History of Southern Leyte

Even before the fall of the Spaniards to the Americans on August 13, 1898, a Court of First Instance had
already been established in Western Leyte. There was the Office of the “Promoter Fiscal” equivalent to
the Provincial Fiscal and the Office of “Administrador de Hacienda” equivalent to the Provincial
Treasurer. With the change of sovereign power the positions were abolished except the Fiscal’s who
remained hearing cases from Palompon to Hinunangan. Because of the difficulty of transportation and
managing the affairs of government in Tacloban, the division of Leyte into two provinces was thought to
be the only solution. Prominent leaders of the West Coast rallied to the general movement of a
Western Leyte.

In 1919, Representative Ciriaco K. Kangleon of Macrohon, representing the 2 nd 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 various attempts to pass a law to divide the Leyte Island, House Bill No. 1318 proposed by
Congressman Nicanor E. Yñiguez became Republic Act No.2227 and was signed into Law by President
Carlos P. Garcia on May 22, 1959. The new province was inaugurated on July 1, 1960. Thus the Third
District of Leyte became the province of Southern Leyte. Those present and witnessed to the signing
were Congressman Yñiguez, Mayor Alfredo K. Bantug of Maasin, Atty. Manuel Enage, Sr., Erlinda Capili
and Atty. Floro Kangleon, among others.

The first provincial leaders were: Hon. Alfredo K. Bantug, Governor, Hon. Graciano A. Capili, Vice
Governor; Hon. Isabelo Kaindoy, Senior Board Member, and Hon. Generoso M. Herrera, Board Member.

On July 1, 1960, Southern Leyte was inaugurated 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.

Three more municipalities were created subsequently, namely: San Ricardo from Pintuyan, Tomas
Oppus from Malitbog and Limasawa from Padre Burgos. Since then, Southern Leyte is composed of 1
congressional district, 1 city, 18 municipalities and 500 barangays with a total population of 399,137 in
2010.
History of Maasin City

The island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte carved a very significant place in Philippine 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. Incidental to the historic event, Magellan made
peace with two Filipino rulers, Rajah Kolambu and Rajah Siani who subsequently were converted to
Christianity. A marker notes the spot on Limasawa where their blood compact of friendship and alliance
was sealed.

Southern Leyte, for centuries, was actually an integral part of the island of Leyte. During the Spanish
period, the region was sparsely populated. Continued Moro slave raiding discouraged the establishment
and stabilization of other large towns. In the 19 th century, immigration from the provinces of Cebu and
Bohol increased the population of the region and opened the land towards farming.

One of the oldest towns in Southern Leyte is Maasin, nowadays called Maasin City. Little is known about
its pre-Spanish existence. When the Spanish missionaries became active in their missions, they
discovered that the Maasin community was already organized, with its people friendly and interested in
embracing the Catholic faith. The community was formally established as a parish by the missionaries of
the Society of Jesus in the 1700s and was called “nipa”. This was authenticated by a piece of stone from
a long destroyed convent that bears the inscription: “Pa. De Tagnipa – año 1776.”

The renaming of the town of Maasin is related to the incident when some Spaniards, who needed
drinking water, scanned the shorelines and found Canturing River. They asked the natives in Castillan
Spanish while gesturing towards the river, “Que pueblo es este?” Without hesitation, the natives
answered “Maasin” (meaning salty), thinking that the Spaniards were asking them how the water
tasted. From that time on, the place has been called Maasin.

The town grew rapidly in the 1700s after the Jesuit priests built the first church of which ruins still exists
today between the two districts of Abgao and Mantahan. The Jesuit administration prevailed from 1700
through 1768. Subsequently, Augustinian fathers took over the parish from 1768 to 1843 during which
the townspeople, with the guidance of the Spanish ecclesiastical authorities, built the town’s second
concrete church located approximately one kilometer away from the ruins of the first one. The church
stands to this day; although it underwent several repairs and renovations on account of damage
wrought by the forces of nature and man-made events. In 1843, Franciscan missionaries took over the
parish and managed it until 1896 when they were forced to abandon it due to the revolution. A native
clergy took over thereafter.

During the Spanish regime, Maasin evolved and became an organized municipality. It became a busy
seaport which maintained trading with nearby islands of Cebu, Bohol, and Mindanao. A historical proof
of this account is a document that depicts a record of “gobernacillos” in this municipality in 1880
through 1894. By virtue of the Maura Code passed by the Spanish Cortez, the first chosen local executive
was changed from Gobernadorcillo to “Capitan Municipal”. The last gobernadorcillo was Alejo Alcantara
who served from 1892 to 1894, followed by Capitanes Municipal Julio Raagas (1894-1896) and Flaviano
Aguilar (1897-1898).
The short-lived Philippine revolution against Spain brough about a change in the local government.
During the early part of 1898, General Lukban came to Maasin to install the municipal government
under the short-lived Philippine Republic. Even before the fall of the Spaniards to the Americans on
August 13, 1898, there had already been established in Maasin a Court of First Instance; the office of
“Promoter Fiscal” (equivalent to the Provincial Fiscal); and, the office of “Administrador de Hacienda”
(equivalent to Provincial Treasurer). With the change of sovereign power, the positions were abolished
but the Fiscal’s which continued to serve cases from distant towns. However, due to the problems
emanating from transportation availability for the Tacloban-Maasin span, and the intricate management
of governmental affairs in Tacloban, several prominent leaders of the west coast of Leyte began
proposing bills that entail the division of the island of Leyte into two distinct provinces.

In 1919, Representative Ciriaco K. Kangleon presented the first bill but lost in the Senate by one vote.

In 1922, Tomas Oppus renewed the move with presentation of House Bill No. 254 which became Act No.
3117. Unfortunately, the Act did not take effect because it was not proclaimed by the Governor-General.

The arrival of the Americans at the beginning of the 20 th century and the suppression of all resistance to
the American rule stopped all dreams of Philippine independence. However, the epoch-making
announcement of President McKinley that the Philippines was not theirs to exploit but to train in the art
of self-government and independence brough about new hope for the Filipinos. True to their word, the
Americans instituted in this country their democratic institutions. Maasin was one of the beneficiaries of
this enlightened American policy. Schools were established; businesses began to uprise and prosper;
and, Maasin became the most progressive town in south-western Leyte (and still is). Maasin was
enjoying the blessings of democracy up until the eruption of World War II.

Ruperto KangleonOn June 3, 1942, the Japanese occupied Maasin and immediately instituted Martial
Law. Many townspeople realized that their immediate task was to live and escape the abuses, atrocities,
and murderous acts of the Japanese soldiers. They took refuge at the mountains and hills where they
lived on the natural provisions of Mother Nature. Many brave ones, including Colonel Ruperto Kangleon,
Alfonso Cobile and others, fought the Japanese invaders making the record of the Maasin guerillas one
glorious chapter in Maasin history.

Maasin resumed its path to prosperity when the Americans returned in late 1944. It became, once
again, a bustling seacoast town trading with the nearby islands of Cebu, Bohol, and Mindanao. Through
the initiatives of its leaders, Maasin progressively continued to move forward in its role as the center of
commerce and industry in Southern Leyte.

In 1953, Francisco M. Pajao won the re-presentation of the issue that entails the division of the island of
Leyte but could not do anything else to complete the move. Hence, Senator Ruperto K. Kangleon,
younger brother of Ciriaco K. Kangleon, presented and passed the move under Senate Bill No. 2140. The
House of Representatives carpeted the Bill.

Then in 1957, Congressman Nicanor Espina Yniguez, Jr. filed the House Bill that changed the move’s
original designation as Western Leyte of Occidental Leyte to “Southern Leyte”. At 10:00 AM on Friday,
May 22, 1959, President Carlos P. Garcia signed the Bill into law as Republic Act No. 2227. Witnesses to
the signing, among others, were Congressman Yniguez, Mayor Alfredo K. Bantug of Maasin, Attorney
Manuel Enage, Sr., Erlinda Capili, and Attorney Floro Kangleon.
Aniceto Saludo on July 1, 1960, Southern Leyte was officially inaugurated as a province with
municipalities including Maasin (being the capital town and seat of the provincial government),
Malitbog, Bontoc, Sogod, Libagon, Pintuyan, San Francisco, St. Bernanrd, Cabalian (now San Juan),
Anahawan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan, and Silago. Three more municipalities were subsequently created,
namely, San Ricardo (from Pintuyan), Tomas Oppus (from Malitbog), and Limasawa (from Padre Burgos).

Maasin continued to progressively prosper for decades. On April 8, 1998, Congressman Aniceto G.
Saludo, Jr. filed a move under House Bill No. 7201 to convert the municipality of Maasin into a
component city of the province of Southern Leyte, thus becoming Maasin City.