Alangalang

Alangalang
Municipality
Municipality of Alangalang
Seal
Map of Leyte with Alangalang highlighted
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Alangalang Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°12′N 124°51′E / 11.2°N 124.85°E / 11.2; 124.85Coordinates: 11°12′N 124°51′E / 11.2°N 124.85°E / 11.2; 124.85
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Leyte
District	1st district
Barangays	54 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Lovell Anne M. Yu
• Vice Mayor	Edwin B. Jomadiao
• Representative	Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez
• Councilors	show List • Kenneth Spice M. de Veyra • Elmer D. Matobato • Epifania B. Salazar • Ricardo Neil O. Eusores • Anthony Mervin P. Varona • Rodolfo R. Cabalona • Vernon I. Jolbitado • Shirlene T. Borja DILG Masterlist of Officials
• Electorate	36,966 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	150.54 km2 (58.12 sq mi)
Elevation	41 m (135 ft)
Highest elevation	110 m (360 ft)
Lowest elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	57,185
• Density	380/km2 (980/sq mi)
• Households	12,709
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	33.86% (2015)[4]
• Revenue	₱120,721,498.11 (2016)
Service provider
• Electricity	Leyte 3 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 3)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6517
PSGC	083702000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)53
Climate type	tropical rainforest climate
Native languages	Waray Tagalog
Website	www.alangalang-leyte.gov.ph

Alangalang, officially the Municipality of Alangalang (Waray: Bungto han Alangalang; Cebuano: Lungsod sa Alangalang; Tagalog: Bayan ng Alangalang), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 57,185 people. ^[3]

It is a landlocked town with an area of 151 km². It is bounded on the north by Barugo and San Miguel, on the south by Pastrana, on the north-east by Tacloban City, on the east by Santa Fe and on the west by Jaro.^[5]

On the way to Carigara is a steel bridge spanning the and 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 Alangalang was given to the town, from the vernacular word alang-alang which means "indecision".^{[citation needed]}

The strongest tropical typhoon Haiyan, more commonly known as Typhoon Yolanda impacted the provinces when it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility on November 8, 2013.

Geography[]

Barangays[]

Alangalang is politically subdivided into 54 barangays.083702000

Climate[]

Demographics[]

In the 2020 census, the population of Alangalang, Leyte, was 57,185 people, ^[3] with a density of 380 inhabitants per square kilometre or 980 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy[]

History[]

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When the beginnings of this town were still "rancherias" and barangays in about the year 1596, Fr. , a priest-engineer, made it into the fourth "Doctrina." Fr. , a Manila college professor succeeded Fr. Flores who died at the early age of 29. Alangalang, with Dulag, was made a "cabicera" of nine towns with Fr. Mateo Sanchez as superior.

In 1600, the town suffered from the moros raids. A punitive force from Cebu under Capitan 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, Alangalang became a "visita" of Barugo.

The old town of Alangalang was founded in 1748 in a site located across the steel bridge at Binongto-an called Bukid Height. This settlement was headed by , a courageous leader, together with Pongal, , , and . Antonis was famed for having eaten the liver of a Moro bandit whom he caught during one of the raids. Fr. , 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, they 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.

Alangalang 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. , 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, Alangalang 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, Alangalang was in the thick of the fight. 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. Alangalang 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 war 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. Provincial and national offices and government records were accordingly transferred there for safekeeping. On December 16, 1942, Japanese planes bombed the town. Alangalang again became one of the bulwarks of the resistance movement with and as leaders. In 1944 to 1945, the Filipino forces of the 4th, 9th, 92nd, 93rd and 95th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army took in the town in Alangalang, Leyte fought the battles against the Japanese forces in World War II. After liberation, a regional high school was opened. The town continues to lead in agriculture.

Education[]

There are a total of 49 Elementary Schools, 4 High Schools and 1 University in Alangalang^[17]

Elementary/Grade School[]

High School/Secondary[]

• Alangalang National High School
• Astorga National High School
• Alangalang Night High School
• Borseth National High School

College/Universities[]

• Alangalang Agro-Ind'l. School (LSU - Alangalang Campus)

See also[]

• List of reduplicated place names

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alangalang.

• Alangalang Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Barangay Pepita People's Learning Center
• Local Governance Performance Management System Archived 2012-05-30 at the Wayback Machine