Liloan
Bagacay Lighthouse in Liloan, Cebu
photo by gReiSVee – Flickr
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- Introduction
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- Location
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Liloan (Alternate spelling: Lilo-an) is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. It is bounded on the north and northwest by the municipality of Compostela, on the south and southwest by the municipality of Consolacion and on the east by Camotes Sea. Liloan is part of a metropolitan area informally called Metro Cebu.
Long before other towns were “discovered” as tourist spots, Liloan was already known for its scenic pristine beaches and as a resort town, favorite place for sea bathing. Along its coastline, there is spot called Silot. Here, bathers are cautioned not to swim to a certain point because of a whirlpool caused by the ebb and tide of the waters which flow from an inland lake. This phenomenon is called lilo in Cebuano. Because of this, the town was known as Liloan, a place where there is lilo.
The word Liloan, as the legend is told, comes from the word “lilo” – whirling waters (not unlike Edgar Allan Poe’s maelstrom) that form when the sea approaches an abrupt depth at a point just after a bridge.
Long ago, as the legend goes, when Lilo-an was still a wilderness, a marriage of a couple was objected to by the parents. As such, they boarded a boat and fled to a far away place. Somewhere at sea, a storm overtook them. For safety, they entered a channel, now called “Suba,” (a name of a place in Liloan) and proceeded into the interior. They took shelter at its bank and noticed the abundance of the fish in the vicinity. They decided to stay, and with the extra fish they caught, they sold or bartered the catch in the nearby villages. When asked where the fishes were caught, the answered, “Sa may liloan” (by the lilo). Asked where they live, they gave the same answer, :Sa may liloan.” In time, the place was called, as we know the town now, “Liloan”.
Sometime in the 1970’s, a newspaper article stated that the “Pueblo de Lilo-an” was separated from the Municipality of Mandaue (now Mandaue City), and was created a new municipality in 1840. However, in the “BRAVE ENSENA de lo que fue y de lo que es la DIOCESIS DE CEBU En Las Islas Filipinas,” published in 1866, it was mentioned that Lilo-an was created a parish in 1845 (in 1995, Lilo-an celebrated its sesquicentennial – 150th anniversary.)
The creation of the municipality of Lilo-an could have been at the same time the parish was established, but not earlier than its being a parish. As recorded, the first priest of Lilo-an, Fr. Vicente Dolorech, served in 1845. The first mayor, then called “Kapitan” was Basilio Bantilan. His term was from 1845 – 1846.
During the war years (World War II), Lilo-an had three mayors at one time. The elected mayor was Catalino Noval. The Japanese Occupation Forces appointed another – Pascual Delgado. Not to be outdone, the Guerilla Forces also designated another – Jose Cañete.
Records show that the mayors with the longest length of service were Lazaro Ramas and Cesar Bugtai, each having served Liloan for 21 years. For priests, the longest was done by Fr. Vicente Rallos – 19 years (1931 – 1950).
Liloan’s main industries are agriculture, fishing and furniture manufacturing. At present, Liloan is the target of real estate developers for residential and housing projects, thanks to its proximity to Cebu’s major cities, which are currently experiencing a major economic growth.
Liloan is home to a number of ceramics manufacturers. Their shops sell a variety of ceramics items – from ordinary plant pots, to bricks and exotic jars.
Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos was founded in 1907 and had withstood the taste of the times in baking prowess. It started with just the Rosquillos and tablea making. It later expanded to an array of homemade delicacies ranging from torta, mamon, monay, otap, CPA (chicken pork adobo), bao-bao and a lot more mouth watering pastries. Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos gains the prestige of being known for its select delicacies domestically and internationally. Rosquillos is one of the favorite delicacies of Virginia Fuentes-Abacajen.
Liloan is situated about 18 km. north of Cebu City. The municipality is bounded on the north and northwest by the municipality of Compostela, on the south and southwest by the municipality of Consolacion and on the east by Camotes Sea.
Liloan can be reached less than an hour from Cebu City by taxi or jeepney.
Liloan has always been known for its Titay’s rosquillos which became famous because buses that ply the northern towns of Cebu used to make a stopover at Titay’s. Another landmark of the place is the century-old Bagacay Lighthouse in barangay Catarman located at the eastern coastline facing the Mactan channel. The lighthouse has been a favorite subject of many painters and photographers because of its magnificent architectural design and the magnificence and serenity that sorrounds it.
- Bagacay Lighthouse
- Titay’s Rosquillos
- Ceramics
- Liloan Delicacies
- Liloan Church
- Silot Bay
Liloan is composed of 21 barangays, namely: Cabadiangan, Calero, Catarman, Cotcot, Jubay, Lataban, Mulao, Poblacion, San Roque, San Vicente, Santa Cruz, Tabla, Tayud and Yati.
According to the 2000 census, Liloan has a population of 64,970 people in 13,381 households.
