Hinunangan

Hinunangan, originally known as Hononganan (meaning "resting place"), has a history dating back to 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan recorded its sighting during his voyage through Leyte Gulf. By 1750, the area had become a midway trading station for Boholano merchants trading in Eastern Leyte. These traders would moor their boats and rest overnight at the mouth of the Das-ay River, where they built a shelter known as a "hononganan" or stopover, which later became the town’s namesake.

In 1822, Palonoy, a Boholano settler, formally established Hinunangan as a permanent settlement. At the time, Silago (north) and Hinundayan and Anahawan (south) were part of Hinunangan’s territory. The town later became a mission station under Abuyog, with Fray Pedro Monasterio arriving in 1850. Due to difficulty pronouncing "Hononganan," he began referring to it as "Hinunangan", a name that became official.

The Hinunangan Parish was formally established on March 26, 1851, with Fray Pedro as its first parish priest. In 1853, Palonoy donated land for the construction of Hinunangan Church, which was built using hardwood, reflecting the town’s strong religious foundations. The Municipal Building and Parochial House were initially built from nipa, signifying the greater importance given to religious structures over government institutions at the time.

By 1886, Hinunangan had a population of 5,140 and 1,338 taxpayers, with rice, abaca, corn, and coconut as its main agricultural products. The town also had a community-supported primary school under Fray Pedro’s guidance. Over time, Silago, Hinundayan, and Anahawan became independent parishes and later separate municipalities.

Hinunangan also played a role in World War II history. In 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf—the largest naval battle in history—a blocking warship of the Allied Liberation forces engaged the Japanese fleet near Hinunangan, marking the area as a significant frontier in Philippine and global history.

Today, Hinunangan remains a historic coastal town with deep cultural and religious roots, shaped by centuries of trade, colonization, and war.^[7][8]

Hinunangan is home to the highest mountain in the province, Mount Nacolod, with an elevation of 948 metres (3,110 ft) above sea level.^[10]

Barangays

Hinunangan is politically subdivided into 40 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

There are two of which are island barangays located at the east of the town. The twin islands are accessible by motorized boats through Barangay Canipa-an.

More information Barangay, Population (2007) ...

Barangay	Population (2007)	Population (2010)	Population (2015)	Population (2020)
Ambacon	637	637	678	615
Badiangon	647	589	641	681
Bangcas A	668	743	777	862
Bangcas B	903	959	982	913
Biasong	609	566	599	652
Bugho	961	1,003	1,061	1,147
Calag-itan	1,167	1,180	1,206	1,163
Calayugan	678	700	754	866
Calinao	317	264	261	218
Canipaan	1,425	1,509	1,635	1,611
Catublian	1,373	1,503	1,580	1,445
Ilaya	520	472	518	457
Ingan	923	1,018	1,049	937
Labrador	800	802	844	745
Libas	463	449	512	431
Lumbog	363	337	381	334
Manalog	700	731	754	781
Manlico	745	752	766	701
Matin-ao	506	520	547	551
Nava	1,798	1,801	1,946	1,924
Nueva Esperanza	651	664	683	724
Otama	543	593	531	504
Palongpong	405	475	533	488
Panalaron	588	677	753	790
Patong	706	710	718	735
Poblacion	799	898	923	638
Pondol	957	993	1,035	989
Salog	349	353	374	368
Salvacion	519	483	496	483
San Pablo Island	427	440	460	445
San Pedro Island	473	486	493	459
Santo Niño I	559	524	552	513
Santo Niño II	946	1,004	1,043	1,096
Tahusan	920	960	991	1,080
Talisay	553	597	693	663
Tawog	486	523	557	594
Toptop	434	419	443	411
Tuburan	600	627	635	587
Union	397	378	402	404
Upper Bantawon	197	162	170	144

Close

Poverty incidence of Hinunangan

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]}

• Zenon T. Lagumbay Memorial Hospital
• Hinunangan Community Hospital

Mobile:

• Smart Communications (Since 2002)^[26]
• Globe Telecom (Since 2004)

Cable television:

• Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite TV Service providers

Internet:

• SMART 4G Network
• Globe 4G Network
• MKG Fiber Broadband Data Solutions
• NGN Fiber Broadband Data Solutions
• RV-Tech Fiber Broadband Solutions
• Starlink Satellite Broadband

• 
  Hinunangan at Night, September 2024
• 
  View of Hinunangan Bay from Poblacion
• 
  San Pablo and San Pedro Islands off the coast of Hinunangn. The town's major tourist attraction.
• 
  White beach at San Pablo Island, Hinunangan

Hinunangan Skyline and Hinunangan Bay from San Pablo Island.