Leganes, Iloilo


Leganes, officially the Municipality of Leganes, is a municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
It is located north of the capital Iloilo City and is part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area. Like most Philippine towns that sprawl outward from the capital, is made up of houses, farms and light agricultural industry. The major thoroughfare runs right through the center of the town.

History

Leganes has a history closely intertwined with the neighboring town of Jaro. For many centuries, Leganes was considered an unremarkable area, primarily consisting of wetlands, marshes, and swamps. The upper part of the region was inhabited by wild animals, and it was known as Guihaman.
In 1903, through Act No. 719, Leganes was incorporated into the municipality of Santa Barbara. However, this arrangement was short-lived. In 1915, by virtue of Executive Order No. 97, Leganes was removed from Santa Barbara and merged with Jaro, effective from January 1, 1916.
Further changes occurred in 1939 when Executive Order No. 241 was issued on December 23. This order separated the "arrabal de Leganes" from the municipality of Jaro, establishing it as an independent municipality. This change officially took effect on January 1, 1940, marking the formation of the municipality of Leganes.
In 2024, Leganes was designated as one of the locations for light industries in the province. Restia Agro-Industrial Estate Park in Barangay Calabao, is the province's first agro-industrial economic zone, accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

Geography

It is located north of the capital Iloilo City and was part of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area.

Barangays

Leganes is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
  • M.V. Hechanova
  • Bigke
  • Buntatala
  • Cagamutan Norte
  • Cagamutan Sur
  • Calaboa
  • Camangay
  • Cari Mayor
  • Cari Minor
  • Gua-an
  • Guihaman
  • Guinobatan
  • Guintas
  • Lapayon
  • Nabitasan
  • Napnud
  • Poblacion
  • San Vicente

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Leganes was 36,542 people, with a density of.

Language

Hiligaynon is the most dominant dialect used by the residents. English and Tagalog are also spoken.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the most dominant religion in this municipality.