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Founding
Founding of Baybay
city of the Philippines in the province of Leyte
- 1620 – 2007
- Southeast Asia
Founding
city of the Philippines in the province of Leyte
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
Baybay (IPA: [baɪ'baɪ]), officially the City of Baybay (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Baybay; Waray: Syudad han Baybay), is a component city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. In the 2024 census, it has a population of 114,708 people.
With an area of 45,934 hectares (460 km2; 180 sq mi), it is the second largest city in the province after Ormoc. Formerly, Baybay was the biggest town in Leyte in terms of population and second in terms of land area, after Abuyog. The Baybay language, a Visayan language distinct from both Waray and Cebuano, is spoken in the city itself.
Baybay houses a major port on the central west coast of Leyte, where ferries leave for and from Cebu and other islands. It has also the Baybay Public Terminal, serving routes from Tacloban, Ormoc, Maasin, Manila, Davao City, and other towns in Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Samar.
Generally an agricultural city, the common means of livelihood are farming and fishing. Some are engaged in hunting and in forestal activities. The most common crops grown are rice, corn, abaca, root crops, fruits, and vegetables. Various cottage industries can also be found in Baybay such as bamboo and rattan craft, ceramics, dress-making, fiber craft, food preservation, mat weaving, metal craft, and Philippine furniture manufacturing and other related activities.
It is the home of the Visayas State University, one of the leading schools in Southeast Asia on agricultural research, and was called as "Resort University."
The city gets its name from "baybay", meaning the flow of the river. The town was then named as Pangasugan, but when Spanish conquistadores asked a native about the name of the place, the native answered in Visayan, Ang suba nagbaybay sa Pangasugan, this is how Baybay got its current name.
Baybay is believed to be the only settlement on the western coast of Leyte known to the first Spanish conquistadors that came with Magellan, as was Abuyog in the eastern part of the province, and Limasawa and Cabalian in the south.
When the Spanish conquistadors extended their territory, an expeditionary force under Felipe Segundo, evidently looking for a bigger settlement, landed in Pangasugan. When he landed near the river, he pointed to a spot and asked a native in Spanish for the name of the place. Unable to understand Spanish and thinking that Felipe Segundo wanted to ask about the river, he answered in Visayan, " Ang suba nagbaybay sa Pangasugan." This is how Baybay got its name.
Shortly after Raja Tupas submitted to Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and the Spanish Crown, Sugbuhanon, including those from Matan and "Gavi," who refused to comply migrated to Baybay for a brief period of time, and raided Mandam. In response, Legazpi sent two datus to Baybay to seek peace, which failed and several more raids in Mandam were undertaken by Baybayanon in retaliation. Legazpi, in response, sought punishment for them and planned to dispatch his master-of-camp there, but accompanying Sugbuhanon petitioned to delay the venture by a few days to secure food and intended to exercise caution, as many of their kinsmen were in Baybay as well. In the meantime, the master-of-camp and Martin de Goiti were dispatched to the surrounding areas of Baybay, which Goiti previously visited, to secure peaceful alliances. After considerable success, they intended to make way for Baybay, but under Simaquio, the Sugbuhanon guide's suggestion instead landed on the small, deserted villages of Caramacua and Calabazan, and only managed to send back a few Baybayanon to Sugbo. Those who came from Sugbo were given pardons for their treason, unlike those from Matan and Gavi.
In 1620, the Jesuit fathers which belonged to the "residencia" of Carigara, the first and central station of the Society of Jesus in Leyte.
By superior approbation, Baybay was created a parish on September 8, 1835, with the invocation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. However, the town was erected and independent parish on February 27, 1836.
When the Augustinians took over the administration of the parish after the expulsion of the Jesuits, they opened the first school in Baybay. During their time, the first road leading to Palompon was constructed, thus bringing Baybay closer to its neighboring municipalities. The Augustinian fathers then stayed in the town for 75 years - all of which they devoted to uplift the natives in education and in their economic standing.
The first church of Baybay was built in Barrio Punta where it still stands. Punta was one of the seven original barrios of Baybay and is even believed to be the original site of Baybay itself, although there are others who say that it was actually in Kabkab, in the vicinity of Barrio Pangasugan.
The construction of the church, which still stands today, was begun under the engineering administration of Mariano Vasnillio during the term of Fr. Vicente E. Coronado in 1852. The construction was placed on hold for ten years after which the work was resumed under Maestro Proceso, who came from Manila for the purpose of finishing the work. The church was finally finished in 1870 after Capitan Mateo Espinoso, a renowned sculptor and painter, put on the finishing touches.
Baybay suffered a great setback in 1866 when a great fire reduced much of the town to ashes leaving only the chapel of the Holy Cross in a miraculous manner.
The civil administration of the town during the Spanish era was placed in the hands of the gobernadorcillo, assisted by a teniente and the different jueces and cabezas. In 1892, in accordance with the provisions of the Mayura law, the head of the municipal government was given the designation of "Capitan Municipal" and his assistants in office were called "teniente mayor indice" and the "teniente de policia." For the first time, a juez de paz was designated and a detachment of guardias civiles was placed in the town.
As the Spanish ended their rule of the Philippines in 1898, local governmenance was taken over by the First Philippine Republic. An election was held and Don Quirimon Alkuino was elected as the first Filipino president. However, after about four months, Gen. Vicente Lukban nullified the results of the election and ordered another one to be held, with the same results. Lukban ordered that the barrios of Baybay be named after the tenientes, thus Caridad was renamed "Veloso," Plaridel became "Alvarado," Bitanhuan was named "Coronado." San Agustin "Sabando," Punta "Virgineza," Pomponan "Montefolka," Gabas "Bartolini", etc.
Throughout these years, Baybay developed into one of the biggest towns in Leyte.
The port of Baybay was closed in 1899 by the American coast guards. The price of commodities soared and products like copra and hemp accumulated in the docks. The order was lifted, but only after 14 ships, the greatest number to dock in port at one time, had stayed in port for days waiting for the order to leave.
On February 10, 1901, the first Americans arrived in Baybay on the ship "Melliza", their arrival caused great confusion and the people evacuated to the barrios. Only a few officials stayed in the town. The next day, soldiers scoured the countryside convincing the people to return to their homes.
Even while the local government was under Don Quirimon Alkuino, he was under orders to follow the commander of the American attachment, Capt. Gilmore's advice. Eventually, this caused conflicts in the local government, and Filipinos revolted against the Americans.
There were several attempts to attack the American garrison in the town, but all of them failed due to the lack of firepower against the better equipped Americans. Don Guilermo Alkuino and Don Magdaleno Fernandez led the first attack with more than 200 men. The American soldiers fought another battle in Barrio Pomponan that resulted in the death of 30 men and the destruction of the barrio.
A group of rebels from Hilongos under the renowned Francisco Flordelis made an attempt in 1901 but they were driven off in a battle at Barrio Punta.
Filipino nationalist made Baybay one of the areas where they made their last stand against the Americans. Later, the surrender ceremonies were held in the town, but only after numerous conferences between American officers and Filipino pacifists were held to effect the surrender of the resistance leaders. When Capt. Florentino Penaranda surrendered to which he was the last to do so, all his men and officers gathered at the banks of the Pagbanganan River. From there, they marched to the plaza in front of the municipal hall where the American officers were waiting. Before the Filipinos laid down their arms, Penaranda delivered a speech that even today is considered one of the most stirring addresses made in the province. To commemorate the event, a sumptuous banquet was held for the Americans and the Filipino nationalists. The following day, the Filipino soldiers trekked home in their uniforms to start another life of peace and work.
A sect of the Protestant religion entered Baybay for the first time sometime in 1900. They established their own church in the poblacion. In 1902, the Philippine Independent Church established itself in the barrio of Caridad; shortly afterwards, the Seventh Day Adventists came in. At the turn of the century, a provincial high school was founded in Baybay, one of the first high schools in Leyte. The government also established the Baybay National Agricultural School for young farmers of Visayas and Mindanao.
The Japanese forces came to Baybay in 1942, during the Second World War. Shortly after their arrival they appointed Paterno Tan Sr. was the mayor.
In 1944, American planes bombed a ship at anchor in the port of Baybay. The Japanese Imperial Forces left the town on October 19, 1944.
Baybay was used by liberation forces as a base for patrol units in the south and for forces that went north for Ormoc, where a fierce battle was raging.
On June 16, 2007, Baybay became a city in the province of Leyte after ratification of Republic Act 9389.
The Supreme Court declared the cityhood law of Baybay and 15 other cities unconstitutional after a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines in its ruling on November 18, 2008. On December 22, 2009, the cityhood law of Baybay and 15 other municipalities regain its status as cities again after the court reversed its ruling on November 18, 2008. On August 23, 2010, the court reinstated its ruling on November 18, 2008, causing Baybay and 15 cities to become regular municipalities. Finally, on February 15, 2011, Baybay becomes a city again including the 15 municipalities declaring that the conversion to cityhood met all legal requirements.
After six years of legal battle, in its board resolution, the League of Cities of the Philippines acknowledged and recognized the cityhood of Baybay and 15 other cities.
Baybay is bounded by Camotes Sea to the west, Albuera to the north, Inopacan to the south, Burauen, La Paz and MacArthur to the northeast, Javier to the east, and Abuyog and Mahaplag to the southeast.
The climate is of Coronas Climate type IV, which is generally wet with no particularly discernible seasons. Its topography is generally mountainous in the eastern portion as it slopes down west towards the shore line. Generally an agricultural city, the common means of livelihood are farming and fishing. Some are engaged in hunting and in forestal activities. The most common crops grown are rice, corn, abaca, root crops, fruits, and vegetables. Various cottage industries can also be found in Baybay such as bamboo and rattan craft, ceramics, dress-making, fiber craft, food preservation, mat weaving, metal craft, furniture manufacture and other related activities.
Baybay comprises 92 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
There are 23 barangays which are in the Poblacion, with one barangay jointly located. The remaining 68 are rural barangays.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Baybay”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.