Loon, Bohol


Loon, officially the Municipality of Loon, is a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines which was established in 1753. According to the 2024 census, it had a population of 43,857 people.
WWW Official Site

History

Loon was among the hardest hit towns in the 2013 [Bohol earthquake]. About a third of all casualties occurred in this town, and its church, dating from the 1850s, was completely leveled to the ground.

Geography

The town proper of Loon is located about north of Tagbilaran and is the westernmost municipality of Bohol. The Cabilao and Sandingan islands are part of the municipality. Lanao Lake on Cabilao island is the only natural lake in Bohol.
Loon lies halfway between Tagbilaran and Tubigon, Bohol's major ports of entry, each of which is only 40 minutes away by public utility buses, jeepneys and vans-for-hire that frequently ply the north–south route. Loon has one provincial secondary port and six fishing ports. The secondary port is being converted into the Loon Bohol International Cruise Ship Port. Currently it serves the Loon—Argao route.

Topography

Loon is composed of land mass, coastlines and natural waters and has a relatively rolling topography consisting of moderate hills, rolling plains, sparse plateaus interspersed with valleys, and some ravines.

Barangays

Loon is politically subdivided into 67 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
soso a freshwater shellfish species
badba-an a local shrub or tree
bagakay or bamboo abundant in the area
bahi the hard portion of the trunk of a "pugahan" palm
basac from the visayan word "basa", which means "wet" and many years passed by, turned into "basac"
baas means sand
biasong: a variety of orange grown near the Moalong River
trabongko: a legendary shining ball that giant snakes amused at night
bugho or hole, references to the ravines and gorges of the barangay
after the plant bakong
land purportedly belonging to the first inhabitant named Badug
kabug bats hanging from the branches of "tipolo" trees
after the swaying coconut trees which looked like fighting
bas nga nag-ekis-ekis or sand that crosses from one side to other depending on the waves.
patud a spring in a thick forest where hunters go
legendary ever-burning stump of dead tree to kindle lamps
kanhangdon root word is "hangad" or to look up from the Moalong River
nigaran a legendary place where big niga trees grew
mamag or tarsier, which were plentiful
manok where wild chickens abound
after a spring of the same name
subayon the act of walking the banks of creeks
tam-is means sweet
taongon tree was abundant
sondo a creek where one needs to take a leap
tagbak means to barter or exchange goods
kogon grass
"Kawasi!", an order to disembark or jump overboard
the legend says an ill farmer called out because his carabao was hinomolan
tuwang-tuwang, the changing movement of sand blown by south and north winds
the curved shape of its coastline na lo-ok
pok-pok, the warning drum hung from a mangrove tree when Moros pirate kumpits were coming
moto or hill, located above the original settlement, the coastal barangay of Napo
nagatuwang whereby flow of water from a spring is absorbed higher
napolo or napoo means place formed from sand
Spanish for 'new life'; the new settlement built when Catagbacan became too big
panankilon, a medicinal herb
from tulod-tulod the thrusting action of the waves shifting sand by the wind blow
pi-ot the narrow stretch of road which widened by blasting, resulting in the fleeing of the monkeys from their habitat
pundo-pundo or pondol juts into the sea or pools of water
kinubkoban holes dug looking for sources of water.
sondol or donsol, a sea slug species abundant in its seashore
so-ongon, an arch-like rock formation along the shoreline; where one has to stoop to pass
talisay trees which growing on cliffs over the shoreline
tan-awan means a place where one gets a good view of the villages below it
tangnan is cave that contains fresh water
taytay a bridge, narrow hilltop-located pathway that leads to the center of the village
tikog plant whose leaf strips can be woven into mats
tiwi the trees that once grew on the eastern part
tontonan means to use a rope to scale a high mountain
tubod means spring
tuburan is a spring
nag-ubay sa baybayon means straddling the shoreline
ulbohan a well where water gushed in spurts

Economy

Gross Annual Income : ₱63.2 million
Major industries: agriculture, fishery, cottage, transportation, trading, tourism
Loon's public markets include two main public markets and five barangay/feeder markets. There are more than 800 business establishments and entrepreneurs in Loon.

Indigenous culture and crafts

  • Processing of "binago", grated and dried cassava steamed over a perforated coconut half-shell fitted onto the mouth of an earthen pot half-filled with water; common in the barangays on Sandingan and Cabilao islands and in Ubayon.
  • Production of "tubâ" or toddy from coconut in Cantaongon and other upland barangays.
  • "Drama" or community theater in Napo, a fervently sustained local tradition that originated during the Spanish period. Local residents get involved as actors, singers, directors, stage managers and playwrights.
  • Weaving of mats from romblon palm in Cabilao; production of nypa shingles near Moalong River; and weaving of baskets and other handicrafts from bamboo, rattan, baliw, nito, sigid, sagisi and other materials in some upland barangays
  • Christmas caroling: "Daygon", "Pastores" and "Igiigi"
  • Good Friday dawn pilgrimage to Big Cross
  • Good Friday procession and Easter "Sugat/Hugos" rites in the town center
  • September "Festival of Lights" or "SidlaKasilak" in honor of the town's patroness
  • Town fiesta on 8 September and barangay fiestas throughout the year.

Tourism

Heritage and historical sites

Inang-angan : A National Cultural TreasureSombria Bridge: stone bridge with the highest elevation among colonial bridges in the province.Napo Ruins: former residence of the Saiz familyFerandos House: ancestral house built during the American period.Gabaldon building: the main building of Loon South Central Elementary School built in 1915.Loon Public PlazaBig Cross: a pilgrimage site marked by a Big Cross on the slopes Cabug offers a majestic view of the Cebu Strait. A road leading to the place features replicas of the 14 Stations of the Cross.Virgen de la Paz Hermitage: home of the Virgen de la Paz hermit nuns that sits on a cliff that overlooking the mangroves and marine sanctuary in Tangnan and offers an unobstructed view of the sea and the blue mountains of Cebu.Solar-powered Lighthouse: located in Punta Baluarte in Pantudlan, Cabilao Island, this modern lighthouse is a donation of the Spanish government and stands beside the old one retained for its historical value.Punta Baluarte Eco-Museum: a Spanish-era bulwark on Cabilao Island that has been transformed into an eco-cultural museumMesina House: the only remaining ancestral house of such design. With some families experiencing early the economic boom brought about by success in the retail business, mostly in Leyte, Samar, Negros and Mindanao, and in the practice of their professions, all the other old houses have been replaced with modern designs.
‡ Totally destroyed by the 15 October 2013 earthquake.

Natural attractions

Loon Coastal Geomorphic Conservation Park Loon Macaques: a mainstream tourist destination featuring the crab-eating mangrove monkeys Cabilao Island
  • * Dive sites
  • * Cabilao Island Lake
  • * Green Footprint Lagoon
  • * Cabacungan Fish SanctuaryTubig-Loon Spring ParkWhite beaches and sand bars Mangrove gardens Caves Mount CanmanocMount Tan-awan: highest point of LoonMoalong River and Antaeg Spring and LagoonPiong and Kabantian Falls Danicop Ticugan SpringsEndemic animals: hammerhead shark, pygmy seahorse, monkeys, exotic birds, "mamag", "kagwang", "tinggawong"

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road network:
  • national -
  • provincial -
  • municipal -
  • barangay -

Health and safety

  • one provincial district hospital
  • two Rural Health Units
  • 14 Barangay Health Stations
  • two private dental clinics
  • three private medical clinics
  • one LGU emergency response unit
  • Lying-in / Birthing Centers, including IMAP Lying-in Centers
  • Public security: one PNP station; 704th Regional Public Safety Battalion

Utilities

Water is made available to more than 42 barangays principally by the Loon Waterworks System, which has about 3,000 active individual water service connections reaching the northernmost barangay of Pondol, the southernmost barangay of Song-on, all barangays on Sandingan Island, and many hinterland barangays. The rest of the upland barangays are served by Level II communal water systems.
The abundance of water in Loon has also encouraged investors to establish water-refilling stations in the town.

Education

  • Public educational institutions: Loon North District - 12 elementary schools; 8 primary schools; Six secondary schools: Cabilao National High School, Sandingan National High School, Gov. Jacinto Borja National High School, Lopez Dano Simbajon High School, Loon North High School and Loon Northeast High School
  • Public educational institutions: Loon South District - 10 elementary schools; 9 primary schools; 2 secondary schools: Loon South National High School and Loon East High School
  • Private secondary schools: UB–Loon Institute, Sacred Heart Academy, and Saint Teresa Academy
  • Preparatory schools: 64 public preparatory schools, National Child Development Center, UB Loon Institute Learning Center, Trinitas Learning Center and Carmelite Learning Center of Tontonan, Loon, Bohol, Inc.

Notable people