History of the Barangay
Our Barangay Cabagawan lives along Capanogan River, our land area is partly plain and the eastern part is gently slope with little forest, in characteristic is peace and loving people. The barangay is located within the following boundaries, north, Himos-onan, south, Carnaga, west, Atuyan, Catmon and the last boundary live of the municipality of Hinunangan, with total area of 539.535 hectares, land use of agriculture is 526.46 with residential of 10.790 ha.and commercial is 1.079 ha. road measurement of 8.85 kms. from Poblacion with 15 min. Travel ride from the town thru motorcycle with Php 25.00 one way.
The barangay has central streets and has eight puroks with the average of 24 households in every purok.
In the year 1910 the barangay Cabagawan was under in Cabalian Southern Leyte which is now San Juan Southern Leyte. The barangay during this time was just a sitio of the said town and it has only 15 households, the place was surrounded by a huge land in which there were many trees and bushes grew. (the place was not yet develop)
The barangay had a creek which one-half km. from the residential area. The creek was flowing from the forest down to the lowland near at this creek and it was called Cabagawan. It was choosen to be called this as Cabagawan Creek because of its rare view and have different kinds of shells or (BAGAW) in the creek. There is also another river flowing from the forest to the going down to the lowland where the folks usually used to take a bath, wash their foods and get their foods.
At 1930, under the leadership of the late Barangay Captain Francisco Salar. The sitio Cabagawan became a barangay. The name Cabagawan was always on the tongue of some jokes particularly of some people in the other nieghboring barangay teased the old folks for being a shell (BAGAW). That’s the reason the folks started to call hate and at to fight when somebody called them BAGAW.
Time came on 1985 the late barangay captain Francisco Astillo tried to change the name of the barangay from Cabagawan to Ma. Asuncion which followed by the name of Patron Saint.
On 2002, the administration of Captain Armando Paler Sr. Together with his Sangguniang Barangay and with the concurance of the majority of our constituents, during the assembly it was planned to have a plebecite changing or to rename Cabagawan to Ma. Asuncion in the honor of our Patron Saint. They endorse Brgy. Resolution to National for approval but all of it was in vain because the resolution was returned disapproved because of the requirement’s lacking from the local government code that is requiring consultation of the Philippines Historical Commission to change the name of this barangay, justification reason for the change of name, be effective only upon the ratification in a plebecite conducted for the purpose in the political unit directly affected, the office of the president, the representatives of the legislative concerned and the Buerreau shall be notified.
The officials changed the name of the barangay from Cabagawan to Ma. Asuncion. But it is not an official name of this barangay in the list of the national record.
Population : 1,265 (Source): 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System, Philippine Statistics Authority