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The History of Towns in Region VIII, Philippines
These histories were taken from the book Leyte Towns, Histories/Legends by Francisco S. Tantuico Jr of Tacloban City. Click on a town and view the history below the menu.
Alang-Alang
Alang-alang is an inland town situated in the eastern part of
Leyte. It is a fifth class municipality with an area of 15,052
hectares bounded on the north by Barugo
and San Miguel, on the south by Pastrana, on the northeast by Tacloban City, on the east by Sta. Fe and on the west by Jaro.
On the way to Carigara is a steel
bridge spanning the Mainit River. Soon after it is a smaller
bridge. There was a time when only footpaths existed and when
this river was too wide for a leap and too narrow to wade in, the
traveler was undecided what to do. Hence the name Alang-alang was
given to the town, from the vernacular word
"alang-alang" which means indecision.
When the beginnings of this town were still
"rancherias" and barangays in about the year 1596, Fr.
Cosme de Flores, a priest-engineer, made it into the fourth
"Doctrina." Fr. Tomas de Montaya, a Manila college
professor succeeded Fr. Flores who died at the early age of 29.
Alang-alang, with Dulag, was made a
"cabicera" of nine towns with Fr. Mateo Sanchez as
superior.
In 1600, this town suffered from the moros raids. A punitive
force from Cebu under Capitan Francisco de Pedraza was sent to
suppress lawlessness. In 1611, a hurricane swept the whole town
and floods became frequent. The 18 or 20 rancherias declined in
importance and around December 1628, Alang-alang became a
"visita" of Barugo.
The old town of Alang-alang was founded in 1748 in a site
located across the steel bridge at Binongto-an called Bukid
Height. This settlement was headed by Francisco Antonis, a
courageous leader, together with Pongal, Manamot, Francisco
Gariando, Hidalgo Pedrera and Solang Adlao. Antonis was famed for
having eaten the liver of a Moro bandit whom he caught during one
of the raids. Fr. Baysa, a Franciscan, was at the time their
spiritual mentor. The objective of the frequent Moro raids was
the gold church bell. During every Moro attack, the inhabitants
would take the gold bell with them to the hills. At one time,
when the townsfolk were being pursued, the had to drop the gold
bell in the Bangka River if only to save it from the invaders but
up to now the bell has never been recovered.
Alang-alang was made into a parish in 1809 according to a
historian named Cousin. Toward the end of the 18th century, the
settlement in Bukid grew so large that Fr. Jose Olmo, then Parish
priest, transferred the town across the Mainit River where the
Provincial Nursery is found at present. The government officials
at that time were the Governadorcillo, Teniente Mayor, Teniente
Segundo, Cabez a de Barangay or Guinhaopan, Delgado de Rentas and
cuadrilleros. Among the lay leaders were Eulogio Barrantes, Santo
Pabilona, Eulogio Daroles and Esteban Pedero. By the middle of
the 19th century, Alang-alang had a rectory and six rural
schools; the roads to Palo and Barugo were also opened. The town was noted
for its abaca, copra, seeds of "kabalonga", wax, cocoa,
tobacco and rice.
A big flood leveled the town in 1883. By November of the same
year, the Gobernadorcillo moved the town to its present site. In
1892, when there was rebellion in the country, Alang-alang was in
the thick of the fight. Leocardio Pabilona overthrew the Spanish
rule in the town and became the Jefe or Capitan with a new set of
Guinhaopan. When the Americans occupied the town upon orders from
Pabilona, the inhabitants evacuated the place. The Americans,
angered, set the town on fire. It was the hardship of mountain
life which finally made the townsfolk yield to American
authority.
From then on, the town's growth was steady. Alang-alang is a
big producer of copra and rice and lies along the route of the
busiest national highway of the province. The town has one of the
biggest Spanish-made churches and shortly before the ward had a
new concrete municipal building with a swimming pool.
After the fall of Corregidor in May 1942, the municipality
became the emergency capital of the province. General MacArthur was
reported to have passed an evening in that town. Provincial and
national offices and government records were accordingly
transferred there for safekeeping. On December 16, 1942, Japanese
planes bombed the town. Alang-alang again became one of the
bulwarks of the resistance movement with Filemon Pabilona and
Elias Macina as leaders. After liberation, a regional high school
was opened. The town continues to lead in agriculture.
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