Tuesday, December 31, 2013


I –TRENDS IN PHYSICAL PROFILE
Ongoing infrastructure development efforts in Palompon – including road construction, installation of electric power, setting up of communications facilities and rehabilitation of the sea port – will enhance the position of the town as a trading center for northeast Leyte, its traditional role the pre – and post – war era.
The terrain of Palompon, which is generally sloping, limits the agricultural potential of the municipality. The dominant soil type (faraon clay) is suited mainly for marginal upland crops, such as bananas, coconuts, and sweet potatoes.
The destruction of the forest and critical watershed an area contribute to ongoing soil erosion and poses a major threat to the water supply of the town and its barangays.


II – TRENDS IN PEOPLE PROFILE
Palompon has a very young population with 43.5% total population less than 20 years old. The population is equally balanced between females (50.3%) and males (49.7%).
Palompon is composed of 50 barangays, ten of which comparies the poblacion while the remaining forty are located along the coastal and interior parts of the municipality. Some 26% of the population resides in the poblacion barangays while the remaining 74% are found in rural areas.
Palompon is densely populated, with 3.92 persons per hectare. This is much higher than the population density of region VIII, which are 1.56 persons per hectare. Hpowever, population density is not evenly distributed among the barangays. The poblacion barangays are the most densenly populated (Central – II is ranked first at 682 persons per hectare) while the hinterland barangays are the most sparsely-populated (Hinagbuan ranked last with 1.22 persons per hectare).
Palompon had a literacy rate of 91.30% as per 1990 census. The municipality has as extensive educational system consisting of 45 elementary schools, 7 high schools and one state college (Palompon Institute of Technology), which is a weel-known and respected institution in the province.
The population growth rate has been relatively slow, averaging less than 1.4% annually during the period 1980-91, although this increased to 2.12% from 1991-95. The average percentage of deaths over births is 26.15 per 1,000, which is approximately one death rate and relatively slow increase in population, there appears to be a net out-migration of residents from Palompon. This is consistent with the overall trend of out-migration in Region VIII.

One form of out-migration occurs when Palomponganons leave their home town for Cebu, Manila or abroad where they can find well-paying jobs. The lack of well-paying job opportunities in Palompon encourage many skilled people. (e.g. seamen, carpenters, contractors, etc.) To leave the town. The education programs offered by the PIT, which focus on marine transportation and engineering, are also in favor of this trend.
A second (and more serious) form of out-migration occurs within Palompon itself where residents from the hinterland barangays migrate to the poblacion barangays. Many of these migrants join the rank of subsistence fisher folk while others become tricycle (or “trisikad”) drivers. The in-migration of these upland dwellers has given rise to slum communities, particularly in the poblacion barangays of Ipil—I, Ipil-II and Lili-on.




The community is known to be very peaceful. The crime rate in Palompon is very low compared to other towns in the Province and, so far, most are not considered serious. However, police officials expressed concern that criminality may be on the rise because of the progress being experienced by the town, which is attracting an increasing number of in-migrants to Palompon.


About 54% of the total population of Palompon belongs to the labor force, totaling 27,376 individuals. Of these, 13,963 are males (51%) while 13,413 are females (49%). Only about 1,390 workers (5% of total labor force) are employed in the so-called formal sector, which includes the schools, local government unit, national government agencies, the Phescem Industrials Corporation (150 direct and 250 contractual) and market vendors (120 with stalls). The remaining 95% of the labor force are employed in agriculture, fishing and the growing service sector within the poblacion town.
Some 15,096 residents of Palompon (about 30% of total population) have been identified as living below the poverty line. The poverty line in Palompon has been set at a monthly income of PhP2, 699.00 for a family with six members.


III – TRENDS IN AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
In general, the growth and development of agriculture and the rural sector in the province of Leyte and including Palompon, has been hampered by the following problems: (i) poor and inadequate infrastructure; (ii) limited access to land, production inputs, credits and other resources among small agricultural producers; (ii) inadequate post-harvest facilities; (iv) inadequate government support; and (v) lack of irrigation facilities.
Palompon has substantial food consumption requirements in cereals (rice and corn), meat, eggs, milk and products, fish, sugar, vegetables, root crops and others. Despite the LGu’s plans to stimulate agricultural production to meet the above demand, Palompon must import many of the above commodities (mainly from Cebu) in near future.
Palompon is mainly a coconut producing area with 1,640 hectares devoted to coconut cultivation (30% of agricultural area). In contrast, rice is grown on only 794 hectares (394 has. Irrigated, 250 has. rainfed and 150 has. Upland). The irrigated farms average about 3.5 metric tons (70 canvans) per hectare per crop while the rainfed lowland and upland areas produce 2.5 metric tons (50 canvans) and 1.25 metric tons 25 canvans), respectively per hectare per crop. Corn production (500 hectares) is low because farmers prefer to plant the traditional varieties that taste although these have lower yields.
Farm sizes in the upland barangays tend to be small, ranging from one-fourth to two hectares. Farmers tilling these lands are considered as the poorest farmers who migrate to the poblacion barangays during the “slack period” from planting to harvesting in order to drive trisikads, hire themselves out as construction workers or go fishing.

There is one potential for shifting agricultural production from the low to higher-value crops such as fruit trees and vegetables. To do this successfully, however, far-tomarket roads, irrigation and other physical infrastructure will be required. At present, only a few barangays have water from spring sources and communal irrigation systems; the rest rely only on the rain for water for their crops.

The total area covered for distribution under the agrarian reform program is 2,784 hectares or about 50% of total agricultural lands. This covers 79% public land and 11% private land. Farm lot range from .2051 to 2.27 hectares. The major portion of Plaompon farmlands are owned by small landowners 920 hectares or less) who reside in the Palompon farmlands are owned by small landowners are reportedly teachers who have invested their life savings are considered last priority for re-distribution under CARL and it is likely that many of these may eventually be exempted because of the current retention limits.


IV – TRENDS IN FISHING INDUSTRY
The fish sanctuary project of the LGU has contributed greatly to maintaining the level of fish supply in the area.
Fisherfolk constitute a major segment of the population in the 18 barangays of Palompon that have access to the sea. According to DA data, some 26% of the population (1,230 out of 4,683 househol0ds) in these 18 barangays are fisherfolk. However, this estimate of fisherfolk population includes only those with bancas and od not include fisherfolk who rent boats or hire themselves out as laboares to fisherfolk-boat owners.


]
























Of these fisherfolk who own boats, 25% have motorized bancas while 75% rely on manual paddling. Because of their ability to venture out into the sea, fisherfolk with motorized bancas earn ten times as much as their colleagues with non-motorized bancas.













Marketing of fish in Palompon is organized around middlemen (local name: “alpor’) who provide the fisherfolk with basic commodities and fishing supplies in exchange for the preferential right to buy their catch. The middlemen earns in two ways: (i) the basic commodities are priced at 10% higher than acquisition costs; and (ii) the fish catch is priced lower by about 10-15% of the prevailing market price.






















V– TRENDS IN COMMERCE AND TRADE

With the completion of ongoing port improvement and road construction efforts, Palompon will be in a strong position to enhance its role as the center of commerce and trade for the northwestern towns of Isabel, Kananga, Matag-ob, Villaba, tabango and San Isidro.
Despite the absence of these improvements, the cargo handled at the Palompon port has already posted a significant rise from 27,891.043 metric tons in 1993 to 47,474.724 metric tons in 1995. At the same time, Palompon, already ranked second in 1991 passenger traffic among four ports which include Maasin, Ormoc and San Jose, Samar.

The existing market in the center of the poblacion, which is considered large for a town with the size of palompon, is testimony to the role of the municipality as a trading center for the northwestern municipality of Leyte. A new and better planned public market may be required, however, once the port become fully operational.

The existence of a large number of commercial establishments in Palompon including sari-sari stores, shipping companies, special services – is further testimony to the role of the municipality as a center of commerce and trade.There are a number of flourishing labor-intensive industries within Palompon with the potential for expansion. Two of the more promising industries are (i) preparation of “boneless dried danggit” in the barangays Buenavista, Plaridel and Cantuhaon, (ii) mat-weaving in barangays Plaridel, Cruz, Duljugan, Cantuhaon, Tinabilan, Himarco, Sabang and Lomonon
http://www.palompon-leyte.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=258&Itemid=279

Monday, December 30, 2013


Historical Religious Sites



HISTORICAL SITES

The original Palompon town has several historical sites and heritage to reckon with that can be equated with the interesting saga and unflinching struggle of the ancient Palomponganons in making a virtual place in the annals of the history and etched a proverbial deck in the sun. The bravery and undaunted valiant stanch against all odds of our forefathers to vanquish foreign invaders way back the moro marauders in the ancient times down to their collective participation to repeal the controversial atrocities of Spaniards, Americans, Japanese in the Land had echoed to other municipalities in the Leyte Islands.

The historic places and sites of the ancient Palompon are still there for everyone to give a nostalgic focus. But due to the ramification of its former barangays to townhood and even cityhood where geographical subdivisions followed and were made appurtenant , the present Palompon map has been trimmed down of some of its interesting locations that bespeak the rich and formidable historical accounts of the Palomponganons through the years.

But in spite of the development process, still Palompon is replete with historical sites and heritage that herald and relate to the present genre the town’s glorious past. One of them is the PALOMPON LIBERTY PARK (PLP).

A full account on how this historical icon and location came to be follows in the succeeding pages of this article.. It was authored by a centenarian, Salud Esmero Reposar at 103 years old, who left the PLP legacy to us before she went home back to the Lord.


RELIGIOUS SITES

Palomponganons are incontrovertibly religious people. This heritance and burning passion for the religious life can be traced back in the olden times. The fact, that Palompon is one of the early few towns of ancient Leyte where the first mass of Christendom in the Philippines was held.




The townspeople are predominantly Roman Catholics. But interestingly, there are at present 14 religious sects sheepherding their respective pious faithful in town. Thus, with the given number multifarious religious sites and various displays are expected and worth for everyone’s valued time. 


The Roman Catholic Church of Palompon which was built for 44 years and thereafter was formally founded on November 12, 1784 is considered the oldest church in Leyte. Hence, a blown up feature on it is highlight on the succeeding pages for everyone’s information, guidance, and a boon to religious fervor.


Sunday, December 29, 2013

KALANGGAMAN ISLAND:the white haven


So beautiful, so tempting! Kalanggaman is an island blessed with long stretches of white sandbar on both ends. It is a fast rising tourist destination of the town of Palompon in the province of Leyte, of the Eastern Visayas (Region 8), and beyond. From afar, the two white sandbars on both ends shine like a pearl as the sunlight touches the island – so beautiful, so tempting. The clear turquoise water surrounding the island is so inviting, that you will want to quickly get off your boat to experience the paradise that is Kalanggaman.
Kalanggaman Island is Palompon’s exuberant hidden gem, the foremost lead of Leyte province’s tourism “selling mission,” Region 8 (E astern Visayas) tourism banner for CY 2012, and voted one of the Top 12 Hotspots in the Philippines..
The pristine water and powder white beach top on the list of the matchless Kalanggaman Island, a small isle but with big marine resources. It is simply amazing and enriching diver’s haven.
Kalanggaman Island is a strip of land which has a rich marine environment with an area of no less than nine (9) heactares situate d approximately 12 kilometers off shoreline of the mainland Palompon.
This is Palompon’s paradise. Kalanggaman is considered the most beautiful beach the province of Leyte has to offer. The postcard-perfect virgin island with its powder white sand, clear waters, and cool breeze is certainly a virtual place very close to heaven.
Kalanggaman Island is an unclassified, inalienable, and indisposable land of public domain. Hence, it belongs to the government to care and share with delight to commune with nature.
http://www.palompon-leyte.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&


The pristine water and powder white beach top on the list of the matchless Kalanggaman Island, a small isle but with big marine resources. It is simply amazing and enriching diver’s haven.
Kalanggaman Island is a strip of land which has a rich marine environment with an area of no less than nine (9) heactares situate d approximately 12 kilometers off shoreline of the mainland Palompon.
This is Palompon’s paradise. Kalanggaman is considered the most beautiful beach the province of Leyte has to offer. The postcard-perfect virgin island with its powder white sand, clear waters, and cool breeze is certainly a virtual place very close to heaven.
Kalanggaman Island is an unclassified, inalienable, and indisposable land of public domain. Hence, it belongs to the government to care and share with delight to commune with nature.



This is Palompon’s paradise. Kalanggaman is considered the most beautiful beach the province of Leyte has to offer. The postcard-perfect virgin island with its powder white sand, clear waters, and cool breeze is certainly a virtual place very close to heaven.
Kalanggaman Island is an unclassified, inalienable, and indisposable land of public domain. Hence, it belongs to the government to care and share with delight to commune with nature.

http://www.palompon-leyte.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&