Loon, officially the Municipality of Loon, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines which was established in 1753. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,224 people.

History

Loon was among the hardest hit towns in the 2013 Bohol earthquake. About a third of all casualties occurred in this town, and its church, dating from the 1850s, completely razed to the ground.

Geography

28 km north of Tagbilaran is the town proper of Loon, the westernmost municipality of the island province. Cabilao and Sandingan islands are part of the municipality. Lanao Lake on Cabilao island (also known as Cabilao Island Lake) is the only natural lake in Bohol. Loon lies halfway between Tagbilaran and Tubigon, Bohol's major ports of entry, each of which is only 40 minutes away by public utility buses, jeepneys and vans-for-hire that frequently ply the north–south route. Loon has one provincial secondary port and six fishing ports. The secondary port is being converted into the Loon Bohol International Cruise Ship Port. Currently it serves the Loon—Argao (Cebu) route.

Topography

Loon is composed of land mass, coastlines and natural waters and has a relatively rolling topography consisting of moderate hills, rolling plains, sparse plateaus interspersed with valleys, and some ravines.

Climate

Barangays

Loon is politically subdivded into 67 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

<td style="text-align:left;"> **soso** a freshwater shellfish species <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 >**badba-an** a local shrub or tree <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3 >**bagakay** or bamboo abundant in the area <td style="text-align:left;" > **bahi** the hard portion of the trunk of a "pugahan" palm <td style="text-align:left;" > **basac** from the visayan word "basa", which means "wet" and many years passed by, turned into "**basac**" <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **ba'as** means sand <td style="text-align:left;" > **biasong**: a variety of orange grown near the Moalong River <td style="text-align:left;" > **trabongko**: a legendary shining ball that giant snakes amused at night <td style="text-align:left;" > **bugho** or hole, references to the ravines and gorges of the barangay <td style="text-align:left;" > after the plant **bakong** <td style="text-align:left;" > land purportedly belonging (Ca) to the first inhabitant named **Badug** <td style="text-align:left;" > **kabug** bats hanging from the branches of "tipolo" trees <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > after the swaying coconut trees which looked like fighting (**galayug**) <td style="text-align:left;" > **ba's nga nag-ekis-ekis** or sand that crosses from one side to other depending on the waves. (A popular yet wrong tale means "come back and kiss".) <td style="text-align:left;" > **patud** a spring in a thick forest where hunters go <td style="text-align:left;" > legendary ever-burning stump of dead tree to kindle (**daig**) lamps <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **kanhangdon** root word is "hangad" or to look up from the Moalong River <td style="text-align:left;" > **nigaran** a legendary place where big niga trees grew <td style="text-align:left;" > **mamag** or tarsier, which were plentiful <td style="text-align:left;" > **manok** where wild chickens abound <td style="text-align:left;" > after a spring of the same name <td style="text-align:left;" > **subayon** the act of walking the banks of creeks <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **tam-is** means sweet <td style="text-align:left;" > **taongon** tree was abundant <td style="text-align:left;" > **sondo** a creek where one needs to take a leap (**tukad**) <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3 > **tagbak** means to barter or exchange goods <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **kogon** grass <td style="text-align:left;" > **"Kawasi!"**, an order to disembark or jump overboard (to save the cargo) <td style="text-align:left;" > the legend says an ill farmer called out because his carabao was **hinomolan** (wallowing in the river) <td style="text-align:left;" > **tuwang-tuwang**, the changing movement of sand blown by south and north winds <td style="text-align:left;" > the curved shape of its coastline **na lo-ok** <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **pok-pok**, the warning drum hung from a mangrove tree (pagatpat) when [Moros pirate](https://bliptext.com/articles/moros-pirate) [kumpits](https://bliptext.com/articles/kumpit) were coming <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **moto** or hill, located above the original settlement, the coastal barangay of Napo <td style="text-align:left;" > **nagatuwang** whereby flow of water from a spring is absorbed higher <td style="text-align:left;" > **napolo** or **napo'o** means place formed from sand <td style="text-align:left;" > Spanish for 'new life'; the new settlement built when Catagbacan became too big <td style="text-align:left;" > **panankilon**, a medicinal herb <td style="text-align:left;" > from **tulod-tulod** the thrusting action of the waves shifting sand by the wind blow <td style="text-align:left;" > **pi-ot** the narrow stretch of road which widened by blasting, resulting in the fleeing of the monkeys from their habitat <td style="text-align:left;" > **pundo-pundo** or **pondol** juts into the sea or pools of water <td style="text-align:left;" > **kinubkoban** holes dug looking for sources of water. <td style="text-align:left;" > **sondol** or **donsol**, a sea slug species abundant in its seashore <td style="text-align:left;" > **so-ongon**, an arch-like rock formation along the shoreline; where one has to stoop (so-ong) to pass <td style="text-align:left;" > **talisay** trees which growing on cliffs over the shoreline <td style="text-align:left;" > **tan-awan** means a place where one gets a good view of the villages below it <td style="text-align:left;" > **tangnan** is cave that contains fresh water <td style="text-align:left;" > **taytay** a bridge, narrow hilltop-located pathway that leads to the center of the village <td style="text-align:left;" > **tikog** plant whose leaf strips can be woven into mats <td style="text-align:left;" > **tiwi** the trees that once grew on the eastern part <td style="text-align:left;" > **tontonan** means to use a rope (tonton) to scale a high mountain <td style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2 > **tubod** means spring <td style="text-align:left;" > **tuburan** is a spring <td style="text-align:left;" > **nag-ubay sa baybayon** means straddling the shoreline <td style="text-align:left;" > **ulbohan** a well where water gushed in spurts (ga ulbo-ulbo)

Demographics

Economy

Gross Annual Income (2014): ₱63.2 million Major industries: agriculture, fishery, cottage (ready-to-wear clothes, mats, baskets), transportation, trading, tourism Loon's public markets include two main public markets and five barangay/feeder markets. There are more than 800 business establishments and entrepreneurs in Loon.

Indigenous culture and crafts

Tourism

Heritage and historical sites

‡ Totally destroyed by the 15 October 2013 earthquake.

Natural attractions

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road network:

Health and safety

Utilities

Water is made available to more than 42 barangays principally by the Loon Waterworks System, which has about 3,000 active individual water service connections reaching the northernmost barangay of Pondol, the southernmost barangay of Song-on, all barangays on Sandingan Island, and many hinterland barangays. The rest of the upland barangays are served by Level II communal water systems. The abundance of water in Loon has also encouraged investors to establish water-refilling stations in the town.

Education

Notable personalities