Villaba (IPA: [vɪ'ʎabɐ]), officially the Municipality of Villaba (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Villaba; Waray: Bungto han Villaba; Tagalog: Bayan ng Villaba), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 42,859 people.[3]

Villaba
Municipality of Villaba
The Mt. Buga-buga viewed from barangay Abijao, Villaba
The Mt. Buga-buga viewed from barangay Abijao, Villaba
Flag of Villaba
Map of Leyte with Villaba highlighted
Map of Leyte with Villaba highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Villaba is located in Philippines
Villaba
Villaba
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°13′N 124°24′E / 11.22°N 124.4°E / 11.22; 124.4
CountryPhilippines
RegionEastern Visayas
ProvinceLeyte
District 3rd district
Barangays35 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorCarlos G. Veloso
 • Vice MayorDennis L. Sy
 • RepresentativeVicente Sofronio E. Veloso III
 • Councilors
List
 • Electorate31,346 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total
150.31 km2 (58.04 sq mi)
Elevation
29 m (95 ft)
Highest elevation
442 m (1,450 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[3]
 • Total
42,859
 • Density290/km2 (740/sq mi)
 • Households
11,022
Economy
 • Income class3rd municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
32.75
% (2021)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 188.1 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 351.2 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 300.1 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 74.82 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityLeyte 5 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 5)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6537
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)53
Native languagesCebuano

Villaba is a coastal municipality in the province of Leyte. The municipality covers a land area of 150.31 square kilometers (58.04 square miles), accounting for 2.37% of Leyte's total area. According to the 2020 Census,[5] its population was 42,859, representing 2.41% of Leyte's total population and 0.94% of the entire Eastern Visayas region. This results in a population density of 285 inhabitants per square kilometer (738 inhabitants per square mile).

History

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Pre-Spanish history

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The existence of the place now known as Villaba was discovered in about the last quarter of the sixteenth century by Boholano traders. These traders landed on the western coast and found fertile plains along the river and forest. The sea coast also proved to be good fishing ground. The settlers built their houses along the banks of the river and banded into groups to protect themselves from the moro pirates and wild animals. Along the banks of the river were "Hindang" trees which grew in abundance so they called the new settlement Hamindangon (full of hindang trees).

As the years passed, more settlers migrated from Bohol and Cebu. These new inhabitants likewise settled on the plains along the Hamindangon River.

Spanish period

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During the expedition of the entire Eastern Visayas by Spanish conquistador in 1593, a group of Spaniards, led by the General-Governor's son, Luis Pérez Dasmariñas landed on the shores of Hamindangon and the named the place Nueva Galicia in honor of his father, the Governor-General of the Philippines, Gomez Perez Dasmariñas who is from Galicia, Spain.

The governor set sail from Cavite for Pintado province in October 1593, to join the part of the fleet under Luis Pérez who is already at the Visayas. Before he proceeded to Moluccas, Luis Pérez introduced the barrio of Nueva Galicia to the whole fleet. But the Governor-General renamed the place to Vilalba (from the Spanish town in Galicia region) in order not to confused with other Nueva Galicia town that is located in Mexico.

Over the years, the natives of the barrio had problem of Spanish accented digraphs, mispronouncing Vilalba (Spanish pronunciation: [biˈʎalβa]) with Villaba (IPA: [vɪ'ʎabɐ]), and perhaps, it is easier to pronounce the later name and thus retained it when the town was officially established in June 1910.[6][circular reference]

American period

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The Spanish was defeated by the Americans who started their occupation of the Philippines on August 13, 1898. The following year, there was a popular revolt in the Visayas particularly in Samar and Leyte called the Pulahanes movement. One consequence of that revolution against the Americans was that the town of Villaba was reduced to a barrio and became part of the municipality of San Isidro, Leyte.

During that period, Villaba was then ran by local executives known as cabeza de barangay. For want of official records however, to provide a complete list and their specific terms of office, the following have served in the said capacity:

  1. Andres Gervacio
  2. Antonio Dejillo
  3. Fortunato Cabilar
  4. Hermogenes Tumamak
  5. Casimiro Tumamak
  6. Tomas Tumamak
  7. Luciano Domael

The Villaba Town

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In June 1910, the Provincial Board of Leyte passed and approved a resolution creating the Municipality of Villaba. Since then, there was a continuous change of Chief Executives in the municipality up to the present.

No. Portrait Name Term
1
 
Juan Burgos 1910 - 1912
2 Flaviano Domael 1913 – 1915,

1919 – 1921,

1925 - 1927

3
 
Carmelino Rubillos 1916 - 1918
4 Paulino Dejillo 1922 - 1924
5
 
Damian Perez 1928 - 1930
6
 
Bartolome Esmas 1931 - 1939,

October 1963 - December 1963

7
 
Vicente Veloso 1940 - 1945
8
 
Eusebio Gaviola 1945 - 1946
9
 
Fermin Tumamak 1946 - 1950
10
 
Francisco Burgos 1951 - 1959
11
 
Alberto Veloso 1960 - 1963
12
 
Sofronio Ramirez 1964 - 1967
13
 
Aurelio Veloso 1968 - April 1980
14
 
Antonio Villamor May 1980 - April 20, 1986
15
 
Faustino Tumamak April 21, 1986 - December 3, 1987 (OIC)
16
 
Roman Omega December 4, 1987 - February 1988 (OIC)
17
 
Faustino Tumamak Jr. February 1988 - March 1992,

1998 - 2004,

18
 
Leonora Rosal March 1992 - June 1992
19
 
Jorge Vallar Veloso June 1992 - 1998,

2013 - 2016, 2019 - June 2022

20
 
Claudio Martin Larrazabal 2004 - 2013
21
 
Juliet Aquino Larrazabal 2016 - 2019
22
 
Carlos Gonzalez Veloso July 2022 – present

Barangays

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The Mt. Buga-buga

Villaba is politically subdivided into 35 barangays.

  1. Abijao
  2. Balite
  3. Bangkal
  4. Buga-buga
  5. Cagnocot
  6. Cabunga-an
  7. Cabungahan
  8. Cahigan
  9. Calbugos
  10. Campurog
  11. Canquiason
  12. Capinyahan
  13. Casili-on
  14. Catagbacan
  15. Fatima (Poblacion)
  16. Hibulangan
  17. Hinabuyan
  18. Iligay
  19. Jalas
  20. Jordan
  21. Libagong
  22. New Balanac
  23. Payao
  24. Poblacion Norte
  25. Poblacion Sur
  26. Sambulawan
  27. San Francisco
  28. San Vicente
  29. Santa Cruz
  30. Silad
  31. Suba
  32. Sulpa
  33. Tabunok
  34. Tagbubunga
  35. Tinghub

Climate

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Climate data for Villaba, Leyte
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28
(82)
29
(84)
29
(84)
31
(88)
31
(88)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
29
(84)
29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 22
(72)
22
(72)
22
(72)
23
(73)
24
(75)
25
(77)
25
(77)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
24
(75)
23
(73)
24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 73
(2.9)
56
(2.2)
75
(3.0)
71
(2.8)
114
(4.5)
174
(6.9)
172
(6.8)
163
(6.4)
167
(6.6)
161
(6.3)
158
(6.2)
125
(4.9)
1,509
(59.5)
Average rainy days 15.2 12.5 16.2 17.3 23.9 27.3 28.4 26.9 26.9 27.1 23.8 19.3 264.8
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

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Population census of Villaba
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 4,127—    
1918 8,903+5.26%
1939 16,823+3.08%
1948 14,092−1.95%
1960 24,844+4.84%
1970 28,557+1.40%
1975 29,144+0.41%
1980 30,974+1.22%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 32,339+0.43%
1995 34,674+1.31%
2000 36,042+0.83%
2007 37,838+0.67%
2010 38,819+0.94%
2015 41,891+1.46%
2020 42,859+0.45%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8][9][10][11]

In the 2020 census, the population of Villaba was 42,859 people,[3] with a density of 290 inhabitants per square kilometre or 750 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Villaba

10
20
30
40
50
2006
36.50
2009
35.42
2012
44.76
2015
33.94
2018
26.25
2021
32.75

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

References

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  1. ^ Municipality of Villaba | (DILG)
  2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ^ "2020 Philippine census", Wikipedia, 2024-07-14, retrieved 2024-10-21
  6. ^ "Philippine Places of Spanish Origin". Tourism In The Philippines. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  7. ^ "Villaba: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  8. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  9. ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  11. ^ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  12. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  13. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  14. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  15. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  16. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  18. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
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