The Official Website of Ligao City

    There are three versions of how the name Ligao came to be. One legend says that Ligao is a corruption of the word “ TIGAU “, a tree found abundant in the locality popular for its poisonous leaves used in catching fish. The legend goes that a group of Spaniards passing by a tigau tree asked for the name of the place.The natives, thinking they were asking for the name of the tree, answered “ TIGAU “. The Spaniards mispronounced the word as Ligao and since then the place was known as LIGAO.

    Another version is that the name LIGAO came from the Tagalog word “ LIGAW “ which means to court or win a lady’s love, since the place was well-known for its beautiful maidens. Many young and eligible men from afar and near would come a-courting hopeful to win their maiden’s love. A group of young men was once accosted by Spanish soldiers who asked for the name of the place. The young men, because they did not understand what the Spaniards was saying, thought that the latter were asking where they were going and so they answered, “ MANLILIGAW “ ( to go a-courting ). The Spaniards thought the name of the place “ MALILIGAW “ so for a while it was known as “ MANLILIGAW “ until it was shortened to LIGAO.

    The most popular version was that the name LIGAO comes from the Bicol term “ LICAW “ which means detour or to go around by deviating from the usual or ordinary route. During the 16th century a settlement known as Cavasi was already inexistence where Ligao was just of Cavasi. Trade and commerce already flourished between Cavasi and the neighboring towns of Polangui and Oas and other places. During the rainy season the usual route to Cavasi is easily enundated by floods. The merchants or “ viajeros “ as they were called during those times has to make a detour. The place of detour was known as “ LICAW “.Eventually “ LICAW “ or the detour became more progressive as the population increased rapidly than Cavasi until such time that “ LICAW “ was more well-known than Cavasi. Eventually “ LICAW “ became LIGAO.

Early Establishment

    The town traces its history in the 16th century wherein a small settlement known as Cavasi existed without a ruler or leader. Every resident was peaceful in his endeavor. This trait enabled the settlement to increase its residents and even attracted other natives from nearby settlements. Concurrent to any increasing population, there arose ambitious and aggressive leaders causing friction and creating factions endangering lives and properties. Hence, the settlement of Cavasi was divided into 5 rancheras each ruled by a chieftain called “ Maginoo “, namely ; Pagkilatan, Maaban, Sanpongan, Makabongay and Hokoman.Chieftain Hokoman considered himself the supreme leader over the whole settlement and yet rivalry and strife persisted and the once peaceful inhabitants live in constant fear. According to Father Felix de Huerta, there lived a Spanish Corporal endowed with the ability to settle jurisdictional disputes among the ruling Maginoos. With the approval of the other chieftains, Pagkilatan was elected the Supreme Chieftain over the entire settlement and brought peace and tranquility back to the place.

    In July 1573, Juan de Salcedo, a Spanish Conquistador, founded in the province of Albay the town Santiago de Libong, now known as Libon. One of Libon’s big sitios was Polangui. In 1585 Polangui was made into a separate municipality with Oas as its biggest sitio. Two years after, in 1587, Oas became a municipality.

    Founded as a sitio of Polangui, Ligao was ceded to Oas in 1665. Ligao became an independent municipality in 1666. Since then, the once minor settlement called Cavasi prospered economically, socially and politically.

    Ligao City is a newly created city being born only last March 24,2001 during a plebiscite with an overwhelming YES vote of 17,754 as against 1,387 No votes. It was created by virtue of R.A. No. 9008 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Aroyo last February 21, 2001, Known as act converting the Municipality of Ligao into a Component City of the Province of Albay , the third city of the province and the sixth city in the Bicol Region.

    Ligao City has 55 barangays, 11 urban, 41 rural and 3 coastal barangays.