Carigara

Carigara, originally known as "Kan Gara," translates to "that of Gara" or simply "Gara's." Legend has it that Gara hailed from Borneo and was among the unnamed companions of the ten datus who purchased Panay from the Ati (or Aeta) chief Marikudo. Over time, "Kan Gara" transformed into Kalgara for ease of pronunciation, and upon the arrival of the Spaniards, the place was named Carigara, thus adopting its present designation.

As the initial town established in Eastern Visayas,^[5] Carigara celebrates its festival every 16 July, marking the arrival of the Spaniards on July 16, 1569. This festivity, spanning nearly the entire month of July, thus attracting tourists and visitors from nearby towns for commemorating this significant historical event.

 

On July 14, 2018, Carigara made a bold attempt to secure the Guinness World Records for the "Largest Participants in Philippine Folk Dance," showcasing the Kuratsa.^[6] This event formed a part of the town's 423rd fiesta celebration slated for July 16, instilling a sense of pride among the locals and fostering hopes for an economic and tourism upsurge. The event boasted nearly 5,000 participants, predominantly comprising students, teachers from various schools, municipal employees, representatives from the private sector, and residents. Carigara had promptly submitted its bid and eagerly awaited official confirmation.

It is a town in the northern part of Leyte province located right on the shores of Carigara Bay, and surrounded by wide rice fields fanning out towards the mountains in the distance.

Carigara shares borders with Capoocan to the west, Ormoc to the south, Jaro to the southeast, Tunga to the east and Barugo to the northeast.

The climatic and topographical characteristics of Carigara's expansive terrain, encompassing wide rice fields and hilly landscapes, create an optimal environment for cultivating fruit-bearing trees, vegetables, and a variety of crops. Noteworthy fruit-bearing trees suitable for cultivation include bananas, coconuts, jackfruits, mangoes, guavas, rambutans, santol, and star apples. In terms of vegetables, gabi, karubasa, pipino, kamalunggay, marigoso, munggos, sitaw, and upo are extensively grown by local farmers and residents, thriving exceptionally well within the community. Additionally, root crops like kamote and balanghoy flourish alongside rice crops, constituting a substantial part of the agricultural landscape in Carigara.

Carigara features vast highland forests and a diverse fauna, including domesticated animals like carabaos, horses, cats, dogs, chickens, and pigs. In its wild population, the area is home to snakes, frogs, insects, various lizards, and a variety of birds, among other wildlife species.

Carigara is politically subdivided into 49 barangays. ^[7] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

 

In the 2020 census, the population of Carigara, Leyte, was 54,656 people,^[3] with a density of 460 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,200 inhabitants per square mile.

The predominant language in the municipality is Waray-waray, with Cebuano and Tagalog recognized as minority languages. English functions as the official language, often interspersed with Waray in colloquial exchanges. Although Spanish maintains residual relevance, its usage is limited to specific contexts and not prevalent in verbal or day-to-day communication.

Carigara is mostly Christianity due to Spanish Empire's influence but there are other religions, such as Islam due to economic migrations and allowed them to establish their own businesses that provides locals with commodities, there are other people with minority religion that resides in Carigara for improved economic conditions and standard of living.

Poverty incidence of Carigara

 

On January 25, 2019, Carigara commemorated its inaugural festival, the Magara Festival,^[21] coinciding with its 448th founding anniversary. Magara locally connotes abundance, elegance, and vibrancy. The inaugural Magara Festival primarily centered on celebrating the town's agricultural richness, local products, historical heritage, and its community.

Turugpo is a significant public spectacle featuring duels between two male carabaos or two male horses, occurring annually on Black Saturday. This widely attended event garners immense popularity within the town, drawing thousands of both local and international tourists eager to witness this renowned and culturally significant fight.^{[22] [23]}

Here's a list of some tourist attractions of the municipality of Carigara.

Attractions include:

• Lauron's Boulevard (Brgy. Baybay & Ponong) This is the place where people can buy street foods like isaw, pork barbecues, and many more.
• Carigara Municipal Library and Museum (Brgy. Baybay)
• Cassidy Elementary School (Brgy. Ponong) A school famous for its classical-style building.
• Datu Gara Shrine (Brgy. Canal)
• Gawas an Harigue (Brgy. Baybay) An old house with exposed posts on the sides.
• Heroes Shrine (Brgy. Baybay & Ponong) Located right between Carigara Boulevard and the Kan Gara Gymnasium.
• Kan Gara Gymnasium (Brgy. Ponong) The largest gymnasium.
• Lumen Ancestral House (Brgy. Sawang) The only house in the town which serves as a shelter for balinsasayaos.
• Plaza Triunfo (Brgy. Ponong) The largest plaza.
• St. Francis Assisi Parish (Brgy. Jugaban)

 

• Pedicabs are the common mode of transportation within the town proper and the poblaciones.
• Tricycles and habal-habals on the other hand are commonly used for travelling within the town, especially to the far-flung barangays.
• Vans, jeepneys and buses are the mode of transport when travelling to the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc or to the municipalities that are faraway from the town. There are few bus companies situated in Carigara.

There are new modernized PUVs that travel from Carigara to Tacloban and vice versa issued by its local government on 24 November 2021.

 

The municipality owns a port that is located in Barangay Baybay where local boats and ships docks.

Carigara District Hospital, commonly referred to as CDH, serves as the sole public hospital in the town. Residents from neighboring towns also visit the hospital to admit their ailing patients, seeking additional medical services and attention.

• Electricity: The town of Carigara is served by Leyte 3 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 3), providing reliable electricity to residents and businesses.
• Water Supply: Water services are managed by the Metro Carigara Water District (MCWD), ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water.
• Telecommunications: Carigara benefits from multiple telecommunications providers, including Bayan Telecommunications, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Dito Telecommunity, offering a range of services such as mobile, internet, and landline connections.
• Cable Television: Residents have access to cable television services through providers like G Sat, Sky Direct, Cignal, and SatLite, offering a variety of local and international channels.

There are a total of 30 elementary schools, 6 high schools (1 private, 4 public, 1 pending construction) and 2 college institutions located on Carigara.^[24]

• Carigara National High School
• Carigara National Vocational School (formerly Carigara School of Fisheries)
• Jugaban National High School
• Sogod National High School
• Parag-um National High School (soon)

• Eastern Visayas State University (Carigara Campus)
• Holy Cross College of Carigara (Formerly Holy Cross Academy) located at Brgy Ponong (Pob)

• Eduardo Makabenta Sr. - Waray-language poet and translator^[25]
• Mike Hanopol - musician, singer-songwriter

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carigara.

 

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Carigara".

 

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Carigara.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System