Palompon (IPA: [pɐ'lompɔn]), officially the Municipality of Palompon (; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 59,486 people.

History

thumb|left|Old cannon of Palompon

Along the strip of the fertile coast, the community was founded circa 1620 and originally named Hinablayan. Fish, sea shells, and other marine products abounded. People fished along the shore with arrows tied to vines. Its abundance attracted not only migrants but also Moro raiders from the south. Legend tells that local defenders used to hang the dead bodies of Moros on tree branches so that the place come to be known as Hinablayan (from the word sablay which means "to hang").

The legend continues that when the Spaniards came they saw floating at the bay a cluster (pong pong) of mangrove propagules locally known as "Tungki", they decided to change the name of Hinablayan to Paungpung, after the cluster of mangrove propagules to erase the bloody memory of the Moro raiders. Gradually the name evolved to Palompong as seen in the first Murillo-Velarde Map published in 1734, then to Palumpun, and its current spelling of Palompon sometime in 1700 or 1800. It is said that cluster later got stuck to the shoal until they grew up as trees, forming an islet which is Tabuk Island today.

Ormoc remained part of Palompon parish from 1784 until 1851, when finally it was declared as an independent parish. Villaba and Matag-ob were both part of the territorial jurisdiction of this town as well before they obtained their municipio (pueblo) status.

In 1957 the barrios of Santo Rosario, Santa Rosa, Balagtas, San Vicente and Mabini were separated from the municipality of Palompon and constituted into Matag-ob.

Geography

Climate

Barangays

thumb|Municipal Hall

Palompon is politically subdivided into 50 barangays, Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Baguinbin
  • Belen
  • Bitaog Poblacion (Ypil III)
  • Buenavista
  • Caduhaan
  • Cambakbak
  • Cambinoy
  • Cangcosme
  • Cangmuya
  • Canipaan
  • Cantandoy
  • Cantuhaon
  • Catigahan
  • Central 1 (Poblacion)
  • Central 2 (Poblacion)
  • Cruz
  • Duljugan
  • Guiwan 1 (Poblacion)
  • Guiwan 2 (Poblacion)
  • Himarco
  • Hinablayan Poblacion (Central 3)
  • Hinagbuan
  • Lat-osan
  • Liberty
  • Lomonon
  • Mabini
  • Magsaysay
  • Masaba
  • Mazawalo Poblacion (Lili-on)
  • Parilla
  • Pinagdait Poblacion (Ypil I)
  • Pinaghi-usa Poblacion (Ypil II)
  • Plaridel
  • Rizal
  • Sabang
  • San Guillermo
  • San Isidro
  • San Joaquin
  • San Juan
  • San Miguel
  • San Pablo
  • San Pedro
  • San Roque
  • Santiago
  • Taberna
  • Tabunok
  • Tambis
  • Tinabilan
  • Tinago
  • Tinubdan

10 of which are poblacion barangays with an area of approximately 1 square kilometer; the other forty 40 barangays are distributed along the coastline and in the interior rural and mountainous areas.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Palompon was 59,486 people, with a density of .

Language

Cebuano (Kana dialect) is widely spoken in Palompon. Waray-Waray may also be spoken by students from neighboring areas with native Waray-Waray speakers.

Economy

Elected Officials

{|class=wikitable

|+ 2025-2028 Palompon, Leyte Officials

|-

!Position !!Name !!colspan=2|Party

|-

| Mayor

| Mary Dominique A. Oñate

|

|-

| Vice Mayor

| Javes Keith R. Dela Calzada

|

|-

| rowspan=8| Councilors

| Burt Mari M. Bregaudit

|

|-

| Edgar P. Pacaldo

|

|-

| William O. Balasabas

|

|-

| Vanessa N. Avenido

|

|-

| Marivic E. Patalinghug

|

|-

| Antonio R. Salazar

|

|-

| Leonardo C. Quiamco Jr.

|

|-

| Edilberto R. Longcanaya

|

|-

! colspan=4| Ex Officio Municipal Council Members

|-

| ABC President

| Pablo B. Tan

|

|-

| SK Federation President

| Manuelene Laurette M. Tee

|

|}

Education

Palompon has 2 tertiary institutions:

  • Palompon Institute of Technology
  • Northern Leyte College

It also has 12 secondary institutions:

Public

  • Palompon National Highschool
  • Lomonon National Highschool
  • Tinabilan National Highschool
  • Alfredo Parilla National Highschool (San Miguel)
  • Taberna National Highschool
  • Cantuhaon National Highschool
  • San Guillermo National Highschool

Private

  • PIT Laboratory Highschool (Semi-Public)
  • Colegio de San Francisco Javier
  • NLC Laboratory Highschool
  • Ace Learning Center Inc.
  • PromisedLand Educational Academy Inc.

References

  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • 2015 Census data
  • Local Governance Performance Management System
  • Report on the Rapid Assessment of Tres Marias Islets, Palompon, Leyte February 7-11, 2000