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Thursday, March 30, 2006
1. Leganes celebrates Sa-ad Festival
By Bombette G. Marin
LEGANES, the only coastal town sharing a common border with the city, shares boundaries with the Municipality of Zarraga on the north; adjacent to Iloilo City on the south, on the southeast by the Municipality of Pavia, and the Municipality of Sta. Barbara on the west.
The small settlement where "guiham" or wild boars roam, now known as Barangay Guiham was originally populated by the influx of migrants from nearby towns. About 150 years ago people in some of these communities, the people from Jaro and Sta. Barbara began migrating the area. This led to the prosperity of commerce and trade. The arrival of Spaniards gradually gave the "small settlement," then a pueblo, the name Valencia (a town in Spain whose patron is Saint Vicente Ferrer), in compliance with the decree by the Spanish Governor of Iloilo in 1856. However, a protest was sent through a petition to the Alta Mar in Spain invoking to change the pueblo's name because of its unwarranted honor to one of its co-founder, Don Miguel Valencia, then was changed to Leganes, a town in Spain that was of little significance. It used to be an arrabal of Jaro in 1916 and was later granted autonomy and became a full-fledged town in 1940 by virtue of Executive Order No. 241 signed by then Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon.
The town has a dramatic landscape of well-cultivated fields, with coconut trees and bamboo clumps dominating the scenery. Most of the interior is covered by prime agricultural lands (63.51 percent of the municipality's land area is devoted to crop production with rice as its only major crop), which are separated from the municipality's coastline by swampy areas converted into fishponds and saltbeds. It ranks as the third smallest municipality with an area of 3,216 hectares, divided into 18 barangays, with six barangays as classified as urban.
The population of Leganes is 23,475 (2000 Census on Population estimate). The population is distributed unevenly within the town. The highest population concentrations are in the Poblacion, it is due to the presence of three subdivisions. It is also where business establishments and major social service institutions are located. Urbanization has progressed rapidly in recent decades. Its geographic location (11 kilometers away from the city) exposes the diverse influences of nearby Iloilo City that has contributed to its historical and cultural evolution. Its proximity to the city makes it an ideal area to accommodate the residential, commercial or industrial spillover of the city.
Concern for the environment has grown since the town's emergence as an industrial growth center in this part of the province. Leganes' system of protected areas were identified under the Strategic Agricultural and Fishery Development Zone (SAFDZ). The municipal government has actively encouraged the participation of private landowners in the protected area system, which represents an important source of income for the municipality.
Roman Catholicism is the dominant religion in Leganes. Around 97 percent of the population officially identifies with this faith. About two percent of the population is Baptist, the second most popular religion. A small minority, about a percent of the population, is Iglesia.
Leganes has moved to an economy in which diversified manufacturing plays a much more significant role. Along the national road going to the Poblacion, the side streets serve as show windows of well-crafted bamboo and rattan furnitures. Export-oriented cottage industries producing lampshades out of hand-made papers, fossilized leaves and steel are priced items from the locality.
Tourism accounts for a fair share of the town's economy. It is an important industry in Leganes often helping to sustain economic growth during times when growth is slow in other economic sectors.
Tipong's Game Fishing and Restaurant in Barangay Nabitasan is a popular destination among Ilonggos. A sport fishing and a resort center, it is home to eight open bamboo cottages sitting on a hectare area. Its brackish water fishponds are ideal for fishing where one can have the opportunity of tasting their catch by having it cooked in their native restaurant.
Leganes has a thriving cultural life. It is a blending of multi-cultural influences with strong religious tradition. Known for the thousands of pilgrims all over the country that visis the San Vicente Ferrer Parish every April during its feast day, the winged saint is highly venerated for his highly miraculous healing power. The "palapak" or treading the statue to one's head is believed to cure ailments. It is often coupled with a "pana-ad" or a spiritual promise of sacrificing something important in exchange for a favor. This event is instrumental in fostering a new sense of unity among the people of Leganes, and with the calm-strength leadership of their very supportive Municipal Mayor Adolfo Jaen (the youngest elected mayor in the Visayas Region in 1963) this sense of oneness is reflected in the thanksgiving celebration of Sa-ad Festival.
Formerly known as Pana-ad Kay Señor San Vicente Ferrer Festival, the Sa-ad (other term for Pana-ad) Festival, with this year's theme "Leganes: going strong amidst the challenging times," will open on March 28, 2006 with a Grand Salvo. It will be followed with a Clean-Up Drive on March 31, 2006. The Bicycle Fun Ride with the Grand Civic Parade and APEX Concert will be staged on April 1, 2006. Martial Arts Competition, the 1st SA-AD Motorcross and the Miss LYP and SA-AD Festival Queen Pageant Night, is sure to entertain everyone on April 2, 2006. The Street Dancing Competition of SA-AD Festival is set to excite visitors and guests on April 4, 2006, with the Town Fiesta on April 5, 2006./BM
(March 30, 2006 issue)
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