LEGANES, ILOILO, PHILIPPINES

 

            The Municipality of Leganes sprang from a small settlement in the early part of 1840 in the site now known as Barangay Guihaman. The word "guiham" originated from the presence of wild boars or "guiham" forage the area. The early founders of the municipality named the place "Valencia" in honor of its patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer, a town in Spain. Learning the existence of the settlement, Don Isidro Brudit, the Spanish Governor of Iloilo at that time decreed sometimes in1856, that the settlement be registered as a "Pueblo" order a fine of Php 600.00 will be levied on the inhabitants. In compliance with the decree, the place has registered as a pueblo in 1858. 

        The little pueblo at that time had grown into a thriving community with the influx of settlers from the adjacent towns of Jaro and Sta. Barbara. One of its founders, Don Miguel Valencia, seemed to enjoy unmerited if not unusual honor after the settlement was named Valencia, while other founders protested and moved to have the name changed through a petition to the Alta Mar in Spain. The Spanish authorities annoyed by the complaint, named the pueblo Leganes the name of another town somewhere in Spain which is of little significance, just to settle the seemingly heedless dispute. The other originators, Don Angel Gustilo, Don Mariano, Don Jacinto Sandoval, Don Lorenzo Gustilo, Don Juan Hilado and Don Fulgencio Espino fought hard for the autonomy and independence of the little pueblo.

        The municipality of Leganes is one of the nineteen (19) coastal towns of the province of Iloilo. It is the only coastal municipality that shares a common border with Iloilo City which is the provincial capital and regional administrative center of Western Visayas in Region VI.  It is located along the Guimaras Strait, opposite the town of Buenavista, Guimaras which is only 4.5 km from the Leganes shoreline. It is adjacent to the Iloilo City in the South, bounded by Pavia in the Southeast, Sta. Barbara in the West and Zarraga in the North. It is eleven (11) km. from the Provincial Capitol in Iloilo City, seven (7) km. from the Poblacion of Pavia, and approximately (5) km. from the Poblacion of Zarraga. Leganes can be found between the coordinates 122 39'35" west to 122 39'45" east latitude and between 10 51'48" north to 10 45'15" south latitude. 

       Leganes have two distinct seasons- wet and dry. The wet season is from July to November and the dry season is from December to June. It is cold in the months of December, January, and February and usually hot during the summer months of March, April, and May. There is a slight difference in the weather condition in the barangays along the coast compared to the non-coastal barangays as the former barangays are more humid due to their proximity to the sea.

        Well-cultivated fields, coconut trees, and bamboo clumps dominate the landscape of the entire municipality. The terrains are characterized by level plains but slightly higher in the northwest of Lapayon and Calaboa with a slope not exceeding 3%. The plains are of prime agricultural lands that produce rice which is the municipality's prime commodity.  The areas along the coastline are swampy and a large portion of his swampy areas has been converted into fishponds and salt beds. 

        The soil of Leganes is classified by the Bureau of Soils into two Categories: soil of swamps and soil of the lowlands and plains. The lowland plain soil is of Sta. Rita clay loam variety covers 75% of Leganes or 2,415.5 hectares of land. The swamps and marshland of Umingan fine sandy loam variety covers 25% or 804.5 hectares. This type of soil can be found in portions of Cari Mayor, Cari Minor, Nabitasan, Gua-an, Napnud and MV Hechanova. There is no forest area in Leganes. The greening of the municipality lies in its rice production. 

    

Leganes Culture, Arts, History, and Tourism Office
Series of 2022
Tel. No. 332-26-82
leganesiloilobalayturismo@gmail.com
i.leganes@yahoo.com.ph