Tolosa, Leyte

Tolosa
Municipality
Municipality of Tolosa
Flag of Tolosa
Flag
Nickname: 
Home of Catmon Hill
Map of Leyte with Tolosa highlighted
Map of Leyte with Tolosa highlighted
Interactive map of Tolosa
Tolosa is located in Philippines
Tolosa
Tolosa
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°03′48″N 125°02′07″E / 11.0633°N 125.0353°E / 11.0633; 125.0353
CountryPhilippines
RegionEastern Visayas
ProvinceLeyte
District 1st district
Founded1861 (Separated from the Autonomy of Tanauan, Leyte; 1867 (As a Spanish Pueblo)
Barangays15 (see Barangays)
Government
 [1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorErwin C. Ocaña
 • Vice MayorElizabeth S. Eracho
 • RepresentativeFerdinand Martin G. Romualdez
 • Councilors
List
 • Electorate15,557 voters (2025)
Area
[2]
 • Total
22.54 km2 (8.70 sq mi)
Elevation
21 m (69 ft)
Highest elevation
779 m (2,556 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2024 census)[3]
 • Total
22,016
 • Density976.8/km2 (2,530/sq mi)
 • Households
5,252
Economy
 • Income class5th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
24.75
% (2021)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 113.9 million (2024)
 • Assets₱ 393.1 million (2024)
 • Expenditure₱ 140.8 million (2024)
 • Liabilities₱ 124.9 million (2024)
Service provider
 • ElectricityDon Orestes Romualdez Electric Coperative (DORELCO)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6503
PSGC
0803749000
IDD : area code +63 (0)53
Native languagesWaray
Tagalog

Tolosa, officially the Municipality of Tolosa (Waray: Bungto han Tolosa; Tagalog: Bayan ng Tolosa), is a municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 22,016 people.[5]

It is located 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Tacloban.

The cities closest to Tolosa are Tacloban, Ormoc, Baybay, Borongan, Catbalogan, and Maasin. The nearest municipalities are Tanauan, Tabontabon, Dulag, Palo, Julita, and Dagami. Its distance from the national capital is 588.52 kilometers (365.69 miles).

History

According to popular beliefs, Tolosa derived its name from a legend about three chieftains (datus) who united their chiefdoms. According to the legend, the area that is now Tolosa was ruled by three great datus: the datu of fishing, the datu of harvest and the datu of hunting. Typical of chiefdoms in those times, the three datus regard each other with hostility. One time a great battle broke out among the three of them. Their people fought valiantly in defense of each datu. But the three datus were strong they could not defeat each other. Accidentally they were hit by their own swords and they died. Their blood spilt everywhere. Then came a great earthquake followed by a tsunami. When the floodwaters subsided, three promontories rose on three sides of the three datus' lands, as if acting as defensive walls of the contiguous land. Survivors of the great battle realized that the three hills were their great datus who were now united in protecting them from outside dangers. From three (tolo) they became one (usa).

Tolosa was once part of the nearby municipality of Tanauan. Magdaleno Vivero and Domingo Camacho petitioned the Spanish colonial government to grant Tolosa autonomy from Tanauan, and this was approved in 1852, Residents continued to call the nearby promontory of Inapusong after the town's old name, and Spanish officials named the town after Tolosa in the Basque Country of Spain, which itself was named after the Occitan city of Toulouse in southern France. The town was formally founded in 1861 and became a parish on February 12, 1863, with the first parish priest being Gerónimo Asenjo, a Spaniard. The first Filipino parish priest was Quintín Bautista. In 1910, a plan to abolish the municipality worried its inhabitants. Brígido Lauzon became the first civilian Mayor of Tolosa during American Military Government in 1901. Owing to the efforts of Captain Daniel Romuáldez, grandfather of the late Speaker Daniel Z. Romuáldez, the plan to return Tolosa to control of Tanauan was averted.

During the Liberation of the Philippines in the Second World War, Tolosa and neighboring towns to the northeast were spared from bombardment by the United States and Philippine Commonwealth forces when Eagle Scout Valeriano Abello of Barrio San Roque, including two other identified scouts braved Japanese sniper fire and directed US and Filipino fire to the exact location of Japanese batteries along Leyte's northeastern coast. Abello's act saved the lives of thousands of Leyteños and enabled Allied troops unhampered landing on the coast. This unhampered attack dealt the blow that broke Japanese resistance in Leyte, and ultimately the Philippines.

A few days after the return of General Douglas MacArthur and Allied forces to Leyte, Tolosa became the base of the U.S. Navy, as well as the 6th and 13th Air Force. Tolosa was geographically within Leyte-Samar Naval Base. It was in Barrio Tanghas where American composer Irving Berlin first presented "Heaven Watch the Philippines" before an audience including then-President Sergio Osmeña and Carlos P. Rómulo.

Until the 1970s, the beaches of Tolosa were black due to ann abundance of the mineral magnetite, a naturally magnetized iron which is a prime raw material for making high quality steel. INCO (Iron, Nickel & Copper Ore), a mining company based in Barrio Opong, stripped the town's beaches of vegetation to extract the mineral, and rendering it vulnerable to coastal erosion.

Then-First Lady Imelda Marcos developed an area between the sea and Mt. Inapusong, and built a large compound where she entertained Miss Universe candidates during the pageant held in Manila.

Geography

Barangays

Tolosa is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. [6] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

  • Burak
  • Canmogsay
  • Cantariwis
  • Capangihan
  • Doña Brigida
  • Imelda
  • Malbog
  • Olot
  • Opong
  • Poblacion
  • Quilao
  • San Roque
  • San Vicente
  • Tanghas
  • Telegrafo

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Tolosa was 22,016 people,[11] with a density of 890 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,300 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Tolosa

5
10
15
20
25
30
2000
28.74
2003
28.42
2006
18.20
2009
24.43
2012
20.65
2015
28.24
2018
20.96
2021
24.75

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Government

The Municipality of Tolosa, is a Fourth - class Local Government Unit. it is headed by the Municipal Mayor which elected at - large every three years. The Vice Mayor serves as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Bayan, with the eight (8) regular Sangguniang Bayan members. The President of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and the President of the Pamabayang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan (PPSK) serves part of the Sangguniang Bayan as Ex - Officio Members.

In 1900, Juan Catindoy was appointed as Presidente Munisipal. In 1901, the First Local Elections was held that put Brigido Lauzon in the Mayoralty. Since then, it was succeeded by various known personalities, including the Late House Speaker Daniel Z. Romualdez's Father, Miguel Romualdez who served as Mayor from 1904 - 1908.

As of 2025, Erwin Cinco Ocaña is the Incumbent Municipal Mayor, while Engr. Elizabeth Saito Eracho is the incumbent Vice - Mayor.

Below are the list of the Municipal Mayors of Tolosa since 1900.

No. Image Mayor Deputy (later Municipal Vice Mayor) Starting date Ending date
Municipal President of Tolosa, Province of Leyte
1 Juan Catindoy 1900 1901
2 Brigido Lauzon 1901 1902
3 Miguel L. Romualdez 1904 1908
4
5 Quirimon Almaden 1910s
6 Norberto Vergara Eugenio Ramos (1919 - 1922) 1919 1922
Municipal Mayor of Tolosa, Province of Leyte
7 Balbino Kahano 1941 1942
8 Adolfo Vivero 1944 1945
9 Cesario Colasito September 20, 1945 1946 (OIC)
10 Luis A. Trinchera June 15, 1946 December 30, 1948
11 Cesario Colasito January 1, 1949 December 30, 1951
(10) Luis A. Trinchera January 1, 1952 December 30, 1955
12 Matias A. Palaña, Sr. December 30, 1955 December 30, 1959
13 Uldarico M. Lauzon Gorgonio Palaña December 30, 1959 December 30, 1963
(10) Luis A. Trinchera Martin P. Lauzon December 30, 1963 December 30, 1967
14 Dalmacio R. Colasito Manuel P. Raz January 1, 1968 December 30, 1971
15 Ildefonso C. Roa January 1, 1972 January 23, 1980
16 Pedro K. Palaña, Jr. January 23, 1980 February 29, 1980
17 Cesar T. Palaña July 1, 1980 June 30, 1986
18 Eliodoro Lauzon 1986 1987
19 Sabiniano M. Soyosa 1987 1988
20 Felicisimo M. Zabala February 2, 1988 June 30, 1992
21 Ildefonso C. Roa Emmanuel P. Kempis (1992 - 1995) June 30, 1992 June 30, 1995
22 Edilberto V. Zabala, Sr. Erwin C. Ocaña (1995-1998)

Agapito L. Mendoza Jr. (1998-2001) Hilario G. Caadan (2001-2004)

 June 30, 1995 June 30, 2004
23 Hilario G. Caadan Erwin C. Ocaña June 30, 2004 June 30, 2010
24 Erwin C. Ocaña Virginia Palaña (2010 - 2013)

Hilario Caadan (2013 - 2016) Rodolfo B. Legaspi (2016 - 2019)

June 30, 2010 June 30, 2019
25 Maria Ofelia O. Alcantara Rodolfo B. Legaspi (2019 - 2022) June 30, 2019 June 30, 2022
(24) Erwin C. Ocaña Menardo M. Mate (2022 - 2025)

Elizabeth S. Eracho (2025 - present)

 June 30, 2022 - present

Elected Officials

2025-2028 Tolosa, Leyte Officials
PositionNameParty
Mayor Erwin C. Ocaña Lakas
Vice Mayor Elizabeth S. Eracho Aksyon
Councilors Daphne Dayner B. Roa Lakas
Purisima Z. Ocaña Independent
Jose Mar I. Roa Jr. Lakas
Rolando B. Legaspi Independent
Ireneo Rolando A. Lumbre Aksyon
Manuel B. Balledo Lakas
Felicito DC. Beltran III Independent
Rouen Angely M. Tubongbanua Aksyon
Ex Officio Municipal Council Members
ABC President Melanie Felisa M. Vivero Nonpartisan
SK Federation President Catherine C. Benjamin Nonpartisan

Tourism

  • Karisyuhan Festival & Tribu Bungkaras of San Roque, Tolosa Leyte
  • Kalipayan or Olot Mansion
  • Romualdez Mausoleum
  • Sacred Heart Shrine on top of the bulwark of Mt. Inapusong
  • Miramar Beach, former U.S Navy base
  • Bil-At Beach Resort
  • St. Michael Parish Church
  • Statue of late Speaker Daniel Z. Romualdez
  • Monument of Eagle Scout Valeriano Abello, one of the three hero scouts of the Philippines during World War II.
  • The steep rocky slopes of Mt. Inapusong
  • Pacific-borne waves for surfing

References

  1. ↑  Municipality of Tolosa | (DILG)
  2. ↑ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Province:". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Census of Population (2015). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  9. ↑ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  10. ↑ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  11. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  12. ↑ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  14. ↑ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  15. ↑ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  16. ↑ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  17. ↑ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  18. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
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