Liloan (Alternate spelling: Lilo-an) is a first class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 100,500 people.
Liloan is part of a metropolitan area informally called Metro Cebu.
Along its coastline, there is spot called Silot, where a whirlpool is created by the ebbs and flows of the waters from the bay. This phenomenon is called lilo in Cebuano. Because of this, the town was known as Liloan, meaning "a place where there is a lilo".
Long ago, as the legend goes, when Lilo-an was still a wilderness, a marriage of a couple was objected to by the parents. As such, they boarded a boat and fled to a far away place. Somewhere at sea, a storm overtook them. For safety, they entered a channel, now called "Suba," (a name of a place in Liloan) and proceeded into the interior. They took shelter at its bank and noticed the abundance of the fish in the vicinity. They decided to stay, and with the extra fish they caught, they sold or bartered the catch in the nearby villages. When asked where the fishes were caught, the answered, "Sa may liloan" (by the lilo). Asked where they live, they gave the same answer: "Sa may liloan." In time, the place was called, as we know the town now, "Liloan".
Landmarks:
-Lighthouse
One of the best known landmarks in Lilo-an is its historic lighthouse at Bagacay Point. The original lighthouse was built in 1857 by the Spanish. However, the current tower was constructed in 1904 by order of William Howard Taft, the first Governor-General of the Philippines and later the President of the United States. The tower is 72 feet tall and remains in active use today using solar energy. The lighthouse has been declared a National Historical Landmark on August 13, 2004 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (formerly known as National Historical Institute).
- San Fernando Rey Parish Church
The designer of the church in Liloan is viewed by some as visionary. Despite Liloan having only 5,000 citizens when the church was constructed in 1847, this local church was even larger than that of Mandaue, Cebu's second largest city. Today, 159 years, more than 30 priests, 50 mayors, and some 47,000 people later, the church still has enough room to accommodate the faithful.
One unusual detail about the Church in Liloan is that it faces the mountains to the West, whereas most churches face the sea to the East. Some have theorized that this is because Mass is often performed in the morning, and the church is thus shielded from the morning sun, making it less hot and uncomfortable. Others have speculated that the church's direction has a symbolic significance related to church rites.
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