History

inhabitants and is 8 square kilometers in area. Located in the south -western part of the municipality, ALONG is one of the biggest barrios of Kabankalan in area and population. It has about 3,000 half of its area is mountainous and hilly. It is inhabited by people who are mostly farmers.

 The original site of the Barrio of Salong was about a kilometer and a half east of the present site. Like most of the Philippine localities, Salong derived its name from a tree. This is the “salong”, a resinous tree that grow abundantly in the vicinity of the former site. During that time, the vast tract of land surrounding the barrio was owned by a certain “Capitan” Panoy Gecosala, while to the eastern side of the brook, the land was owned by the Manlapao family.

BARRIO JURISDICTION

 Before the upland barrios (Bantayan, Locotan, Magballo, Tabugon, Tagoc, Tampalon and Tapi) were recognized as legal barrios, Salong was the largest barrio of Kabankalan with an area of almost 1/3 of the total area of the town. With the recognition of the above barrios, Salong lost almost 4/5 of her land area. The sitios that comprised the barrio are Balisong, Calumpang, Canlipot, Hunob, Manumbala and San Jose.

                                                                 PEOPLE

 Among the founding families of the barrio were the Linatans, Sabicos, Manlapaos, Granadas, Singganons, Gariandos, Sobrestantes, Matulas, Gepulanes, and Sayos. During the last two decades of the 19th Century, Tan Panoy Gecosala began selling his wide lands to the people. A large portion of it was bought by the Albaydas and Alejanos. The Albaydas then put up a small sugar mill but it was abandoned in 1912.

 Later on, people from the towns of Iloilo, Guimbal, Guimaras, Tubungan, Igbaras, Tigbauan, and San Miguel began migrating to the area. Because of this migration, the barrio grew rapidly and the “Tabukanons”, as the migrants were called, composed the majority of the community’s population. People of the barrio in general, are cooperative and hospitable.

 Historically speaking, there was no organized revolutionary movement in Salong during the Filipino revolutions against the Spaniards and the Americans though there were also some who cooperated in the movement in one way or another. During the plunderings of the notorious pulahan, bandits under Papa Isio and Mauro Sidon during the American Regime, the people organized nightly rondas. Owing to the people’s vigilance, the bandits never molested the barrio. During the Japanese occupation, however, the barrio was under the “zona bandido” of the enemy. And in 1943, the Japanese Soldiers burned down all the houses except some luckier ones.

BARRIO OFFICIALS

 The barrio officials during the Spanish time were: Nicomedes Sabico, Mariano Linatan, Lope Manlapao, Carlos Lapos, and Bonifacio Granada. They were called Cabezas de Barangays. During the American regimes, the barrio heads were called “Tenientes del barrio”. The “tenienties were Rufino Sobrestantes, Sabas Gariando, Feliz Gepulane, Antonio Sayo, Francisco Padilla, Jose Sayo, Martin Tomo, Alonso delos Reyes, Monico Salavante, Juan Gariando, Delfin Ayala. After the war, the “Teniente delegados” (some barrio heads before the war were already called delegados) were Damaso Gariando, Elias Tabanda and Genaro Jaboneta, Sr. First to be elected Barrio Delegado (all barrio heads were then appointed) was Salvador Idquila. Then followed Alonso Delos Reyes who was the first to be elected barrio captain. After Alonso Delos Reyes came Genaro Jaboneta, Eugenio Gargantiel, Sr., Virgilio Daclan, Romulo Idquila (Appointed Barangay Captain and served for almost two years), Teodorico Elbanbuena, Rodolfo Tabanda (Acting Barangay Captain and served for six months), Samuel Daclan and the current Punong Barangay Gerard G. Tronco.

EDUCATION

 The first school in the barrio was a private one owned and run by Mr. Melecio Gasataya but it did not last long. That was in 1902. Then the Americans established a grade school. Among the first teachers to teach at Salong were Mr. Timoteo Cordova and Mr. Victor Garde. Since then, schooling continued uninterrupted except during the Japanese occupation. Now, Salong is proud to boast of a barrio high school and complete elementary school which is the Central School of the District of Kabankalan 2. Mr. Aquilino S. Bayona is the District Supervisor. Among the principals who have been responsible in bringing about improvements in the elementary school are Mr. Ricardo Ormeo, the late Mr. Pacifico Elbanbuena, and the present principal, Mr. Mamerto Mayoga, Jr. Salong is proud too, of its professionals – doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, agriculturists, nurses and others.

Land Area

  • 35.1336 SQ. KM.

Map

Total Population

  • 10,510

Number of Households

  • 2,338

Education Health and Services Facilities

  • 3 elementary schools
  • 7 Day Care Centers
  • Barangay Health Centers