HISTORY OF LEGAZPI CITY

The City began as a barangay called Sawangan (now Legazpi Port) whose inhabitants were mostly fishermen and farmers. From 1587 to 1616, the spiritual administration of the town was under the Franciscan friars of the DOCTRINA OF CAGSAWA (now Daraga). Officially, the name LEGAZPI was given to the ancient village of Sawangan by Royal Decree dated September 22, 1856, to perpetuate the memory of the Adelantado Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Don Lorenzo Hao was the first elected Gobernadorcillo. Rev. Camilo Abainza was acting Parish Priest. First a city under the Becerra Law of 1892, it was dissolved into a municipality during the American occupation. A city for the second time by virtue of Republic Act No. 306 dated July 18, 1948 which included the Municipality of Daraga. On June 8, 1954, it was once more re-created as a municipality. Finally, on June 12, 1959, per Republic Act No. 2234, as amended by Republic Act 5525, Legazpi became a city for the third time. Presidential Decree No. 125, issued on 1973, declares the Municipality of Daraga as part of Legazpi City.