GALDO, EDMALY A. BEED 3A JULY 22, 2021 

ACTIVITY:   EXPLORE A NET

1. Search your own locality where you live in.

Bontoc, officially the Municipality of Bontoc is a 4th class municipality in

the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a
population of 29,799 people.  The town is home to the Bontoc Campus of
the Southern Leyte State University, which offers agricultural and industrial courses.
The town celebrates their fiesta in honor of the Holy Child Jesus. The Ulang Festival,
held annually on January 15, is celebrated by colorful participants dancing in honor
of the icon of the Señ or Santo Niñ o (Holy Child Jesus). Some devotees to the Señ or
Santo Niñ o said that it can performed miracles that can heal sickness of those who
touches the said icon.
2. Described the early inhabitants and the political organization.

Before the coming of the Spaniards, Bontoc was a wilderness where few natives
lived and wild animals roamed. When the Spaniards came, they found scattered
warring tribes of primitive Malays who settled in prosperous villages near the
mouth and along the fertile plains of the historic Salog river basin. They then
successfully subjugated these warring tribes and immigrants and founded a cluster
of villages which later on formed the nucleus of the Barrio of Bontoc. As far as
history could recall the most popular among the ancient warring chiefs, was
Mariano Barcelon who was nicknamed as “Tahug”. He was acclaimed to be the
bravest of the braves. His name was a terror to the Moro pirates that swarmed
Philippine waters during the 16th century.

During the Spanish time up to the early part of the American regime, Bontoc was
ruled by a succession of native “Cabezas de barangay”, a unit government
organization during that time. Bontoc was at that time a tributary “pueblo”
belonging to the old town of Libagon which governed the people for many years
both in civil and religious matter by a line of “capitanes or gobernadocillos.

The cabezas de barangay who governed this little pueblo also earned for themselves
the honor of being called “capitan” by their own people. The church wielded
tremendous power at that time in the affairs of the government. Any person who
offends the clergy or disobeys religious order is severely punished.

Among the well-known capitanes who controlled the reins of the local
administration of this barrio were: Hilario Barcelon, Manuel Leyes, Romualdo Tubia,
Florentino Flores, Felipe Aguilar and the last well-known cabeza or capitan was
Gerardo Faelnar popularly known among the people as Capitan Dadoy whose
administration lasted up to the early days of American occupation. Shortly after the
coming of the Americans, Bontoc became a unit barrio of Sogod. During the Japanese
occupation, the town served as the seat of resistance movement against the
Japanese with its general headquarters in sitio Mamingaw, Barangay Banahaw and
under the command of Colonel Ruperto K. Kangleon. In one notable raid, an entire
truckload of Japanese soldiers on patrol was completely annihilated at Sitio Trece,
Barangay Santo Niñ o. A small monument stands in front of Bontoc motor pool at
Sitio Trece commemorates this event. On June 15, 1950, it became a regular
municipality by the operative provisions of Republic Act No. 522.