SOUTHERN LEYTE

Southern Leyte was an integral part of Leyte Island for centuries before it was

made into a separate province. The office of the “ Promoter Fiscal” that was

equivalent to Provincial Fiscal and the office of “Administrador de Hacienda” that

was equivalent to Provincial Treasurer was established in Western Leyte. Because

of the sudden change in sovereign power, the Provincial Treasurer was abolished.

Only the Provincial Fiscal was left because of the remained hearing cases from

Palompon to Hinunangan. Because of the struggle to transportation and governing

the affairs of government in Tacloban, the only solution that prominent leaders

could think of is to divide the Leyte into two distinct provinces.

In 1919, Representative Ciriaco K. Kangleon of Macrohon, representing the 2nd

District from Inopacan to Cabalian from 1919-1922 presented the first bill for the
division of Leyte but lost in the Senate by one vote. In 1922, Assemblyman Tomas

Oppus renewed the move by presenting House Bill No. 254 which became Act No.

3117 of the Philippine Legislature. According to the said law, occidental province

would embrace the towns of Villaba to Hinunangan, inclusive. The law never

became effective since the governor-general did not proclaim it. Then Act No.

3788 was passed redistricting Leyte province into five representative districts

modifying the Division Law. Senator Ruperto Kangleon presented Senate Bill No.

2140 advocating the division of Leyte, but it was also shelved. Then in 1957,

Nicanor Espina Yñiguez, Jr., who defeated Representative Pajao in the

congressional election, filed a bill in the house creating the Province of Southern

Leyte. No longer the original Western Leyte of Occidental Leyte, but only the

Third District of Leyte comprising the municipalities of Maasin to Hinunangan, as

specified under Act 3788. After a while, the attempts to pass the law to divide the

Leyte island into two distinct provinces, the House Bill No. 1318 that was

proposed by Nicanor Espina Yñiguez became a Republic Act. No 2227 signed as a

law by President Carlos P. Garcia on May 22, 1959. The new province was

established on July 1 ,1960. Therefore, the Third District of Leyte became the

Southern Leyte located in the Eastern region of Visayas as a province with sixteen

(16) municipalities, 349 barangays and 4 islands: Panaon Island, Limasawa Island,

San Pablo Island and San Pedro Island. It had a total population of 209,608 as of
February 15, 1960 NSO Census of Population. The municipalities included:

Maasin, as the capital town and the seat of the provincial government, Macrohon,

Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Bontoc, Sogod, Libagon, Liloan, Pintuyan, San Francisco,

St. Bernard, Cabalian (now San Juan), Anahawan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan and

Silago. Along with the history of Southern Leyte, the Limawasa island who got its

name from Rajah Kolambu who is the Rajah of the island who has five in tagalog

“lima” , wives (asawa) the reason why it is called Limasawa which means lima

asawa holds a significant event in Philippines history. In 1521, a Portuguese-born

Spanish explorer and navigator, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew came ashore and

celebrated the first Roman Catholic Mass on the island where it was also

considered to be the birthplace of Christianity in the Philippines. Coincidental to

the historic event, Magellan made peace with two Filipino rulers, Rajah Kolambu

and Rajah Siani who eventually were converted to Christianity. A marker notes the

spot on Limasawa where their blood compact of friendship and alliance was

sealed. In 1994, The Limasawa was declared as a tourist zone approved by

President Fidel V. Ramos on Republic Act No. 7822 .Now, the Southern Leyte is

known for its high quality abaca fiber and the major producer of abaca fiber in the

country and different tourist attractions such as Monte Cueva, Guinsuhotan Falls

and Cave, Jalleca Hills and many more.

References:
Republic of the Philippines Southern Leyte ( n. d ) A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE

PROVINCE OF SOUTHERN LEYTE https://southernleyte.gov.ph/history?

fbclid=IwAR2TTeYRdFj61Jcf4KnWQFoZRouWNEn3lYooR79BgmCxS_js7yNt

YMrHFV8#:~:text=On%20July%201%2C%201960%2C

%20Southern,1960%20NSO%20Census%20of%20Population

Republic of the Philippines Southern Leyte ( n. d ) Municipality of Limasawa

https://southernleyte.gov.ph/local-government-units/limasawa#:~:text=Limasawa

%20is%20historic%20in%20that,a%20Tourist%20Zone%20in%201994.

Republic of the Philippines City Government of Maasin Southern Leyte (n.d)

https://maasincity.gov.ph/index.php/about/history