Friday, November 16, 2012

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.