Alimodian Barangay - Binalud

Binalud

Feast Day: 3rd Saturday of January

Patron Saint: Little Child Jesus 

               It was believed that the name of the place comes from the root word "balud" or flood in English. Due to its close proximity to the Aganan River if the place was under flood, the place is floating in the flood (balud) that is why the barangay is called Binalud. 

               According to a native of the barangay, their patron saint was mysteriously chosen. There was a woman who was deeply sad for there was no saint and no fiesta is being celebrated  in their barangay. One day while she was harvesting their corn crop yield she heard a voice saying: "The barangay patron saint will be the Little Child Jesus."

               The woman was so amused and in prayers she said: "Yes my Lord, be with me as I persevere."

               The woman went to the newly appointed captain and then agreed that by the next year, 1985, the barangay will hold and celebrate a fiesta in honor of their patron saint, Little Child Jesus.  

               The barangay is just two kilometers from the town proper. Since the barangay is a way towards the town proper from the city, the barangay is a huge place for settlement and farm. 

               The barangay celebrated their first fiesta in 1985 with parish priest, Father Ismael Castaño officiating the first mass in the barangay. The captain during that year was Rodolfo Almendros.  

               

Alimodian Barangay - Baong

Baong

Feast Day: 4th Saturday of October

Patron Saint: Guardian Angel  

Alimodian Barangay - Ban-ag

Ban-ag

Feast Day: 2nd Saturday of January 

                  December 26 (Sitio Pandan)

Patron Saint: Little Child Jesus

                     Our Lady of Immaculate Conception (Sitio Pandan)

               In 1918, the place has full of timber and large wood and lots of fresh, pure, clean and cool water that flows from the spring of a brook in the place. That is why the place is a favorite place of different kinds of animals where different kinds of plants also thrive. According to some elderly residents, the name Ban-ag came from a kind of shellfish called "banag" which are abundant in the brooks, canals, tributaries and springs during those early days. However, according to some other people, the name of the place came from a native wood called "Tan-ag" which are abundant also in the place in those days. There was an increase in settlement and people started to buy and work on their farmlands in 1920s. 

               The first Teniente del Barrio of Ban-ag was Santiago Alsaga  in 1930. During the Japanese period and then the Huk rebel group came to the place, the people evacuated away from Ban-ag but returned in the 1950s.  The first Catholic church constructed in this barangay was built during the incumbency of Teniente Arcadio Sacatin (1954-1958).  The patron saint that was chosen by the people was the Little Child Jesus. The first leader who was called Barangay Captain was Magdalena Allosa in 1965. This is also the same year where the first fiesta queen was chosen who happens to be Estela Velarde which was followed by Quirica Amargo and Lorna Mameloco the following succeeding years. 

                There are two sitios in Ban-ag: Oyan oyan and Pandan which was formerly called Agak. Sitio Pandan celebrates their fiesta every December 26 in honor of their patron saint, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.  

                   

Alimodian Barangay - Bancal

Bancal 

Feast Day: August 16

Patron Saint: St. Roch 

               The name of the place was the result of the misunderstanding and miscommunication between the Spaniards and the young men in those early days. Years before the 1900s, the Spaniards ask for the name of the place pointing on a tree. The tree was called "Bangkal," and since then the name of the place was called "Bancal" in Spanish term or language. 

                St. Roch is their patron saint held every August 16. Before, Barangay Bancal and Barangay Buhay fiesta are simultaneously held in the chapel of Bancal but starting  in 1983 the two barangays hold a separate fiesta mass in their respective chapel but still on the same date. 

                ALEOSAN District Hospital which was constructed and established on a higher elevated area of the barangay has its own big chapel which was constructed in 2000 and was blessed by Monsignor Angel Lagdameo, Archbishop of Jaro.  The patron saint of the ALEOSAN hospital area is St. John of God and its fiesta is held every March 8. Regular mass is held at the chapel every Sunday by the parish priests of the town of Alimodian, Leon and San Miguel which are all under the Diocese of Timothy and Titus under the Archdiocese of Jaro. 

                

Alimodian Barangay - Balabago

Balabago

Feast Day: December 9

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Immaculate Conception 

                According to hearsays, the place was formerly called Fernando Street of the town. In historical translation, the word Balabago means "ancient ritual grounds." 

                There is a legend about the origin of the name of the place titled "Love Triangle." Once upon a time, there was a lovely beautiful lady who is being courted by two handsome and brave men. The lady has no choice between the two but upon the persistence of the guy who courts her, she told the other guy that she is already committed to that man. To avoid bigger conflict, the two lovers decided to just flee the place. Unfortunately, the forsaken and abandoned man learned of their plan and gets in their way (balabagan) which caused to have a fierce battle between two men. Since both men are equally brave, strong, alert and fierce, no one won or lose in the battle. Due to their greed in love, a crime of passion was committed. They cut in half the body of the lady and bring it home. The rumor spread that the two men ate the body of the lady which was cut in half just like the cannibals or witch. Since then, the place was infamous for having witches that has a long pole blocking (balabag or naga balabag) the road at night which tarnish and gives a bad reputation of the place.  

                During World War II, at the time of the Philippine surrender to the Japanese, the guerillas in Iloilo under Colonel Macario Peralta Jr., ambushed the high ranking officials of the Japanese imperial army and were killed together with their soldiers in this place. The infamous encounter which is written and is a significant part of  Western Visayas history took place on May 7, 1942.  

                The first fiesta of the barangay was held on December 9, 2008 with Father Edgar Palmos officiating the first mass in the barangay. The barangay decided  to move the fiesta on the ninth of December  because December 8 is celebrated as the feast of Immaculate Conception and is official religious holiday in the Catholic Church. 

Alimodian Barangay - Baguingin - Lanot

Baguingin-Lanot 

Feast Day: February 3

Patron Saint: Saint Blaise 

               This place is a woodland with lots of huge timber. The name of the place, according to the elderly residents of the barangay was coined from two words. Baguingin, came from the word "nagalingin" or head ache. There is a creek in this place that came from nowhere or no pathway and it gives the people a head ache thinking of this. Lanot, came from the word "hanot hanot" that refers to struggles or perseverance. Due to the high elevation of the way going to this place, people have a hard time or struggling to reach this place or to cross the creek especially when they are carrying lots of objects.

                During the 1920s, the bridge of the barangay going to the town of Leon was constructed and the state of living of the people has improved. They were taught on how to plant sugarcane and a sugar mill was created in the barangay (the brown unrefined sugar with molasses flavor is called Muscovado Central). There is no road yet connecting the barangay to the town proper of Alimodian so the people under the leadership of Rafael Sta. Cruz built a chapel honoring their patron saint, Saint Blaise. The barangay fiesta is held every February 3. 
                 During the war, the residents evacuated from the barangay due to the cruelty of the Japanese. In February 1943, the Philippine soldiers attacked the Japanese and many were killed. In revenge, the Japanese killed several civilians in some barangays and some were brought to the city to be punished and imprisoned. Barangay Baguingin-Lanot became the dump site of dead civilians who were killed and massacred by the Japanese. 
                 The barangay connects the town  of Alimodian to the town of Leon (through Barangay Agboy) by a provincial road.

Alimodian Barangay - Bagumbayan Ilajas

                                       Bagumbayan-Ilajas

Feast Day: December 30

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

               In the early days, the place was a woodland which was inhabited by wild animals, thus it was called Sitio Ilahas of Poblacion or town proper of Alimodian with Ilahas means "wild". The sitio is frequently flooded due to its proximity to the river and the residents were also devastated by earthquakes so the people decided to transfer. In 1944, after a strong and widespread flooding some of the residents transferred to a higher place they called Bagong Bayan (new town). On the virtue of Presidential Decree 558, the two place became one and called "Bagumbayan-Ilahas."

                Before it became a barrio o barangay, the place was headed by Agustin Aligarbes. When there was a gradual increase in residents during the 1950s, the first Teniente del Barrio was Emilio Ambata. During the term of Teniente Sergio Aguirre (1960 - 1965) a chapel was built. During the incumbency of Barangay Captain Encarnacion Anas, a bigger chapel was built. Electricity reached the barangay during the incumbency of Captain Eustaquio Arellano.