Limasawa
Limasawa, officially the Municipality of Limasawa, is an island municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 6,191 people, making it the least populated town in the province.
History
Limasawa was the second island of the Philippines that the Magellan Expedition landed on. Antonio Pigafetta documented the island as "Mazaua". He described it as being inhabited with cultivated fields. In March 28, 1521 the Magellan Expedition met with two rulers, Rajah Colambu and Rahah Siaui, of the Rajahnate of Butuan and "Calagan", which Pigafetta misidentified as islands. The rulers were on a hunting expedition on Limasawa with two balangay ships. The rulers entertained Magellan's crew with feasting for a few days. Afterwards, Father Pedro de Valderrama performed the first mass in the Philippines on Easter Sunday. Magellan also climbed the highest elevation in Limasawa and erected a cross before leaving for "Zubu".At the request of the residents of the island of Limasawa, the six barangays that comprise that island were detached and separated from the municipality of Padre Burgos through Presidential Decree No. 1549, signed by then President Ferdinand Marcos on June 11, 1978, with the effort of the Late Guillermo trigo Urag, and constituted as the Municipality of Limasawa. Limasawa completely became a municipality on August 27, 1989, after then President Corazon Aquino ordered the plebiscite which its residents voted in favor of the creation. The island, also known as Limasawa Island, is located south of Leyte, in the Mindanao or Bohol Sea. It is about long from north to south and is the smallest municipality in the province, in both area and population.
Geography
Barangays
Limasawa is politically subdivided into 6 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.- Cabulihan
- Lugsongan
- Magallanes
- San Agustin
- San Bernardo
- Trianas
Climate