Baclayon, officially the Municipality of Baclayon (Cebuano: Munisipalidad sa Baclayon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Baclayon), is a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 22,754 people.
It is the home town of actor Cesar Montano, and physicist Caesar Saloma.
Baclayon celebrates its feast day every 8 December to honor the town patron, The Immaculate Conception.
History
Baclayon was the first municipality to be established in Bohol by the Spaniards and included originally the areas now made up by the municipalities of Alburquerque, Balilihan, Corella, and Sikatuna. Its original name was Bacayan, from the root word bacay, meaning "detour" in reference to the fact that travellers used to make a detour there around a rocky cliff.
In 1595, two Jesuit priests, Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sanchez, arrived in Bohol to convert the local populace to Catholicism. With native help, they built a stone church which is considered one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines, and marked the beginning of the town. In 1600, Moros raided the fledgling settlement, which prompted the Jesuits to relocate their residencia to Loboc.
In 1717, Baclayon gained status of a parish. In 1742, Tagbilaran was separated from Baclayon. The 1818 census recorded 3,549 native families and 3 Spanish-Filipino families. The separation from Baclayon by Alburquerque happened in 1868, Balilihan in 1828, and Corella in 1884.
In 1837, an Augustinian Recollect Fray José Julián Aranguren, the parish priest of Baclayon, once reported an extreme economic and human strain placed on the town by the Military Command led by Captain Manuel Sanz. The town of Baclayon was forced to construct and maintain 5 large boats called Barangayan, forced 120 men to be crews, and demanded 120 unhusked rice for the naval post. The town were also heavily taxed directly by the military from local municipal treasury to fund coastal defense, leaving them bankrupt unable to invest in local public works.
Captain Sanz stationed one or two barangayanes, commanded by Spanish officers, at designated coastal points around Bohol, especially Balicasag and Pamilacan against the Moro raiders. These officers assigned to the armadillas were deeply fearful of deep waters, as they were not sailors but land soldiers. Instead of pursuing raiders, these officers used these armadillas to travel coastal towns and small islands to harass peaceful locals, demanded unlawful requisitions, fining civilians, and publicly whipping natives who were stationed in the watchtowers over trivial flag-signaling errors.
In 1843, a barangayan from Baclayon was stationed at the Cabulao island watch post, yet a raiding fleet of 11 Moro vessels appeared, and the Baclayon vessel engaged. After firing only its first artillery volley, it was immediately boarded and overrun, losing many young men of Baclayon who were either killed, or taken into slavery by the Moro.
On the morning of June 18, 1845, a Moro raiding force consisting of 1 panco and 2 barangayanes appeared in the coast of Baclayon. Commander Manuel Robles assembled a massive counter-force comprising eight of the island's best barangayanes. They were heavily manned and armed, carrying at least of 50 men per boat along with 5 canons and 10 rifles. Later that night, Commander Robles saw a raiding party at the island of Pamilacan, and despite their overwhelming numbers, they did not achieved a decisive results, due to commanders and officers assigned to these sea vessels, were afraid of deep waters and regularly avoid confrontations.
On June 27, 1845, just three days after Commander Robles' return, the exact same Moro raiders returned to the exact same spot in Baclayon. They were unfazed facing the Spanish military force, they even captured a panco owned by the town carrying 10 people and a fishing boat from Cebu carrying several Cebuano fishermen, while taunting, mocked the locals and the Spanish officers.
Geography
Baclayon is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Tagbilaran, the provincial capital. The municipality also has jurisdiction over Pamilacan Island.
Barangays
Baclayon is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Economy
Poverty incidence of Baclayon (%)
5
10
15
20
25
30
2000 24.95
2003 15.50
2006 25.10
2009 23.88
2012 15.08
2015 15.78
2018 11.20
2021 11.98
2023 11.02
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Tourism
Baclayon is known for its historic Catholic church, declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1995 because it is considered the best preserved of its kind in the region. Its first structure was built in 1595, but the current building is from 1724 and is of Spanish Colonial architecture. The church includes a small museum, with relics dating back to the early 16th century, and adjoining 21-metre (69 ft) high bell tower. Nearby are centuries-old stone buildings like the hermita, and elementary school, as well as the historic public marketplace, a Spanish-era building with giant stone columns supporting the roof. In 2013, the church and bell tower were severely damaged by the 2013 Bohol earthquake.
There are 67 or more Spanish colonial ancestral houses in the municipality, many of them along the main road. The houses, in various stages of preservation or neglect, show Spanish-Filipino wooden craftsmanship and styling, some of which were constructed as early as 1853. They are often utilized for cultural shows and tours, festivals and fiestas, as well as some having been turned into inns.
The island of Pamilacan is a tourist destination for dolphin- and whale-watching.