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.
Hinunangan
Hinunangan lies between Malitbog and Abuyog, on a fertile plain on the eastern coast of the province. It is bounded on the southeast by the town of Cabalian, on the northeast by the town of Abuyog, and on the south by the town of Hinundayan, and on the east by the Surigao Strait, facing the Island of Dinagat, which belongs to Surigao.
When the present town site was yet a wilderness in 1570, Boholano peddlers often dropped anchor at Das-ay River and often stayed overnight. They gathered rattan, caught fish, and collected tar (balao.) The place was named "Hononganan" the vernacular for "stopping place." Finding the area to be rich and fertile, a Bohol farmer by the name of Palonoy, brought his family and started his "kainging." Several other followed suit and a settlement was formed. In 1825, Palonoy donated a portion of this "kaingin" for a church site and a certain Fray Pedro lived with the settlers. Being a Spaniard, he mispronounced "Hononganan" to "Hinunangan" and even wrote so in his communications to the higher Spanish authorities, thus the name was transformed.
Hinunangan was created a town on March 26, 1851. It had a population of 5,140. Two months later, it was created a parish. The first parish priest, Fr. Pedro Monasterio constructed a five-altar church, which still stands today.
There are 33 barrios in this town. Her 1,400 hectares of rice land makes a 20,000-cavan annual yield. Copra is also produced in large quantities. However, rice planters are complaining about a plant disease locally known as "piyangao" which has lowered their yearly harvest.
The town is hardly connected by roads to the neighboring barrios. Existing feeder roads are ill kept and even the dirt road that connects it with Hinundayan and Cabalian is very difficult to travel on.
With the town's agricultural potential, it is believed that if given enough encouragement for production and adequate means of transportation, Hinunangan is one municipality that may easily be self-sufficient.
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