About Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, Philippines

Hinunangan is a beautiful town in So. Leyte

Friday, September 22, 2006




HINUNANGAN


Hinunangan lies between Hinundayan and Silago, on a fertile plain on the eastern coast of the province. It is bounded on the southeast by the town of San Juan(Cabalian), on the northeast by the town of Silago, 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.


Hinunangan Parish Church