Carigara
Carigara | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Carigara | |
Downtown Area (Real St.) | |
| Etymology: Kan Gara to Kalgara | |
Map of Leyte with Carigara highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap | |
Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 11°18′N 124°41′E / 11.3°N 124.68°E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Eastern Visayas |
| Province | Leyte |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | 25 January 1571 |
| Named after | Datu Gara |
| Barangays | 49 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Eduardo "Ed" T. Ong Jr. |
| • Vice Mayor | Jimmy A. Camposano |
| • Representative | Lolita T. Javier |
| • Councilors | List |
| • Electorate | 38,820 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 117.86 km2 (45.51 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 130 m (430 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 1,267 m (4,157 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2020 census) | |
• Total | 54,656 |
| • Density | 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| • Households | 12,830 |
| Demonym(s) | Carigaran-on Kalgaran-on (vernacular term) |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 1st municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 26.53 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 266.6 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 872 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 184.7 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 213.2 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Leyte 3 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 3) |
| • Water | Metro Carigara Water District (MCWD) |
| • Telecommunications | Bayan Telecommunications, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Dito Telecommunity |
| • Cable TV | G Sat, Sky Direct, Cignal, SatLite |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 6529 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)53 |
| Native languages | Waray Tagalog |
| Religion | Christianity, with other minorities |
| Local Feast | Magara Festival |
| Feast Date | every 16th day of July |
| Website | www |
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Carigara (Tagalog: [kɐɾiˈɡaɾɐʔ]), officially the Municipality of Carigara (Waray: Bungto han Carigara; Tagalog: Bayan ng Carigara), is a First Income Class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 54,656 people.
Established in 1571, Carigara holds the distinction of being the inaugural town founded in the expansive Eastern Visayas region. A pivotal development occurred in 1735 when Leyte and Samar were detached from Cebu, forming a unified provincial governance structure with Carigara serving as the premier provincial capital during this era.
Carigara is renowned for its distinct offerings, including pastillas, humba, sundang (machete), and the hubhob delicacy. Hubhob, a local delight, is crafted from grated cassava, eggs, kalamay, milk, and sugar, cooked within a bagacay (bamboo pole) over charcoal, imparting a unique and flavorful taste to this traditional specialty.