Limasawa, officially the Municipality of Limasawa (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Limasawa; Filipino: Bayan ng Limasawa), is an island municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 6,191 people, making it the least populated town in the province.[3]
Limasawa Mazaua | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Limasawa | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: "The First Mass Site in the Philippines" | |
| Motto: Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda. | |
 Map of Southern Leyte with Limasawa highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Limasawa Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 9°54′28″N 125°04′30″E / 9.9078°N 125.075°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Eastern Visayas |
| Province | Southern Leyte |
| District | 1st district |
| Founded | June 11, 1978 (Completely became official on August 27, 1989) |
| Barangays | 6 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Melchor P. Petracorta (Lakas) |
| • Vice Mayor | Ritche L. Salomon (Lakas) |
| • Representative | Luz V. Mercado |
| • Municipal Council | Members |
| • Electorate | 4,407 voters (2022) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.98 km2 (2.69 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 13 m (43 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 848 m (2,782 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2020 census)[3] | |
| • Total | 7,118 |
| • Density | 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| • Households | 1,491 |
| Demonym | Limasawan |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 6th municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 22.48 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 57.98 million (2020) |
| • Assets | ₱ 214.1 million (2020) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 59.73 million (2020) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 58.3 million (2020) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 6605 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)53 |
| Native languages | Boholano dialect Cebuano Tagalog |
History
Limasawa was the second island (after Suluan) of the Philippines that the Magellan Expedition landed on. Antonio Pigafetta documented the island as "Mazaua". He described it as being inhabited with cultivated fields. In March 28, 1521 the Magellan Expedition met with two rulers, Rajah Colambu and Rahah Siaui, of the Rajahnate of Butuan and "Calagan" (Caraga), which Pigafetta misidentified as islands. The rulers were on a hunting expedition on Limasawa (which were under their domain) with two balangay ships. The rulers entertained Magellan's crew with feasting for a few days. Afterwards, Father Pedro de Valderrama performed the first mass in the Philippines on Easter Sunday (March 31, 1521). Magellan also climbed the highest elevation in Limasawa and erected a cross before leaving for "Zubu" (Cebu).[5]: 136–145
At the request of the residents of the island of Limasawa, the six barangays that comprise that island were detached and separated from the municipality of Padre Burgos through Presidential Decree No. 1549, signed by then President Ferdinand Marcos on June 11, 1978, and constituted as the Municipality of Limasawa.[6] Limasawa completely became a municipality on August 27, 1989, after then President Corazon Aquino ordered the plebiscite which its residents voted in favor of the creation. The island, also known as Sarangani Island, is located south of Leyte, in the Mindanao or Bohol Sea. It is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long from north to south and is the smallest municipality in the province, in both area and population.
Geography
Barangays
Limasawa is politically subdivided into 6 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
- Cabulihan
- Lugsongan
- Magallanes (Poblacion)
- San Agustin (Tawid)
- San Bernardo (Tigib)
- Trianas
Climate
| Climate data for Limasawa, Southern Leyte | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 27 (81) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 28 (82) | 28 (82) | 29 (84) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 98 (3.9) | 82 (3.2) | 96 (3.8) | 71 (2.8) | 104 (4.1) | 129 (5.1) | 101 (4.0) | 94 (3.7) | 99 (3.9) | 135 (5.3) | 174 (6.9) | 143 (5.6) | 1,326 (52.3) |
| Average rainy days | 18.0 | 14.1 | 17.1 | 16.8 | 23.7 | 25.7 | 25.8 | 23.3 | 24.4 | 25.9 | 24.0 | 20.6 | 259.4 |
| Source: Meteoblue[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4,519 | — |
| 1995 | 4,927 | +1.63% |
| 2000 | 5,157 | +0.98% |
| 2007 | 5,831 | +1.71% |
| 2010 | 5,835 | +0.02% |
| 2015 | 6,061 | +0.73% |
| 2020 | 6,191 | +0.42% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8][9][10][11] | ||
Economy
See also
References
External links
