HISTORY
Amidst the dense hills of Southwest Central Iloilo, about twenty-five (25) kilometers away from the city, lies the Municipality of Alimodian. These verdant plains and rolling hills cover about 14,482 hectares or 144.82 sq. km. in area. This town prides itself on being a home of peace-loving and hospitable people.
The foundation of the history of Alimodian was based on the Spanish Order. It all started on October 31, 1720, when the Augustinian Corporation ordered the place to be given its minister, but the order was not followed. It was until October 1754 when it became an independent parish with Fr. Vicente Campos as the chosen Vicar and Santo Tomas de Villanueva as the patron saint (Fernandez, 1922). Its patronal feast is celebrated every September 22. The town has many festive activities and competitions with a week-long celebration.
The book “Alimodian: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” stated that Alimodian was formerly an arrabal of the town of Ogtong (Oton) during the Spanish colonial period. In 1753, there was a meeting of elders between Brgys. Balabago and Bagumbayan. They were to make plans for the foundation of the municipality and separation from the town of Ogtong (Oton), but it failed. It was until 1754 when Alimodian was founded by Kapitan Agustin Magtanong and formally separated from Ogtong on August 20, 1755. On January 8, 1757, Governor Manuel Salazar de los Monteros arrived in Ogtong, appointing Agustin Magtanong as Gobernadorcillo of the town and recognize Alimodian as a full-fledged municipality.
To determine the Poblacion area’s location, Agustin Magtanong (a leader from Bagumbayan) convened the elders to decide the town’s exact location. It was done by two carabaos hauling an enormous log from Ogtong, and the place where the cable would snap and break is where the Poblacion would rise. It did snap where the present plaza stands today. The first permanent municipal hall was constructed in 1872; it was built more than a century after its foundation. It was completed in 1873, which cost 300 pesos during Capitan Marcelo Tolentino y Alger’s incumbency.
During the American colonial period, Alimodian became arrabal or outskirt of the town of Leon in January 1904. Through Executive Order No. 45, Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison separated Alimodian from Leon, effective December 31, 1918. By the first Day of 1919, Alimodian elevated its status from Leon’s arrabal to a fully independent municipality. On the same day, the people set up their first election, and Jose Alvior became the first elected Mayor of Alimodian. Then, the series of mayors came after the leadership of Alvior.
Likewise, the history of the Alimodian Roman Catholic Church written by Alejo (2015), which was condensed from Caparanga & Amantillo (1985) in Alimodian: It is Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, narrated that the original church of Alimodian was constructed during the Spanish colonial era. Its foundation was made in 1754, and a permanent church structure made of bricks and rocks plastered with lime was initiated in 1780 and completed in 1784. However, an earthquake in 1787 destroyed the church. The cornerstone of a permanent stone was laid on December 5, 1859, and it was formally opened to the public in 1864.
Post – World War II reconstruction and developments in Alimodian were paid for by the American government in the form of reparation and funds from the Philippine War Damage Claim. Education and Health services were boosted with Alimodian High School’s founding in 1947 and ALEOSAN (initials of Alimodian, Leon, and San Miguel being serviced by the hospital) hospital in April 1968 (through Republic Act No. 4854 authored by late Congressman Ramon Tabiana). The street lighting system by Alimodian Electric Light Service was first introduced in the town after the war. In 1975, the town was first energized by Iloilo Electric Cooperative I. Banking and finance services were also given another milestone — as the Rural Bank of Alimodian Inc. was established in 1973 during the incumbency of Mayor Miguel Anas.
How Alimodian Got Its Name
Various accounts exist explaining the origin of the municipality’s name. Legends, stories and historical archives further prove the rich history that the town possess.
Alimodias
A historical account written by Fr. Juan Fernandez (1922) in the Spanish-Augustinian Historical Archive & Official Bulletin and translated into English by Eduardo Sorca Arias cited that the etymology of the word Alimodian was derived from “alimodia” or “alimodias,” the old Visayan name for “coix lachryma-jobi,” a grain-bearing tropical plant of the grass family prevalent in the town. It is so-called Job’s tears because of the shape of its hard-shelled pseudocarps, which are made by some into necklaces or rosary beads.
Story of Si Kanugon
The old folks of Alimodian will never miss to tell the story of Kalipayan and her daughter Si Kanugon when discussion on how the town got its name.
Kalipayan and Si Kanugon, together with the other natives had a kaingin patch in a place called Sibukawan (near the present Barangay Cagay.) The hero, Agustin Magtanong, was in love with Si Kanugon. Kalipayan, however, was opposed to the idea of giving her daughter’s hand in marriage to one who, she claimed, was a worthless young man whose only means of livelihood was tilling a small kaingin patch of upland rice. This made Magtanong even more resolved to get Si Kanugon by all means. He gathered forty husky men about him and planned for their next move to kidnap the object of his affection.
On the other hand, Si Kanugon, grieved over the frustrated romance with Magtanong, decided to end it all. Magtanong, however, caught Si Kanugon in the act of taking poison from wild roots. After a brief and hurried exchange of loving words, the lovers decided finally to elope. They went south where, together with Magtanong’s forty male followers and their respective families, founded the village of Obodan.
Obodan later proved too small a place for the fast growing tribe. Magtanong then prepared another plan to found a town on a plain about three kilometers south of the village of Obodan.
The town was named Ali Mudin after Magtanong’s first born son with Si Kanugon. The word Alimodian was derived from the original name given to what is now the Municipality of Alimodian.
Cabudian Creek
Another story states that when the founders of the town wanted to break away from the Municipality of Ogtong (Oton), they had a dilemma as to where the poblacion would be built. Those on the northern end of the town , now the sitio of Bagumbayan, wanted the poblacion to be located in their place. But, the leaders of Sitio of Balabago in the southern end of the town was not amenable to this. Therefore, they had to reach a compromise. They decided to haul logs from the beach of Oton and agreed that in whatever part along the way the rope would snap and break, there the poblacion should stand.
Luckily, for he town leaders, one of the ropes snapped on the bank of the Cabudian Creek, where the present town plaza is located. Consequently, the men built their houses around the place where the rope was broken, as what was agreed upon. The name, Alimodian, was derived from the Cabudian Creek.
“Halin Kamo Diyan”
The most popular among these stories is the version that appeared in the anthology of the origin of the towns in Iloilo prepared by Mr. Romulo Pangan, a professor of West Visayas State College, Iloilo City.
It tells of how a group of Spanish soldiers called upon a native gathering coconuts from atop of the palms, about the name of the place. Ignorant of the Spanish language and impatient that he may hit the soldiers with the heavy fruit, the native shouted back, “Halin kamo diyan.” The Spaniards, in turn, ignorant of the native dialect, took it as the coconut gatherer’s answer and they called the place “Halin kamo diyan.” The present name evolved from the phrase.