San Francisco (IPA: [sɐn fɾɐn'sisko]), officially the Municipality of San Francisco, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,436 people.

History

The town of San Francisco used to be part of Liloan, Southern Leyte and was created as a separate municipality on November 1, 1949 by President Elpidio Quirino through Executive Order No. 292. People from Bohol were the early settlers that started in Habay river. They gave it the name Canlili-ug because the river's waters that time reached up to a person's neck or liog in the vernacular. Due to heavy siltation, however, the river is now only knee-deep. During the Spanish period, the inhabitants became Roman Catholics and the place came to be known as San Francisco, after St Francis Javier. Tradition holds that the inhabitants requested for an image of St Francis Javier but got St Isidore's instead. At present, the town remains to be called San Francisco but venerates Saint Isidore as its Patron Saint. On May 14, 1951, the Municipality of San Francisco was formally inaugurated with just 7 barangays under its jurisdiction namely San Francisco, Tuno, Pinamudlan, Napantao, Habay, Sudmon, and Sta. Paz. Through the years, these barrios were subdivided to create new barangays, taking the total number of barangays to the current 22. In December 2003, a landslide destroyed most of barangay Punta, killing 200 people.

Geography

Barangays

San Francisco is politically subdivided into 22 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Economy