Santo
Niño Parish
Malitbog,
Southern Leyte
 |
The
town of Malitbog, located along the western shores of Sogod Bay came
into existence in the early part of the 19th century. Two
watchtowers or "baluarte," on which the numbers
"1820" are inscribed, bear witness to this fact.
However, there is a curious historical account as to the creation of
this village. This is borne by the fact that these two "baluartes"
are located not in the center of the present-day town, but in two
barrios equidistant from the parish church. One is found in Brgy.
Caaga to the south, and the other is in Brgy. Abgao to the north. |
According to local history, these
two barangays were ruled by two rival capitanes, the names of whom have
been erased from the collective memory of the townspeople. When the pueblo
was later organized by the Spaniards sometime in the middle part of the 19th
century, both capitanes, together with their respective villagers,
vehemently refused that one or the other be made the pueblo, for each
claimed to be more suited than the other. The controversy dragged on for
some time. Now the word "confusing" in the Bisaya language means
makalibog, and when strangers came asking for the "pueblo," people
would shake their heads, point their fingers hither and thither, and say, "Makalibog."
Later, with the Leyteños penchant for contracting tongue-twisting words, the
place was aptly baptized "Malitbog."
This did not solve the problem of
where to locate the "Pueblo," however. So the Spanish
missionaries who often came to visit the two rival barangays, had the solomonic
wisdom of fusing the two barangays by building a common church. Again,
this proved to be another problem, because both barangays claimed that the
church should be built on their grounds.
Finally, in exasperation, the
Spanish friars, thundering the fear of God upon the natives, proclaimed that the
church building would be built neither on the the two barangays, but on a site
equally distant from the two. And it was then that in 1857, the present
stone and adobe church, through forced labor, was finished to become the house
of worship of all Malitboganons.
PRIESTS
WHO SERVED MALITBOG PARISH
Fr. Nicolas Balagos de Lazaro
1850-1852
Fr. Tomas Barba
Manuel
1852-1853
Fr. Mamerto Balo
1853-1857
Fr. Apolinario Marecampo
1857-1860
Fr. Evaristo Ayta
1860-1878
Fr. Domingo Bertulfo
1878-1879
Fr. Servano Gevane
1879-1880
Fr. Domingo
Javier
1880-1899
Fr. Ruperto
Guerrero
1899-1909
Fr. Hilario
Lopez
1909-1912
Fr. Leoncio Faelnar
1912-1914
Fr. Sinforiano Avelino
1914-1917
Fr. Emeterio Javines
1917-1925
Fr. Pedro Morfe
1925-1929
Fr. Uldarico Villasin
1929-1931
Fr. Felix Navales
1931-1934
Fr. Narciso Codilla
1934-1939
Fr. Crispin Singson
1939-1951
Fr. Pacifico Corbete
1951-1953
Fr. Pascual Quimbo
1953-1973
Fr. Porfirio
Suarez
1973-1979
Fr. Felix Paloma
1979-1986
Fr. Vicente
Lora
1986-1992
Fr. Urcisino
Luzon
1992-1998
Fr. Fermin Wabina
1998-present
The
following priests served Malitbog on an ad interim capacity
Fr. Januario Cordovez
1921
Fr. Sabino Abrera
1926
Fr. Magdaleno Agnis
1931
Fr. Francisco Palomares
1934
RELIGIOUS
ORGANIZATIONS
Birhen
sa Carmen
Catholic
Women's League
Caballero
de San Jose
Children
of Mary
Couples
for Christ
Inahan
sa Kanunayng Panabang
Legion
of Mary
Our
Lady of Lourdes
Sagrado
Corazon de Jesus
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