1. HISTORY OF THE BARANGAY

1. Name of Barangay

                          Barangay Calunasan is one of 23 barangays in the municipality of Larena, Siquijor province, Philippines. According to the 2020 Census, Calunasan has 401 inhabitants, which accounts for around 2.77% of Larena’s total population.

                    Once upon a time in the ancient days, a Spanish Priest who spoke a few staggering dialects visited the Barangay in an attempt to convert the locals into the folks of Christian believers. While the Priest was traversing a narrow trail along a winding creek, he caught sight of the clusters of bamboos growing without spires. He was suddenly attracted to the sight of the bamboos where their slender and shiny poles swayed peacefully with the timing and rhythm of the wind even at the stroke of a gentle breeze. He immediately called his guide who was the chieftain of the Barangay and inquired; “Mi Amigo, what is the name of the bamboos which we are seeing now?”. The guide quickly replied that the bamboo is called “Lunas” in the locality. The Priest quipped; Oh! This place shall be named KALUNASAN, implying that this kind of bamboo LUNAS are found prevalently grown in this place. The Chieftain simply nodded in obedience.

                  Incidentally, in those times of Spanish Colonialism, the Priests were well-respected and greatly influential to the degree that their thoughts and words were often translated and considered as the law of the land. Henceforth, the Barangay is christened Kalunasan but later changed to Calunasan, for reasons only elders know.

  B.  ORIGINAL SETTLERS OF THE BARANGAY

                        The original settlers in the Barangay were the “Lumads” or purely descendants of the Malay race. They lived in self-rule with their own untainted customs, traits, tradition and religion for an undetermined period of generations. This remained unchanged for having entertained the concept that the world is only restricted to the limits of their sights on the expense of the ocean separating the shorelines of the nearby provinces. That was their perspective of the world.

                    This concept has gradually changed upon the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores in the Barangay. The Lumads were made to understand, and realize the fact that the world is limitless that extends beyond the oceans which they customarily saw. Subsequently, migration of people started to occur and later became very common among the inhabitants. More and more Lumads sailed away from their familiar shores to find new oceans while strangers came along, presumably for reasons of adventure, pleasure/ leisure and greener pasture. This brought about the inter-marriage of Lumads with strangers that consequently resulted to the cross-breeding of the bloodlines over the times. Currently, the inhabitants in the Barangay are composed of “mestizos” of various ancestry, such as: Ilocanos, Ilonggo’s, Chavacano’s, Bicolano’s, Muslims, etc.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Geographical Location of the Barangay

                       Barangay Calunasan is situated at approximately between 2.5 kilometers to 3.5 kilometers from the Población leading to the hinterlands and about 13 kilometers, more or less away from the Capitol town of Siquijor where the Provincial Capitol is located. Specifically, with an area of 324 hectares, Calunasan is bounded by six (6) adjacent Barangays. Lying at its north is Barangay Bontod, while the southern sections are partly shared by Barangay Catamboan and Candigum. Found in the eastern section of Calunasan are the neighboring Barangays of Bintangan and Canlasog. The west is bounded by the whole of Barangay Cang-allas. Some, if not many of the inhabitants of these underlying Barangays are related either by affinity or consanguinity. This is the major reason why there existed built-in cooperation, understanding, unity and peace, by and between the residents of these Barangays.

 B. Geo-Political Structure

                                 Barangay Calunasan has five (5) sitios, namely: Sitio Cantundag; Cang-ambong; Anopog; Labigan; Libo and Nalipga. These sitios were clustered by Puroks, hence Purok I comprises Sitio Cantundag and Cang-ambong, Purok II composes Sitios Anopog and Labigan while Purok III covers Sitio Libo and Nalipga. The intent of this grouping is to simplify and make easier the effort of overseeing and monitoring the conditions prevailing among the inhabitants in the community. Furthermore, this could be a way to ensure an even and fair distribution/ delivery of the basic services to the residents. To make this measure attainable and effective, the six Sangguniang Barangay members (excluding the SK Chairman) were grouped into three (3) with every group consisted of two (2) Kagawad members to attend to a Purok. Every Kagawad member has 16 or 17 households, as the case maybe, as his/her specific area of jurisdiction. Their duties of overseeing, monitoring and reporting of the situation on the ground within their jurisdiction are merely considered as added roles and responsibilities to their usual workload as Chairman or member of certain committees. With this nomenclature but in place and in effect, the full authority and responsibility in carrying out all Barangay affairs still rest totally in the Office of the Punong Barangay.