or creeks. Most Ligaoeños, however, believe that the name Ligao was originally "licau" which means to take the long way around or to turn away from the ordinary or usual route.

Ligao started as a small settlement known as Cavasi in the 16th century. It grew in population as it attracted natives from nearby settlements. Eventually, power struggles among ambitious and aggressive leaders caused trouble as they created divisions among the settlement. There arose five divisions led by maginoos (chieftains): Pagkilatan, Maaban, Sampoñgan, Makabongay and Hokoman. Peace was only restored when Chieftain Pagkilatan was appointed supreme leader over the entire settlement with the approval of the other chieftains.

The town was founded as a barrio of Polangui
Polangui, Albay
- Demography :Having a total land area of 14,530 hectares or 145.30 km2 and a population of 78,572. It has a projected population density of 540 per km2, a labor force of 37,247 and 40,576 voting population.- Climate :...

 in 1606, being ceded to Oas
Oas, Albay
Oas is now reclassified as First Class municipality in the province of Albay, Philippines . According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 63,888 people in 11,715 households.-Economy:The town's economy is generally agricultural...

 in 1665, and finally becoming an independent municipality in 1666.

Barangays

Ligao City is politically subdivided into 55 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s.


  • Abella
  • Allang
  • Amtic
  • Bacong
  • Bagumbayan (Pob.)
  • Balanac
  • Baligang
  • Barayong
  • Basag
  • Batang
  • Bay
  • Binanowan
  • Binatagan (Pob.)
  • Bobonsuran
  • Bonga
  • Busac
  • Busay
  • Cabarian
  • Calzada (Pob.)

  • Catburawan
  • Cavasi
  • Culliat
  • Dunao (Pob.)
  • Francia
  • Guilid (Pob.)
  • Herrera
  • Layon
  • Macalidong
  • Mahaba
  • Malama
  • Maonon
  • Nasisi
  • Nabonton
  • Oma-Oma
  • Palapas
  • Pandan
  • Paulba

  • Paulog
  • Pinamaniquian
  • Pinit
  • Ranao-Ranao
  • San Vicente
  • Santa Cruz (Pob.)
  • Tagpo
  • Tambo
  • Tandarora
  • Tastas
  • Tinampo
  • Tiongson
  • Tomolin
  • Tuburan
  • Tula-Tula Grande
  • Tula-Tula Pequeño
  • Tupas


External links

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