Liloy

Liloy's total area is 12,843 hectares (31,740 acres), 78% of which is an agricultural land planted with coconuts, corn, rice, root crops and some rubber trees. According to the records of the Municipal Assessor’s office, 22% of the municipality's territory comprise the residential area which is sixty-five (65); commercial, nine (9); industrial, in Barangay Timan and Santa Cruz, ten (10); institutional land, fifty (50); public school sites(?); and wharf, eight hundred sixty (860) hectares. There are also open areas for road right of way of public highways and roads traversing in the different barangays of the municipality.

It lies on the north-western side of the Zamboanga peninsula, bounded in the north by the Sulu Sea; south, the municipality of Tampilisan; east, the municipality of Salug; and west, the municipality of Labason.[5]

Liloy is politically subdivided into 37 barangays. The sitios of Silucap, Bacong, Libertad, Balacan, Tampilisan, Cabangkalan, Tambalang, and Kayoc were elevated into barrios in 1955.[7]

Liloy was once a barrio or barangay of the Municipality of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. By virtue of Executive Order No. 469 issued by President Elpidio Quirino on August 22, 1951, it became an independent municipal corporation, although the municipal officials were not yet organized. The municipality was inaugurated on December 16 of the same year. The first municipal mayor of Liloy was Arsenia Almonte Teves.

Liloy subsequently lost large portions of its territory when the separate municipalities of Salug and Tampilisan were created in 1959 and 1978 respectively.[5]

In 2017, House Bill No. 5040 was introduced in the House of Representatives seeking to carve out a new province from Zamboanga del Norte. The proposed Zamboanga Hermosa province was to consist of 12 municipalities and 2 legislative districts that make up the 3rd legislative district of Zamboanga del Norte. However, the bill ultimately did not pass the 16th congress.

Indigenous people/tribal community: Subanon[5]

Liloy Booth at Hudyaka Zanorte Festival

Liloy's Alay Festival was once a private-funded festival by the Tan family in Barangay Fatima to honor Nuestra Señora Birhen de Regla. At present, it is one of the most celebrated festivals in the town. The Local Government Officials contribute and show support financially and morally for the said activity.[11]

The Araw ng Liloy starts on the 22nd day of August every year. Also known as Linggo ng Liloy, the celebration is held for a week. It is highlighted by a Beauty Pageant to select the Mutya ng Liloy

Tourism is centered on its growing developments along the beaches in the Barangays of Patawag, Banigan, Santa Cruz, Timan, and Punta, catering to white sand beaches and corals. Barangay Baybay, the seat of trade and commerce in the town, has also rapidly boomed in trade, industry, education and commerce.

The under-construction two-floor market with an escalator will be the first in the province.

Liloy is governed by a mayor, a vice mayor and eight councilors. Each official is elected publicly to a three-year term. The chief of the Association of Barangay Captains and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation are also among the members of the municipal council.

Roberto L. Uy, Jr. is the current mayor of the municipality, and John Momar T. Insong is the town's vice mayor.

Liloy can be reached from the capital city of Dipolog by overland transportation via the National Highway. The highway is parallel to the coast with a distance of 132 kilometres (82 mi). From Liloy to Zamboanga City at the very tip of the peninsula is 184 kilometres (114 mi).[5]

Bus terminals for land transportation are situated at down and uptown area (Barangay Fatima).

Liloy Airport is an airport serving the general area of Liloy. It is classified as a feeder airport by the Air Transportation Office, and under the jurisdiction of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

It is one of the three domestic airports in the province, located in Barangay Comunal. It was first developed in 1950 under the administration of Mayor Aquilino Bomediano Sr. The first O.I.C of Liloy Airport was Tony Macias, a Filipino-American citizen.

Between the years 1960 to 1970, three twelve-seater PAL planes served their flights to domestic destinations like Dipolog, Cebu and Davao. Its usable runway length is 600 metres (2,000 ft) with a total of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft).

Current O.I.C of Liloy Airport is Edwardo Toledo. Private and government charter planes and choppers usually land at the airport.[12]

Liloy Seaport

Central view of the port

This port is currently managed under the Philippine Ports of Authority (PPA).[13]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte.

• Liloy Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information