Hilabago, Leyte

Hilabago is a barangay in the municipality of Dagami, province of Leyte in the Philippines. It is bounded in the west by Barangay Camonoan, southwest by Barangay Katipunan, southeast by Sawahon River, and in the northeast by Barangay Patoc.

History

Early beginnings In the 1800, the village used to be a forested area until settlers cleared for expansion of coconut plantations. The nearby village of Barangay Patoc was the only settlement area with few inhabitants who were settlers from the more urban town center. Among early inhabitants of the village where the Badeo, Fuertas, Camposano and Demeterio families. The Openiano family came later to settle in the area, inter-married with the Badeo families. The inter-marriages of Fuertases and Camposanos created a sub-lineage along with the inter-marriage of the Fuertases and Demeterios. This intermarriages created a homogenous clan dominated by the Badeos and Demeterios.

1900-1930 By 1900, the vast forest of the area had already been cleared for coconut plantation. Population began to increase with the off-springs of Juana Camposano and a Fuertas. Another Fuertas married a Demeterio which was among the half-blood of the Badeos. As inter-marriages go on, the Badeos and the Demeterios began to dominate the interrelated clan. Soon, the population increased to a level ideal for the creation of a sub-village.

1940s During World War II, Japanese forces established headquarters in an area near the center of the village. Due to dwindling food supplies in the latter half of Japanese occupation, soldiers were forced to eat high-toxin wild yam causing deaths among them. When the liberation started, the Japanese retreated to the mountains which is just uphill as the American forces established the base in Barangay Patoc.

1950s Around 1950's, the village has already become officially being recognized as a sitio (sub-village) of Barangay Patoc, hence under its administrative control until it became independent in the '70s. Barangay Patoc is the main commercial center among northern barangays of Dagami. During its early years of formation, it neither had a governing Sangguniang Barangay (Village Council) nor an elected Punong Barangay (Village Chairman) that is typical of any political unit in the Philippines. The village chairman was being appointed by the sitting mayor of the town of Dagami.

1960-1970 During the '60s, when the village was still a sitio of Barangay Patoc, the ruling party in the Philippines through its elected mayor of the town of Dagami, would appoint the so-called Kapitan del Barrio (village chairman). In the '70s, with the passage of Local Government Code, the village became independent from Barangay Patoc with its own elected village chairman but without a governing council though.

1991 to present With the enactment of the Local Government Code of 1991, the law gave rise to the creation of a full administrative body - the Sangguniang Barangay to run the day-to-day affairs of the village, now called Barangay Hilabago.