Miagao became an independent Municipality in 1716. It used to be a part or arrabal of four (4) different towns. Record shows that before Miagao became a town, it was an arrabal of Oton until 1580; of Tigbauan until 1952; of Suaraga or Suaragan (now San Joaquin) until 1703; and of Guimbal until 1716 when it became an independent town. It was until 1731, however, when Miagao had its own head. The first capitan and teniente mayor (equivalent to mayor and vice mayor in present day set-up) of Miagao were Nicolas Pangkug and Diego Sale, respectively. Their "election" was held in Guimbal under the supervision of Victorino C. Ma., authorized representative of the governor. Nicolas Pangkug served for three consecutive terms of one year each from 1731-1733. Before he became town capitan, Nicolas Pangkug was teniente mayor of Guimbal. As a resident of Miagao, he was entrusted with the care and supervision of this town until he became the head. Pangkug became capitan again in 1735 and 1739-1740. Altogether, he served for six years. From 1716 to the present, Miagao has had 133 townheads with General Gerardo N. Flores (ret.), former Deputy Director General of the Philippine National Police, husband of former Municipal Mayor Julieta N. Flores, as the incumbent Municipal Mayor. How Miagao got its name has several versions. The two popular ones, however, are on record. One popular version is that the name Miagao was derived from the name of a wild plant called "miagos" that grew abundantly in the place when the Spaniards first came here. Another version, according to Rev. Fr. Lorenzo Torres, a native priest of Igbaras, Iloilo, is that Miagao was derived from the name of an old negrito called Miyagaw, who when asked of the name of the place by the Spaniards, gave his name instead. The Spaniards mistook the answer as the response to their query. A third version is a legend which relates that the name Miagao came from the love story of two young lovers, Maya and Gao.

Constructed more than two hundred years ago in the year 1797, the Miagao Church stands as a living legacy of the culture and way of life of the people of Miagao centuries ago, anchored in a strong foundation of Christian faith.

Municipality of Miagao

The Municipality of Miagao is a beautiful place you won't want to miss to drop by when in the City and Province of Iloilo. Easily accesible through various modes of transportation due to its proximity to the City of Iloilo, Miagao can be reached via a 40-minutes bus, air-conditioned van or jeepney ride from the City of Iloilo. It is also accessible via the Municipality of San Jose, capital town of the Province of Antique through a one-hour bus or van ride. Miagao is a mere three (3) hours away by land from Caticlan, jump off point to the Island Paradise of Boracay, passing through the scenic Province of Antique. © Miagao.tripod.com Go Back