The town of Palompon is one of the oldest coastal settlement in Northwestern Leyte. It existed for more than four centuries already. Folklore says that it was Hinablayan before because of its gory objects found along the coast. The dead bodies of the enemies (Moros) that are hanged at the branches of the tree. However, these remained an oral tradition up to now.
The name Hinablayan evolved to Palompong, and then to Palumpun (spelling of Palompon sometime in 1700 or 1800). It is indisputably a very old town. Ormoc was part of Palompon parish from 1784 until 1851, when finally it was declared as an independent parish. Villaba and Matag-ob are both part of the territorial jurisdiction of this town before it obtain its municipio (pueblo) status.
But there are no available records in our town about our very interesting history. In 1990, then Mayor Viacrucis together with historian, Arcadio “Carding” Molon Jr, and Antonio E. Reposar came up with a book that established some facts about the significant past of Palompon. It was an attempt to give a clear picture of the things that happened to this town. It has complete names of town leaders (mayors and capitan municipal) from 1852 until present , municipal mayors, parish priests from 1784 until present, names of beauty queens and damas from 1914.
It was a good and laudable accomplishments, but there are still many things that are unknown to many Palomponganons.
The history of the people's struggle should be verified so that the younger generations of Palomponganons and Leytenos will know how their forefathers generously shed their blood for the noble cause.
Sadly, little is known on what must have been to be a very fascinating story. The place has some artifacts and relics that came from the past. One of these, is the century-old cannon, believed to be used by the natives during the violent Moro raids in 17TH and 18TH centuries. But there are no established facts that can claim that the said cannon was used by the early Palomponganons during those encounters, or where did it came from. Another, is the wooden image of the patron saint, St. Francis Xavier, place in a glass and wooden urn, which was brought by the Jesuits missionaries in mid-17TH century.
Lately, the book of Manuel Artigas de Cuerva “Resena de la Historia de la Provincia de Leyte” has a fascinating revelation. That the cannon found in our plaza was used by the early Palomponganons during Moro raids and that they have sustained in a nine-day battle that took place sometime in late 17TH century, that the people rushed to the stone church (newly completed at that time) and took refuge for more than a week, that the Moros suffered losses in that encounter. It was the only recorded victory among the natives in all the raids that happened Leyte perpetrated by these bandits.
Some other towns, however, was devastated by the onslaught of these violent raids, like Ogmuk in December 3, 1634 (now Ormoc) whose priest, Fr. Juan del Carpio was brutally killed by the raiders by the use of kampilan, with more than 300 natives perished because the bandits slaughtered them mercilessly, and other towns suffered losses also when these Muslim bandits plundered whatever riches they could take from these places, and took its natives captive. In Ogmuk, the early settlers in the coastal villages (now the present site of Linao, Alegria, Punta and Naungan) find its way to live in the hinterland, the reason why the settlement of Palungpung (now Palompon) flourished and expanded earlier than that of Ogmuk.
The towns invaded by Moro raiders includes, Palo, Carigara, Tanauan, and even Baybay and Hilongos. Only Palompon has a detailed narration about the blow by blow accounts of the raid, thanks to Artigas de Cuerva.
With these new written accounts that established some factual data of Palompon's history, it is now easier to write about the town's fascinating distant past.
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