Calinog, officially known as the Municipality of Calinog (, , [pronounced Bayan nuh Kah-lee-nog]), is a municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
Calinog is located in the central part of Panay Island in the Philippines. According to local legend, it was one of the areas where Datu Marikudo, the Ati chieftain, chose to settle after ceding the lowland regions of Panay to the Malay settlers in exchange for gold and other goods. This event, often dated to around the 13th century, is rooted in oral tradition and is referenced in the Maragtas, a semi-legendary account of the early history of Panay.
The early inhabitants of Calinog are believed to have been members of the indigenous Ati community, led by Datu Marikudo. Following a barter with the Malays, Marikudo and his people gradually retreated inland and eventually settled between the Jalaur and rivers around the 13th century. According to oral tradition, Marikudo later established his final settlement atop a series of hills that now overlook the present-day poblacion (town center) and are locally referred to as the Marikudo Hills.
After the Ati retreated inland, Malay groups under the direction of Datu Sumakwel, one of the ten Bornean datus, moved into the area. To manage settlement among his people, Sumakwel reportedly delegated territories to his men; Lumakad was given land along the Jalaur River, and Dumara-ug was given the area along the Ulian River. Over time, conflicts arose between their descendants, but were later resolved through intermarriage, reuniting the groups before Spanish arrival.
Spanish colonization of Panay began during the latter half of the 16th century. In 1569, Miguel López de Legazpi was encouraged by his men to move the Spanish stronghold at Cebu to Panay because of the island's rich resources and strategic location. Legazpi arrived in 1570 and redistributed land as grants to Spanish settlers and cooperative natives, thereby altering the existing barangay-based governance structure.
Calinog was among the settlements that came under Spanish control. Local tradition holds that the Spaniards asked the locals for the native word for âÂÂpeaceful,â to which they replied âÂÂCalinong.â The Spaniards, finding it difficult to pronounce, used âÂÂCalinogâ instead, which became the town's official name.
In the early 18th century, Calinog was developed into a permanent town using the urban planning model prescribed by the Spanish colonial Laws of the Indies. This model mandated a central plaza surrounded by key structures such as a church, municipal hall (tribunal), school, and public marketâÂÂa layout that continues to define Calinog's town center today. In 1763, Calinog was officially declared a pueblo (town) by the Spanish colonial government.
In a speech on August 7, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte named then-Mayor Alex Centena in a speech as allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
Calinog is from Iloilo City and from Roxas City.
Calinog is politically subdivided into 59 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks, and some have sitios.
The central area, known as the "poblacion area," is composed of 4 barangays, namely: Poblacion Centro, Poblacion Ilaya, Poblacion Delgado, and Poblacion Rizal Ilaud. A proposal exists to add five more barangays to the urban land area. They are Barangays Carvasana, Dalid, Simsiman, and Bo. Calinog, and Libot. They will constitute the greater Poblacion area.
Calinog, as well as the rest of Iloilo, is characterized by a tropical wet and dry climate. The wet season typically runs from May to November, and the dry season is from December to April. July is the wettest month on average. Temperatures are consistent year-round in the region.
Some of Calinog's notable mountain features include Mount Lawlaw in Barangay Manaripay. The town is on the eastern side of the Central Panay Mountain Range, which serves as a natural boundary between the provinces of Iloilo and Antique.
The landscape of Calinog varies from flat, low-lying areas to rolling hills and mountain ranges. The recorded elevation for Calinog is 55 meters, though this likely refers to the town proper and does not reflect the higher mountain ranges.
In the 2024 census, the population of Calinog was 63,896 people, with a density of .
There are two ethnic groups, the Suludnon or Bukidnon tribe and the Aeta. The Suludnon or Bukidnon tribe comprises the thirteen (13) mountain barangays. The Aeta group resides in the other barangays of the municipality.
The main local languages are Hiligaynon, Capiznon, and Kinaray-a. Meanwhile, Filipino and English are understood by the residents, but are seldom used in daily life.
In July 2024, the Jalaur Dam was completed on the Jalaur River in Calinog. The dam is part of the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project Stage II (JRMP II), supported by Philippine President Bongbong Marcos and former Philippine Senator Franklin Drilon. The dam was originally anticipated to boost the annual rice production in the area to about 320,000 metric tons.
There are two school district offices that govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public schools, from primary to secondary schools. These are the: