Hilongos


', officially the ', is a of the Philippines| in the province of,. According to the, it has a population of people.
Hilongos is the biggest municipality in terms of income, population and land area in the southwestern part of Leyte. Hilongos is the center of government and ecclesiastical offices, shipping, rice production, trade, banking and finance, telecommunications, health facilities, education, sports and socio-cultural activities in this area.
The Port of Hilongos is one of the biggest and busiest in Region 8 and is well known for its good ferry and cargo services for Cebu City and vice versa. Due to its strategic location and proximity to the City of Cebu, Hilongos Port caters numerous day and night trips to and from Cebu City and is the primary choice for travelers in the area. Also, Hilongos is equipped with an airport, the Hilongos Airport in particular, which can be more helpful and useful if improved. At present, Hilongos has two public markets, the old one and the new one respectively. The Municipality of Hilongos is composed of fifty-one barangays with vast coastal plains used mainly in the production of rice.

Geography

Hilongos shares its border with the Municipality of Hindang in the north, the Municipalities of Sogod and Bontoc in the east, the Municipality of Bato in the south and the Camotes Sea in the west.

Barangays

Hilongos comprises 51 barangays:

Climate

History

Lore has it that in the 12th century, Amahawin, an Ilonggo from Iloilo, conquered neighboring barangays on Leyte’s western shore and extended his territory to the present limits of Inopacan, Hindang, Bato, and Matalom. He formed a settlement and named it Hilongos, because its inhabitants were Ilonggos.
In 1710, the Jesuits created a residence there. In 1737, according to, Hilongos was already a parish before this year. However, claims that Hilongos became a parish only in 1737. This date corresponded to the establishment of the town.
1754 was the date of the oldest parish books as of 1884.
In 1768, the Jesuits ceded Hilongos to the Augustinians. In 1774–79, the Augustinians established schools in Hilongos. In 1784, Palompon, a Hilongos visita, became an independent parish.
In 1862, Manicar led a revolt at Barrio Santa Margarita.
In 1873, Leovio Magia led a revolt. Unlike the towns of eastern Leyte, which were ceded to the Franciscans in 1843, the towns along Leyte’s western coast fell one by one under the seculars.
In December 28, 2016, two explosions rocked the small town during the town fiesta. The explosion occurred in Barangay Central Poblacion were a boxing match was being held. At least 34 people residents were injured and brought to the Hilongos District Hospital and other nearby hospitals. Officials said an IED was used in the attack. No suspects were identified.

Demographics

In the, the population of Hilongos, Leyte, was people, with a density of.

Heritage sites

Church complex—The present church’s bell tower is attributed by [|Redondo] to a secular Don Leonardo Celis-Díaz, a native of Cebu. The building of the church fabric itself is disputed. Did Celis-Díaz build it or did he merely repair an older structure left by the Jesuits? Oral lore claims that the church and the ruined convento behind it are from the Jesuits; but Repetti reports otherwise. Certainly, there must have been some permanent structures when Hilongos became a residence.
It is quite clear that the church complex underwent major renovations over the centuries. The original church, now incorporated as a transept, was a single-nave structure whose main door was also the gate to a bastioned fortification. Some bastions and walls of that fortification still remain. The main nave of the church is a modern construction, and the bell tower build by Fr. Celis-Diaz is an independent multi story structure, now plastered over with Portland cement.
The church interior is completely new in contrast to the convento which may have been completed in the 19th century. The convento guards many of the church’s antiques including silver vessels from the 18th century.

Transport facilities

Shipping

Education

Tertiary