Miagao


Miagao, officially the Municipality of Miagao, is a municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Miagao is considered as the "Onion Capital of the Visayas". The town center of the municipality lies on the western bank of the Tumagbok River, the largest river in the municipality. The poblacion is made up of eight barangays.
The town holds their patronal fiesta in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova every September 22 that lasts several days. The town is also the location of one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Miagao Church, which was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entire town of Miagao was later inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage City and became a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities.

Etymology

The name of Miagao has many disputed etymologies. One of the most popular, and probably the most widely accepted version is that the name of the town was derived from a plant named Miagos. Miagos or Osmoxylon lineare is a flowering plant from the family Araliaceae that used to grow abundantly in the area when the Spaniards came. Because of its abundance in the area, the Spaniards named the place Miagos which later became Miagao. Another version, according to Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Torres of Igbaras, is that a native named "Miyagaw" was asked by the Spaniards for the name of the place but gave his name instead.

History

A settlement in Damilisan were recorded by Spanish Map early in 1700 with 13,493 people and 2,974 houses. Miagao gained its independence as a municipality in 1716. Prior to that, it used to be a part of an arrabal of four different towns in southern Iloilo. Until 1580, Miagao was an arrabal of Oton. From 1580 until 1652, it was an arrabal of Tigbauan. It was an arrabal of Suaraga from 1652 to 1703 and before becoming independent, it became an arrabal of Guimbal from 1703 to 1716. In 1731, Miagao had its first capitan and teniente mayor after an election was held in Guimbal under the supervision of Victorino C. Ma., an authorized representative of the governor.

Geography

Topography

Miagao is a coastal town with a hilly to mountainous terrain. Most of the flat areas in the municipality are found either in coasts or along the town's major rivers which include the Naulid, Tumagbok, Oyaoy, Bacauan, Tabunacan, Oyungan, Lanutan, and San Rafael rivers. A mountain range forms a natural boundary between Miagao and the province of Antique to the north.
The highest point in the municipality is the summit of Mount Tulajon, locally spelled as Tulahong, at 1,100 meters asl located in Barangay Ongyod.

Climate

The municipality has a type I climate based on PAGASA's climate classification chart. The climate of Miagao is greatly affected by north-east and south-west monsoons. The town experiences a pronounced wet season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. The coolest months are the months of December to February while the hottest months are the months of April and May.

Barangays

Miagao is politically subdivided into 119 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
It has more barangays than any other municipality in the Philippines. The municipality has 22 coastal barangays and 97 landlocked barangays.
NamePSG CodePopulation Population
Agdum063030001345400
Aguiauan063030002460481
Alimodias063030003764652
Awang063030004156139
Bacauan063030006611624
Bacolod063030007471515
Bagumbayan063030008939988
Banbanan063030009485419
Banga063030010222224
Bangladan063030011348366
Banuyao063030012898937
Baraclayan063030013400414
Bariri063030014133143
Baybay Norte 06303001529323013
Baybay Sur 063030016998969
Belen063030017191199
Bolho 063030018457387
Bolocaue063030019195194
Buenavista Norte063030020385413
Buenavista Sur063030021291293
Bugtong Lumangan063030022327350
Bugtong Naulid063030023203197
Cabalaunan063030024252258
Cabangcalan063030025137144
Cabunotan063030026306243
Cadoldolan063030027151113
Cagbang063030028310321
Caitib063030029634564
Calagtangan063030030423481
Calampitao063030031798826
Cavite063030032209203
Cawayanan063030033261285
Cubay063030034753830
Cubay Ubos063030035162158
Dalije06303003618091627
Damilisan06303003713051295
Dawog063030038826830
Diday063030039760767
Dingle063030040379427
Durog06303004110641072
Frantilla063030042162190
Fundacion063030043339316
Gines063030044685752
Guibongan0630300459771089
Igbita063030046324236
Igbugo063030047505523
Igcabidio063030048300322
Igcabito-on063030050344461
Igcatambor063030051312326
Igdalaquit063030052205182
Igdulaca063030053706708
Igpajo063030054380332
Igpandan063030055303317
Igpuro063030056468538
Igpuro-Bariri063030057304314
Igsoligue063030058460452
Igtuba06303005911571345
Ilog-ilog063030060233175
Indag-an063030061694623
Kirayan Norte06303006217271834
Kirayan Sur06303006314401475
Kirayan Tacas06303006410871376
La Consolacion063030065451471
Lacadon063030066682692
Lanutan063030067470549
Lumangan063030068796792
Mabayan063030069213226
Maduyo063030070169163
Malagyan06303007114091641
Mambatad063030072939982
Maninila06303007310631139
Maricolcol063030074339359
Maringyan063030075674558
Mat-y 06303007623462197
Matalngon063030077161136
Naclub063030078647577
Nam-o Sur063030079217211
Nam-o Norte063030080291307
Narat-an063030082591759
Narorogan063030083226239
Naulid063030084800820
Olango063030085335333
Ongyod063030086176208
Onop063030087291268
Oya-oy063030005297308
Oyungan06303008814171495
Palaca06303008921422178
Paro-on063030090299130
Potrido063030091403363
Pudpud063030092514598
Pungtod Monteclaro063030093302320
Pungtod Naulid063030094171161
Sag-on063030095390332
San Fernando063030096428464
San Jose063030097466439
San Rafael06303009813031204
Sapa 063030099822679
Saring063030100416422
Sibucao063030101338371
Taal063030102197191
Tabunacan063030103514504
Tacas 063030104759747
Tambong063030105205188
Tan-agan063030106556569
Tatoy063030107605647
Ticdalan063030108425312
Tig-amaga063030109252228
Tig-Apog-Apog063030110281257
Tigbagacay063030111274230
Tiglawa063030112183165
Tigmalapad063030113528521
Tigmarabo063030114451505
To-og063030115157134
Tugura-ao063030116314304
Tumagboc063030117415442
Ubos Ilawod 0630301181003800
Ubos Ilaya 063030119896918
Valencia063030120465475
Wayang063030121229240