Sogod, Southern Leyte
The name of the municipality originated from the Cebuano word, "sogod", meaning ""to start."" Founded as a Catholic mission station by the Society of Jesus in 1601, Sogod became a regular municipality on June 10, 1853.
Sogod, Southern Leyte
While the Franciscans evangelized the northern towns, the diocesan priests from Cebu took the Cebuano-speaking areas of the province as their parochial assignments – Albuera, Baybay, Cabalian, Hilongos, Maasin, Macrohon, Malitbog, Ormoc, Palompon, Quiot, Sogod and Villaba – in the middle of the 19th century. Although Sogod was founded years before Malitbog was made a municipality on December 14, 1849, the latter enjoyed the civil privileges being conferred from Manila. The "visitas" of Buntuk, Cabalian, Himay-angan [a barangay in Liloan], Inolinan [the old name of the town of San Ricardo, now a barangay of San Ricardo town], Liloan, Maak, San Francisco and Sogod were inscribed to the municipal and parochial jurisdiction of Malitbog. At that period, "Padre Don" Francisco Fernandez held the position as parish priest of Malitbog and Sogod, Liloan, Cabalian and Hinundayan.