History of palo

HISTORY OF PALO
Palo is a third class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines.The
municipality is the place where most of the Government Departments and Bureaus
of Region VIII is located. Some of the government agencies' regional offices are
located in the municipality and some are still seated and located in the neighboring
city of Tacloban.
The municipality is home to the offices of the ecclesiastical government of the
Archdiocese of Palo; the archbishop's residence; as well as the secondary, tertiary
and theology seminaries of the archdiocese are all located in the town.
The discovery of the advancing communities of Palo dates back to the early 16th
century A.D. along the banks of Bangon River. However, local historians believe that
the settlement of Palo started as early as the 10th to 13th century A.D..
The first known settlement were the kingdom of Takuranga, first name of Palo under
King Guban, and the Kingdom of Kaluugan, the second name of Palo under King
Pitik.
From the 14th to the 16th centuries, some other settlements were formed which
also became the succeeding names of Palo, until finally in 1550 Don Miguel Lopez
de Legaspi coalesced the settlements and named the new confederation "Palo". The
other settlements were Kasangitan, Binangalan, Kasuguran, Bunga, Bangon and
Guindapunan.
The settlers of Bunga played a vital role in the history of Palo, having formed the
settlement of Bangon which is now the town center. Palo formally became a town in
1768 with Kapitan Balasabas as its first administration.
Accordingly, the early settlers of Palo were the clans of Panganuron, Kadampog,
Manlangit, Kumago, Kawaring, Kabalhin, Kumagong, Maglain, Bilyu and Dilyu.
Palo is considered to be one of the most historical towns of Leyte. It is well known as
the site of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines together with
Philippine and American military forces after a period of exile in 1944. Hill 522, a hill
located near the town center, was the site of fierce fighting between Allied and
Japanese forces during the Second World War.
The metropolitan cathedral of the archdiocese, located right across Palo's municipal
hall, was used as a hospital for wounded Filipino and American forces. A memorial
now stands at the beach site where MacArthur and his troops landed, locally known
as the MacArthur's Park. The first Gabaldon Building is also situated in Brgy. San
Joaquin Palo, Leyte. It was inaugurated by President Sergio Osmea.
The landmark that has brought Palo to the annals of world history is the Red Beach,
in barangay Candahug, where Gen. Douglas MacArthur first landed to liberate the
Philippines from the Japanese occupation on October 20, 1944. Palo was also once
the capital of Leyte. The town's Purissima Bridge was the first steel bridge built in
the province.
On the spiritual side, Palo is believed to be a sacred place by clerical observers. It is
the seat of the ecclesiastical province, the Archdiocese, where the Roman Catholic
Archbishop resides in Bukid Tabor. One can find the Metropolitan Cathedral in Palo.

Also, the seedbed of vocations to the priesthood is found at the Sacred Heart
Seminary and the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology.
At the time Palo was only a barrio of Dagami. It was also during this era that Palo
became the capital of Leyte when the seat of the provincial government was
temporarily transferred from Carigara. In 1899, Palo, for the second time, was made
capital of the province during the short lived Philippine Republic. In the later part of
1768, when Palo was made a distinct municipality from Dagami, the Jesuit Order left
the Philippines and the Mission was handed over to the Franciscans.
The Palo cathedral has been rebuilt twice - in years prior to 1897 after destruction
by fire and typhoon, and later in 1897 when a big typhoon unroofed the church,
destroyed the convent and other houses in the town. Other notable Franciscans who
stayed in Palo were: Fr. Sebastian Almonacid (whose grave is inside the church 1882-1885); Fr. Juan Perez (1858-1861); Fr. Florentino Garcia (1879-1882); Fr, Gil
Martinez (1186-1887) and Fr. De la Fuente (1887-1898). The years in parenthesis
indicate their stay in Palo.
Palo Cathedral was used as a site for holding a Leyte-Samar holy synod in 1910
when Leyte and Samar clergy threshed out problems of Catholic dogmas under the
presidency of Bishop Pablo Singzon and later in 1935 under the presidency of
Bishop Sofronio Hacbang
Hill 522, near the outskirts of town on the banks of the Bangon River was cannoned
and shelled on that fateful day. In its sides are imbedded hundreds of iron shrapnel.
This majestic hill is actually Guinhangdan, rich in gravel. However, this Hill 522 as
indicated in Army maps. The La Purisima shrine, built on Guinhangdan Hill
sometime in 1887 by the Spaniards was to dispel evil spirits which people believed
to be the cause of many accidents and deaths on the premises. A steel bridge built
by Pacific and Atlantic Gulf Co. of Manila in 1905 replaced the wooden span of the
Spanish times.
Palo is considered to be one of the most historical towns of Leyte

Topography

Topography

The Municipality of Palo is situated generally on a plain, with hills and valley scalloping
on the northern boundary especially in barangays such as Barayong, Libertad, San
Jose and part of Campetic. Scattered patches of steep hills are also found in barangays
San Antonio, Cabarasan Guti, Tacuranga, Guindapunan and Arado. Native reeds called
bariis and tangbo are abundant in wide swamps located in the low-lying areas of
barangays Candahug, Pawing and Guindapunan. Nipa swamps are mostly located
near the banks of lowlands are mostly vast expanses of rice paddies, grasslands and
coconut plantations. Mangroves are located along the coastal barangays of San
Joaquin, Cogon, and Salvacion. The Municipality has a total land area of 8, 018.58
hectares distributed among its 33 barangays.

Growth Rate
:
1.83 % average growth rate

Climate
There are two types (2) of Climate Classification in the Philippines. Palo is under the
Type 2 Classification, which is described as having no dry season with a very
pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January

Products:

Land Area

8,018.58 hectares

Population
Arado
Anahaway
Baras
Barayong
Buri
Cabarasan Dacu
Cabarasan Guti
Campetic
Candahug
Canhidoc
Cangumbang
Capirawan
Castilla
Cogon
Cavite East
Cavite West
Gacao
Guindapunan
Libertad
Luntad
Naga-Naga
Pawing
Salvacion
San Agustin
San Miguel
San Isidro
San Antonio
San Fernando
San Jose
San Joaquin
Sta.Cruz
Tacuranga
Teraza

Health Facilities
NAME LOCATION
OF
FACILI
TY
1.
Leyte
Provincial
Hospital
2.
Schistoso
miasis
Research
and
Control
Hospital
3.
Rural
Health Unit
4.
Barangay
Health
Stations

5.

6.

Palo
Maternity
House
Mother
Bles Clinic

CLASSIFICA
TION

BED CAPACITY

HEALTH
MANPO
WER

Pawing Palo, Multi-Purpose

Leyte
Hospital

50

82

Salvacion
Palo, Leyte

Multi-Purpose
Hospital

30

29

Poblacion
Palo, Leyte
Anahaway,
Baras,
Gacao, San
Joaquin,Libe
rtad, NagaNaga,
Pawing,
Guindapuna
n
Luntad Palo,
Leyte

Outpatient/Out reach
Outpatient/Out reach
Barangays

38
5
8

Birthing
Facility

Cavite West
Palo, Leyte

Birthing
Facility

Rural Health Units

SCHISTOSOMIASIS HOSPITAL
LEYTE PROVINCIAL HOSPITAL
PALO SCHISTOSOMIASSIS HOSPITAL
MUNICIPAL HEALTH OFFICE
MOTHER BLES BIRTHING CLINIC
ANAHAWAY BIRTHING CLINIC
DRA. KIMBERLY DENTAL CLINIC

Schools
Public Elementary School
Anahaway Elementary School
Arado Elementary School
Baras Elementary School
Barayong Primary School
Cabarasan Guti Primary School
CAbarasan Daku Elementary School
Caloogan Elementary School
Campetik Elementary School
Candahug Elementary School
Cangumbang Elementary school
Canhidoc Elementary School

Capirawan Elementary school

Castilla Elementary School
Cogon Elementary School
Gacao Elementary School
Guindapunan Elementary School
Kauswagan Elementary School
Libertad Elementary School
Luntad Elementary school
Naga-naga Elementary school
Palo Alto Elementary School
Palo 1 Central School
Pawing Elementary School
Salvacion Elementary School
San Agustin Elementary School
San Antonio primary School
San Fernando elementary school
San Isidro Elementary School
San Joaquin Elementary School
San Jose primary school
Tacuranga Primary School
Teraza Elementary school

Private Elementary School

Bethel International School
Palo Angelicum

Public High School

Private High School

Bethel International School

College
Saint Paul School of professional Studies
Sacred Heart Seminary
St. Agustin College of Practical Nursing
Zion Bible College
ELA English Language Academy
Alpha-Omega Learning College
St. John The Evangelist School of Theology

Literacy Rate

96 %

Peace and Order

Palo in general is a peaceful municipality with very minimal crime incidence. For
the year 2010, Palo registered 42 crime related incidents or roughly 0.07 crime rate.
This is well below the crime rates of other nearby towns in Leyte. The peace and
order in Palo is maintained by a police force of 52 PNP personnel backed-up by
civilian volunteers or Barangay Tanods. The presence of several police sub-stations
in strategic areas and enhanced police visibility are some of the key deterrents to
criminality in the municipality. Likewise, Barangay Campitik, Palo is host to Camp
Ruperto Kangleon, the Regional Headquarters of the Philippine National Police
(PNP) that also contributes very significantly to the maintenance of peace and order
in the municipality.
Labor force

Income Classification
Political Subdivision and Land Area (no. of Barangays)
N
o.
1

Arado

Anahaway

3
4
5
6

Baras
Barayong
Buri
Cabarasan
Dacu
Cabarasan
Guti
Campetic

Candahug

10

Canhidoc

Barangay

11

Cangumban
g
12 Capirawan
13

Castilla

14
15
16
17

Cogon
Cavite East
Cavite West
Gacao

18

Guindapuna
n
19 Libertad
20
21

Luntad
Naga-Naga

Agricult
ural
1,610,771.6
5
1,949,740.0
0
592,607.00
8,308,945
34,092.06

Commer
cial

Residen
tial

33,918.0
0

42,385.35

1,146

208,971.00
19,044
55,308.94
5,370

985,695

25,316.00

46,260.55
36,192.00
200.00
5,771.00
8,650.00
33,925.00

2,500.00
18,012.20
349

47,829.67
110,601.39
50,793.72

800

10,465.33

430,748.00

139,172.55
34,273.00

240

Total
1,687,075.0
0
1,968,148.0
0
801,578.00
8,327,989
90,547

18,408.00

980,325.00
1,426,890.0
0
2,006,993.4
5
1,165,799.0
0
2,111,067.0
0
3,074,454.0
0
4,703,486.0
0
2,934,936.0
0
789,151.33
179,299.41
62,638.28
1,032,377.6
7
1,741,144.4
5
4,901,265.0
0
36,556.00
251,587.31

Indust
rial

14,178.00
112,190.69

1,426,890.0
0
2,078,570.0
0
1,201,991.0
0
2,111,267.0
0
3,080,225.0
0
4,712,136.0
0
2,968,861.0
0
839,481.00
307,913.00
113,781.00
1,043,643.0
0
2,311,065.0
0
4,935,538.0
0
50,974.00
363,778.00

22

Pawing

23
24

Salvacion
San Agustin

25
26

San Miguel
San Isidro

27

San Antonio

1,301,326.3
3
935,249.00
3,574,750.0
0
149,057.68
1,564,434.0
0
7,560,171.0
0

28

San
Fernando
29 San Jose
30

San Joaquin

31
32

Sta.Cruz
Tacuranga

33

Teraza

130,095.67

1,000.00

62,432.00
753.00
49,228.32
28,333.00
6,775.00

28,983.50

51,702.50

2,729,652.0
0
2,481,232.6
4
37,258.39
2,779,601.0
0
1,603,666.0
0
64,639,507.1
5

TOTAL

16,049.00

16,410.00
120,437.36
46,148.61
10,819.0
0

8,450.00
3,212.00

496,160.20

V Commercial establishment

VI Financial Institution
Type of Financial Institutions/NGOs/Pos
Number
1.

Banks

2.

Lending Investors 13

3.

Pawnshops

4.

Cooperatives

CDA Registered Cooperatives

28

SB Accredited Coops/NGOs/Pos

44,737.00

1,523,967.6
5

1,447,471.0
0
998,681.00
3,575,503.0
0
198,286.00
1,592,767.0
0
7,566,946.0
0
80,686.00
2,746,062.0
0
2,601,670.0
0
83,407.00
2,798,870.0
0
1,606,878.0
0
66,704,372.0
0

VII Tourism
Tourism Arrivals

Accommodation

THE ORIENTAL HOTEL - LEYTE

SAN DAMIANO RETREAT HOUSE
SWISS APARTELE
FUMAR HOUSE (Residential)

Restaurant

Resorts

Activities for Tourist

Events and Festival

VIII Natural Attraction

Natural Attraction
Red Beach
North View Red Beach
South View Red Beach
Guinhandang Falls

Mother Mary
Bangon River
Guinhangdan Hill ( Hill 522)

IX Man-made Attraction
PALO METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL
The Restoration of Palo (Leyte) Metropolitan Cathedral
Eternal Flame Memorial Garden Graves, Palo, Leyte
Pope Francis Center For the Poor
SAN DAMIANO RETREAT HOUSE
ARAW MEMORIAL PARK, GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO
HANGING BRIDGE
Gonzaga House
Boy Scout monument
Commemorational markers of the 2nd world war
The Mac Arthur Landing Memorial National Park
The Christian Cross
SACRED HEART SEMINARY
Palo Municipal Building
PIO PEDROSA LIBRARY
HISTORY of UP-SHS
X major roads and infrastructure

XI Supporting Amenities

XII Transportation
Air:
Philippine Airline
Cebu Pacific
AirPhil
Zest Air
Sea:
Supercat
WG and A Cebu Ferriers
K and T Shipping lines
Roble
Land:
Aircon bus/van
Jeepney
Ordinary Bus