Leyte, Leyte

Leyte (IPA: ['lɛɪte]), officially the Municipality of Leyte (Waray: Bungto han Leyte; Tagalog: Bayan ng Leyte), is a municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 40,397 people.^[3]

Leyte
Municipality
Municipality of Leyte
Flag
Nickname:  "The Garden Town"
Motto(s):  Uswag Leyte, Leyte!
OpenStreetMap
Leyte Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 11°22′N 124°29′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Leyte
District	3rd district
Barangays	30 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Arnold James "Noli" M. Ysidoro
• Vice Mayor	Armando M. Ysidoro
• Representative	Vicente Sofronio E. Veloso III
• Councilors	List • Lileth I. Gatchalian • Alex A. Dagandan • Rowil G. Batan • Aida A. Delantar • Epifania S. Lucban • Gualberto G. Meracap • Eulogio E. Capacio • Pedro B. Panis DILG Masterlist of Officials
• Electorate	29,534 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	181.26 km2 (69.98 sq mi)
Elevation	55 m (180 ft)
Highest elevation	1,290 m (4,230 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	40,397
• Density	220/km2 (580/sq mi)
• Households	9,452
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	38.42 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 214.3 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 727 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 177.2 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 263.5 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Leyte 5 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 5)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6533
PSGC	0803729000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)53
Native languages	Waray Tagalog
Website	http://leyteleyte.gov.ph/

History

There are several versions as to how the place got its name. One of these relates that according to tradition, toward the west of the present town of Carigara, was a village ruled by Datu Ete. When the Augustinian Fathers heard of the region, they went to the place in order to Christianize the natives. They sailed by boat towards a small bay that swelled into a big river. Disembarking at a small village near the bank of the river, the friars asked the natives for direction. The natives, not knowing the language, answered, "Hira Ete" - which means, "the place belonged to Ete." The friars thought the natives meant that the name of the place was called Hiraete, hence their communications with their superiors referred to the place as Hiraite.^[5]

Geography

Barangays

Leyte is politically subdivided into 30 barangays. ^[6] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bachao
• Baco
• Bagaba-o
• Basud
• Belen
• Burabod
• Calaguise
• Consuegra
• Culasi
• Danus
• Elizabeth
• Kawayan
• Libas
• Maanda
• Macupa
• Mataloto
• Palarao
• Palid I (Ilawod)
• Palid II (Iraya)
• Parasan
• Poblacion
• Salog
• Sambulawan
• Tag-abaca
• Tapol
• Tigbawan
• Tinocdugan
• Toctoc
• Ugbon
• Wague

Climate

Climate data for Leyte, Leyte
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	29 (84)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	73 (2.9)	56 (2.2)	75 (3.0)	71 (2.8)	114 (4.5)	174 (6.9)	172 (6.8)	163 (6.4)	167 (6.6)	161 (6.3)	158 (6.2)	125 (4.9)	1,509 (59.5)
Average rainy days	15.2	12.5	16.2	17.3	23.9	27.3	28.4	26.9	26.9	27.1	23.8	19.3	264.8
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

Population census of Leyte

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 6,918 —     1918 11,214 +3.27% 1939 18,862 +2.51% 1948 20,559 +0.96% 1960 20,539 −0.01% 1970 23,670 +1.43% 1975 28,182 +3.56% 1980 29,288 +0.77%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 32,575 +1.07% 1995 34,126 +0.88% 2000 35,241 +0.69% 2007 35,478 +0.09% 2010 37,505 +2.04% 2015 40,639 +1.54% 2020 40,397 −0.12%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8][9][10][11]

In the 2020 census, the population of Leyte was 40,397 people,^[3] with a density of 220 inhabitants per square kilometre or 570 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Leyte

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2000 64.85 2003 55.12 2006 47.80 2009 46.74 2012 53.59 2015 47.09 2018 36.93 2021 38.42 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]