Brief History

The history of a nation is often interwoven with persons who in one way or another have been instrumental in its progress whether in political, education, economic social or to some extent in religious affairs. This is a brief history of La Libertad, a town 105 kilometers norht of Dumaguete city. Hugging closely to the coast of Tañon Strait, and nestling cozily in the wide fertile valley swept by the Hinobaan River lays La Libertad against a backdrop of a sylvan scenery. It bears a castellan name which connotes “freedom” and whose yester years are filled with tender memories. BARRIO HINOBA-AN DURING THE SPANISH REGIME The primitive tribes who were mostly Negritos then inhabited the place. Several enterprising families from neighboring towns and distant provinces came to settle in this barrio. Among the first pioneers was a certain Pedro Absin. He came from the distant province of Camarines Sur with the Spanish friars who spread the Christian religion to this part of Negros. He married lovely lass who later were baptized as Mauricia. This was the beginning of the large and progressive Francisco Acar Absin clan. The other families were the Facturans from Jimalalud, the Carinals from Tayasan and the de Paduas from Iloilo. These people were the leading pioneer families of the “old” Hinoba-an. Most of them were engaged in farming and fishing. The fertile valleys of Hinoba-an were so enticing that several families immigrated to this barrio in the later part of the Spanish period. One of the prominent families that moved in was the Liboon family. The head of this family was an Ilonggo. However, he did not come directly to Hinoba-an. A certain Maestro Tomas Liboon of Miag-ao, Iloilo, arrived at the barrio of Jimalalud where some families employed him as a private tutor. He was a widower when he came but he brought with him his only son, Luciano, and a niece, Romana Liboon. They lived in the barrio for several years. Later, Luciano was married to Bernabela Facturan, a native of the place. However, they were attracted by the richness of the soil of the neighboring barrio of Hino-baan. They bought a piece of land at the mouth of the Hino-baan River and built their first house there. Another family worthy of mention is the Banogon family. The head of the clan was Pio Banogon. Born on May 05, 1876 in Tanjay. Pio grew to be a promising young man. After he finished grade school, his parents sent him to Manila to study at San Juan de Letran for two years. When he returned home, his adventurous spirit moved him that he decided to go northward. In 1896, he resided at Jimalalud. It was in this barrio where he found his life’s mate, one Petra Sevilla, a scion of the Facturans of Jimalalud. Like the others, the Banogons were also magnetized by the richness of the farmland of Hino-baan. They bought some parcels of land at Canlaro in the barrio of San Jose and at Binatangan in Martilo. The other prominent families that moved to Hinoba-an were the Dionaldos from Moal-Moal, Cebu, the Somozas’ from Bais, the Emperados’ from Ayungon, and the Villaesters’ from Toledo, Cebu.

HOW IT GOT ITS NAME For then it was a typical barrio named Hinoba-an from the vernacular meaning an opening of a river under the political jurisdiction of the municipality of Tayasan. Like any other barrio, it was administered by Francisco Absin, Teniente del Barrio. To maintain peace and order, one Luciano Liboon was designated as Chief of Corps of Volunteers. The fumes of revolution permeated Hinoba-an. A certain Dionisio Papa organized a group of dissidents with hideouts at the mountain of the barrio. Some of his trusted men were Felix Betonga and his two sons, Cesario and Victor. This bunch of renegades took advantage of the fear which gripped the people over the involvement in the national struggle. These dissidents swooped down at Hinoba-an to pillage. They grouped themselves near the barrio hall which was situated in the place where Mr. Aniano Absin’s house now stands. Teniente Francisco called his trusted men like Alfonso Facturan, Luciano Liboon, Alejandro de Padua, Mateo Carinal and others. The last to come was Luciano Liboon. While crossing the bridge from North Poblacion on his favorite white horse, he saw the dissidents already assembled. Luciano drove them away single-handedly with his tooting gun. The fame of Luciano’s bravery in depending the barrio sounded through the length and breadth of the barrio and traveled far and wide in the neighboring places. He was enshrined in the hearts of the grateful barrio folks as their staunch defender. Prominent men like Pio Banogon suggested the words LA LIBERTAD as a fitting change of the name of the barrio to keep them and their posterity reminded of the freedom attained by the leader of the defenders of their lives and their property from the dissidents. This was how Hinoba-an got its present name LA LIBERTAD, the Land of the Free, although it was still a barrio of Tayasan. LA LIBERTAD IN RETROSPECT: Following President Woodrow Wilson’s liberal policy, new towns were formed. Pio Banogon together with Manabas, Vidals, Facturans and several others from Jimalalud requested the Civil Government of Manila to have Jimalalud separated from Tayasan as a town. Sometime between 1908 and 1912, Jimalalud, also a barrio of Tayasan, was officially organized into a municipality. Pio Banogon was appointed Presidente Municipal of the young town. After a while, Pio with his family left Jimalalud and moved to La Libertad. His brothet-in-law, Francisco Sevilla, succeeded him as Presidente of the municipality of Jimalalud. In a fitting ceremony, Governor Villanueva read the Resolution of the Junta Provincial in the presence of Presidente Francisco Sevilla of Jimalalud and the jubilant people of La Libertad. Thus, the Municipality of La Libertad was born on January 01, 1919. The Civil Government of the new town was immediately formed, Isaac Dionaldo was appointed the first Presidente of the town with Narciso Absin, son of Francisco, as the Vice-Presidente. GEOGRAPHY La Libertad is a fourth class municipality of Oriental Negros located in the northern part of the province. The town of Guihulngan in the north, Tañon Strait in the east, the municipality of Jimalalud in the south, and by the municipality of Binalbagan of Occidental Negros in the west bound it. The town is accessible by land transportation from the provincial capital, Dumaguete City that is 104.7 kilometers away.