San Juan, Southern Leyte

Municipality in Southern Leyte, Philippines

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Municipality in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

San Juan

Cabalian

Municipality

Municipality of San Juan

San Juan Cabalian Parish Church

Flag

Map of Southern Leyte with San Juan highlighted

OpenStreetMap

San Juan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 10°16′N 125°11′E﻿ / ﻿10.27°N 125.18°E﻿ / 10.27; 125.18
Country| Philippines
Region| Eastern Visayas
Province| Southern Leyte
District|  2nd district
Renamed| June 17, 1961
Named after| St. John the Baptist[1]
Barangays| 18 (see Barangays)
Government

[2]

• Type| Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor| Reynaldo D. Saludo (PDR)
• Vice Mayor| Lou Bienvenido G. Laplap (PDR)
• Representative| Christopherson M. Yap
• Municipal Council|

Members

*   * Catherine C. Renegado
* Evencio M. Castillones
* Rico B. Calas
* Valentin B. Ouano Jr.
* Rolando L. Evaldez
* Arnold F. Luego
* Cherymer C. Yu
* Sixto B. Evaldez

• Electorate| 10,962 voters (2025)
Area

[3]

• Total

| 96.12 km2 (37.11 sq mi)
Elevation

| 123 m (404 ft)
Highest elevation

| 928 m (3,045 ft)
Lowest elevation

| 0 m (0 ft)
Population

(2024 census)[4]

• Total

| 15,036
• Density| 160/km2 (410/sq mi)
• Households

| 3,548
Economy

• Income class| 5th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence|

24.86

% (2021)[5]
• Revenue| ₱ 135.3 million (2022)
• Assets| ₱ 350.1 million (2022)
• Expenditure| ₱ 102.9 million (2022)
• Liabilities| ₱ 67.27 million (2022)
Service provider

• Electricity| Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO)
Time zone| UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code|

6611

PSGC|

0806414000

IDD : area code | +63 (0)53
Native languages| Kinabalian
Boholano dialect
Cebuano
Tagalog

San Juan, officially the Municipality of San Juan (Kabalian: Lungsod san San Juan; Cebuano: Lungsod sa San Juan; Tagalog: Bayan ng San Juan), is a municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 14,912 people.[6]

It was formerly known as Cabali-an. It is spelled as "Caualian"[7] in the first Murillo-Velarde Map published in 1734.

The Kabalian language, a Visayan language distinct from Waray-Waray and Cebuano, is spoken in San Juan.[8]

## History

[edit]

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|

There seems to be no consensus on the exact origin of the name Cabali-an. While there are several versions, the most popular one involves Magellan who happened to pass by Cabalian. This account tells of Magellan and his crew attempting to land this settlement after being battered by a heavy storm known locally as “subasco”. One of his ships had a broken main mast that required immediate repair. The curious natives led by their chieftain, Datu Malitik, gathered on the shore as they closely watched the approaching ships. The natives who were armed noticed the broken mast and shouted “gikabali-an”. Roughly translated, the word means “to experience a breakage or broken materials”. Magellan and his men interpreted the hostile-surrounding shouts as the name of the place. Not wishing to engage the natives in combat after the battering of the storm, the explorers lifted anchors and sailed away. [citation needed]

Cabalian used to be the largest Leyte town facing the Pacific Ocean until its 19 barrios were excised to form the new municipality of Saint Bernard, by virtue of Executive Order No. 84 signed on December 9, 1954.[9]

On June 17, 1961, Republic Act No. 3088, which changed the name Cabali-an to San Juan, was signed into law by President Carlos P. Garcia.[10] However, up to this day, the town is still known as Cabali-an. The name simply refuses to disappear on maps, telecommunication directories and in most people's minds.[1]

## Geography

[edit]

### Barangays

[edit]

San Juan (Cabali-an) is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

* Agay-ay
* Basak
* Bobon A
* Bobon B
* Dayanog
* Garrido
* Minoyho
* Osao
* Pong-oy
* San Jose (Poblacion)
* San Roque
* San Vicente
* Santa Cruz (Poblacion)
* Santa Filomena
* Santo Niño (Poblacion)
* Somoje
* Sua
* Timba

### Climate

[edit]

Climate data for San Juan, Southern Leyte

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 28
(82)  | 28
(82)  | 29
(84)  | 30
(86)  | 30
(86)  | 30
(86)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 28
(82)  | 29
(84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 22
(72)  | 22
(72)  | 22
(72)  | 23
(73)  | 25
(77)  | 25
(77)  | 25
(77)  | 25
(77)  | 25
(77)  | 24
(75)  | 24
(75)  | 23
(73)  | 24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 78
(3.1)  | 57
(2.2)  | 84
(3.3)  | 79
(3.1)  | 118
(4.6)  | 181
(7.1)  | 178
(7.0)  | 169
(6.7)  | 172
(6.8)  | 180
(7.1)  | 174
(6.9)  | 128
(5.0)  | 1,598
(62.9)
Average rainy days  | 16.7  | 13.8  | 17.3  | 18.5  | 23.2  | 26.5  | 27.1  | 26.0  | 26.4  | 27.5  | 24.6  | 21.0  | 268.6
Source: Meteoblue[11]

## Demographics

[edit]

Population census of San JuanYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1903 | 6,209| —
1918 | 11,309| +4.08%
1939 | 17,608| +2.13%
1948 | 17,922| +0.20%
1960 | 9,069| −5.52%
1970 | 10,616| +1.59%
1975 | 11,136| +0.96%
1980 | 11,614| +0.84%
1990 | 11,703| +0.08%
1995 | 11,392| −0.50%
2000 | 13,510| +3.72%
2007 | 14,442| +0.92%
2010 | 14,073| −0.94%
2015 | 14,858| +1.04%
2020 | 14,912| +0.08%
2024 | 15,036| +0.20%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [12][13][14][15]

## Economy

[edit]

Poverty incidence of San Juan

2000
35.13

2003
27.08

2006
22.80

2009
33.64

2012
35.88

2015
35.22

2018
24.48

2021
24.86

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

## Government

[edit]

### Elected officials

[edit]

Elected officials (2022-2025):

* Municipal Mayor: Reynaldo D. Saludo
* Municipal Vice Mayor: Lou Bienvenido G. Laplap
* Municipal Councilors:
* Catherine C. Renegado
* Evencio M. Castillones
* Rico B. Calas
* Valentin B. Ouano Jr.
* Rolando L. Evaldez
* Arnold F. Luego
* Cherymer C. Yu
* Sixto B. Evaldez

## Communication

[edit]

Mobile services are serviced by Smart Communications (since 2002), Globe Telecom (since 2004), and Dito Telecommunity (since 2023).

Cable television include Fiesta Cable Inc., the first cable TV entirely Pacific Area in the province and is based in the municipality.[citation needed]

## Culture

[edit]

### Festival

[edit]

The town celebrates its rich Catholic heritage every 24th day of June, the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Precursor to Jesus Christ. The "novemdiales" or novena in honor of the patron saint commences every 15th day of June, and is referred to as jornadas. Jornadas in Spanish means "sojourns" or "journeys", which specifically refer to the translation of the patron saints of all barangays to kiosks or minuscule chapels outside the baroque parish church. In addition to the eighteen patron saints of the 18 barangays of Cabalian, more come from the hill villages of Hinunangan. They remain in those chapels until the 24th day of June, called the kahuyugan, whence they are processed around the town in andas and carrozas.

The fiesta spans for three (3) days: (1) disperas (Sp. vísperas) which falls on the 23rd day of June, coinciding with the Vespers for the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in the Divine Office; (2) kahuyugan (lit. the day on which the fiesta falls) on the 24th of June, coinciding with the main celebrations; and (3) liwas (lit. post-fiesta) on the 25th day of June, when the remaining victuals are served to fiesta-goers who want to avoid the fiesta traffic and hullabaloo.

The novena is said in the parish church. Preserving the incorruptible tradition of Visayan Catholic identity, the long Gozos in honor of St. John is sung. The tradition of the gozos goes back to the august cathedrals of Spain and Portugal. The structure of the gozos follows the usual format of the Spanish gozos: an estribillo (couplet) repeated after every estrofa (verse).

Although, the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist was traditionally not celebrated with water dousing, sometime in 2000, the LGU launched the Sinabligay Festival, which translates as Water Dousing Festival. The LGU has passed ordinances prohibiting the use of dirty water during this Festival.

Amongst the activities included in the Town and Patronal Fiesta are the following

1. SLSU Alumni Homecoming, organized by the Southern Leyte State University
2. SJNHS Grand Alumni Homecoming, organized by the San Juan National High School
3. Parish Pastoral Night
4. The Search for Ms. TEEN Cabalian, organized by the Municipal Federation of Sangguniang Kabataan, in partnership with KUYOGG Inc. (Kabalian United Youth Organization for Good Governance.
5. The "Sinabligay Festival"
6. The "Wet and Wild Party"

## See also

[edit]

* List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "History of San Juan". Province of Southern Leyte. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
2. ^ Municipality of San Juan |  (DILG)
3. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
4. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
5. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
6. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
7. ^ "Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas". The American Library of Congress Geography and Map Division in Washington, D.C.
8. ^ "ISO 639-3 Registration Authority - Request for Change to ISO 639-3 Language Code" (PDF). 2009-08-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-07.
9. ^ Executive Order No. 84 (December 9, 1954), Creating the Municipality of Saint Bernard in the Province of Leyte, retrieved September 27, 2024
10. ^ Republic Act No. 3088 (June 17, 1961), An Act Changing the Name of the Municipality of Cabalian in the Province of Southern Leyte to San Juan, retrieved September 27, 2024
11. ^ "San Juan, Southern Leyte : Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
12. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
13. ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
14. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
15. ^ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
16. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
17. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
18. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
19. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
20. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
21. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
22. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
23. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to San Juan, Southern Leyte.

* Official website
* San Juan Profile at PhilAtlas.com

Places adjacent to San Juan, Southern Leyte

|  | Anahawan |

|
|

|  |
Saint Bernard |

San Juan

| Surigao Strait
|  |
| Cabalian Bay |

* v
* t
* e

Province of Southern Leyte

Maasin (capital and largest city)

Municipalities|

* Anahawan
* Bontoc
* Hinunangan
* Hinundayan
* Libagon
* Liloan
* Limasawa
* Macrohon
* Malitbog
* Padre Burgos
* Pintuyan
* Saint Bernard
* San Francisco
* San Juan
* San Ricardo
* Silago
* Sogod
* Tomas Oppus

Component City|

* Maasin

*[PSGC]: Philippine Standard Geographic Code
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±% p.a.]: Per annum growth rate. Executive Order 135 §6 states that for "census years" (years divisible by 10) the reference date would be May 1st, but for all other years, the reference date is to be the "middle of the year". This means that growth rates, although correct, are not necessarily simple year-on-year comparisons.
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template