Burauen


Burauen, officially the Municipality of Burauen, is a First Income Class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of people.

Etymology

The name “Burauen” evolved from the word “haru” which means “spring”. This is because Burauen is the fountainhead of several rivers: the big Daguitan and Marabong rivers, the Guinarona and Hibuga rivers that pass through several neighboring towns, as well as several smaller ones. The legend behind the name speaks of a drought when several tributaries of these rivers dried up, forcing people to flock to a cluster of large springs in the town. The place was duly called “Buraburon” which, according to Justice Norberto Lopez Romualdez Sr., is the “multiplicative construction of the word “haru”, which indicates “abundance”. Over the years, the name “Buraburon” evolved into “Burawon” and finally into “Burauen”.

Elected Officials

History

Early settlers

Clandestine diggings conducted by antique hunters and verified by the National Museum archaeologists yield valuable artifacts consisting of chinaware and jars. Some of the discoveries were Stone Age artifacts and implements. These antiques and artifacts were found on the plateaus of both sides of the Kag-oloolo Brook of Barangay Patag and Villa Aurora, which were about 16 kilometers southwest of the poblacion of Burauen. Similar artifacts were found in Barangay Paghudlan which is 12 kilometers from the Kag-oloolo. The earlier diggings on the south western portion of the poblacion, and those in Barangay Tambuco and Armasen unearth several precious antiques. With the extensive presence of these artifacts over the said areas, the past locations of the early settlements in Burauen during the prehistoric epoch are indicated.

Spanish regime

The Jesuit friars discovered Burauen as settlement in the later part of 1595 when they used the community as a base in the Christianization of the central part of Leyte. Between years 1609 to 1616 Burauen was the most populous town of Leyte and Samar and it consistently registered the highest tax collection during the same period in the region. From Buraburon, the settlers were told by the Jesuit Missionaries to transfer to “Armasen”, presently a sitio of Barangay Libas, which was similarly named today. Due to frequent flooding of the area by the Guinarona River, and to facilitate their “reducción de las visitas”, they transferred to the site of the present Barangay Malabca and led by Tamdon and his brother Hangdon who were the children of the last Rajah.

Filipino - American War

The short-lived Philippine Republic proclaimed on June 12, 1898, face a new enemy, the American who were pursuing their so-called “Manifest Destiny” The troops of the Revolutionary Army under General Ambrosio Mojica, realizing that their fortification of “estacas” around the poblacion of Burauen were weak, they force to withdraw to the mountains. Several encounters occur during the Filipino-American War, the American burned the poblacion on July 4, 1900, sparing only the Catholic Church, its convent, the warehouses and the building of the Smith Bell and Co. and Chinese merchandizing. This incident made Burauen one of the strongholds of the “Pulahan” dissidents.
With the cessation of hostilities, the people devoted their efforts to the reconstruction of their homes and expansion of their farms to usher progress of the municipality. The productive endeavors of the people lured many enterprises to the town. The first Electric System and cinematographic house in Leyte and Samar were established in Burauen in 1916. In 1928 Burauen Academy, the first secondary school in the municipality was founded. The different municipal administrations of the time were able to put up irrigation system in 1912. Constructed a big public market in 1918, erect a concrete municipal building in 1925 and build concrete school building in 1928. the income of the municipality in 1918 to 1928 was bigger than the income of the whole province of Surigao, this due to the wide area of abacá plantation of that time. This boomtown prosperity of Burauen lasted until 1929 when the great depression took place.

World War II

The outbreak of World War II stunted the economic growth of Burauen. The Japanese Military encamped the eastern part of the poblacion there were many encounters between the Japanese forces and the guerillas who were firmly established in their mountain strongholds. In August 1944, the Japanese established a "comfort station" in the town, where the invaders enslaved local girls, teens, and young adults into becoming sex slaves called "comfort women", who were routinely gang-raped and murdered by Japanese soldiers. During the Allied Forces liberation of Leyte on October 20, 1944, Burauen was among the most heavily devastated towns in Leyte, thousands of civilians were killed and a number of properties were destroyed.

Post-war period to present

Rising from the ruins of war, the municipality rehabilitated its homes and agriculture, hand in hand with the improvement of its institution and facilities. In 1946, the Burauen High School was founded, followed by the rehabilitation of the Gabaldon school building, and the construction and operation of the water system in 1948. The private sector contributed in the field of education in 1950 the Burauen Institute and the Rizal Colleges were founded. The progress of the town suffered a setback in the middle part of 1951 when a very strong typhoon hit Burauen, which was followed by four others that were equally ravaging. In 1952, despite financial hardships, the municipal government was able to repair the municipal building from its own funds but generally, the recovery of the municipality was very slow. On March 2, 1962, the Rural Bank of Burauen was established, the first rural bank in Leyte and Samar. A decade after, on April 1, 1972, the Burauen District Hospital was opened to accept its first patient. During the intervening years and onward, road and bridges construction and street concreting in the poblacion and the Barangays alike were pursued, together with the construction of school building and health centers. The public market area as well as the irrigation system was expanded.

Timeline

In 1595, Spanish Jesuit Friars discovered the settlement of Burauen. Its community was used as their base in the Christianisation on the central part of Leyte.
Between the years 1609 to 1616 Burauen was the most populous town of Leyte and Samar and it consistently registered the highest tax collection during the same period in the region.
In 1873, from being a missionary church under the diocese of Dagami, Burauen was carved out and declared as a separate town.
In 1912, municipal administrations of that time were able to put up irrigation system.
In 1916, the first electric system and cinematographic house in Leyte and Samar was established in Burauen.
In 1918, La Paz detached itself from Burauen to become an independent municipality.
In 1928, the Burauen Academy, the first secondary school in the municipality was founded.
In 1949, or just a few years after world war 2, President Elpidio Quirino issued an executive order no.278 separating Julita from burauen.
In 1962, the Rural Bank of Burauen was established. Making it the very first rural bank in both islands of Samar and Leyte.

Geography

Burauen is located in the central part of Leyte Island, bounded to the north by Dagami and Tabon-tabon, on the east by Julita, south by La Paz and Macarthur, on the west by Albuera and Ormoc City and on the southwest by Baybay City.

Barangays

Burauen is politically subdivided into 77 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
  • Abuyogon
  • Anonang
  • Arado
  • Balao
  • Balatson
  • Balorinay
  • Bobon
  • Buenavista
  • Buri
  • Caanislagan
  • Cadahunan
  • Cagangon
  • Calao
  • Cali
  • Calsadahay
  • Candag-on
  • Cansiboy
  • Catagbacan
  • Dumalag
  • Damulu-an
  • Dina-ayan
  • Esperansa
  • Gamay
  • Gitablan
  • Hapunan
  • Hibonawan
  • Hugpa East
  • Hugpa West
  • Ilihan
  • Kagbana
  • Kalipayan
  • Kaparasanan
  • Laguiwan
  • Libas
  • Limburan
  • Logsongan
  • Maabab
  • Maghubas
  • Mahagnao
  • Malabca
  • Malaguinabot
  • Malaihao
  • Matin-ao
  • Moguing
  • Poblacion District I
  • Poblacion District II
  • Poblacion District III
  • Poblacion District IV
  • Poblacion District V
  • Poblacion District VI
  • Poblacion District VII
  • Poblacion District VIII
  • Poblacion District IX
  • Paghudlan
  • Paitan
  • Pangdan
  • Patag
  • Patong
  • Pawa
  • Roxas
  • Sambel
  • San Esteban
  • San Fernando
  • San Jose East
  • San Jose West
  • San Pablo
  • Tabuanon
  • Tagadtaran
  • Taghuyan
  • Takin
  • Tambis
  • Tambuko
  • Toloyao
  • Villa Aurora
  • Villa Corazon
  • Villa Patria
  • Villa Rosas

    Climate

Demographics

The municipality of Burauen, Leyte had a total population of 52,511 persons based on the 2020 Census of Population and Housing. The household population of 52,359 persons comprised 99.7 percent of the total population recorded as of the time of census-taking.
Of the 52,359 household population in Burauen, Leyte, 26,930 were males while 25,429 were females. By age group, 17,593 were under 15 years of age. On the other hand, persons aged 15 to 64 years totaled to 31,650 while those in age groups 65 years and over comprised the remaining 3,116. In 2015, persons aged 0 to 14 years, 15 to 64 years, and 65 years and over accounted for 34.3 percent, 60.2 percent, and 5.5 percent, respectively, of the household.
Moreover, there were more males than females among the 0 to 59 age group. However, among the older age group, females outnumbered the males. The same trend was also observed in 2015.