Alimodian Barangay - Pianda-an Norte

Pianda-an Norte

Feast Day: Second Week of February

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Salvation

               In 1900s there were only a few residents in this place led by Teniente del Barrio Crisanto Alibango Anarajado. The name of the barrio according to the elderly folks was taken during the Spanish period where there is a man going to the Buriraw and Kahimayaan creek and was asked by the Spaniards the name of the place. Due to the language barrier and miscommunication, the man answered "Pi, ang daan ko"." Since then the people started to call their place Pi-ang daan which later became Pianda-an. 

              Until World War II, Teniente Crisanto Anarajado is the leader of Pianda-an and aside from them, the pioneering families living in the place were Piojo, Misare, Anitohin and Albancia. In 1952 Teniente Anarajado died and was succeeded by her daughter, Cristita Anarajado Albancia. Due to the vast expanse of the land and the long distance of houses, the barrio was divided into two: Pianda-an Norte (North) and Pianda-an Sur (South) before the 1960s. Juan Aldabar succeeded Cristita Albancia from 1960-1963 and in 1964 Cristita Albancia returned as a captain and served in that position until 1980. 

            In 1981 Jesus Cabalfin became the barangay captain of Pianda-an Norte and the people plan to have a fiesta. The residents choose Our Lady of Salvation as their patron saint and the people donated to buy an image of their patron saint. The first fiesta in the barrio was celebrated on February 11, 1981 and celebrate it every second week of February.   

Alimodian Barangay - Pajo

Pajo 

Feast Day: August 16

                  Second Saturday of January (Sitio Balogo)

Patron Saint:  St. Roch

                      Holy Child Jesus (Sitio Balogo)

               Barrio Pajo was established in 1858 according to the Spanish documents. The name of the barrio came from a creek called "Pajo" which became the camp of the Philippine Army during World War II.

               During the term of Mamerto Quirante alias Etok, the residents planned to construct a chapel but before that so many people got sick. Teniente Etok held a meeting to choose a patron saint for the sick and they choose St. John the Baptist yet they haven't held a fiesta. 

                In 1940 when Teniente Etok passed away Teniente Aurelio Quirante alias Orel took the leadership. During that time, there are lots of pests and insect that infest the crops of the farmers, so Teniente Orel called for a meeting to discuss with the people who will be the patron saint they will pray for to get rid of the insect and pest infestations. They choose St. Roch so Teniente Orel bought an image of St. Roch for the barrio chapel. 

               The first fiesta of Barrio Pajo was held on August 19, 1942 with Msgr. Carlos Crucero, the parish priest of the town officiating the first mass in the barrio. Since August is a rainy month and the road to the barrio is muddy and difficult to reach, the priest requested that the feast be transferred in April. So in April of the following year, the feast was held and the first fiesta queen was Epefania Quirante. In later years, the people went back to the original feast day in August in the very date of St. Roch feast day. 

              The barangay prides itself of the Aganan River Plaza, primary school, and Pleywun Ravine in which the people believes that if one part of ravine will erode, someone will die. 

              Sitio Balogo became a part of Barangay Pajo since 2007 but before that it was a sitio of Barangay Cagay. The residents of the sitio started to celebrate a feast on January 10, 1995 in honor of the little child Jesus. Since then the feast is held every second Saturday of January.     

Alimodian Barangay - Manduyog

Manduyog 

Feast Day: January 31

Patron Saint: Holy Child Jesus

               During the Spanish occupation, this place was a woodland. The place became infamous for being the hiding place of the brigands in the wood who steal animal from surrounding barrios. 

               According to the old stories of elderly folks, there are some Spanish soldiers who visited the place and ask for the name of the place. An innocent resident responded by saying "ang mga buyong nagapangguyod kasapatan" (brigands who pull out animals). In a short understanding of the Spaniards, they call the place Manduyog. 

               Manduyog started to have an increase in settlement before the war in the 1920s at the same time the woods started to disappear.  The place became an independent barangay in 1969.  Twenty (20) families each bought 100 sq. m. homelot which costs twenty (20) pesos each.   

Alimodian Barangay - Manasa

Manasa

Alimodian Barangay - Mambawi

Mambawi

Feast Day: February 22

Patron Saint: St. Ildephonsus of Toledo

               In 1900s  there is a place called Purok Bulho with twenty two (22) residents. The purok has a surrounding fence to protect the residents from the bandits. Bulho has four sitios namely Naripay, Igpihak, Bacolod and Ale-ale with nineteen (19) households. Agustin Amor was chosen as the leader of Bulho in 1914. During his term, the first chapel was constructed and the first fiesta was celebrated in honor of St. Ildephonsus. Father Mariano Perez, the parish priest of Alimodian, is the first priest to held mass in the barrio. The image of St. Ildephonsus was made by Alberto "Bitok" Porques - the first sculptor in Bulho. 

              The name Mambawi came from a story during the Spanish times. One day, the Spaniards visited the place and saw an unhappy man because his carabao or water buffalo was lost. When the Spaniards return, they saw that man again and this time was happy and told them that he redeemed (nabawi) his carabao. Since the Spaniards doesn't understand the language, they thought the man told them that Mambawi is the name of the place. Since then, they call the place Mambawi. 

             There is a popular sculptor in town, Anastacio Alon - grandchild of Bitok Porques. He sculpted most of the images in the chapel of Mambawi. He also sculpted many of the images of other barangay and the small image of St. Thomas Villanova which is used to anoint the head of the devotees during the town's fiesta mass.  

Alimodian Barangay - Malamboy-Bondolan

Malamboy-Bondolan

Feast Day: May 3

Patron Saint: Holy Cross

               This place was formerly called Sitio Lusad of Barrio Ugbo. The land in this sitio is owned by the families of Armando Cañoso, Felomina Anacay and Leon Gilapay. There is a high hilly part in this sitio, about 200 meters above sea level and neighboring barangays and the city of Iloilo can be seen at the summit especially on a good starry night where the lights in the city is beautifully visible. 

                In the 1960s, the Cañoso family donated their land to be converted into what we call now as the "Agony Hill", a place of worship and retreat  among the devotees but most importantly is the station of the cross during Holy Week with life size images and status commemorating the important events during and after Christ crucifixion. It became a tourist attraction after several years. The place was handed over to Cleofe Alpuerto and her husband Perfecto Galaraga.The couple erected a chapel and a big wooden cross in Bondolan and since then lots of people came to the place and pray. Then there is a gradual increase in settlement in the place.

                In 1971, President Marcos distributed some rice mills around the country and in Alimodian, the recipient is the sitio Lusad. When the rice mills arrived, the name of the barangay in the paper is Malamboy. People just wondered because there were no place in the town named Malamboy. The neighboring barangay Malamhay instead received the rice mill. 

               Mayor Miguel Anas and his Vice Mayor Antonio Anibigno in Lusad and held a meeting with the people since the place was already popularly called Bondolan and just coined and make it Malamboy-Bondolan. When the census came, the name of the place became the  problem. Thus, Mayor Anas went directly to Manila to resolve the issue. When Mayor Anas arrived from Manila, he appointed Perfecto Galaraga to be the first captain of Malamboy Bondolan. 

                The chapel and the wooden cross built by the couple Cleofe and Perfecto in 1961 now called Shrine of the Holy Cross was destroyed by the tropical storm, Ruping in 1990. It was renovated in 1991 until 1995.   

Alimodian Barangay - Malamhay

Malamhay

Feast Day: July 16

Patron Saint: Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage

               In 1940 this place was just a sitio of Barrio Gines of what they call "Maalam Hay" (Smart) since there are lots of brilliant and smart people in the area. There were seven families that were headed by a certain Osting, who was the happiest person who determined to make their place a separate independent barrio. 

               During the Japanese Occupation in 1942, the barrio celebrated their first fiesta in honor of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage during the incumbency of Teniente del Barrio Bruno Amantil until he became the Barangay Captain in 1948. Fermin Amoyot was the next barangay captain  from 1949 - 1960  during the time of the Huk rebel group and the people evacuated to the town proper. The people returned when peace returned in the barangay from 1960 - 1968 during the incumbency of Captain Ernesto Quia. During the term of Teofilo Amantil (1968 - 1972), the first barangay hall was built  as well as the disco hall, rice mill, and improvised water aqueduct.