Sogod, Southern Leyte
Encyclopedia
The Municipality of Sogod ' onMouseout='HidePop("71066")' href="/topics/Cebuano_language">Cebuano
: Lungsod sa Sogod, Tagalog
: Bayan ng Sogod, Waray
: Bungto han Sogod) is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines
. Sogod is connected in the Maharlika Highway (AH26) that links Luzon
to Mindanao
, one of the most important highways in the Philippines
. It is located seventy-two (72) kilometers northeast of Maasin City
, the capital city of the province, one hundred twenty-six (126) kilometers south of Tacloban City
, the regional center of Eastern Visayas
, twenty-four (24) kilometers north of Liloan
, a major port town that connects Surigao City
, and thirty-six (36) kilometers east of Hilongos
, another major port town in the province of Leyte
. It is the largest municipality in the province encompassing a total land area of 23,690 hectares or about 236.9 square kilometers followed by the City of Maasin
having a total area of 21,165.8 hectares or 211.7 square kilometers. The name of the municipality means "to start", from the Cebuano word, sogod, a fitting name for the municipality as it is experiencing a massive economic growth since the establishment of many industries. According to the 2007 National Statistics Office (NSO) census, it has a population of 39,864 inhabitants.
Its varied landscape is composed of rugged mountain ranges in the northern portion and a flat-plained terrain in the center and southern areas of the municipality. The town has numerous river and creek systems suitable for agriculture it produces rice, corn, copra, tobacco, abaca and root crops. The mining and quarrying business in the Subangdaku River
provides the town with an efficient supply of gravel and sand, which are either exported domestically to other neighboring provinces.
The municipality is home to Southern Leyte State University
(SLSU) Main Campus, a premier and foremost state university in the province of Southern Leyte
, the Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC)
, one of the oldest and leading catholic institutions in the province and in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
that served the community since January 6, 1946. It houses the Agas-Agas Bridge, the country's tallest bridge. It measures thirty (30) stories high or two hundred ninety-two (292) feet above ground. The bridge houses the longest and only zipline in Eastern Visayas
in the length of eight hundred eighty (880) meters, established by the province as a tourist attraction. This bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that involves the construction of a three hundred fifty (350) linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two (2) piers from the ground.
Within the bay, the town is the center for trade, commerce and industry.
Island, facing the Sogod Bay. It is located 10°23’10 North Longitude and 124°58’48 East Latitude. The town belongs to the province of Southern Leyte
. It is approximately seventy-two kilometers (72) from the City of Maasin, the provincial capital of Southern Leyte; one hundred twenty-seven (127) kilometers from Tacloban City
, the regional centre of Eastern Visayas
and the provincial capital of Leyte
; one hundred six kilometers (106) from Ormoc City
, the major entry of point of Leyte.
The town is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mahaplag, Leyte
, approximately thirty-eight (38) kilometers northbound via the Maharlika Highway; in the east are the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, and some portion of the municipality Saint Bernard
; in the southeast is the municipality of Libagon, about twenty-two (22) kilometers eastbound via the national highway; facing to the south is Sogod Bay, the only water form that divides the province
from west to east; monitoring six (6) kilometers southwest bound lies the municipality of Bontoc
; in the west are the towns of Hindang, Hilongos, and several portion of the municipalities of Bato
and Inopacan.
It is either bounded by mountain ranges, rivers, creeks, and irrigation canals that run thru the municipality. In the north, the Mahaplag-Sogod boundary line is the provincial boundary line that separates the two provinces: Leyte
and Southern Leyte
, wherein the mountain slopes serves as a line. In Barangay Kahupian (particularly at Sitio Balintulay), passing by the Agas-Agas Bridge, are two bridges that links Sogod and Mahaplag, Leyte
. Beneath these bridges are deep ravenous ridges that are made as a boundary for the two provinces and its people. In the east and west sides of the municipality are much similar to the north side, the mountain slopes serves also barricades from the other municipalities. However, some mountain roads are passable and people from these hinterlands are using these pivotal roads in order to bargain and trade their produce. In the southern part is bounded by rivers and creeks, wherein Santa Cruz creek serves as demarcation line bounded by the municipality of Bontoc and Gakat creek on the southeastern side of the town.
, which is situated in the central portion and considered as hazardous, and the other one is the San Francisco River, the river that is the major channel for the Subangdaku River’s sustenance. Its source is found somewhere in the municipalities of Abuyog, Leyte
and Mahaplag, Leyte
where it is an extension of the Layug River that leads to Mahaplag town and the Cadac-an River of Abuyog town, where is it the mouth of these rivers in the north. Eventually, hard rains contribute to the connection of Subangdaku River and Maag River in the municipality of Silago, Southern Leyte
.
While rivers are abundant in the municipality, springs or tubod are literally found in the municipality. Mostly it is found on the barrios, which supplies the water they need for household purposes. The Magaupas Spring in Barangay Pandan and the Banat-e Spring in Barangay San Pedro are the sources of freshwater of the Sogod Water District (SWD), the local distributor of freshwater in Sogod Town Proper.
In the northern part are mountain slopes that are dotted with thick rain forests and serves as a habitat for rare species of flora
and fauna
.There are three mountain ranges that separates the municipality from the other towns, these are: Baybay to Maasin Cordillera
, the Abuyog to Liloan
Cordillera and Mahaplag Mountain range. The Baybay to Maasin Cordillera are relatively scattered hills with high mountains situated on the Baybay-Hindang portion and it has varied upland plains, which is inhabited by the locals. The Abuyog to Liloan Cordillera
is somehow different and remote. It is mountainous and somehow regarded as the bounty for endangered animals such as the tarsier
s, eagles, deers, monkeys, and others. The mountain range has an altitude of about 2,000 above sea level. It houses the Sogod rainforest, a vast area that is being exploited by loggers because of lumber. Due to massive timber cutting, it caused severe flowing of the Subangdaku River
and mudslides to the nearby communities that surrounds the mountainous joint of the municipality. In mid-1980s, the Philippine Government issued the banning of timber cutting in the entire country, leading to the massive restoration of the forests in the country including Eastern Visayas. Now, the mountains and its environs are slowly restoring its virgin forest by reforestation projects headed by the Local Government Units (LGU
) and non-government organizations (NGO). The Mahaplag Cordillera is an arm of the Abuyog to Liloan Mountain Range and has the same characteristics with the other mountain ranges. Because of the dense forest and isolated by human activities, it is also home to other species of flora and fauna. But, however, the New People’s Army, a communist separatist group that is reckoning havoc since the Marcos
era, is actively operating and took camp in the vast hinterlands of the area.
The coastline of Sogod is characterized by black sands on the southeastern portion and in the southwestern side are pebbles and rocks that cover the entire poblacion. However, the length of the coastline of Sogod is small, the bay that surrounds the province is named after the municipality because the town is centrally located at the heart of the bay.
Subangdaku River
It is the town’s biggest river lying on the central part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. It is considered as the major drainage of the bay together with Divisoria River found in Barangay Divisoria, Bontoc
town.
For years, following the floodings of the river, it created an issue over the province. It has been quarried and rechanneled which caused the incidents. After many attempts, the issue remained unsolved.
By description, it can be considered a braided river composed of several channels from near areas that divide and reunite forming an alluvial fan with very wide floodplain. As such, the river usually became hazardous during typhoon after a heavy rain. The river sometime overflows spilling its waters on the low-lying barangays of San Juan and San Vicente and destroyed an ongoing flood control project worth millions of pesos. The river has been known to meander along its course, ever changing its way over time. During the time it’s flooding, it destructs every side of its course. In 2001, portion of the road and banks in Barangay San Miguel along the river have been destroyed. It hampered the economic activities of the local residents as well as national because the destroyed portion is part of the Philippine National Road. The local officials blamed the rechannelization and uncontrolled quarrying of gravel and sand at the side of river as the cause of the flood. At a meeting on March 18, 2002, one of the representatives of a government agency alleged that the reason of the incidents of flood and other environmental problems in the river was due to the Philippine Fault System
which caused rocks to rumble down. However, the reason was contended because the fault is a geological feature and environmental problems in the province just occurred that time.
In 2007, Governor Damian Mercado and Congressman Roger Mercado, together with Mayor Sheffered Tan, order the complete rechannelization of the river with dikes to protect the barangays that touches the river namely: Suba, San Isidro, San Miguel and Concepcion, following to the plans of former Governor Rossette Yniguez-Lerias to rehabilitate the said river. Today, the dike is not strong enough to maintain the wild rage of the course of the river, although it stands but the foundation of the dike is weak and it is made of rocks that are concreted and formed into a barricade against the river (grouted riffraff).
An irrigation dam was constructed beneath the mighty Subangdaku River, to control the flow of the current to the farmlands in the southeastern portion of the municipality. It was destroyed during hard rains occurred last January 2011.
is throughout the year making agriculture
favorable. Two climate conditions exist: Type D, which is characterized by rainfall more or less evenly distributed all year round and Type E, with no dry season and a very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January.
Type E affects the eastern part of Sogod and Type D affects the western part of Sogod. The Subangdaku River is a dividing line between the two climate conditions.
In the municipality of Sogod, Mayor Sheffered Lino Tan, incumbent mayor of Sogod, won for the third time against his rival opponent, Ex-Mayor Ignacio Siega. Also, his running mate, Councilor Rufo Olo won against acting Vice-Mayor Leoncio Uy.
Tan had won over 14,478 votes despite Siega’s 5,762 votes in the mayoralty race while Olo managed 11,486 votes and Uy with 8,322 votes for the vice-mayoralty position.
These are the 2010-2013 elected municipal officials:
Mayor: Hon. Sheffered Lino S. Tan
Vice-Mayor: Hon. Rufo C. Olo
Sangguniang Bayan Members (Municipal Councilors):
(ward/district) plays a pivotal role as the planning and implementing unit of government policies, programs and activities. Each barangay is led and governed by its Barangay Officials. The Barangay considered as a Local Government Unit (LGU) same as the Provincial and the Municipal Government. It is composed of a Punong Barangay (Barangay Captain/Chairman/Chief), a Sangguniang Barangay
(Barangay Council) with seven Barangay Kagawad
s (Barangay Councilors) who are all duly elected by their constituents, and a Sangguniang Kabataan
(Youth Council) Chairman afforded with full membership status in the Council after being duly elected but only by the barangay's youth sector. Thus, there are eight members of the Legislative Council
in a barangay. Each Kagawad has his/her own respective Committee where he/she is the chairperson. Three members are appointed to carry out the functions of each committee. Below are the committees in the Barangay Council:
Sogod is politically subdivided into forty-five (45) barangays or barrios. Of the forty-five barangays, ten barangays are within the poblacion (town proper) while thirty-five barangays are situated in the rustic countryside. The Poblacion
of Sogod comprises the Barangays of Rizal, San Jose, San Pedro, San Roque, Tampoong, Zone I, Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV and Zone V.
The largest barangay in the municipality is Kahupian. Barangay Kahupian, like many other barrios in the municipality, is rustic and sleepy. However, it is the bulk of the abaca
and copra
businesses, together with the mountain barrios in the northern portion of the municipality. The Manila hemp or abaca is a strong fiber from the leafstalks of a banana plant. It is exported to other countries because it is used as ropes and papers. While the copra
is the dried coconut shell and it is extracted into coconut oil
, which is very useful to humans. The barrio is also famous for the Agas-Agas Bridge, the highest bridge in the Philippines. Barangay Kahupian has a total population of about 1,400 individuals, each distributed in six sitios, namely: Balintulay, Centro, Hagna, Kabernal, Lubong Sapa, and Silao Bato. Other larger barangays are San Francisco Mabuhay, Hipantag, Kauswagan, Javier, Hindangan and Magatas. The said barangays, except Barangay Javier, are found on the mountainous part of Sogod and are isolated or separated from the other barangays due to the distance and location of the barrio proper.
Barangay Zone IV, found at the centermost part of the poblacion
, ranks as the smallest. The barangay is home to 500 individuals. It is classified as the residential and commercial zone of the municipality. In the barangay resides the Sogod Auditorium, the Sangguniang Bayan
Session Hall, the Vice Mayor’s office and other government offices that are equidistant to the present municipal hall, which is under the jurisdiction of Barangay Zone I. Most of the smaller barangays are found in the densely populated areas in the municipality, particularly in the poblacion and in the southeastern part of the municipality.
These are the barangays or barrios that constitute the Municipality of Sogod:
- The place was instated as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Similarly, it was named after its mother barangay, Barangay Buac Gamay. Since, the barangay was divided into two, this barangay remains large in area and the latter names the village as “Buac Daku”.
- Although Burak is the generic Cebuano term for flower (burak in Cebuano; bulaklak in Tagalog), now virtually unused, it specifically refers to the ilang- ilang, a tree whose flowers are very fragrant, and whose oil is used in the perfume industry. The size of this village is relatively small and after it was divided, the barangay renamed as “Buac Gamay”.
- It is named after a local shrub or tree known as “Badba-an”, which abounds in the area even at present. The barangay was officially established on June 21, 1959 through the provisions of the Republic Act No. 2563. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Libas.
- This barangay is one of the oldest existing barrios in the municipality of Sogod, founded in February 3, 1730 as a village. The barangay’s primitive name is “Maak”, comes from the word “Maa”, signifying water fault as the river ceased to pass through the village. Maak was one of the mother barangays among several barrios located along the southern shore of the municipality. It includes Barangays Consolacion, Salvacion, Mahayahay, Javier and Maac. It was renamed as Consolacion during the Spanish era.*
- It was formerly a sitio of Barangay San Isidro. On June 21, 1959, the sitio attain its barangayhood through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- It was created as a barangay through the mandated provisions stated by the Republic Act No. 2563, dated June 21, 1959.
- The barangay is named after the Hindang (Anubing) tree, a tree reaching a height of about 30 meters and a diameter of about 100 centimeters. The tree is found in abundance in the barangay. The barangay was officially established on June 21, 1959 through the provisions of the Republic Act No. 2563.
- The barangay was established on June 19, 1965 through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 4306. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Benit.
- Named after its patroness, Nuestra Seniora de Inmaculada Concepcion (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception).
- Named in honor of Daniel Falcon Javier
, a former teacher and principal of the Cebu Normal College (now Cebu Normal University
). His achievement as a principal of the university and providing education, health and extensive farming activities to the communities of Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
and in Barangay Bugho (today as the Municipality of Bugho), Abuyog, Leyte
, gave prestige in naming the barangay in honor of him. The barangay of Bugho in the municipality of Abuyog later changed her name after him, eight years after the barangay was created into a municipality on 1957. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Maac.
- It is the largest and northernmost barangay in the municipality of Sogod. The barangay was overgrown by the Hupi fruit, thus the barangay is known as “Kahupian”, a place where the fruit is abundant. It was created as a barangay on June 19, 1971 under the mandated provisions by the Republic Act No. 6230. The sitios of Bood Taas, Tabunan, Hap-on, Kabugua-an, Tigbawan, Lubong Sapa, Kahupian and Pangalkagan are under the jurisdiction of the said barangay.
- Named after the Nangka (Jackfruit) tree, a species of tree in the mulberry family and is native to the Philippines, which is found in abundance in the barangay. The tree is used as a landmark or a boundary marker of the barangay. Due to this situation, people from neighboring barangays named it as “Kanangkaan”, a named that was quickly adapted by the people.
- It was created as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the Republic Act No. 2563. On June 19, 1960, the Republic Act No. 2810 was passed to ensure that the jurisdiction of the said barangays will be the sitios of Kantabuan, Baycasili, Mamingaw, Tagabaca and Kampuwa. Thus, it was established as a full status barangay.
- Formerly, it was known as Punong, meaning “a shoal of fish”. Since the location of the barangay lies along the southern shores of the municipality, fishes abound in the barangay. It was similarly renamed as La Purissima Concepcion (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), the barangay’s patroness, like that of Barangay Immaculada Concepcion. The barangay used to be a sitio of Barangay Immaculada Conception. It was created as a barangay on June 21, 1959 through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 2600.
- It is named after the Libas (Hog Plum) tree, a medium to tall tree reaching a height of about 25 meters and a diameter of about 60 centimeters. The tree is endemic in the village and the latter chooses the tree as the namesake of the barangay.
- This barangay is one of the oldest existing barrios in the municipality of Sogod, founded in February 3, 1730 as a village. The barangay’s primitive name is “Maak”, comes from the word “Maa”, signifying water fault as the river ceased to pass through the village. Maak was one of the mother barangays among several barangays located along the southern shores of the municipality. It includes Barangays Consolacion, Salvacion, Mahayahay, Javier and Maac.*
- The barangay was formerly a sitio of Barangay Tampoong. It was established as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the efforts of Republic Act No. 2563.
- It is derived from the word, “Gatason”, because the water flowing from the streams are “Gatason” or “whitish” in color. The phenomenon is due to the kinds of trees found in the mountain area of the barangay.
- In the vicinity of the barangay lies a medium-sized spring and the people described the waters as “Malinao” or “clear”. Thus, the people adapted the expression, “Malinao” as the name of their place. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Buac Gamay, under the name of Ilo. The sitio was elevated into a barangay status on June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563. Again, it was established with proper boundary and jurisdiction on June 19, 1960, under the Republic Act No. 2810.
- The barangay was formerly a sitio of Barangay Mahayahay. It was formally established as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- It existed as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the provisions stated by the Republic Act No. 2563.
- The people of this barangay formerly settled in the top of a mountain. It was known as “Olisihan”, because of the abundance of Olisi trees in their settlement. When the national highway was constructed and bisects through the mountains of the municipality, many people evacuated near the highway and leaving the old site abandoned. Thus, the settlement was moved and the populace remained in this area. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Suba until it was granted as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through Republic Act No 2563.
- It was known as “Pinamono-an”. It was changed in honor of the first Filipino boxer, Francisco Guilledo
(popularly known by the moniker, Pancho Villa). It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Suba until on June 21, 1959, the sitio was created and established through the mandated provisions by the Republic Act No 2563.
- Named in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. On June 21, 1959, the sitio was elevated as a barangay through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 2563.
- It remained as part of Barangay Consolacion, until it was separated due to its size and its population.*
- The exact creation is never known by the people of this barangay. However, the barangay existed on 1952, after the World War II. A general assembly was called by the people and it was officially established as a fully pledged barangay. The name of the barangay has two significant names, a combination of words that leads to the creation of the barangay. First, when the settlement was declared a barangay, the latter shouts for “Mabuhay! Mabuhay!” meaning the people celebrate and being joyous to the decision of the assembly. Thus, the people adapted the name “Mabuhay”. Second, the settlement was led by a certain Teniente del Barrio Francisco Garlet, the fountainhead of making the settlement a barangay. Through his efforts, it was named “Francisco Mabuhay”. Since, the people are mainly Catholics and are religious in nature; they put the “San” (Saint
or Holy) before the name of the barangay. Hence, it is known by the name of “San Francisco Mabuhay”. The patron saint of the barangay is Saint Vincent Ferrer. On June 21, 1959, the place was established as a barangay through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- It was formerly known as “Malupao”. Later, the people renamed it after San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Laborer), the patron saint of farmers and of the barangay.
- It was named after San Jose (Saint Joseph
), the patron saint of the barangay. The barangay was created in June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- The barangay was formerly known as “Agta
”, a legendary creature that resides on trees and far-flung places. Many residents believed that the Agta
owned and lived in the present site. A certain educated stranger later emerged in the village and changed the name of the barangay. It was decided that the name of the barangay will be named after its patron saint, San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist). It existed as a barangay on June 21, 1959, when the Republic Act No. 2563 was passed in the congress to instill the barangayhood of several sitios in the 3rd District of Leyte. However, on June 19, 1960, the sitios of Hubasan, Agta Proper, Manduduknay, Kabas-an and Cabadbaran were merge to the newly created barangay.
- It was formerly known as “Batang”, after the Batang tree. It was decided that the barangay will be named in honor of their patron saint, San Miguel (Saint Michael the Archangel).
- The barangay was formerly named after the Hipgasan River which passes through the village. Presently, it was renamed after its patron saint, San Pedro (Saint Peter
).
- The barangay is named in honor of their patron saint, San Roque (Saint Roch),
- It was founded as a barangay in 1950. The barangay is subjected by landslides and mudslides. Thus, the brief description of the people of the barangay is “Anas”, vernacular for “landslides”. Since then, the barangay is known as “Anas”, because of the frequent landslides that took place in the village. However, the name was later changed into San Vicente, named after their patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer (Saint Vincent Ferrer). On June 21, 1959, the place was formally established as a barangay through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- It was officially carved out from Barangay Libas on June 21, 1959, through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- The barangay nestles at the mighty Subangdaku River
, thus earning the barangay’s name, “Suba”.
- It was formerly known as “San Antonio”, named after its patron saint, San Antonio de Padua (Saint Anthony of Padua).
- It was formerly known as “San Lorenzo Ruiz”, named after its patron saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz (Saint Lorenzo Ruiz). The named is popularly called by the inhabitants until today.
Generally, rice is the staple food of the province and also includes corn. Mountain living folks, however, prefer root crops which is abundant in the place. Native delicacies of the municipality include tres marias, suman, bocarillo, salvaro, bibingka, ampaw, puto, biko, bibingka, empanada, and starhoy. They also have their own kinilaw, a Filipino ceviche made with raw fish cubed and marinated in vinegar or Calamansi (lemon) juice along with garlic, onions, ginger, tomato and various peppers.
, in terms of population in the province of Southern Leyte
.
Within the municipality, Barangay Zone V registered as the highest population of about 3,382 inhabitants, followed by Barangay Zone III and Barangay Maac with the population of 1,934 inhabitants and 1,869 inhabitants, respectively.
But the barangay with the lowest population is Barangay Lum-an ,having a population of only 90 individuals; followed by Barangay Hindangan and Barangay Buac Daku with the population of 116 individuals and 119 individuals.
The town is also suffering from population migration
because of the massive economic progress in the municipality. Rustic barangays, mostly found in the hinterlands, are now experiencing a decrease in their population rate because of the lack of progress in their communities and migrated to the town proper.
and the major language spoken in the municipality. The speech variety however used by the people has also Boholano (Bol-anon) influences because of its proximity with the province Bohol. Some Sogodnons also used the Surigaonon dialect with mixed Boholano variety, those having a Surigaonon lineage. Furthermore, Waray-Waray
is spoken as a secondary language. Natives also understood foreign languages such as English
and Spanish
.
with a percentage of about 93% of the total population. 7% adheres to other Protestant sects and some Muslim followers. The Catholics built their own church around mid 1600s by the Jesuit Fathers and later the light of Christianity in the whole municipality arose when it was established as a mission in 1720. Priests were served from the mother parish of Malitbog
, San Juan
, Hilongos and Maasin. The present church, which was constructed on 1960s, is one of the largest churches in the whole Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
. Sogod is considered as the bulk or the stronghold of the Catholic faith in the whole province because of its large number of adherents, despite of the growing proliferation of the Protestant faiths.
Protestant churches such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, United Church of Christ in the Philippines
(UCCP
), Iglesia Ni Cristo
(INC
), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons
), Church of God International
(Ang Dating Daan
), Filipino Crusaders World Army (Moncados), Baptist Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Sogod Alliance Church, Assembly of God (AG) and others, set and maintain their churches in christening the town. The Protestants are active in areas which are far from the town proper and in the hinterlands. Muslim
s are present in the town, but their number for the past years gradually decreased because their mosque
and homes were demolished and regarded as squatters.
Every barangay
and sitio
has its own Roman Catholic chapel
aside from the parish church
in the Poblacion
(Town Proper) and in Barangay Consolacion. The municipality is under the patronage
of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which the Sogodnons celebrated her feast day on every 15 December. Sogod parish is the seat of the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception
, which is composed of six parishes (Bontoc
, Barangay Consolacion, Barangay Divisoria, Libagon, Sogod and Tomas Oppus parishes). The Consolacion parish was created on 1967, under the patronage of the Holy Child Jesus (Santo Niño
) and celebrates their fiesta on every Last Saturday of January. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
Although most people are Christians, a very few who live in remote villages of the municipality hold-on to Pre-Hispanic influences in making offerings and sacrifices before planting their crops. Farmers ritually sacrifice chickens and pigs to ensure that the spirits or elementals which they believe to be the cause of good harvest will grant them.
Religious Events
Fiesta, a Spanish term which means festivity, is celebrated in the municipality with prayer, food/drinking, dance and music. Every barangay in the town have their own distinct date of celebration. Sogod pays homage to the patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, every 14th and 15 December.
is a deeply rooted institution in this municipality within 93% of the entire population of Sogod embracing the faith. Hence, Sogod is predominantly Roman Catholic. While 7% belongs to other Protestant sects and a small Muslim minority. In May 8, 2011, the Diocese of Maasin are appointing the priests to their respected assignments. Reverend Monsignor Nestor S. Astillo, PC, Reverend Father Pepito Generan Jr., assistant parish priest; Reverend Father Wilson Delos Reyes are the new parish
curate
, parochial vicar
and resident priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish of Sogod, respectively. In the Holy Child Parish of Barangay Consolacion, Reverend Father Jose Benito S. Labrador is currently the parish priest of the parish.
Sogod, under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin since 1968, is divided into two parishes, namely:
After Maac regain its barangayhood from Consolacion, the barrio was later subdivided into two barrios: Mahayahay and Maac. Barangay Maac’s area was gradually larger for sometime because the area of Barangay Mahayahay was small.
Then, Barangay Javier, named in honor of the late Daniel Falcon Javier
, was worn out from Barangay Maac. People from the western side of Barangay Maac were urging to have a separate barrio government. After sometime, it was passed on the congress and obtains its barrio status against Barangay Maac until it is declared as a separate barangay of Javier. However, a boundary dispute took place between Maac and Javier after a certain portion of the said bill was unclear. Immediately, the boundary dispute has been settled not long after the bill was passed.
Mano Daniel Javier is a teacher and principal of the Cebu Normal School (now known as Cebu Normal University
). After his resignation, he went to Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
where he used to farmed to his land and provide extensive farming activities to the people. He is also the fountainhead of making barrio Bugho in the town of Abuyog, Leyte
progressive and led the people in community activities in the fields of health, education and agriculture. When he died on 1957, Bugho was raised into municipal status and renamed their town “Javier” on December 1965.
Barangay Consolacion was said to be livelier, populous and progressive than Sogod. Like Sogod, it has a bustling port were boats ply from Cebu and Surigao and fish boats arrived together with their catch and sell it to the people. Because of the being progressive and the centermost barrio in the southeastern portion of the municipality, people from other places migrated and settle their business in the barrio. Barangay Consolacion was designated as the poblacion of Sogod in 1904 when Ladislao Decenteceo was elected as mayor in the municipality. However, it was short-lived and upon the election of Vicente Cariño as mayor in 1912, he restored the seat of government to Sogod proper. Nowadays, Barangay Consolacion has a total population of 1,200 inhabitants and just like other barrios in the province; it is progressive and productive but sleepy barrio.
The Holy Child Parish of Consolacion, Sogod was established on 1967 by the Most Reverend Bishop Teotimo Pacis, Archdiocese of Palo. As of the 1993 census, the total Catholic population is 9,616.
At present, the Parish has maintained a number of mandated religious organizations which are active in the various fields of church apostolates, namely: Catholic Women's League
, Legion of Mary, Charismatic Renewal Movement, and cofradias (confraternities) like the Birhen sa Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes), Sagrada Corazon (Sacred Heart
), Inahan sa Kanunayng Panabang (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), San Jose
(Saint Joseph
) and San Antonio (Saint Anthony of Padua). Other organizations are the Knights of the Santo Niño
(established by Reverend Father Oliver Edulan), Lay Ministers, Catechist, CF-LAMP, Parish Emergency Action Team and the Knights of the Altar.
Recently, the Parish embarked on a church-expansion program, a project initiated by Father Edulan and substantially aided by the Bishop of Maasin. A Project Committee has been organized to administer and oversee the project.
From September 1992 to March 1993, the Parish launched an intensive doctrinal and spiritual formation program through the Catholic Faith Lay Apostolic Movement of the Philippines. (CF-LAMP), a local group tasked of defending the Catholic faith from proselytizing sects. This program has brought about remarkable conversations especially among the nominal and indifferent Catholics that the effects have been dubbed balik-Simbahan. One of the fruits of this program is that the barrio faithful have also embarked on renovations and extensions of their respective chapels.
It is the hope of the parish to mold, form and activate small Christian communities so that they will ultimately become the images of Christ here on earth – that of a worshipping, evangelizing, and serving community.
Aptly so, because Sogod is where thousand start their journey to other parts of the archipelago
. In other words, this town is a junction to many places. One can take a ride to the capital town with ease, for buses and jeepneys go there by the hour. You need to go to a regional office in Tacloban City
, and several buses a day can take you there. The ferry terminal in Liloan
is just an hour’s ride away, and Mindanao is almost at the doorstep from there. A Trip to Manila is not a problem, for long-distance transport is available. Indeed, Sogod is a good place to start when one wants to go to somewhere.
Demised Mariologists may turn in their graves, but the patroness of Sogod can also be said to be a Sogodnon. For, technically speaking (may God allow the use of this phrase in His divine plan), Immaculada Concepcion speaks of the beginning of the Incarnation. The Blessed Virgin, chosen by God to become the Mother of his Son, is starting her earthly life through an “Immaculate Conception” in her mother’s womb. Aptly chosen as the patroness of the parish as well by the community, indeed.
Of course, under the mantle of Our Lady, the Sogodnons have already begun their journey towards salvation. It all began when the people of Sogod started building a church of light materials. But Moro pirates, as legend tells it, razed the structure to the ground. Unfazed, the people again started to build another church – now made of strong materials- and a watch tower. The Moro invaders returned and burned and destroyed the church and the watch tower. In spite of these tragedies, the people remained where they were. It is regarded as a test of faith to see their churches burned time and again, the Sogodnons transformed their community into a church with a capital C. This community – God’s people became a parish on May 14, 1866 under the patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception by virtue of a Real Aprobacion. Another leg of the journey had been overcome.
The history of Sogod Parish seems to be an endless cycle of starts and beginnings (Even its present church building which was started in the early 1960s and considered one of the biggest in the diocese is still unfinished.) But this is where one can find the charm of the place and its people. Undaunted by events that somehow destroy what they had begun, the Sogodnons can always be counted to rise up and start all over again. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
. Natives of then Sugut village found a settlement near the banks of the great Subangdaku River
in the enclaves of Seilani (present-day Southern Leyte province) in what the Spaniards named baluarte (Barangay Zone III, formerly known as San Lorenzo Ruiz, named after the latter’s patron saint) which has retained its name until today, where the ruins of an old church and a watchtower
can be found.
In 1543, during the era of Villalobos expedition, folks living in Abuyog, Leyte
informed the navigators that a certain area in the southeastern part of the island lies a village named Sugut. It is although a thriving center of trade
and commerce
, Chinese traders are frequently visiting the settlement and traded the natives with gold and slaves. This information was later confirmed when the Legazpi
expedition in 1565 came to visit the country. It was described as a large and thickly populated village facing the island of Panaon. Seventeen years later, the Spanish chronicler Loarca noted that Sugut was one of the aboriginal villages in Leyte
, together with Cabalian (San Juan, Southern Leyte
), Ormog (Ormoc City
) and Tandaya (Carigara, Leyte
). On September 6, 1571, Sogod became a part of the Spanish encomienda
(commission).
The community was object to frequent Moro raids so that a baluarte (watchtower, its ruins still visible today) was built to warn villagers against the approach of the raiders. In such crisis, a colorful personality emerged – Datu Mangkaw. His real name was Bankaw, the person who led the Leyte revolt in 1622 against the Spaniards. He was known as a net-fisherman. Already a fishing ground that it is today, Sogod then had houses clustered close to shore around the watchtower. Datu Mangkaw, an expert in the art of casting the net, laya, he could send out the casting net in a perfect circle in the sea. As the community grew bigger, the residents agitated for a name for their place. Meetings after meetings were held presided by Datu Mangkaw. But every time a meeting is ongoing, a shoal of fish would be seen by the subtle ripplings and dimplings of the surface or quick shifting shadow beneath the surface and the eyes of Datu Mangkaw kept stalking it, interfering with the meeting. Satisfying his unequalled fisherman’s instinct, he would leave the meeting unattended and his body language was being watched by the attendees, feasting their eyes on the artful slide of the feet of Datu Mangkaw so as not to disturb the surface, his eyes fixed on the school. Then, he shared his catch with the people for the asking, even by strangers. After which, shouts of “Sogod, sogod” (begin) would reconvene the meeting. Thus the word “SOGOD” became the name of the village then and the town as it is today. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
Residencias. During the Muslim
raids in 1603 and 1634, the church was burned and Father Ventura Barcena was brought as captive in Tawi-Tawi
. In 1634, during a Moro raid Father Francisco Lauzon was killed and Sogod was subject to frequent Moro raids as it faced Mindanao. Another incident occurred again on September 27, 1705, when the Moros attack the seashore and killed Father Pedro Oriel. On account of this, the Jesuit missionaries in Cabalian (San Juan) undertook the construction of the concrete church and a watchtower in 1718 upon the order of Bishop Sebastian Faronda, Diocese of Cebu
(now Archdiocese of Cebu. In 1720, the Jesuits formally assigned priests into the settlement together with the newly constructed watchtower and concrete church. These were razed to the ground and the Kampanang Bulaw (Golden Bell) was thrown into the rice fields when the Moros returned and raided Sogod in 1754.
Sogod was officially established as a barrio (district/ward) on May 18, 1700. Later it was incorporated as a barrio of Maasin in 1755. It was placed under the jurisdiction of Malitbog
in 1768, after obtaining separation from Maasin and became an independent pueblo (municipality).
Through the efforts of the political leaders of Sogod, Buntuk (Bontoc
town) and Maak (present-day Barangay Consolacion) led by Juan Cavales (Cabales), Antonio Prima, Enero Cegales (Segales), German Catajoy, Silverio Bilisa (Billesa), Juan Barcelon, Miguel Tubia and Juan Dagaas, Sogod became a fully pledged municipality by virtue of a decree
signed by Governor-General
Antonio de Urbiztondo on June 10, 1853. The first gobernadorcillo
is Don Juan Cavales, which its leadership lasted for two years. On August 8, 1869, thirteen year after its inauguration, Sogod was raised with a parochial status under the patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception by virtue of a Real Aprobacion, an Episcopal decree dated May 14, 1866. Sogod was separated from the mother municipality
, Malitbog, in terms of parochial and municipal status. However, on 1886, Father Redondo reports that the church, which was made of light materials, and the convento were in the bad condition.
There are no remains of Jesuit architecture in Sogod. The old church traces to the initiative of the secular priest who built the church in the late 19th century. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
was governed by duly elected gobernadorcillo
s like:
However, when Don Nicolas Idjao became gobernadorcillo
in 1885, he transferred the poblacion
(seat of government) to the barrio of Libagon, being a native to the place. The Poblacion
(town proper) of Sogod then became Sogod Viejo (sometimes called Sogod Del Norte), meaning Old Sogod and Libagon became Sogod Nuevo (sometimes called Sogod Del Sur), meaning New Sogod. There the municipality was governed by:
It was also during this time that the seat of the parish
was transferred to Libagon.
In 1903 to 1904, Don Benito Faelnar became the first Capitan Municipal (equivalent to present-day Mayor) of Sogod, the seat of government was transferred to Sogod.
When Capitan Ladislao Decenteceo took office on 1904, the seat of government was again transferred from Sogod to Barangay Consolacion. He was proclaimed winner after Faelnar run for re-election and lost. The voting process was done by whispering the name of a candidate of the voter’s choice to the municipal secretary. He served for 1904 to 1905.
In 1905, Capitan Dionisio Labata won from the first election of municipal president by balloting (replacing the Capitan Municipal), serving for 1905 to 1907. But on 1908, Capitan Gregorio Leviste replaced him and served the municipality from 1908 to 1911.
In 1912, upon the election of Vicente Cariño as municipal president (the term “Capitan Municipal” was defunct, after the arrival of the Americans and changed it to municipal president), the seat of government was restored to Sogod, being centrally located while Barangay Consolacion in the southern extreme of the municipality. On October 16, 1913, Libagon was made an independent municipality, appointing the first municipal president of Libagon, Mariano Espina.
At Sogod:
Governed the municipality after its return. Cadavos was later succeeded by Severino Macasocol, who due untimely death, served as mayor only for several months in 1941 to 1942. He was succeeded by:
During the forty years after the war, the mayors who served the municipality were:
On the 2004 Philippine General Elections, Shefferd Lino Siengco Tan won against the incumbent
mayor, Doctor
Edmundo Reyes Villa. During his term, the municipality undergoes multiple changes and become the leading progressive center in the province. Again, Tan was reelected as municipal mayor of Sogod in the 2007 elections, after a close-fisted fight against the opponent, Colonel George Rabusa, a resigned top military official that served the municipality for a couple of years. During those days, the municipality was appointed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC
) as “election hotspot”, because tensions abrupt between the two parties.
Tan was also running for reelection for the 2010 Philippine General Elections. Fortunately, he won a landslide victory against the former mayor, Ignacio “Igning” Siega, to whom he served the town for twenty years. Siega’s known development in the town during the Marcos regime was the improvement and building the first stable municipality hall which was made out of concrete and wood. This time, this is the third term where he is the mayor of Sogod, serving the municipality for three straight consecutive years (July 1, 2004-June 30, 2007; July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010 and July 1, 2010 until present).
To date, Sogod has a total population of 40,064 distributed among forty-five (45) barangays on a land area of 23,690 hectares or 236.9 square kilometers. Being the center of Southern Leyte
mainland, Sogod has become the link between Leyte province and the Pan-Philippine National Highway. The town has still an untapped economy which could contribute to its development as another commercio-industrial center giving socio-economic lifeblood to trade and culture in the Eastern Visayas Region.
Libagon is home to Mount Patag Daku, one of the frontier mountains of the province. The name “Patag Daku” comes from the two Cebuano words – Patag means flatland and Daku means wide, because in the top of the mountain is a plateau and its soil is fertile. The mountain is found at the northern portion of the municipality which describe as the hinterlands between the mountainous borders between the municipalities of Libagon and Saint Bernard. The mountain contains all the wild flora and faunas imaginable on the topics. The area covers a thousand hectares and characterizes half flat land and half gentle weltering hills with rivers and creeks glide down on a hillside and flow to a tributary winding down to the sea. Its economy is preserved. Access to the mountain paradise is being chartered to open its verdant plateau for tourism Wildlife Park, an Amazon Valley-like wilderness in Southern Leyte rimmed by scenic mountain ranges two (2) kilometers wide and five (5) kilometers long of unsullied wilderness.
The legend of the town comes from a small depression to the ground describe as “Ibaong”, “Libaong” or “Libagong”, which the name "Libagon" is its primitive name. Spanish authorities mistook reference to the ground fault on the land being tilled as the name of the place. Since that happening, the town is been known as “Libagon”. The name “Libagon” suits the town’s characteristics because of its wide flatlands which is a promising agricultural development area or as game or a tourist destination for its beauty and a suspicion of a volcano, which is an effect of eccentric earth vibration over the years. But there is no exact evidence on this suspicion as verified by the concerned agency.
The town was 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, twenty-two kilometers from Sogod. Then, he renamed Libagon as Sogod Nuevo or Sogod Del Norte while Sogod as Sogod Viejo or Sogod Del Sur. After twelve years of power, the poblacion was restored to Sogod for sometime when Benito Faelnar was appointed as capitan municipal. But on 1904, Ladislao Decenteceo was elected and transferred the poblacion to Barangay Consolacion, a barrio twelve (12) kilometers from Libagon. However on 1912, the poblacion was transferred to Sogod, when Vicente Cariño took office in that year.
After much determination and time-after-time transfer of the poblacion of Sogod, Libagon was finally inaugurated as a municipality. On October 16, 1913, the Municipality of Libagon got separated from the municipality of Sogod with its new capitan municipal, Mariano Espina. Espina was a konsehal (councilor) during the Decenteceo administration and he was the fountainhead of creating Libagon a municipality.
Libagon is known of its Spanish style municipal hall building. Libagon is one of the places that can attract more tourists to the province. These spots are: Biasong Spring (Barangay Biasong), Pangi Black Sand Beach (Barangay Pangi), Endriga Beach Resort (Barangay Jubas), Uwan-Uwanan Waterfalls (Barangay Kawayan), ruins of the Old Pantalan (seaport; Barangay Jubas) and the old building of the Libagon Academy Foundation, Inc. (Barangay Jubas).
The municipality is known to be religious and famous towards the province because they have two annual fiestas in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One is the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the town patroness, which is celebrated every 8 December. Another is the feast of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is regarded as the secondary patroness of the town and celebrated on every 16 July. These two (2) fiestas is greatly known because of the strong faith of the Libagonhons to their patrons and also known for its creative floral arrangement of their caros and the church's altar. The people's main sources of income are copra, abaca, farming, and fishing.
The town is named after a creek which is found at the center of Barangays Poblacion and Talisay. The former site of the town is in the area of what is known as “Lungsodaan” (Old Town) at Barangay Santo Niño where the present cemetery stands. But later, the townspeople transfer a kilometer northbound to its present site.
During the Japanese occupation, the town serves as the seat of resistance movement against the Japanese with its general headquarters in sitio Mamingaw, Barangay Banahaw and under the command of Colonel Ruperto K. Kangleon. Also, a small monument stands in front of Bontoc motor pool at sitio Trece, Barangay Santo Niño commemorating the annihilation of truckload of Japanese soldiers that patrol in the surrounding area.
After the inauguration of the municipality, Bontoc progressed and was tentatively classified as 3rd class “F” in the province with an average annual budget of over P15,000. Also, the town boasts of its long stretch of rich alluvial plain, which is drained by the Salog and Divisoria Rivers. Because of its rich soil, the town is subjected to rice farming and considered as the greatest farming region in the entire Sogod Bay District. The town is also the producer of Abaca, Copra and Tobacco in the Bay District.
The town celebrates their fiesta in honor of the Holy Child Jesus. The Karatong Festival, held every 15 January, was done by colorful participants dancing in honor of the icon of the Señor Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus). Some devotees to the Señor Santo Niño said that it can performed miracles that can heal sickness of those who touches the said icon.
(DepEd), oversee the implementation of programs and thrusts of the department. The School districts are consists of Sogod (Sogod Central School) as the center of the west district and Barangay Consolacion (Consolacion Elementary School) as the center of the east district. It is currently undergoing changes like the building of classrooms, the beautification of the schools, putting computers in the schools and etc., in order to achieve the goal: “Quality Education and Education for All”. Secondary education
is being provided by three National High School
s and a Catholic
-run institution, which makes the municipality as a thriving centre for education in the north central part of the province. Tertiary Education
is being affiliated by two institutions. One is being managed by the government and the other one is run by the Roman Catholic Clergy
of Sogod.
(IRA) of the municipality of Sogod for the fiscal year of 2008 is PHP 58,209,905, making the municipality as the largest income-maker and IRA in the entire province of Southern Leyte. Also, it is one of the largest in the entire of island and being competitive to other neighboring municipalities like Abuyog, Albuera, Bato, Baybay, Dulag, Hilongos, Liloan, San Juan, and Maasin City. The municipality is one of the fastest growing economies in the southern portion of island of Leyte, as it is very evident until today because many people from other communities gather in the public market and in the major groceries (like Joaquin Yap and Sons Marketing, Inc. (JYSMI), PANELANS and the Antonio Palanca Remedios Aquino (APRA) Grocery) to meet their local necessities and to sell their products and produce. Fishes, meat, vegetables and rice are also abundant in the public market of Sogod because there are many consumers and they can afford to transfer their produce from their area to the market easily by well-maintained roads and infrastructure that leads to the poblacion.
Majority of the people living in the Pacific Coast and the Panaon Island
chooses Sogod as their choice because of its proximity and location than commuting to Maasin City due to its location, being the farthest area of trade. The municipality is also booming due to the heavy migration that the municipality has encountered, seeking a better future in the municipality.
Despite of its economy, the town is facing a major facelift, as the town undergoes several construction of buildings like banks, cooperatives, restaurants and a mall. Gaisano Capital
Group, one of largest shopping mall chains in the country, has been opened it's first constructed mall in the province
last June 10, 2011 during the town fiesta and can be found at the corner between Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road and Bagares Street, Barangay Zone V.
s and pawnshops are becoming the indicator of economic growth in the municipality. The town, since the mid 1990s, is experiencing the high economic rate and mass migration due to banking, making it as the center of trade and commerce in Southern Leyte. Nowadays, Sogod has established six banks and eight pawnshops and attracting people from other places.
List of Banks in Sogod
List of Pawnshops in Sogod
List of Establishments in Sogod
Manufacturing
is small scale: charcoal
(burnt coconut shells), abaca
products, ceramics, coconut oil
, furniture
making, hollow block making, and gravel
and sand
. Export products are copra, abaca, abaca handicrafts and fiber craft items. Minerals As of 1992, the province of Southern Leyte’s metallic reserves totaled 771,830 metric tons. All of the municipalities and one city in the province have mineral deposits including Sogod. The town has magnesite
, gold
, silver
and copper
deposits. However, Sogod’s mountains are unexplored and the soil is not suitable for mining due to soft clay surface.
Metalworks
Except for blacksmithing, work is undertaken principally in the poblacion and in the barrios of Sogod, turning out working bolos, machete and steel fabrication of window grills and other household needs; metalwork for the past years changed but the old process in molding metals are still being used. The body repairs of vehicles are carried out by small metal shops somewhere in the municipality or in Barangay Talisay in Bontoc, doubling as jack-of-all-trade. Metalwork is concerned with an accessory fabrication for pump boats that abound in the town’s waters and building construction where steel had replaced the disappearing wood as housing material.
(BayanTel), covering the town of Sogod and the nearby town of Bontoc; and Globe Telecoms, covers the town of Sogod and nearby communities. Cellphone systems are also being improved in the town since its existence on 2001 with Smart Communications
as the first company to set foot on the town grounds by making cell towers, providing signal to the community and its environs. Later, Globe Telecom
build their cell towers in the town and creating cellphone signals to the community.
is the potpot, a tricycle
which carries nine to twelve passengers including the driver. But people in the far flung areas use the habal-habal, a hired motorcycle which carries less than eight persons including the driver. The potpots in Sogod has their assigned color scheme which indicates their area. There are three colored potpots which roam towards the entire vicinity of the municipality and other towns, which are Blue, Red and White. The Blue ones are assigned only on the poblacion (town proper) and in the barrios that is equidistant to the poblacion (Barangays Mabicay, Pandan, San Isidro and San Miguel in Sogod, and Barangays Casao and Santa Cruz in Bontoc
). The white potpots are assigned westwards from Barangay Casao, to the town of Tomas Oppus. The red potpots are traversing eastwards from Barangay San Isidro to Barangays Buac Gamay, Consolacion and Maac. The fare ranges from PHP 6.00 to P10.00 in the entire poblacion and its environs in blue potpots; PHP 10.00 is minimum rate with PHP 1.00 for every succeeding barangay from Sogod to Barangay Maac in the red motorcabs; PHP 10.00 is the minimum rate from Sogod to Tomas Oppus in white
motorcabs (potpot). In days without school, the rates are increased with P1.00 without further notice. The habals-habals or single motorcycles are used as modes of transportation in carrying commuters and excess baggage to distant and mountainous areas in the municipality. Its area covers the barangays northwards from Barangay Suba (Crossing Sawong) to Barangay Kahupian and to Mahaplag; Barangay Suba (Crossing Sawong) to Barangay San Francisco; Barangays Magatas and Benit to Barangays Kauswagan and Hipantag; westwards from Barangays Milagroso, Santa Maria to Barangay Libas; Barangays Mabicay and Pangi to Barangays Libas, Ta-a, and Cabadbaran; Barangays Libas to Barangay Hilaan to Bontoc; Barangay Hilaan (Bontoc) to Barangay San Vicente (Bontoc); and on the east covers Barangays Buac Daku, Malinao and Maria Plana. There are no fixed rates
in commuting habals-habals because it is not registered as transportation in Land Transportation Office (LTO). But the suggested fare is P15.00 to P50.00, depending on the distance of its destination. Like the potpots, the rates are increased when it comes to summer. On traversing from Sogod to other places, there are plenty of vehicles that accommodate in Sogod because the town is the major terminus in the south central portion in Leyte Island. It is the vital link in connecting Visayas to Mindanao. The buses, jeepneys, and for hire vans
terminate from Sogod to Maasin City
, Ormoc City
, Tacloban City
, Bato
-Hilongos, Liloan
, Hinunangan and Silago. Fairs are organized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
, the highest ever built in the Philippines. The bridge straddles between two mountains and traverses along the Mahaplag-Sogod (south-central) section of the Maharlika Highway. It provides a significant link to motorists traveling from Luzon to Mindanao
. This bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has constructed with a help from the Japanese Government. It involves the construction of a 350 linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two piers from the ground and has a height of 292 feet above ground.
Residents said that the Agas-Agas section of the Maharlika Highway in Southern Leyte is known for being prone to slides during heavy rains. Since it is situated in a mountainous area, it is regularly reported that movements of loose soil or landslide
s take place whenever it rains heavily, much more when typhoon strikes the province. Thus, the viaduct
was constructed in 2006 primarily to help motorists avoid the mountainous sections that are prone to landslides and road slips and prevent life and property losses.
Seeing its high tourism potential the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the executive department which is responsible for all safety of projects in the filed of public works and roads, submitted to the President Gloria Arroyo, a plan to turn the PHP 1,024,000 billion bridge into a haven for sports enthusiasts who are into bungee jumping, paramotor, downhill skateboarding and zipline rapelling and other extreme sports. Seeing the panoramic beauty of the mountains and rivers around it, then-President Arroyo had ordered that a bungee jumping platform be constructed along the bridge as well as other tourists amenities.
Zip Southern Leyte
On April 11, 2011,The newly completed construction of the much-awaited zip line, an environment friendly tourist attraction, has now become an added feature of Agas-agas Bridge, the tallest bridge in the Philippines located in Sogod, Southern Leyte.
A soft opening of Zip Southern Leyte, is the first tandem zipline facility in Eastern Visayas, will be officially opened to the public on Friday, Provincial Governor Damian G. Mercado said in his letter invitation to PIA Southern Leyte.
The zip line extreme sports facility is the typical Public Private Partnership (PPP) undertaking by the provincial government of Southern Leyte and a local investor, Edwin Sakdalan, who is based in Camp Sabros, Digos City, Provincial Tourism Officer Nedgar Garvez said to PIA. PPP is a priority project.
On the same occasion, the provincial government has also scheduled for the groundbreaking ceremony of the planned Provincial Pavilion at the vicinity of Agas-agas Bridge in Barangay Kahupian, Sogod, he said.
From Maasin City, a motorcade will commence at the Provincial Capitol at Agas-agas Bridge and converge at Sogod Suba Junction road for the motorcade coming from Libagon, Pacific and Pana-on municipal and provincial officials, he further said.
The Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) has identified the construction of zip line among the four tourism hubs, namely, the Canopy Walk in the virgin forests of Silago, dive sites of San Francisco and Padre Burgos and the animal park in Danao Forest Park in Maasin City, SLCCI President Engr. Robert Castañares disclosed to PIA earlier.
The Pasanon Falls and River in Barangay Dagsa, Lum-an Falls in Barangay Lum-an, Lake Lanao and Springs in Barangay San Juan, Subangdaku River in Barangays Suba and San Miguel, man-made lake in Barangay Malinao, Labong Cave in Barangay Javier, Magapso Beach in Barangay Maac, Black Sand Beaches in Barangay Consolacion and Prima, Cabadoy and Palanca Pebble Beaches in Barangay San Jose are one of the few sites that the municipality can offer. But some of these sites are in ruins, endangered or rather unexplored by human activities.
In the fields of infrastructure and agro-tourism, the Agas-Agas Bridge is famous and considered as the highest bridge in the Philippines. It stands 85 meters tall or 1,000 feet high and spans 300 meters connecting the Maharlika Highway. It is built so, because the area is prone to landslides and often many accidents occurred in this narrow corridor with a deep ravine on its side. Today, the bridge carries visitors to visit the area and government officials have plans to make it as a tourist attraction. Some bridges like the Subangdaku Bridge is regarded as one of the longest bridge in the entire province and up to now another bridge is constructed to minimize the travel time for the commuters traveling along the arterial highways. Along the bridge, one can see a dam that controls the river current when bad weather occurs. Also, CTL Farms, named in-memory of the owner's son Carlo Tirso Luzon, in Barangay Concepcion and La Caridad Farms in Barangay Buac Gamay offers wide array of beautiful flora and fauna. The farms also offer many activities, either you can go fishing or roam around and enjoy the fields of green by affordable prices.
The town has hotels, inns, and pension houses that can accommodate visitors; this are
Bars and Restaurants are evident in the town, like:
Function Houses, like :
Former Mayor Edmund Villa shared a rather unlikely advice from the very people who had trekked the site: don't touch anything there.
The foreigners stressed that the natural ways of going to the covered hideaway be left as it is, including the leeches, to underscore nature at its best, former mayor Villa said, quoting his visitors.
He described the site as the meeting point of three rivers, a scenic junction which developed into a natural pool deep into the jungle in what remains as Sogod's lush forests- an imposing sight to behold.
The blissful area can be reached after a three kilometer walk from the road proper - virtually just a short distance, but surely a bloody one if any unsuspecting intruder is not careful enough for blood-sucking "limatok", the presence of which added yet another twisting thrill and adventure to the trip. The cave, matched with a cascading falls, has not yet been fully explored inside.
The advice on not to touch anything at a natural resort was a basic principle in eco-tourism, where the natural environment would be preserved for all its inherent beauty, wonders and surprises.
The cave is in Barangay San Francisco Mabuhay, a barangay found in the mountainous area of the municipality, is accessible by a rough road leading to Sitio Kabernal (part of Barangay Kahupian, Sitio Silao Bato (part of Barangay Kahupian) and Sitio Hagna (part of Barangay San Francisco Mabuhay) through habal-habal (single tricycles). The cave, however, is equidistant to the Agas-Agas Bridge, the municipal cattle farms, and the zipline.
Besides, it helps when any tourists attraction is not meticulously planned, after all, to make for a spontaneous hike or climb from interested nature lovers and less development expense, too, on the part of the local government.
Cebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
: Lungsod sa Sogod, Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
: Bayan ng Sogod, Waray
Waray-Waray language
Wáray-Wáray or Samarnon is a language spoken in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and in some parts of the Leyte and Biliran in the Philippines...
: Bungto han Sogod) is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Southern 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...
. Sogod is connected in the Maharlika Highway (AH26) that links Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
to Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, one of the most important highways in the 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 located seventy-two (72) kilometers northeast of Maasin City
Maasin City
Maasin City is a 4th class city in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Southern Leyte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 79,737.On August 10, 2000 Maasin was converted into a city.- History :...
, the capital city of the province, one hundred twenty-six (126) kilometers south of Tacloban City
Tacloban City
The City of Tacloban is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas...
, the regional center of Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas is one of the two regions of the Philippines having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other, and is designated as Region VIII...
, twenty-four (24) kilometers north of Liloan
Liloan, Southern Leyte
Liloan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. Liloan is located at the northern part of Panaon Island which is connected to the main island of Leyte by a bridge . Across from Liloan is the province of Southern Leyte...
, a major port town that connects Surigao City
Surigao City
The City of Surigao The City of Surigao The City of Surigao (Filipino Pronunciation: (sů-rēh-GAŮ) ( Filipino: Lungsod ng Surigao; Surigaonon: Siyudad nan Surigao) located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte,...
, and thirty-six (36) kilometers east of Hilongos
Hilongos, Leyte
Hilongos is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It borders with the municipality of Bato in the south. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 53,911 people in 10,763 households. Land area : 19,292...
, another major port town in the province of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. It is the largest municipality in the province encompassing a total land area of 23,690 hectares or about 236.9 square kilometers followed by the City of Maasin
Maasin City
Maasin City is a 4th class city in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Southern Leyte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 79,737.On August 10, 2000 Maasin was converted into a city.- History :...
having a total area of 21,165.8 hectares or 211.7 square kilometers. The name of the municipality means "to start", from the Cebuano word, sogod, a fitting name for the municipality as it is experiencing a massive economic growth since the establishment of many industries. According to the 2007 National Statistics Office (NSO) census, it has a population of 39,864 inhabitants.
Its varied landscape is composed of rugged mountain ranges in the northern portion and a flat-plained terrain in the center and southern areas of the municipality. The town has numerous river and creek systems suitable for agriculture it produces rice, corn, copra, tobacco, abaca and root crops. The mining and quarrying business in the Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River is a river situated in Sogod, Southern Leyte. It is the town's biggest river lying on the center part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. From the name itself in Cebuano means "big river" or "wide river"...
provides the town with an efficient supply of gravel and sand, which are either exported domestically to other neighboring provinces.
The municipality is home to Southern Leyte State University
Southern Leyte State University
Southern Leyte State University is a public university in the Philippines. It is mandated to provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in trade, fishery, agriculture, forestry, science, education, commerce, engineering and related courses...
(SLSU) Main Campus, a premier and foremost state university in the province of 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...
, the Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC)
Saint Thomas Aquinas College (Sogod)
Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic private school located at the corner between Bagares Street and Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines...
, one of the oldest and leading catholic institutions in the province and in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1968, the diocese was created from territory in the Archdiocese of Palo....
that served the community since January 6, 1946. It houses the Agas-Agas Bridge, the country's tallest bridge. It measures thirty (30) stories high or two hundred ninety-two (292) feet above ground. The bridge houses the longest and only zipline in Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas is one of the two regions of the Philippines having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other, and is designated as Region VIII...
in the length of eight hundred eighty (880) meters, established by the province as a tourist attraction. This bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that involves the construction of a three hundred fifty (350) linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two (2) piers from the ground.
Within the bay, the town is the center for trade, commerce and industry.
Location and Land Area
The municipality of Sogod covers 23,690 hectares or about 236.9 square kilometers in land area. It is situated in the northern portion of the province of Southern Leyte and in the south-central side of LeyteLeyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
Island, facing the Sogod Bay. It is located 10°23’10 North Longitude and 124°58’48 East Latitude. The town belongs to the province of 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...
. It is approximately seventy-two kilometers (72) from the City of Maasin, the provincial capital of Southern Leyte; one hundred twenty-seven (127) kilometers from Tacloban City
Tacloban City
The City of Tacloban is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas...
, the regional centre of Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas is one of the two regions of the Philippines having no land border with another region, MIMAROPA being the other, and is designated as Region VIII...
and the provincial capital of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
; one hundred six kilometers (106) from Ormoc City
Ormoc City
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people...
, the major entry of point of Leyte.
The town is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 26,511 people in 5,199 households.-Barangays:Mahaplag is politically subdivided into 28 barangays.* Campin...
, approximately thirty-eight (38) kilometers northbound via the Maharlika Highway; in the east are the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, and some portion of the municipality Saint Bernard
Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte
Saint Bernard is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it had a population of 23,089 people in 4,746 households....
; in the southeast is the municipality of Libagon, about twenty-two (22) kilometers eastbound via the national highway; facing to the south is Sogod Bay, the only water form that divides the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
from west to east; monitoring six (6) kilometers southwest bound lies the municipality of Bontoc
Bontoc, Southern Leyte
Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households....
; in the west are the towns of Hindang, Hilongos, and several portion of the municipalities of Bato
Bato, Leyte
Bato is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 32,974 people in 6,329 households.-Barangays:Bato is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.-External links:****...
and Inopacan.
It is either bounded by mountain ranges, rivers, creeks, and irrigation canals that run thru the municipality. In the north, the Mahaplag-Sogod boundary line is the provincial boundary line that separates the two provinces: Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
and 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...
, wherein the mountain slopes serves as a line. In Barangay Kahupian (particularly at Sitio Balintulay), passing by the Agas-Agas Bridge, are two bridges that links Sogod and Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 26,511 people in 5,199 households.-Barangays:Mahaplag is politically subdivided into 28 barangays.* Campin...
. Beneath these bridges are deep ravenous ridges that are made as a boundary for the two provinces and its people. In the east and west sides of the municipality are much similar to the north side, the mountain slopes serves also barricades from the other municipalities. However, some mountain roads are passable and people from these hinterlands are using these pivotal roads in order to bargain and trade their produce. In the southern part is bounded by rivers and creeks, wherein Santa Cruz creek serves as demarcation line bounded by the municipality of Bontoc and Gakat creek on the southeastern side of the town.
Topography
Sogod has mostly plains in the southern portion, making the land suitable for agriculture with rivers abound in the municipality. The most prominent ones are the Subangdaku RiverSubangdaku River
Subangdaku River is a river situated in Sogod, Southern Leyte. It is the town's biggest river lying on the center part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. From the name itself in Cebuano means "big river" or "wide river"...
, which is situated in the central portion and considered as hazardous, and the other one is the San Francisco River, the river that is the major channel for the Subangdaku River’s sustenance. Its source is found somewhere in the municipalities of Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, the home of the Buyogan Festival is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It is the largest town of the island of Leyte in terms of land area facing Leyte Gulf out into the Pacific Ocean...
and Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag, Leyte
Mahaplag is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 26,511 people in 5,199 households.-Barangays:Mahaplag is politically subdivided into 28 barangays.* Campin...
where it is an extension of the Layug River that leads to Mahaplag town and the Cadac-an River of Abuyog town, where is it the mouth of these rivers in the north. Eventually, hard rains contribute to the connection of Subangdaku River and Maag River in the municipality of Silago, Southern Leyte
Silago, Southern Leyte
Silago is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is a coastal town. As of August 1, 2007 census, it has a population of 11,163 people.-Barangays:Silago is politically subdivided into 15 barangays.-History:...
.
While rivers are abundant in the municipality, springs or tubod are literally found in the municipality. Mostly it is found on the barrios, which supplies the water they need for household purposes. The Magaupas Spring in Barangay Pandan and the Banat-e Spring in Barangay San Pedro are the sources of freshwater of the Sogod Water District (SWD), the local distributor of freshwater in Sogod Town Proper.
In the northern part are mountain slopes that are dotted with thick rain forests and serves as a habitat for rare species of flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
.There are three mountain ranges that separates the municipality from the other towns, these are: Baybay to Maasin Cordillera
Cordillera
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, that runs along a coastline . It comes from the Spanish word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord"...
, the Abuyog to Liloan
Liloan, Southern Leyte
Liloan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. Liloan is located at the northern part of Panaon Island which is connected to the main island of Leyte by a bridge . Across from Liloan is the province of Southern Leyte...
Cordillera and Mahaplag Mountain range. The Baybay to Maasin Cordillera are relatively scattered hills with high mountains situated on the Baybay-Hindang portion and it has varied upland plains, which is inhabited by the locals. The Abuyog to Liloan Cordillera
Cordillera
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, that runs along a coastline . It comes from the Spanish word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord"...
is somehow different and remote. It is mountainous and somehow regarded as the bounty for endangered animals such as the tarsier
Tarsier
Tarsiers are haplorrhine primates of the genus Tarsius, a genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes...
s, eagles, deers, monkeys, and others. The mountain range has an altitude of about 2,000 above sea level. It houses the Sogod rainforest, a vast area that is being exploited by loggers because of lumber. Due to massive timber cutting, it caused severe flowing of the Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River is a river situated in Sogod, Southern Leyte. It is the town's biggest river lying on the center part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. From the name itself in Cebuano means "big river" or "wide river"...
and mudslides to the nearby communities that surrounds the mountainous joint of the municipality. In mid-1980s, the Philippine Government issued the banning of timber cutting in the entire country, leading to the massive restoration of the forests in the country including Eastern Visayas. Now, the mountains and its environs are slowly restoring its virgin forest by reforestation projects headed by the Local Government Units (LGU
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
) and non-government organizations (NGO). The Mahaplag Cordillera is an arm of the Abuyog to Liloan Mountain Range and has the same characteristics with the other mountain ranges. Because of the dense forest and isolated by human activities, it is also home to other species of flora and fauna. But, however, the New People’s Army, a communist separatist group that is reckoning havoc since the Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
era, is actively operating and took camp in the vast hinterlands of the area.
The coastline of Sogod is characterized by black sands on the southeastern portion and in the southwestern side are pebbles and rocks that cover the entire poblacion. However, the length of the coastline of Sogod is small, the bay that surrounds the province is named after the municipality because the town is centrally located at the heart of the bay.
Subangdaku River
It is the town’s biggest river lying on the central part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. It is considered as the major drainage of the bay together with Divisoria River found in Barangay Divisoria, Bontoc
Bontoc, Southern Leyte
Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households....
town.
For years, following the floodings of the river, it created an issue over the province. It has been quarried and rechanneled which caused the incidents. After many attempts, the issue remained unsolved.
By description, it can be considered a braided river composed of several channels from near areas that divide and reunite forming an alluvial fan with very wide floodplain. As such, the river usually became hazardous during typhoon after a heavy rain. The river sometime overflows spilling its waters on the low-lying barangays of San Juan and San Vicente and destroyed an ongoing flood control project worth millions of pesos. The river has been known to meander along its course, ever changing its way over time. During the time it’s flooding, it destructs every side of its course. In 2001, portion of the road and banks in Barangay San Miguel along the river have been destroyed. It hampered the economic activities of the local residents as well as national because the destroyed portion is part of the Philippine National Road. The local officials blamed the rechannelization and uncontrolled quarrying of gravel and sand at the side of river as the cause of the flood. At a meeting on March 18, 2002, one of the representatives of a government agency alleged that the reason of the incidents of flood and other environmental problems in the river was due to the Philippine Fault System
Philippine Fault System
The Philippine Fault System is an inter-related system of faults throughout the whole of the Philippine Archipelago, primarily caused by tectonic forces compressing the Philippines into what tectonic geophysicists call the Philippine Mobile Belt....
which caused rocks to rumble down. However, the reason was contended because the fault is a geological feature and environmental problems in the province just occurred that time.
In 2007, Governor Damian Mercado and Congressman Roger Mercado, together with Mayor Sheffered Tan, order the complete rechannelization of the river with dikes to protect the barangays that touches the river namely: Suba, San Isidro, San Miguel and Concepcion, following to the plans of former Governor Rossette Yniguez-Lerias to rehabilitate the said river. Today, the dike is not strong enough to maintain the wild rage of the course of the river, although it stands but the foundation of the dike is weak and it is made of rocks that are concreted and formed into a barricade against the river (grouted riffraff).
An irrigation dam was constructed beneath the mighty Subangdaku River, to control the flow of the current to the farmlands in the southeastern portion of the municipality. It was destroyed during hard rains occurred last January 2011.
Climate
PrecipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
is throughout the year making agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
favorable. Two climate conditions exist: Type D, which is characterized by rainfall more or less evenly distributed all year round and Type E, with no dry season and a very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January.
Type E affects the eastern part of Sogod and Type D affects the western part of Sogod. The Subangdaku River is a dividing line between the two climate conditions.
Municipal Officials
The first automated Philippine elections, held on May 10, 2010, had elected new national and local officials for the whole country.In the municipality of Sogod, Mayor Sheffered Lino Tan, incumbent mayor of Sogod, won for the third time against his rival opponent, Ex-Mayor Ignacio Siega. Also, his running mate, Councilor Rufo Olo won against acting Vice-Mayor Leoncio Uy.
Tan had won over 14,478 votes despite Siega’s 5,762 votes in the mayoralty race while Olo managed 11,486 votes and Uy with 8,322 votes for the vice-mayoralty position.
These are the 2010-2013 elected municipal officials:
Mayor: Hon. Sheffered Lino S. Tan
Vice-Mayor: Hon. Rufo C. Olo
Sangguniang Bayan Members (Municipal Councilors):
- Hon. Gil L. Yong
- Hon. Alberto M. Casil Sr.
- Hon. Jonathan N. Segales (deceased)
- Hon. Melchor L. Cualteros
- Hon. Napoleon P. Regis
- Hon. Marilyn L. Villa
- Hon. Malaquias A. Luzon
- Hon. Aileen E. Basilad
- Hon. Christine Joy A. Olo (Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President)
Political Subdivision
The barangayBarangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
(ward/district) plays a pivotal role as the planning and implementing unit of government policies, programs and activities. Each barangay is led and governed by its Barangay Officials. The Barangay considered as a Local Government Unit (LGU) same as the Provincial and the Municipal Government. It is composed of a Punong Barangay (Barangay Captain/Chairman/Chief), a Sangguniang Barangay
Sangguniang Barangay
The Sangguniang Barangay is the legislative body of barangay governments in the Philippines. The term is coined from the Tagalog words "sanggunian" and "baranggay" which means "barangay advisory council". It passes ordinances and resolutions for the effective administration of the barangay...
(Barangay Council) with seven Barangay Kagawad
Barangay Kagawad
A Barangay Kagawad, abbreviated as "Kgwd.", is an elected government official who is a member of the Sangguniang Barangay of a particular barangay, the smallest political unit in the Philippines...
s (Barangay Councilors) who are all duly elected by their constituents, and a Sangguniang Kabataan
Sangguniang Kabataan
The Sangguniang Kabataan is the governing body in every chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan . Each barangay in the Philippines is mandated by law to have its own chapter of the Katipunan ng Kabataan, aging from 15 to 18 years old who resides in their respective barangays for at least 6months...
(Youth Council) Chairman afforded with full membership status in the Council after being duly elected but only by the barangay's youth sector. Thus, there are eight members of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
in a barangay. Each Kagawad has his/her own respective Committee where he/she is the chairperson. Three members are appointed to carry out the functions of each committee. Below are the committees in the Barangay Council:
- Peace and Order Committee,
- Appropriations, Finance and Ways and Means Committee,
- Education Committee,
- Health Committee,
- Agriculture Committee,
- Tourism Committee,
- Infrastructure Committee, and
- Youth and Sports Committee.
Sogod is politically subdivided into forty-five (45) barangays or barrios. Of the forty-five barangays, ten barangays are within the poblacion (town proper) while thirty-five barangays are situated in the rustic countryside. The Poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
of Sogod comprises the Barangays of Rizal, San Jose, San Pedro, San Roque, Tampoong, Zone I, Zone II, Zone III, Zone IV and Zone V.
The largest barangay in the municipality is Kahupian. Barangay Kahupian, like many other barrios in the municipality, is rustic and sleepy. However, it is the bulk of the abaca
Abacá
Abacá, Musa textilis is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant is of great economic importance, being harvested for its fibre, once generally called Manila hemp, extracted from the trunk or pseudostem. On...
and copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
businesses, together with the mountain barrios in the northern portion of the municipality. The Manila hemp or abaca is a strong fiber from the leafstalks of a banana plant. It is exported to other countries because it is used as ropes and papers. While the copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
is the dried coconut shell and it is extracted into coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
, which is very useful to humans. The barrio is also famous for the Agas-Agas Bridge, the highest bridge in the Philippines. Barangay Kahupian has a total population of about 1,400 individuals, each distributed in six sitios, namely: Balintulay, Centro, Hagna, Kabernal, Lubong Sapa, and Silao Bato. Other larger barangays are San Francisco Mabuhay, Hipantag, Kauswagan, Javier, Hindangan and Magatas. The said barangays, except Barangay Javier, are found on the mountainous part of Sogod and are isolated or separated from the other barangays due to the distance and location of the barrio proper.
Barangay Zone IV, found at the centermost part of the poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
, ranks as the smallest. The barangay is home to 500 individuals. It is classified as the residential and commercial zone of the municipality. In the barangay resides the Sogod Auditorium, the Sangguniang Bayan
Sangguniang Bayan
The Sangguniang Bayan is the legislature of municipal governments in the Philippines. It passes ordinances and resolutions for the effective administration of the municipality...
Session Hall, the Vice Mayor’s office and other government offices that are equidistant to the present municipal hall, which is under the jurisdiction of Barangay Zone I. Most of the smaller barangays are found in the densely populated areas in the municipality, particularly in the poblacion and in the southeastern part of the municipality.
These are the barangays or barrios that constitute the Municipality of Sogod:
| Barangay | Population (2007) | Household (2000) |
|---|---|---|
| Benit | |
|
| Buac Daku | |
|
| Buac Gamay | |
|
| Cabadbaran | |
|
| Concepcion | |
|
| Consolacion | |
|
| Dagsa | |
|
| Hibod-Hibod | |
|
| Hindangan | |
|
| Hipantag | |
|
| Javier | |
|
| Kahupian | |
|
| Kanangkaan | |
|
| Kauswagan | |
|
| La Purissima Concepcion (Punong) | |
|
| Barangay | Population (2007) | Household (2000) |
|---|---|---|
| Libas | |
|
| Lum-an | |
|
| Maac | |
|
| Mabicay | |
|
| Magatas | |
|
| Mahayahay | |
|
| Malinao | |
|
| Maria Plana | |
|
| Milagroso | |
|
| Olisihan | |
|
| Pancho Villa Francisco Guilledo Francisco Guilledo , more commonly known as Pancho Villa, was a Filipino boxer. Villa, who stood only 5 feet and 1 inch tall and never weighed more than 114 pounds , rose from obscurity to win the World Flyweight boxing championship in 1923, earning acclaim in some quarters as "the... (Pinamono-an) |
|
|
| Pandan | |
|
| Rizal José Rizal José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by... |
|
|
| Salvacion | |
|
| San Francisco Mabuhay | |
|
| Barangay | Population (2007) | Household (2000) |
|---|---|---|
| San Isidro (Malupao) | |
|
| San Jose | |
|
| San Juan (Agta) | |
|
| San Miguel (Batang) | |
|
| San Pedro (Hipgasan) | |
|
| San Roque (Maylag) | |
|
| San Vicente | |
|
| Santa Maria | |
|
| Suba | |
|
| Tampoong | |
|
| Zone I (San Antonio) | |
|
| Zone II | |
|
| Zone III (San Lorenzo Ruiz) | |
|
| Zone IV | |
|
| Zone V | |
|
- Source: National Statistics Office (NSO) 2007 Census
List of Barangay Name Etymology and History
- Benit
- The place was instated as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Buac Daku
- Similarly, it was named after its mother barangay, Barangay Buac Gamay. Since, the barangay was divided into two, this barangay remains large in area and the latter names the village as “Buac Daku”.
- Buac Gamay
- Although Burak is the generic Cebuano term for flower (burak in Cebuano; bulaklak in Tagalog), now virtually unused, it specifically refers to the ilang- ilang, a tree whose flowers are very fragrant, and whose oil is used in the perfume industry. The size of this village is relatively small and after it was divided, the barangay renamed as “Buac Gamay”.
- Cabadbaran
- It is named after a local shrub or tree known as “Badba-an”, which abounds in the area even at present. The barangay was officially established on June 21, 1959 through the provisions of the Republic Act No. 2563. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Libas.
- Consolacion
- This barangay is one of the oldest existing barrios in the municipality of Sogod, founded in February 3, 1730 as a village. The barangay’s primitive name is “Maak”, comes from the word “Maa”, signifying water fault as the river ceased to pass through the village. Maak was one of the mother barangays among several barrios located along the southern shore of the municipality. It includes Barangays Consolacion, Salvacion, Mahayahay, Javier and Maac. It was renamed as Consolacion during the Spanish era.*
- Dagsa
- It was formerly a sitio of Barangay San Isidro. On June 21, 1959, the sitio attain its barangayhood through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Hibod-Hibod
- It was created as a barangay through the mandated provisions stated by the Republic Act No. 2563, dated June 21, 1959.
- Hindangan
- The barangay is named after the Hindang (Anubing) tree, a tree reaching a height of about 30 meters and a diameter of about 100 centimeters. The tree is found in abundance in the barangay. The barangay was officially established on June 21, 1959 through the provisions of the Republic Act No. 2563.
- Hipantag
- The barangay was established on June 19, 1965 through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 4306. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Benit.
- Immaculada Concepcion (Concepcion)
- Named after its patroness, Nuestra Seniora de Inmaculada Concepcion (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception).
- Javier
- Named in honor of Daniel Falcon Javier
Daniel Falcon Javier
Daniel F. Javier was a Filipino teacher, born in Consolacion, Sogod, Southern Leyte.He was teacher and principal of Cebu Normal School of Cebu City in the early 1900s. In 1914 he explored the surrounding area of the new settlement in the barrio Bugho of Abuyog, Leyte...
, a former teacher and principal of the Cebu Normal College (now Cebu Normal University
Cebu Normal University
Cebu Normal University was established in 1915 as a provincial normal school, a branch of the Philippine Normal School. It became an independent institution in 1924, a chartered college in 1976, and a university in 1998...
). His achievement as a principal of the university and providing education, health and extensive farming activities to the communities of Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
Cabadbaran is a component city in the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. Founded in 1894, the city rose from its Spanish period beginnings to become the premier town of Agusan del Norte. Its rich cultural heritage is evident in its preserved colonial period houses and its archaeological...
and in Barangay Bugho (today as the Municipality of Bugho), Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, the home of the Buyogan Festival is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It is the largest town of the island of Leyte in terms of land area facing Leyte Gulf out into the Pacific Ocean...
, gave prestige in naming the barangay in honor of him. The barangay of Bugho in the municipality of Abuyog later changed her name after him, eight years after the barangay was created into a municipality on 1957. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Maac.
- Kahupian
- It is the largest and northernmost barangay in the municipality of Sogod. The barangay was overgrown by the Hupi fruit, thus the barangay is known as “Kahupian”, a place where the fruit is abundant. It was created as a barangay on June 19, 1971 under the mandated provisions by the Republic Act No. 6230. The sitios of Bood Taas, Tabunan, Hap-on, Kabugua-an, Tigbawan, Lubong Sapa, Kahupian and Pangalkagan are under the jurisdiction of the said barangay.
- Kanangkaan
- Named after the Nangka (Jackfruit) tree, a species of tree in the mulberry family and is native to the Philippines, which is found in abundance in the barangay. The tree is used as a landmark or a boundary marker of the barangay. Due to this situation, people from neighboring barangays named it as “Kanangkaan”, a named that was quickly adapted by the people.
- Kauswagan
- It was created as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the Republic Act No. 2563. On June 19, 1960, the Republic Act No. 2810 was passed to ensure that the jurisdiction of the said barangays will be the sitios of Kantabuan, Baycasili, Mamingaw, Tagabaca and Kampuwa. Thus, it was established as a full status barangay.
- La Purissima Concepcion (Concepcion II)
- Formerly, it was known as Punong, meaning “a shoal of fish”. Since the location of the barangay lies along the southern shores of the municipality, fishes abound in the barangay. It was similarly renamed as La Purissima Concepcion (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), the barangay’s patroness, like that of Barangay Immaculada Concepcion. The barangay used to be a sitio of Barangay Immaculada Conception. It was created as a barangay on June 21, 1959 through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 2600.
- Libas
- It is named after the Libas (Hog Plum) tree, a medium to tall tree reaching a height of about 25 meters and a diameter of about 60 centimeters. The tree is endemic in the village and the latter chooses the tree as the namesake of the barangay.
- Lum-an
- Maac
- This barangay is one of the oldest existing barrios in the municipality of Sogod, founded in February 3, 1730 as a village. The barangay’s primitive name is “Maak”, comes from the word “Maa”, signifying water fault as the river ceased to pass through the village. Maak was one of the mother barangays among several barangays located along the southern shores of the municipality. It includes Barangays Consolacion, Salvacion, Mahayahay, Javier and Maac.*
- Mabicay
- The barangay was formerly a sitio of Barangay Tampoong. It was established as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the efforts of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Magatas
- It is derived from the word, “Gatason”, because the water flowing from the streams are “Gatason” or “whitish” in color. The phenomenon is due to the kinds of trees found in the mountain area of the barangay.
- Mahayahay
- Malinao
- In the vicinity of the barangay lies a medium-sized spring and the people described the waters as “Malinao” or “clear”. Thus, the people adapted the expression, “Malinao” as the name of their place. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Buac Gamay, under the name of Ilo. The sitio was elevated into a barangay status on June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563. Again, it was established with proper boundary and jurisdiction on June 19, 1960, under the Republic Act No. 2810.
- Maria Plana
- The barangay was formerly a sitio of Barangay Mahayahay. It was formally established as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Milagroso
- It existed as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through the provisions stated by the Republic Act No. 2563.
- Olisihan
- The people of this barangay formerly settled in the top of a mountain. It was known as “Olisihan”, because of the abundance of Olisi trees in their settlement. When the national highway was constructed and bisects through the mountains of the municipality, many people evacuated near the highway and leaving the old site abandoned. Thus, the settlement was moved and the populace remained in this area. It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Suba until it was granted as a barangay on June 21, 1959, through Republic Act No 2563.
- Pancho Villa
- It was known as “Pinamono-an”. It was changed in honor of the first Filipino boxer, Francisco Guilledo
Francisco Guilledo
Francisco Guilledo , more commonly known as Pancho Villa, was a Filipino boxer. Villa, who stood only 5 feet and 1 inch tall and never weighed more than 114 pounds , rose from obscurity to win the World Flyweight boxing championship in 1923, earning acclaim in some quarters as "the...
(popularly known by the moniker, Pancho Villa). It was formerly a sitio of Barangay Suba until on June 21, 1959, the sitio was created and established through the mandated provisions by the Republic Act No 2563.
- Pandan
- Rizal
- Named in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines. On June 21, 1959, the sitio was elevated as a barangay through the provisions mandated by the Republic Act No. 2563.
- Salvacion
- It remained as part of Barangay Consolacion, until it was separated due to its size and its population.*
- San Francisco Mabuhay
- The exact creation is never known by the people of this barangay. However, the barangay existed on 1952, after the World War II. A general assembly was called by the people and it was officially established as a fully pledged barangay. The name of the barangay has two significant names, a combination of words that leads to the creation of the barangay. First, when the settlement was declared a barangay, the latter shouts for “Mabuhay! Mabuhay!” meaning the people celebrate and being joyous to the decision of the assembly. Thus, the people adapted the name “Mabuhay”. Second, the settlement was led by a certain Teniente del Barrio Francisco Garlet, the fountainhead of making the settlement a barangay. Through his efforts, it was named “Francisco Mabuhay”. Since, the people are mainly Catholics and are religious in nature; they put the “San” (Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
or Holy) before the name of the barangay. Hence, it is known by the name of “San Francisco Mabuhay”. The patron saint of the barangay is Saint Vincent Ferrer. On June 21, 1959, the place was established as a barangay through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- San Isidro
- It was formerly known as “Malupao”. Later, the people renamed it after San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Laborer), the patron saint of farmers and of the barangay.
- San Jose
- It was named after San Jose (Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
), the patron saint of the barangay. The barangay was created in June 21, 1959, through the mandated provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- San Juan
- The barangay was formerly known as “Agta
Agta
Agta may refer to:* Agta - any of the languages of the Philippine island of Luzon, along to east coast from the northern tip to the latitude of Manila.* Agta - any of the Aeta peoples of the Philippines.* Kapre of the Philippines...
”, a legendary creature that resides on trees and far-flung places. Many residents believed that the Agta
Agta
Agta may refer to:* Agta - any of the languages of the Philippine island of Luzon, along to east coast from the northern tip to the latitude of Manila.* Agta - any of the Aeta peoples of the Philippines.* Kapre of the Philippines...
owned and lived in the present site. A certain educated stranger later emerged in the village and changed the name of the barangay. It was decided that the name of the barangay will be named after its patron saint, San Juan Bautista (Saint John the Baptist). It existed as a barangay on June 21, 1959, when the Republic Act No. 2563 was passed in the congress to instill the barangayhood of several sitios in the 3rd District of Leyte. However, on June 19, 1960, the sitios of Hubasan, Agta Proper, Manduduknay, Kabas-an and Cabadbaran were merge to the newly created barangay.
- San Miguel
- It was formerly known as “Batang”, after the Batang tree. It was decided that the barangay will be named in honor of their patron saint, San Miguel (Saint Michael the Archangel).
- San Pedro
- The barangay was formerly named after the Hipgasan River which passes through the village. Presently, it was renamed after its patron saint, San Pedro (Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
).
- San Roque
- The barangay is named in honor of their patron saint, San Roque (Saint Roch),
- San Vicente
- It was founded as a barangay in 1950. The barangay is subjected by landslides and mudslides. Thus, the brief description of the people of the barangay is “Anas”, vernacular for “landslides”. Since then, the barangay is known as “Anas”, because of the frequent landslides that took place in the village. However, the name was later changed into San Vicente, named after their patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer (Saint Vincent Ferrer). On June 21, 1959, the place was formally established as a barangay through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Santa Maria
- It was officially carved out from Barangay Libas on June 21, 1959, through the provisions of Republic Act No. 2563.
- Suba
- The barangay nestles at the mighty Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River is a river situated in Sogod, Southern Leyte. It is the town's biggest river lying on the center part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. From the name itself in Cebuano means "big river" or "wide river"...
, thus earning the barangay’s name, “Suba”.
- Tampoong
- Zone I
- It was formerly known as “San Antonio”, named after its patron saint, San Antonio de Padua (Saint Anthony of Padua).
- Zone II
- Zone III
- It was formerly known as “San Lorenzo Ruiz”, named after its patron saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz (Saint Lorenzo Ruiz). The named is popularly called by the inhabitants until today.
- Zone IV
- Zone V
- Barangay artciles that contains an asterisk (*) sign contains confusion and requires further analysis on the exact history of the said barangay. Please notify, edit, and add additional information to the articles above.
People
While ethnicity of the municipality is widely Cebuanos, Boholanos and Surigaonons (locally prefer as Bisaya), most people in Sogod are farmers and fisherfolks. Minorities include the Tagalogs and the Warays are also found within the municipality.Generally, rice is the staple food of the province and also includes corn. Mountain living folks, however, prefer root crops which is abundant in the place. Native delicacies of the municipality include tres marias, suman, bocarillo, salvaro, bibingka, ampaw, puto, biko, bibingka, empanada, and starhoy. They also have their own kinilaw, a Filipino ceviche made with raw fish cubed and marinated in vinegar or Calamansi (lemon) juice along with garlic, onions, ginger, tomato and various peppers.
Population
The town has a total population of about 40,064 individuals, registered in the Sogod District Hospital. But as of 2007 National Statistics Office (NSO) Census, the municipality of Sogod has 39,864 inhabitants. The town ranks second, after the City of MaasinMaasin City
Maasin City is a 4th class city in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Southern Leyte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 79,737.On August 10, 2000 Maasin was converted into a city.- History :...
, in terms of population in the province of 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...
.
Within the municipality, Barangay Zone V registered as the highest population of about 3,382 inhabitants, followed by Barangay Zone III and Barangay Maac with the population of 1,934 inhabitants and 1,869 inhabitants, respectively.
But the barangay with the lowest population is Barangay Lum-an ,having a population of only 90 individuals; followed by Barangay Hindangan and Barangay Buac Daku with the population of 116 individuals and 119 individuals.
The town is also suffering from population migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
because of the massive economic progress in the municipality. Rustic barangays, mostly found in the hinterlands, are now experiencing a decrease in their population rate because of the lack of progress in their communities and migrated to the town proper.
Language and Literacy
The native language is CebuanoCebuano language
Cebuano, referred to by most of its speakers as Bisaya , is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines by about 20 million people mostly in the Central Visayas. It is the most widely spoken of the languages within the so-named Bisayan subgroup and is closely related to other Filipino...
and the major language spoken in the municipality. The speech variety however used by the people has also Boholano (Bol-anon) influences because of its proximity with the province Bohol. Some Sogodnons also used the Surigaonon dialect with mixed Boholano variety, those having a Surigaonon lineage. Furthermore, Waray-Waray
Waray-Waray language
Wáray-Wáray or Samarnon is a language spoken in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and in some parts of the Leyte and Biliran in the Philippines...
is spoken as a secondary language. Natives also understood foreign languages such as English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
Religion
The majority of the population of Sogod belongs to the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
with a percentage of about 93% of the total population. 7% adheres to other Protestant sects and some Muslim followers. The Catholics built their own church around mid 1600s by the Jesuit Fathers and later the light of Christianity in the whole municipality arose when it was established as a mission in 1720. Priests were served from the mother parish of Malitbog
Malitbog, Southern Leyte
Malitbog is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 19,320 people in 3,665 households.-Barangays:Malitbog is politically subdivided into 37 barangays.* Abgao* Aurora...
, San Juan
San Juan, Southern Leyte
San Juan is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It was formerly known as Cabali-an. According to the 2007 National census, it has a total population of 14,442 and 3,055 households....
, Hilongos and Maasin. The present church, which was constructed on 1960s, is one of the largest churches in the whole Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines.Erected in 1968, the diocese was created from territory in the Archdiocese of Palo....
. Sogod is considered as the bulk or the stronghold of the Catholic faith in the whole province because of its large number of adherents, despite of the growing proliferation of the Protestant faiths.
Protestant churches such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, United Church of Christ in the Philippines
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines is a Christian denomination in the Philippines...
(UCCP
United Church of Christ in the Philippines
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines is a Christian denomination in the Philippines...
), Iglesia Ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
(INC
Iglesia ni Cristo
Iglesia ni Cristo also known as INC, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe the INC's doctrines as restorationist in...
), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
), Church of God International
Members Church of God International
The Members Church of God International is an independent Christian organization with headquarters in the Philippines. The Church of God International is colloquially known through its flagship international television program, Ang Dating Daan...
(Ang Dating Daan
Ang Dating Daan
Ang Dating Daan is a religious radio and television program in the Philippines produced by the Members of the Church of God International. It is primarily hosted by Eli Soriano. In Portugal and Brazil, it airs as O Caminho Antigo which is a direct translation for The Old Path...
), Filipino Crusaders World Army (Moncados), Baptist Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Christ, Sogod Alliance Church, Assembly of God (AG) and others, set and maintain their churches in christening the town. The Protestants are active in areas which are far from the town proper and in the hinterlands. Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s are present in the town, but their number for the past years gradually decreased because their mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and homes were demolished and regarded as squatters.
Every barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
and sitio
Sitio
A sitio in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay, the location of which may be distant from the center of the barangay itself....
has its own Roman Catholic chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
aside from the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
(Town Proper) and in Barangay Consolacion. The municipality is under the patronage
Patronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
of the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, which the Sogodnons celebrated her feast day on every 15 December. Sogod parish is the seat of the Vicariate of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
, which is composed of six parishes (Bontoc
Bontoc, Southern Leyte
Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households....
, Barangay Consolacion, Barangay Divisoria, Libagon, Sogod and Tomas Oppus parishes). The Consolacion parish was created on 1967, under the patronage of the Holy Child Jesus (Santo Niño
Santo Niño de Cebu
The Santo Niño de Cebú is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus highly similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like the image's counterpart in Prague, the figure is clothed in expensive textile robes mostly donations from fervent devotees in the Philippines and abroad...
) and celebrates their fiesta on every Last Saturday of January. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
Tradition
BeliefsAlthough most people are Christians, a very few who live in remote villages of the municipality hold-on to Pre-Hispanic influences in making offerings and sacrifices before planting their crops. Farmers ritually sacrifice chickens and pigs to ensure that the spirits or elementals which they believe to be the cause of good harvest will grant them.
Religious Events
Fiesta, a Spanish term which means festivity, is celebrated in the municipality with prayer, food/drinking, dance and music. Every barangay in the town have their own distinct date of celebration. Sogod pays homage to the patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, every 14th and 15 December.
Catholicism in Sogod
CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
is a deeply rooted institution in this municipality within 93% of the entire population of Sogod embracing the faith. Hence, Sogod is predominantly Roman Catholic. While 7% belongs to other Protestant sects and a small Muslim minority. In May 8, 2011, the Diocese of Maasin are appointing the priests to their respected assignments. Reverend Monsignor Nestor S. Astillo, PC, Reverend Father Pepito Generan Jr., assistant parish priest; Reverend Father Wilson Delos Reyes are the new parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
, parochial vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
and resident priest of the Immaculate Conception Parish of Sogod, respectively. In the Holy Child Parish of Barangay Consolacion, Reverend Father Jose Benito S. Labrador is currently the parish priest of the parish.
Sogod, under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maasin since 1968, is divided into two parishes, namely:
- Holy Child Parish, Barangay Consolacion
- Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Barangay Rizal
Holy Child Parish of Barangay Consolacion
Barangay Consolacion is one of the oldest existing barrios in the municipality of Sogod, established in February 3, 1730 as a village. The barrio’s primitive name is “Maak”, comes from the word “Maa”, signifying water fault as the river ceased to pass through the village. Maak was one of the mother barangays among several barrios located along the southern shore of the municipality. It includes Barangays Consolacion, Salvacion, Mahayahay, Javier and Maac itself. The area of the barangay was reduced to its present form due to the clamor of the people in the sitios to become an independent barangays. First, when the people from Maak proper agitated for a new name for their barangay. But when the people from Maak proper choose the name “Consolacion”, the people from the eastern side refused to organized and negotiate from the people living in the proper because they want “Maak” to be the maiden name of the place. Thus, the name “Consolacion” was stuck. However, the people from Maak proper changed the name of their barrio into Consolacion. As years pass by, people from the eastern side of the barrio urges to have an independent barrio named after the original name of the place, Maak. After much determination of the barrio leaders together with the municipal government, the sitio was carved out from barrio Consolacion and named the barrio, Maac. The letter “k” of the named was dropped out and turned it into letter “C”. Second, when Consolacion was again cut in half due to the growing needs of the people and perhaps its population or the size of the community. The metes and bounds of the new barangay were clear and the elementary and secondary schools are transferred to this barangay. Later, Barangay Salvacion was formed and declared as a barrio. Now the barrio houses the current Consolacion Elementary School and Consolacion National High School.After Maac regain its barangayhood from Consolacion, the barrio was later subdivided into two barrios: Mahayahay and Maac. Barangay Maac’s area was gradually larger for sometime because the area of Barangay Mahayahay was small.
Then, Barangay Javier, named in honor of the late Daniel Falcon Javier
Daniel Falcon Javier
Daniel F. Javier was a Filipino teacher, born in Consolacion, Sogod, Southern Leyte.He was teacher and principal of Cebu Normal School of Cebu City in the early 1900s. In 1914 he explored the surrounding area of the new settlement in the barrio Bugho of Abuyog, Leyte...
, was worn out from Barangay Maac. People from the western side of Barangay Maac were urging to have a separate barrio government. After sometime, it was passed on the congress and obtains its barrio status against Barangay Maac until it is declared as a separate barangay of Javier. However, a boundary dispute took place between Maac and Javier after a certain portion of the said bill was unclear. Immediately, the boundary dispute has been settled not long after the bill was passed.
Mano Daniel Javier is a teacher and principal of the Cebu Normal School (now known as Cebu Normal University
Cebu Normal University
Cebu Normal University was established in 1915 as a provincial normal school, a branch of the Philippine Normal School. It became an independent institution in 1924, a chartered college in 1976, and a university in 1998...
). After his resignation, he went to Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte
Cabadbaran is a component city in the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. Founded in 1894, the city rose from its Spanish period beginnings to become the premier town of Agusan del Norte. Its rich cultural heritage is evident in its preserved colonial period houses and its archaeological...
where he used to farmed to his land and provide extensive farming activities to the people. He is also the fountainhead of making barrio Bugho in the town of Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, the home of the Buyogan Festival is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It is the largest town of the island of Leyte in terms of land area facing Leyte Gulf out into the Pacific Ocean...
progressive and led the people in community activities in the fields of health, education and agriculture. When he died on 1957, Bugho was raised into municipal status and renamed their town “Javier” on December 1965.
Barangay Consolacion was said to be livelier, populous and progressive than Sogod. Like Sogod, it has a bustling port were boats ply from Cebu and Surigao and fish boats arrived together with their catch and sell it to the people. Because of the being progressive and the centermost barrio in the southeastern portion of the municipality, people from other places migrated and settle their business in the barrio. Barangay Consolacion was designated as the poblacion of Sogod in 1904 when Ladislao Decenteceo was elected as mayor in the municipality. However, it was short-lived and upon the election of Vicente Cariño as mayor in 1912, he restored the seat of government to Sogod proper. Nowadays, Barangay Consolacion has a total population of 1,200 inhabitants and just like other barrios in the province; it is progressive and productive but sleepy barrio.
The Holy Child Parish of Consolacion, Sogod was established on 1967 by the Most Reverend Bishop Teotimo Pacis, Archdiocese of Palo. As of the 1993 census, the total Catholic population is 9,616.
At present, the Parish has maintained a number of mandated religious organizations which are active in the various fields of church apostolates, namely: Catholic Women's League
Catholic Women's League
The Catholic Women's League is a Roman Catholic lay organisation aimed at women in England and Wales. Through emigration in the past, the CWL may be found in some Commonwealth countries. It is especially flourishing in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. -References:* Olivier Rota,...
, Legion of Mary, Charismatic Renewal Movement, and cofradias (confraternities) like the Birhen sa Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes), Sagrada Corazon (Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
), Inahan sa Kanunayng Panabang (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
(Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
) and San Antonio (Saint Anthony of Padua). Other organizations are the Knights of the Santo Niño
Santo Niño de Cebu
The Santo Niño de Cebú is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus highly similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like the image's counterpart in Prague, the figure is clothed in expensive textile robes mostly donations from fervent devotees in the Philippines and abroad...
(established by Reverend Father Oliver Edulan), Lay Ministers, Catechist, CF-LAMP, Parish Emergency Action Team and the Knights of the Altar.
Recently, the Parish embarked on a church-expansion program, a project initiated by Father Edulan and substantially aided by the Bishop of Maasin. A Project Committee has been organized to administer and oversee the project.
From September 1992 to March 1993, the Parish launched an intensive doctrinal and spiritual formation program through the Catholic Faith Lay Apostolic Movement of the Philippines. (CF-LAMP), a local group tasked of defending the Catholic faith from proselytizing sects. This program has brought about remarkable conversations especially among the nominal and indifferent Catholics that the effects have been dubbed balik-Simbahan. One of the fruits of this program is that the barrio faithful have also embarked on renovations and extensions of their respective chapels.
It is the hope of the parish to mold, form and activate small Christian communities so that they will ultimately become the images of Christ here on earth – that of a worshipping, evangelizing, and serving community.
| Priests who served the Holy Child Parish | ||
|---|---|---|
| Period of Tenure | Parish Priest | |
| 1967–1968; June – July 1969 | Father Gregorio Florendo | |
| April – June 1969 | Father Dominador Sudario | |
| 1969–1971 | Father Crutato Arceño | |
| 1971–1973 | Father Vicente Lora | |
| 1973–1976 | Father Nestor Astillo | |
| 1976–1977 | Father Patrick Kelly, SFM | |
| 1977–1979 | Reverend Father Amado Olayvar | |
| 1979–1981 | Reverend Father Celso Rojas | |
| 1981–1983 | Reverend Father Wilson De Los Reyes | |
| 1983–1984 | Reverend Father Urcisino Luzon (administrator) | |
| 1984–1986 | Reverend Father Marianito Dondoyano | |
| 1986–1988 | Reverend Father Prospero Pael | |
| 1988–1992 | Reverend Father Oliver Edulan | |
| 1992–2004 | Reverend Father Santos Sabondo Jr. | |
| 2004–2011 | Reverend Father Norberto Cordovez | |
| May 2011 – Present | Reverend Father Jose Benito Labrador | |
| List of Barangay Chapels under the Holy Child Parish of Consolacion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Barangay | Patron Saint | Feast Day |
| Buac Daku | ||
| Buac Gamay | Saint Isidore the Laborer | |
| Concepcion | Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology... |
December 8 |
| Consolacion | Holy Infant Jesus | Last Saturday of January |
| Hubasan (San Juan) | ||
| Javier | Saint Peter the Apostle | June 27 |
| Kanangkaan | ||
| La Purisima Concepcion | Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | December 8 |
| Liberty (Maac) | ||
| Maac | Christ the King Christ the King Christ the King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of Scripture. It is used by most Christians. The Roman Catholic Church, together with many Protestant denominations, including the Anglican Churches, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Methodists, celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on the... |
October 30 |
| Mahayahay | Holy Infant Jesus | January 15 |
| Malinao | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 12 |
| Maria Plana | ||
| Olisihan | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 15 |
| Salvacion | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 25 |
| San Juan | Saint John the Baptist | June 24 |
| San Vicente | Saint Vincent Ferrer | April 5 |
| Suba | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 15 |
- The titular name of the patron, which was carried by the parish as well, is the name Holy Child.
- Schedules may change, varied, delayed or postponed. Some has no exact date or reference.
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish of Sogod
“SOGOD”, Cebuano term meaning “to start” and this word aptly describes this booming town located at the innermost part of the bay on the southern portion of Leyte Island. One look at the map of the island, and one certainly cannot miss this town.Aptly so, because Sogod is where thousand start their journey to other parts of the archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
. In other words, this town is a junction to many places. One can take a ride to the capital town with ease, for buses and jeepneys go there by the hour. You need to go to a regional office in Tacloban City
Tacloban City
The City of Tacloban is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas...
, and several buses a day can take you there. The ferry terminal in Liloan
Liloan, Southern Leyte
Liloan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. Liloan is located at the northern part of Panaon Island which is connected to the main island of Leyte by a bridge . Across from Liloan is the province of Southern Leyte...
is just an hour’s ride away, and Mindanao is almost at the doorstep from there. A Trip to Manila is not a problem, for long-distance transport is available. Indeed, Sogod is a good place to start when one wants to go to somewhere.
Demised Mariologists may turn in their graves, but the patroness of Sogod can also be said to be a Sogodnon. For, technically speaking (may God allow the use of this phrase in His divine plan), Immaculada Concepcion speaks of the beginning of the Incarnation. The Blessed Virgin, chosen by God to become the Mother of his Son, is starting her earthly life through an “Immaculate Conception” in her mother’s womb. Aptly chosen as the patroness of the parish as well by the community, indeed.
Of course, under the mantle of Our Lady, the Sogodnons have already begun their journey towards salvation. It all began when the people of Sogod started building a church of light materials. But Moro pirates, as legend tells it, razed the structure to the ground. Unfazed, the people again started to build another church – now made of strong materials- and a watch tower. The Moro invaders returned and burned and destroyed the church and the watch tower. In spite of these tragedies, the people remained where they were. It is regarded as a test of faith to see their churches burned time and again, the Sogodnons transformed their community into a church with a capital C. This community – God’s people became a parish on May 14, 1866 under the patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception by virtue of a Real Aprobacion. Another leg of the journey had been overcome.
The history of Sogod Parish seems to be an endless cycle of starts and beginnings (Even its present church building which was started in the early 1960s and considered one of the biggest in the diocese is still unfinished.) But this is where one can find the charm of the place and its people. Undaunted by events that somehow destroy what they had begun, the Sogodnons can always be counted to rise up and start all over again. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
| Priests who served Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish of Sogod | |
|---|---|
| Period of Tenure | Parish Priest |
| 1869 - 1882 | Reverend Father Don Tomas Logroño |
| 1882 - 1902 | Reverend Father Ramon Abarca |
| January 1924 – June 1925 | Reverend Father Januario Cordobes |
| July 1925 – December 1925 | Reverend Father Francisco Sacro |
| December 1925 – July 1926 | Reverend Father Pedro Morfe |
| July 1926 – October 1933 | Reverend Father Abino B. Abrera |
| October 1933 – November 1933 | Reverend Father Januario Cordobes |
| November 1933 – March 1934 | Reverend Father Pedro Aruta |
| April 1945 – April 1957 | Reverend Father Luis Caintic |
| August 1957 – November 1957 | Reverend Father John Li (Co-adjutor) |
| November 1957 – April 1961 | Reverend Father Sergio Osmeña |
| September 1958 – April 1961 | Reverend Father Juan Gaborni (Co-adjutor) |
| May 1961 – May 1963 | Reverend Father Licerio S. Oledan |
| May 1963 – April 1972 | Reverend Father Porfirio P. Suarez |
| April 1972 – May 1981 | Reverend Father Vicente S. Lora |
| June 1981 – May 1986 | Reverend Father Juanito Arreglo |
| May 1986 – June 1986 | Reverend Father Amado D. Olayvar |
| July 1986 – June 1992 | Reverend Father Manuel S. Nueve |
| June 1992 – February 1999 | Reverend Monsignor Amado D. Olayvar |
| February 1999 – May 2004 | Reverend Father Lorenzo Suarez |
| May 2004 – April 2011 | Reverend Monsignor Felix Paloma |
| May 2011 – Present | Reverend Monsignor Nestor Astillo |
- Unfortunately, due to the war, the town lost most of the records and documents that could give an accurate historical account of the parish of Sogod.
| List of Barangay Chapels under the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish of Sogod | ||
|---|---|---|
| Barangay | Patron Saint | Feast Day |
| Balintulay (Kahupian) | Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary | December 6 |
| Benit | Our Lady of Perpetual Help | June 27 |
| Cabadbaran | ||
| Casao, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
Holy Cross True Cross The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a... |
May 20 |
| Curva (Dagsa) | Saint Joseph Saint Joseph Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ .... |
March 19 |
| Dagsa | Saint Joseph Saint Joseph Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ .... |
March 19 |
| Dampoy (Pancho Villa) | Saint Augustine of Hippo | August 28 |
| Hagna (Kahupian) | ||
| Hibod-Hibod | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 20 |
| Hindangan | ||
| Hipantag | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 15 |
| Hon-ob (San Francisco Mabuhay) | Saint Roch | August 16 |
| Kabernal (Kahupian) | ||
| Kahupian | Our Lady of Perpetual Help | June 26 |
| Lawgawan, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
||
| Layog (Benit) | Our Lady of Perpetual Help | June 27 |
| Libas | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 20 |
| Lubong Sapa (Kahupian) | ||
| Lum-an | ||
| Mabicay | Saint Isidore the Laborer | |
| Magatas | Saint Philomena | August 11 |
| Matalwa (San Miguel) | ||
| Milagroso | Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary | October 17 |
| Pancho Villa | Saint Augustine of Hippo | August 28 |
| Pandan | Holy Infant Jesus | Last Saturday of January |
| Pangi, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
||
| Paril (Mabicay) | ||
| Rizal | Holy Infant Jesus | January 16 |
| San Francisco Mabuhay | Saint Vincent Ferrer | |
| San Isidro | Saint Isidore the Laborer | May 29 |
| San Jose | Saint Joseph Saint Joseph Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ .... |
March 19 |
| San Miguel | Saint Michael the Archangel | September 29 |
| San Pedro | Saints Peter and Paul | June 29 |
| San Roque | Saint Roch | August 16 |
| Santa Cruz, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
Holy Cross True Cross The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a... |
May 24 |
| Santa Maria | ||
| Silao Bato (Kahupian) | Sacred Heart of Jesus | June 16 |
| Ta-a, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
||
| Tampoong | Holy Cross True Cross The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a... |
May 3 |
| Tinina-an (Magatas) | ||
| Tigao (Magatas) | Saint Philomena | August 11 |
| Tuburan, Bontoc Bontoc, Southern Leyte Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households.... town |
||
| Zone I | Saint Anthony of Padua | June 13 |
| Zone II | Saint Roch | August 20 |
| Zone III | Saint Lorenzo Ruiz | September 28 |
| Zone IV | Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary | Last Saturday of October |
| Zone V | Our Lady of Light | September 8 |
- Schedules may change, delayed or postponed. Some has no exact date or reference.
- Some barangays doesn't have patron saints written, these is still in progress.
Municipal History
A view of Sogod’s history before the coming of the Spaniards may be termed as a “Lost Horizon”. This is due to the dearth of materials on his subject, and the little information we have at present comes from the testimonies of the early Spanish missionaries and chronicles whose works cannot be verified properly. Hence, the difficulty of making an exhaustive survey.Etymology and Origins
Before it officially became a municipality in 1853, Sogod was already a trading center in the southern portion of Leyte IslandLeyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
. Natives of then Sugut village found a settlement near the banks of the great Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River
Subangdaku River is a river situated in Sogod, Southern Leyte. It is the town's biggest river lying on the center part of the area that drains to the Sogod Bay. From the name itself in Cebuano means "big river" or "wide river"...
in the enclaves of Seilani (present-day Southern Leyte province) in what the Spaniards named baluarte (Barangay Zone III, formerly known as San Lorenzo Ruiz, named after the latter’s patron saint) which has retained its name until today, where the ruins of an old church and a watchtower
Watchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
can be found.
In 1543, during the era of Villalobos expedition, folks living in Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, Leyte
Abuyog, the home of the Buyogan Festival is a 1st class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It is the largest town of the island of Leyte in terms of land area facing Leyte Gulf out into the Pacific Ocean...
informed the navigators that a certain area in the southeastern part of the island lies a village named Sugut. It is although a thriving center of trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, Chinese traders are frequently visiting the settlement and traded the natives with gold and slaves. This information was later confirmed when the Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
expedition in 1565 came to visit the country. It was described as a large and thickly populated village facing the island of Panaon. Seventeen years later, the Spanish chronicler Loarca noted that Sugut was one of the aboriginal villages in Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, together with Cabalian (San Juan, Southern Leyte
San Juan, Southern Leyte
San Juan is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It was formerly known as Cabali-an. According to the 2007 National census, it has a total population of 14,442 and 3,055 households....
), Ormog (Ormoc City
Ormoc City
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people...
) and Tandaya (Carigara, Leyte
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:...
). On September 6, 1571, Sogod became a part of the Spanish encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
(commission).
The community was object to frequent Moro raids so that a baluarte (watchtower, its ruins still visible today) was built to warn villagers against the approach of the raiders. In such crisis, a colorful personality emerged – Datu Mangkaw. His real name was Bankaw, the person who led the Leyte revolt in 1622 against the Spaniards. He was known as a net-fisherman. Already a fishing ground that it is today, Sogod then had houses clustered close to shore around the watchtower. Datu Mangkaw, an expert in the art of casting the net, laya, he could send out the casting net in a perfect circle in the sea. As the community grew bigger, the residents agitated for a name for their place. Meetings after meetings were held presided by Datu Mangkaw. But every time a meeting is ongoing, a shoal of fish would be seen by the subtle ripplings and dimplings of the surface or quick shifting shadow beneath the surface and the eyes of Datu Mangkaw kept stalking it, interfering with the meeting. Satisfying his unequalled fisherman’s instinct, he would leave the meeting unattended and his body language was being watched by the attendees, feasting their eyes on the artful slide of the feet of Datu Mangkaw so as not to disturb the surface, his eyes fixed on the school. Then, he shared his catch with the people for the asking, even by strangers. After which, shouts of “Sogod, sogod” (begin) would reconvene the meeting. Thus the word “SOGOD” became the name of the village then and the town as it is today. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
New Municipality
Sogod was founded by the Jesuit missionaries as a mission in 1616. It was at the baptism of Datu Mangkaw, the village chieftain and his household, that Father Fabricio Sersali laid the foundation of the Christian faith in Sogod. A church of light materials was constructed near the seashore, and a mission was established and serviced by the Jesuits from Carigara, Hilongos and CabalianCabalian
Cabalian Volcano is an active volcano located in the province of Southern Leyte in the Philippines.-Physical Features:Cabalian is classified by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology as active with solfataric activity...
Residencias. During the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
raids in 1603 and 1634, the church was burned and Father Ventura Barcena was brought as captive in Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...
. In 1634, during a Moro raid Father Francisco Lauzon was killed and Sogod was subject to frequent Moro raids as it faced Mindanao. Another incident occurred again on September 27, 1705, when the Moros attack the seashore and killed Father Pedro Oriel. On account of this, the Jesuit missionaries in Cabalian (San Juan) undertook the construction of the concrete church and a watchtower in 1718 upon the order of Bishop Sebastian Faronda, Diocese of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
(now Archdiocese of Cebu. In 1720, the Jesuits formally assigned priests into the settlement together with the newly constructed watchtower and concrete church. These were razed to the ground and the Kampanang Bulaw (Golden Bell) was thrown into the rice fields when the Moros returned and raided Sogod in 1754.
Sogod was officially established as a barrio (district/ward) on May 18, 1700. Later it was incorporated as a barrio of Maasin in 1755. It was placed under the jurisdiction of Malitbog
Malitbog, Southern Leyte
Malitbog is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 19,320 people in 3,665 households.-Barangays:Malitbog is politically subdivided into 37 barangays.* Abgao* Aurora...
in 1768, after obtaining separation from Maasin and became an independent pueblo (municipality).
Through the efforts of the political leaders of Sogod, Buntuk (Bontoc
Bontoc, Southern Leyte
Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households....
town) and Maak (present-day Barangay Consolacion) led by Juan Cavales (Cabales), Antonio Prima, Enero Cegales (Segales), German Catajoy, Silverio Bilisa (Billesa), Juan Barcelon, Miguel Tubia and Juan Dagaas, Sogod became a fully pledged municipality by virtue of a decree
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
signed by Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
Antonio de Urbiztondo on June 10, 1853. The first gobernadorcillo
Gobernadorcillo
The Gobernadorcillo was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined charge or responsibility of leadership, economic, and judicial administration. The Gobernadorcillo was the leader of a town or pueblo . In a coastal...
is Don Juan Cavales, which its leadership lasted for two years. On August 8, 1869, thirteen year after its inauguration, Sogod was raised with a parochial status under the patronage of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception by virtue of a Real Aprobacion, an Episcopal decree dated May 14, 1866. Sogod was separated from the mother municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
, Malitbog, in terms of parochial and municipal status. However, on 1886, Father Redondo reports that the church, which was made of light materials, and the convento were in the bad condition.
There are no remains of Jesuit architecture in Sogod. The old church traces to the initiative of the secular priest who built the church in the late 19th century. (Atoy Manlunas III (NORTHERNHASHBERRY) - October 17, 2010)
Governance
The newly created municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
was governed by duly elected gobernadorcillo
Gobernadorcillo
The Gobernadorcillo was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined charge or responsibility of leadership, economic, and judicial administration. The Gobernadorcillo was the leader of a town or pueblo . In a coastal...
s like:
- 1853–1855 – Don Juan Cavales
- 1856–1857 – Don Antonio Prima
- 1858–1859 – Don Eulogio Cavales
- 1876–1878 – Don Patricio Tubia
However, when Don Nicolas Idjao became gobernadorcillo
Gobernadorcillo
The Gobernadorcillo was a municipal judge or governor in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, who carried out in a town the combined charge or responsibility of leadership, economic, and judicial administration. The Gobernadorcillo was the leader of a town or pueblo . In a coastal...
in 1885, he transferred the poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
(seat of government) to the barrio of Libagon, being a native to the place. The Poblacion
Poblacion
A Poblacion or Población, literally "town" or "Population" in Spanish, is the name commonly used for the central barangay or barangays of a Philippine city or municipality. Common features of the poblacion include a town plaza, church, market, school and town hall. It is sometimes shortened to...
(town proper) of Sogod then became Sogod Viejo (sometimes called Sogod Del Norte), meaning Old Sogod and Libagon became Sogod Nuevo (sometimes called Sogod Del Sur), meaning New Sogod. There the municipality was governed by:
- 1885–1887 – Don Nicolas Idjao
- 1887–1889 – Don Eleuterio Faelnar
- 1891–1893 – Don Luis Espina
- 1893–1895 – Don Nicolas Idjao
- 1895–1897 – Don Luis Espina
It was also during this time that the seat of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was transferred to Libagon.
In 1903 to 1904, Don Benito Faelnar became the first Capitan Municipal (equivalent to present-day Mayor) of Sogod, the seat of government was transferred to Sogod.
When Capitan Ladislao Decenteceo took office on 1904, the seat of government was again transferred from Sogod to Barangay Consolacion. He was proclaimed winner after Faelnar run for re-election and lost. The voting process was done by whispering the name of a candidate of the voter’s choice to the municipal secretary. He served for 1904 to 1905.
In 1905, Capitan Dionisio Labata won from the first election of municipal president by balloting (replacing the Capitan Municipal), serving for 1905 to 1907. But on 1908, Capitan Gregorio Leviste replaced him and served the municipality from 1908 to 1911.
In 1912, upon the election of Vicente Cariño as municipal president (the term “Capitan Municipal” was defunct, after the arrival of the Americans and changed it to municipal president), the seat of government was restored to Sogod, being centrally located while Barangay Consolacion in the southern extreme of the municipality. On October 16, 1913, Libagon was made an independent municipality, appointing the first municipal president of Libagon, Mariano Espina.
At Sogod:
- 1912–1916 – Don Vicente Cariño
- 1917–1919 – Don Estanislao Flores
- 1920–1922 – Don Floro Espina
- 1923–1925 – Don Filomeno Mercado
- 1926–1931 – Don Gervacio Cadavos,
Governed the municipality after its return. Cadavos was later succeeded by Severino Macasocol, who due untimely death, served as mayor only for several months in 1941 to 1942. He was succeeded by:
- 1943–1944 – Hospicio Labata
- 1944–1947 – Francisco Villamor
During the forty years after the war, the mayors who served the municipality were:
- 1950–1951 – Cecilio Gonzales
- 1952–1955 – Gregorio Bagares
- 1956–1959 – Jovencio Caday
- 1960–1964 – Jose Veloso
- 1964–1986 – Ignacio Siega
- 1986 – November 30, 1987 – Doctor Gonzalo D. Yong Jr.
- December 1, 1987 – January 1, 1998 – Oscar T. Rio
- January 2, 1998 – March 27, 1998 – Doctor Gonzalo D. Yong Jr.
- March 28, 1998 – June 30, 1998 – Amalia M. Yap
- July 1, 1998 – June 30, 2004 – Doctor Edmundo R. Villa
On the 2004 Philippine General Elections, Shefferd Lino Siengco Tan won against the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
mayor, Doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Edmundo Reyes Villa. During his term, the municipality undergoes multiple changes and become the leading progressive center in the province. Again, Tan was reelected as municipal mayor of Sogod in the 2007 elections, after a close-fisted fight against the opponent, Colonel George Rabusa, a resigned top military official that served the municipality for a couple of years. During those days, the municipality was appointed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC
Commission on Elections (Philippines)
The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....
) as “election hotspot”, because tensions abrupt between the two parties.
Tan was also running for reelection for the 2010 Philippine General Elections. Fortunately, he won a landslide victory against the former mayor, Ignacio “Igning” Siega, to whom he served the town for twenty years. Siega’s known development in the town during the Marcos regime was the improvement and building the first stable municipality hall which was made out of concrete and wood. This time, this is the third term where he is the mayor of Sogod, serving the municipality for three straight consecutive years (July 1, 2004-June 30, 2007; July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010 and July 1, 2010 until present).
To date, Sogod has a total population of 40,064 distributed among forty-five (45) barangays on a land area of 23,690 hectares or 236.9 square kilometers. Being the center of 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...
mainland, Sogod has become the link between Leyte province and the Pan-Philippine National Highway. The town has still an untapped economy which could contribute to its development as another commercio-industrial center giving socio-economic lifeblood to trade and culture in the Eastern Visayas Region.
The Creation of the Municipality of Libagon
The municipality of Libagon is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, having a total population of 14, 238, as of 2007.Libagon is home to Mount Patag Daku, one of the frontier mountains of the province. The name “Patag Daku” comes from the two Cebuano words – Patag means flatland and Daku means wide, because in the top of the mountain is a plateau and its soil is fertile. The mountain is found at the northern portion of the municipality which describe as the hinterlands between the mountainous borders between the municipalities of Libagon and Saint Bernard. The mountain contains all the wild flora and faunas imaginable on the topics. The area covers a thousand hectares and characterizes half flat land and half gentle weltering hills with rivers and creeks glide down on a hillside and flow to a tributary winding down to the sea. Its economy is preserved. Access to the mountain paradise is being chartered to open its verdant plateau for tourism Wildlife Park, an Amazon Valley-like wilderness in Southern Leyte rimmed by scenic mountain ranges two (2) kilometers wide and five (5) kilometers long of unsullied wilderness.
The legend of the town comes from a small depression to the ground describe as “Ibaong”, “Libaong” or “Libagong”, which the name "Libagon" is its primitive name. Spanish authorities mistook reference to the ground fault on the land being tilled as the name of the place. Since that happening, the town is been known as “Libagon”. The name “Libagon” suits the town’s characteristics because of its wide flatlands which is a promising agricultural development area or as game or a tourist destination for its beauty and a suspicion of a volcano, which is an effect of eccentric earth vibration over the years. But there is no exact evidence on this suspicion as verified by the concerned agency.
The town was 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, twenty-two kilometers from Sogod. Then, he renamed Libagon as Sogod Nuevo or Sogod Del Norte while Sogod as Sogod Viejo or Sogod Del Sur. After twelve years of power, the poblacion was restored to Sogod for sometime when Benito Faelnar was appointed as capitan municipal. But on 1904, Ladislao Decenteceo was elected and transferred the poblacion to Barangay Consolacion, a barrio twelve (12) kilometers from Libagon. However on 1912, the poblacion was transferred to Sogod, when Vicente Cariño took office in that year.
After much determination and time-after-time transfer of the poblacion of Sogod, Libagon was finally inaugurated as a municipality. On October 16, 1913, the Municipality of Libagon got separated from the municipality of Sogod with its new capitan municipal, Mariano Espina. Espina was a konsehal (councilor) during the Decenteceo administration and he was the fountainhead of creating Libagon a municipality.
Libagon is known of its Spanish style municipal hall building. Libagon is one of the places that can attract more tourists to the province. These spots are: Biasong Spring (Barangay Biasong), Pangi Black Sand Beach (Barangay Pangi), Endriga Beach Resort (Barangay Jubas), Uwan-Uwanan Waterfalls (Barangay Kawayan), ruins of the Old Pantalan (seaport; Barangay Jubas) and the old building of the Libagon Academy Foundation, Inc. (Barangay Jubas).
The municipality is known to be religious and famous towards the province because they have two annual fiestas in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One is the feast of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the town patroness, which is celebrated every 8 December. Another is the feast of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which is regarded as the secondary patroness of the town and celebrated on every 16 July. These two (2) fiestas is greatly known because of the strong faith of the Libagonhons to their patrons and also known for its creative floral arrangement of their caros and the church's altar. The people's main sources of income are copra, abaca, farming, and fishing.
The Creation of the Municipality of Bontoc
The municipality of Bontoc has a total population 27,592 inhabitants in 5,303 households. The town houses the Southern Leyte State University – Bontoc Campus, which offers agricultural and industrial courses. Its inhabitants are closely related with its mother municipality, Sogod, because of its distance.The town is named after a creek which is found at the center of Barangays Poblacion and Talisay. The former site of the town is in the area of what is known as “Lungsodaan” (Old Town) at Barangay Santo Niño where the present cemetery stands. But later, the townspeople transfer a kilometer northbound to its present site.
During the Japanese occupation, the town serves as the seat of resistance movement against the Japanese with its general headquarters in sitio Mamingaw, Barangay Banahaw and under the command of Colonel Ruperto K. Kangleon. Also, a small monument stands in front of Bontoc motor pool at sitio Trece, Barangay Santo Niño commemorating the annihilation of truckload of Japanese soldiers that patrol in the surrounding area.
After the inauguration of the municipality, Bontoc progressed and was tentatively classified as 3rd class “F” in the province with an average annual budget of over P15,000. Also, the town boasts of its long stretch of rich alluvial plain, which is drained by the Salog and Divisoria Rivers. Because of its rich soil, the town is subjected to rice farming and considered as the greatest farming region in the entire Sogod Bay District. The town is also the producer of Abaca, Copra and Tobacco in the Bay District.
The town celebrates their fiesta in honor of the Holy Child Jesus. The Karatong Festival, held every 15 January, was done by colorful participants dancing in honor of the icon of the Señor Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus). Some devotees to the Señor Santo Niño said that it can performed miracles that can heal sickness of those who touches the said icon.
Education
Recently, the municipality of Sogod is divided into two school districts. The school districts under the Department of EducationDepartment of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
(DepEd), oversee the implementation of programs and thrusts of the department. The School districts are consists of Sogod (Sogod Central School) as the center of the west district and Barangay Consolacion (Consolacion Elementary School) as the center of the east district. It is currently undergoing changes like the building of classrooms, the beautification of the schools, putting computers in the schools and etc., in order to achieve the goal: “Quality Education and Education for All”. Secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
is being provided by three National High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s and a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
-run institution, which makes the municipality as a thriving centre for education in the north central part of the province. Tertiary Education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
is being affiliated by two institutions. One is being managed by the government and the other one is run by the Roman Catholic Clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
of Sogod.
Elementary Education
| Name of School | Location |
|---|---|
| Benit Primary School | Barangay Benit, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Buac Adventist Elementary School | Barangay Buac Gamay, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Buac Elementary School | Barangay Buac Gamay, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Cabadbaran Primary School | Barangay Cabadbaran, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Concepcion Elementary School | Barangay Concepcion, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Consolacion Elementary School | Barangay Salvacion, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Dagsa Primary School | Barangay Dagsa, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Grace Baptist School of Sogod (GCS) | Tranquilino Dagohoy Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Hindangan Primary School | Barangay Hindangan, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Hipantag Primary School | Barangay Hipantag, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Kahupian Elementary School | Barangay Kahupian, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Kanangkaan Elementary School | Barangay Kanangkaan, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Kauswagan Primary School | Barangay Kauswagan, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Libas Elementary School | Barangay Libas, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Lum-an Primary School | Barangay Lum-an, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Maac Elementary School | Barangay Maac, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Magatas Elementary School | Barangay Magatas, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Marianne Learning Center (Primary) | Barangay San Jose, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Merryhills Academy of Sogod (Primary) | Veloso Street, Barangay Rizal, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Milagroso Elementary School | Barangay Milagroso, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Olisihan Elementary School | Barangay Olisihan, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Our Lady of Consolation Kindergarten School | Barangay Consolacion, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Pancho Villa Elementary School | Barangay Pancho Villa, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Pandan – San Miguel Elementary School | Barangay San Miguel, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Rizal Primary School | Barangay Rizal, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| San Isidro Elementary School | Barangay San Isidro, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| San Juan Elementary School | Barangay San Juan, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| San Pedro Elementary School | Barangay San Pedro, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| San Vicente Primary School | Barangay San Vicente, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Sogod Adventist Multigrade School | Barangay Rizal, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Sogod Central School | Dela Plana Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Sogod SPED School (SPED) | Dela Plana Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) Saint Thomas Aquinas College (Sogod) Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic private school located at the corner between Bagares Street and Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines... |
Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Suba Elementary School | Barangay Suba, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
Secondary Education
| Name of School | Location |
|---|---|
| Consolacion National High School (CNHS) | Barangay Salvacion, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Libas National High School (LNHS) | Barangay Libas, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Sogod National High School (SNHS) | Dela Plana Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) Saint Thomas Aquinas College (Sogod) Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic private school located at the corner between Bagares Street and Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines... |
Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
Tertiary Education
| Name of School/University | Location |
|---|---|
| Saint Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) Saint Thomas Aquinas College (Sogod) Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic private school located at the corner between Bagares Street and Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines... |
Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
| Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) Main Campus Southern Leyte State University Southern Leyte State University is a public university in the Philippines. It is mandated to provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in trade, fishery, agriculture, forestry, science, education, commerce, engineering and related courses... |
Barangay San Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte |
Economy
The total Internal Revenue AllotmentInternal Revenue Allotment
-Definition:According to Section 284 of the Local Government Code of the Philippines , Internal Revenue Allotment is a local government’s share of revenues from the...
(IRA) of the municipality of Sogod for the fiscal year of 2008 is PHP 58,209,905, making the municipality as the largest income-maker and IRA in the entire province of Southern Leyte. Also, it is one of the largest in the entire of island and being competitive to other neighboring municipalities like Abuyog, Albuera, Bato, Baybay, Dulag, Hilongos, Liloan, San Juan, and Maasin City. The municipality is one of the fastest growing economies in the southern portion of island of Leyte, as it is very evident until today because many people from other communities gather in the public market and in the major groceries (like Joaquin Yap and Sons Marketing, Inc. (JYSMI), PANELANS and the Antonio Palanca Remedios Aquino (APRA) Grocery) to meet their local necessities and to sell their products and produce. Fishes, meat, vegetables and rice are also abundant in the public market of Sogod because there are many consumers and they can afford to transfer their produce from their area to the market easily by well-maintained roads and infrastructure that leads to the poblacion.
Majority of the people living in the Pacific Coast and the Panaon Island
Panaon Island
Panaon Island,Panaon Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Southern Leyte. It lies south of Leyte, separated from Dinagat to the east, and Mindanao to the southeast by Surigao Strait. The Mindanao Sea lies to the southwest....
chooses Sogod as their choice because of its proximity and location than commuting to Maasin City due to its location, being the farthest area of trade. The municipality is also booming due to the heavy migration that the municipality has encountered, seeking a better future in the municipality.
Despite of its economy, the town is facing a major facelift, as the town undergoes several construction of buildings like banks, cooperatives, restaurants and a mall. Gaisano Capital
Gaisano
Gaisano Inc. is one of the largest shopping mall chains in the Philippines, having 40 branches all in the Visayas and Mindanao region. The malls are managed by several groups...
Group, one of largest shopping mall chains in the country, has been opened it's first constructed mall in the province
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...
last June 10, 2011 during the town fiesta and can be found at the corner between Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road and Bagares Street, Barangay Zone V.
Banking and Finance
BankBank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s and pawnshops are becoming the indicator of economic growth in the municipality. The town, since the mid 1990s, is experiencing the high economic rate and mass migration due to banking, making it as the center of trade and commerce in Southern Leyte. Nowadays, Sogod has established six banks and eight pawnshops and attracting people from other places.
List of Banks in Sogod
- City Savings Bank – Rizal Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- GreenbankGreenbankGreenbank is a Liverpool City Council Ward in Liverpool Riverside Parliamentary constituency. It was formed for the 2004 municipal elections encorporating most of the former Arundel ward and parts of the former Aigburth and Picton wards.-Councillors:...
– Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte - LandbankLand Bank of the PhilippinesLand Bank of the Philippines , also known as LANDBANK or by its initials, LBP, is a bank in the Philippines owned by the Philippine government with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen...
– Bus Terminal Building, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte - Metropolitan Bank and Trust CompanyMetropolitan Bank and Trust CompanyThe Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company , commonly known as Metrobank. It has a diverse offering of financial services, from regular banking to insurance. Metrobank is the second largest bank in the Philippines.-History:...
(MetrobankMetropolitan Bank and Trust CompanyThe Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company , commonly known as Metrobank. It has a diverse offering of financial services, from regular banking to insurance. Metrobank is the second largest bank in the Philippines.-History:...
) – Rizal Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte - Rural Bank of Hindang – Rizal Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- United Coconut Planters BankUnited Coconut Planters BankThe United Coconut Planters Bank, more popularly known by its initials, UCPB, or by its old name, Cocobank, is one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking within the top twenty banks in the Philippines in terms of assets. The bank, owing to its name, caters heavily to coconut farmers, but...
(UCPB) – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
List of Pawnshops in Sogod
- Agencia Francis Pawnshop – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Henry Lhuillier Pawnshop – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- M Lhuillier Pawnshop (Branch 1) – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- M Lhuillier Pawnshop (Branch 2) – Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Palawan Pawnshop – Rizal Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Prime Asia Pawnshop - Osmena Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- RD Pawnshop - Osmena Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
List of Establishments in Sogod
- APRA Hardware – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- APRA Trading – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Botica Villarias-Frandel - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Brodeth Marketing - Leopoldo Regis Steet, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Corpus Christi Pharmacy - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Gaisano Capital SogodGaisanoGaisano Inc. is one of the largest shopping mall chains in the Philippines, having 40 branches all in the Visayas and Mindanao region. The malls are managed by several groups...
- Corner between Bagares Street and Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte- Elena's Bakeshop
- Fujifilm
- Generics Pharmacy - Rizal Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Gleen Marketing - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- J & F Department Store - Bagares Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Jaguar Fashion Center - Osmena Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Jake Merchandise - Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Julie's Bakeshop - Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- JYSMI Merchandise – Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- LBC (Branch 1) - Osmeña corner Jovencio Caday Streets, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- LBC (Gaisano Capital Branch) - Gaisano Capital Sogod Mall Complex, Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- LCW Department Store - Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Manolette's Bakeshop - Integrated Public Market Area, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Mang InasalMang InasalMang Inasal is a common fast food chain in the Philippines.-History:Edgar Sia II engaged in business at twenty years of age. He opened the first branch at the Robinson's Mall Carpark-Iloilo....
- Gaisano Capital Sogod Mall Complex, Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte - Mary Ann Pharmacy, Inc. - Osmeña corner Concepcion Streets, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Mayong's Bakeshop - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Monterey Meatshop - Gaisano Capital Sogod Supermarket, Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- NOVO - Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- PANELANS (Branch 1) - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- PANELANS (Branch 2) - Katambisan Building, Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- RAMS Hardware – Rizal Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Roljeans Marketing - Rizal corner Osmeña Streets, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Rose Pharmacy - Gaisano Capital Sogod Mall Complex, Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Tophome Builders – Osmeña corner Rizal Streets, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- The Generics Pharmacy - Rizal Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Three She's RTW - Leopoldo Regis corner Osmeña Streets, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Vintage Optical - Gaisano Capital Sogod Mall Complex, Benito Faelnar Circumferential Road, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Wilkris Marketing - Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Industry
Manufacturing and TradeManufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
is small scale: charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
(burnt coconut shells), abaca
Abacá
Abacá, Musa textilis is a species of banana native to the Philippines, grown as a commercial crop in the Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. The plant is of great economic importance, being harvested for its fibre, once generally called Manila hemp, extracted from the trunk or pseudostem. On...
products, ceramics, coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
, furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
making, hollow block making, and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
and sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
. Export products are copra, abaca, abaca handicrafts and fiber craft items. Minerals As of 1992, the province of Southern Leyte’s metallic reserves totaled 771,830 metric tons. All of the municipalities and one city in the province have mineral deposits including Sogod. The town has magnesite
Magnesite
Magnesite is magnesium carbonate, MgCO3. Iron substitutes for magnesium with a complete solution series with siderite, FeCO3. Calcium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel may also occur in small amounts...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
deposits. However, Sogod’s mountains are unexplored and the soil is not suitable for mining due to soft clay surface.
Metalworks
Except for blacksmithing, work is undertaken principally in the poblacion and in the barrios of Sogod, turning out working bolos, machete and steel fabrication of window grills and other household needs; metalwork for the past years changed but the old process in molding metals are still being used. The body repairs of vehicles are carried out by small metal shops somewhere in the municipality or in Barangay Talisay in Bontoc, doubling as jack-of-all-trade. Metalwork is concerned with an accessory fabrication for pump boats that abound in the town’s waters and building construction where steel had replaced the disappearing wood as housing material.
Health
The Municipality of Sogod has one government-owned hospital and three private hospitals that cater the community. Recently, the three hospitals (excluding the newly constructed Pudpud Surgical Hospital) has upgraded its equipments and rehabilitated its facilities and buildings. Doctors in the municipality are taking shifts and regular visits in these hospitals to require the needs of the people. Nurses and midwives are also doing their job to assure the patient’s health. However, the municipality is a recipient of the N.A.R.S project, a program that gives jobs to those nursing students who are unemployed, supplies nurses to Sogod District Hospital. Nursing students from the schools in Sogod are practicing their profession in the hospitals that were assigned.List of Hospitals
- Consuelo K. Tan Memorial Medical Center (established in 1960) – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Corrompido Specialty Hospital (established in 1960) – Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Pudpud Surgical Hospital – Barangay San Miguel, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Sogod District Hospital (created on June 18, 1960, through the provisions stated by the Republic Act No. 2693) – Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Communications
Telephone systems are served by Bayan TelecommunicationsBayan Telecommunications
Bayan Telecommunications, Inc. is a telecommunications company serving areas in Metro Manila, Bicol and local exchange service areas in the Visayas and Mindanao regions combined cover a population of over 25 million, nearly 33% of the population of the Philippines.Its operating units in the...
(BayanTel), covering the town of Sogod and the nearby town of Bontoc; and Globe Telecoms, covers the town of Sogod and nearby communities. Cellphone systems are also being improved in the town since its existence on 2001 with Smart Communications
Smart Communications
Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company .On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.-Brands:...
as the first company to set foot on the town grounds by making cell towers, providing signal to the community and its environs. Later, Globe Telecom
Globe Telecom
Globe Telecom , commonly known as Globe, is a telecommunications company in the Philippines. Globe provides mobile, fixed line, and broadband Internet services.- History :In 1928, Congress passed Act No...
build their cell towers in the town and creating cellphone signals to the community.
Cable Television
The town has its own cable television that operates the towns of Sogod and Bontoc. The Sogod Cable TV, owned by Congressman Roger G. Mercado, provides 40 to 50 channels with less payment for every month. Recently, the cable television upgraded its facilities and also their signals eastward, providing excellent receptions from the barrio folks. Also, Dream Satellite TV is operating also in the town and other places in Leyte.Transportation
The medium of transportation in the municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
is the potpot, a tricycle
Tricycle
A tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
which carries nine to twelve passengers including the driver. But people in the far flung areas use the habal-habal, a hired motorcycle which carries less than eight persons including the driver. The potpots in Sogod has their assigned color scheme which indicates their area. There are three colored potpots which roam towards the entire vicinity of the municipality and other towns, which are Blue, Red and White. The Blue ones are assigned only on the poblacion (town proper) and in the barrios that is equidistant to the poblacion (Barangays Mabicay, Pandan, San Isidro and San Miguel in Sogod, and Barangays Casao and Santa Cruz in Bontoc
Bontoc, Southern Leyte
Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 27,592 people in 5,363 households....
). The white potpots are assigned westwards from Barangay Casao, to the town of Tomas Oppus. The red potpots are traversing eastwards from Barangay San Isidro to Barangays Buac Gamay, Consolacion and Maac. The fare ranges from PHP 6.00 to P10.00 in the entire poblacion and its environs in blue potpots; PHP 10.00 is minimum rate with PHP 1.00 for every succeeding barangay from Sogod to Barangay Maac in the red motorcabs; PHP 10.00 is the minimum rate from Sogod to Tomas Oppus in white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
motorcabs (potpot). In days without school, the rates are increased with P1.00 without further notice. The habals-habals or single motorcycles are used as modes of transportation in carrying commuters and excess baggage to distant and mountainous areas in the municipality. Its area covers the barangays northwards from Barangay Suba (Crossing Sawong) to Barangay Kahupian and to Mahaplag; Barangay Suba (Crossing Sawong) to Barangay San Francisco; Barangays Magatas and Benit to Barangays Kauswagan and Hipantag; westwards from Barangays Milagroso, Santa Maria to Barangay Libas; Barangays Mabicay and Pangi to Barangays Libas, Ta-a, and Cabadbaran; Barangays Libas to Barangay Hilaan to Bontoc; Barangay Hilaan (Bontoc) to Barangay San Vicente (Bontoc); and on the east covers Barangays Buac Daku, Malinao and Maria Plana. There are no fixed rates
Rates
Rates is a Portuguese parish and town located in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim. In the census of 2001, it had a population of 2,539 inhabitants and a total area of 13.88 square kilometres.-History:...
in commuting habals-habals because it is not registered as transportation in Land Transportation Office (LTO). But the suggested fare is P15.00 to P50.00, depending on the distance of its destination. Like the potpots, the rates are increased when it comes to summer. On traversing from Sogod to other places, there are plenty of vehicles that accommodate in Sogod because the town is the major terminus in the south central portion in Leyte Island. It is the vital link in connecting Visayas to Mindanao. The buses, jeepneys, and for hire vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
terminate from Sogod to Maasin City
Maasin City
Maasin City is a 4th class city in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Southern Leyte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 79,737.On August 10, 2000 Maasin was converted into a city.- History :...
, Ormoc City
Ormoc City
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 177,524 people...
, Tacloban City
Tacloban City
The City of Tacloban is a port city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas...
, Bato
Bato, Leyte
Bato is a 4th class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 32,974 people in 6,329 households.-Barangays:Bato is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.-External links:****...
-Hilongos, Liloan
Liloan, Southern Leyte
Liloan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. Liloan is located at the northern part of Panaon Island which is connected to the main island of Leyte by a bridge . Across from Liloan is the province of Southern Leyte...
, Hinunangan and Silago. Fairs are organized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Agas-Agas Bridge
The Agas-Agas Bridge is situated in Southern LeyteSouthern 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...
, the highest ever built in the Philippines. The bridge straddles between two mountains and traverses along the Mahaplag-Sogod (south-central) section of the Maharlika Highway. It provides a significant link to motorists traveling from Luzon to Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. This bridge is by far the tallest pier or column that the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has constructed with a help from the Japanese Government. It involves the construction of a 350 linear meter bridge, with a mix of steel and concrete, supported by two piers from the ground and has a height of 292 feet above ground.
Residents said that the Agas-Agas section of the Maharlika Highway in Southern Leyte is known for being prone to slides during heavy rains. Since it is situated in a mountainous area, it is regularly reported that movements of loose soil or landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
s take place whenever it rains heavily, much more when typhoon strikes the province. Thus, the viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
was constructed in 2006 primarily to help motorists avoid the mountainous sections that are prone to landslides and road slips and prevent life and property losses.
Seeing its high tourism potential the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the executive department which is responsible for all safety of projects in the filed of public works and roads, submitted to the President Gloria Arroyo, a plan to turn the PHP 1,024,000 billion bridge into a haven for sports enthusiasts who are into bungee jumping, paramotor, downhill skateboarding and zipline rapelling and other extreme sports. Seeing the panoramic beauty of the mountains and rivers around it, then-President Arroyo had ordered that a bungee jumping platform be constructed along the bridge as well as other tourists amenities.
Zip Southern Leyte
On April 11, 2011,The newly completed construction of the much-awaited zip line, an environment friendly tourist attraction, has now become an added feature of Agas-agas Bridge, the tallest bridge in the Philippines located in Sogod, Southern Leyte.
A soft opening of Zip Southern Leyte, is the first tandem zipline facility in Eastern Visayas, will be officially opened to the public on Friday, Provincial Governor Damian G. Mercado said in his letter invitation to PIA Southern Leyte.
The zip line extreme sports facility is the typical Public Private Partnership (PPP) undertaking by the provincial government of Southern Leyte and a local investor, Edwin Sakdalan, who is based in Camp Sabros, Digos City, Provincial Tourism Officer Nedgar Garvez said to PIA. PPP is a priority project.
On the same occasion, the provincial government has also scheduled for the groundbreaking ceremony of the planned Provincial Pavilion at the vicinity of Agas-agas Bridge in Barangay Kahupian, Sogod, he said.
From Maasin City, a motorcade will commence at the Provincial Capitol at Agas-agas Bridge and converge at Sogod Suba Junction road for the motorcade coming from Libagon, Pacific and Pana-on municipal and provincial officials, he further said.
The Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) has identified the construction of zip line among the four tourism hubs, namely, the Canopy Walk in the virgin forests of Silago, dive sites of San Francisco and Padre Burgos and the animal park in Danao Forest Park in Maasin City, SLCCI President Engr. Robert Castañares disclosed to PIA earlier.
Media
Two radio stations, DYSL (Government) an AM and FM station operating in SLSU Campus, Barangay San Roque, and the DYSC 101.1 (owned by the Radyo Natin Network) an FM station that is operating also in Barangay San Roque, serves the locals with programs and news. Print media is also present in the municipality. There are two provincial newspapers which are the Southern Leyte Times (English) and the Southern Leyte Balita (Cebuano). The newspapers are based in the capital city of Maasin and gives accurate and constructive news on the province and the neighboring Leyte province. Other leading newspapers have reached the town before the establishment of provincial newspapers providing the news from the entire nation and in the world.Tourism
Unfortunately, the Municipality of Sogod pays no attention to the sites found in the town. There are falls, a lake and a cave system, beaches and hotels. But accommodations are plenty to choose from and found at the vicinity of the poblacion.The Pasanon Falls and River in Barangay Dagsa, Lum-an Falls in Barangay Lum-an, Lake Lanao and Springs in Barangay San Juan, Subangdaku River in Barangays Suba and San Miguel, man-made lake in Barangay Malinao, Labong Cave in Barangay Javier, Magapso Beach in Barangay Maac, Black Sand Beaches in Barangay Consolacion and Prima, Cabadoy and Palanca Pebble Beaches in Barangay San Jose are one of the few sites that the municipality can offer. But some of these sites are in ruins, endangered or rather unexplored by human activities.
In the fields of infrastructure and agro-tourism, the Agas-Agas Bridge is famous and considered as the highest bridge in the Philippines. It stands 85 meters tall or 1,000 feet high and spans 300 meters connecting the Maharlika Highway. It is built so, because the area is prone to landslides and often many accidents occurred in this narrow corridor with a deep ravine on its side. Today, the bridge carries visitors to visit the area and government officials have plans to make it as a tourist attraction. Some bridges like the Subangdaku Bridge is regarded as one of the longest bridge in the entire province and up to now another bridge is constructed to minimize the travel time for the commuters traveling along the arterial highways. Along the bridge, one can see a dam that controls the river current when bad weather occurs. Also, CTL Farms, named in-memory of the owner's son Carlo Tirso Luzon, in Barangay Concepcion and La Caridad Farms in Barangay Buac Gamay offers wide array of beautiful flora and fauna. The farms also offer many activities, either you can go fishing or roam around and enjoy the fields of green by affordable prices.
The town has hotels, inns, and pension houses that can accommodate visitors; this are
- GV Pension House - Leopoldo Regis Street, Barangay Zone V, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Marian Center - G. Ruiz Street, Barangay San Jose, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Regis Bed n’ Breakfast Inn - Veloso Street, Barangay Rizal, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Roca Pension - Jovencio Caday Street (formerly San Antonio Street), Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Southern Leyte Lodge - Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Samporado Beach Resort and Lodging - Sogod Integrated Market Area, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Syshore Hotel and Resort - Barangay San Jose, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Villa Catalina Manor House - National Highway, Barangay Tampoong, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Bars and Restaurants are evident in the town, like:
- Adiyana's - Osmeña Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Carmen's Bakeshop - Cadavos Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- JYSMI Fastfood and Restaurant - Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Lapyahan - Jovencio Caday (formerly San Antonio) Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Manuela's Garden - Cadavos Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- May Abohan - Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- PANELANS - Concepcion Street, Barangay Zone III, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Papa Doc's - Jovencio Caday Street, Barangay Zone II, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Tambayan - National Highway, Barangay San Jose, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Function Houses, like :
- Bontoc Credit Cooperative Inc. (BCCI) Function Room - Barangay Zone V, Sogod, So. Leyte (soon to open)
- Jardin de Gamale - Jovencio Caday Street (formerly San Antonio Street), Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- MF Manlangit Building - Zamora Street, Barangay Zone I, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Syshore Function Room - Barangay San Jose, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Sogod Municipal Auditorium - Barangay Zone IV, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) Function Room - Barangay San Roque, Sogod, Southern Leyte
- Villa Catalina Function Room - National Highway, Barangay Tampoong, Sogod, Southern Leyte
Cainting Cave and Falls
A hidden cave has recently been discovered by foreign visitors who enjoyed its long bushy trail complete with leeches down wet crossings.Former Mayor Edmund Villa shared a rather unlikely advice from the very people who had trekked the site: don't touch anything there.
The foreigners stressed that the natural ways of going to the covered hideaway be left as it is, including the leeches, to underscore nature at its best, former mayor Villa said, quoting his visitors.
He described the site as the meeting point of three rivers, a scenic junction which developed into a natural pool deep into the jungle in what remains as Sogod's lush forests- an imposing sight to behold.
The blissful area can be reached after a three kilometer walk from the road proper - virtually just a short distance, but surely a bloody one if any unsuspecting intruder is not careful enough for blood-sucking "limatok", the presence of which added yet another twisting thrill and adventure to the trip. The cave, matched with a cascading falls, has not yet been fully explored inside.
The advice on not to touch anything at a natural resort was a basic principle in eco-tourism, where the natural environment would be preserved for all its inherent beauty, wonders and surprises.
The cave is in Barangay San Francisco Mabuhay, a barangay found in the mountainous area of the municipality, is accessible by a rough road leading to Sitio Kabernal (part of Barangay Kahupian, Sitio Silao Bato (part of Barangay Kahupian) and Sitio Hagna (part of Barangay San Francisco Mabuhay) through habal-habal (single tricycles). The cave, however, is equidistant to the Agas-Agas Bridge, the municipal cattle farms, and the zipline.
Besides, it helps when any tourists attraction is not meticulously planned, after all, to make for a spontaneous hike or climb from interested nature lovers and less development expense, too, on the part of the local government.