The book of Fr. Felipe Redondo in 1886 says that Sibonga was erected as a parish by Superior provision on June 12, 1829, under the patronage of San Francisco de Assisi. Its mother parish is San Nicolas in Cebu City. The town’s church is made of cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry with transept and tile roofing.
Its original barrios were Tuluyan, Tinaan, Langtad, Pandan, Cantang-an, and Lutac. Lawyer Gervasio L. Lavilles, the Brains of the Cebu City Charter explains how the town was named: “The place was likewise thickly covered with arica palm, which are locally called ‘bonga’, for the name Sibonga originated from these nuts. The yellow nuts aroused the curiosity of the Spaniards when they came, and one of them inquired, ‘Que ese so?’ What is that? After repeating the question several times, accompanied with gestures, he was able to get the answer, ‘Bonga’, Que es bonga? He asked again. The natives pointed to the arica palms. The chronicler of the Spanish exploring group recorded the word “Bonga” as the appropriate name for the place. This was later changed to Sibonga.”
During the 4th Centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines in 1965, Lawyer Segundino Carrillo was mayor (he was admitted to the Bar on April 16, 1953. He was from Argao, Cebu and was appointed by President Ramon Magsaysay as Justice of the Peace of Dalaguete on March 1, 1955). The Vice Mayor was Delfin Desierto, lawyer Pachico A. Seares (admitted to the Bar on March 6, 1964, he edited and wrote columns for The FREEMAN) was the municipal secretary, Woodrow Kintanar was the judge, Jesus Cavada was the treasurer, Primo Ordenegro was the chief of police, and Dr. Filomeno Rizada was the health officer.
The councilors were Dominadora S. Diaz, Filomeno V. Cudira, Leandro H. Teves, Zosimo D. Campos, Angel S. Diez, Alberto G. Pescadero, Pastor C. Sarnillo, and Marcos R. Redoble.
The Carrillos are one of the lawyer clans of Cebu. Aside from Segundino, the other lawyer members of the clan are Valeriano S. Carrillo of Apo, Argao, (admitted to the Bar on October 15, 1956, he served Cebu as Provincial Board member during the incumbency of Governor Rene Gandigonco Espina), Leo S. Carrillo (June 6, 1975), Jema S. Carrillo (married a Carreon also a lawyer and a member of the judiciary, admitted to the Bar on April 26, 1989), Carlyn Joy Valerie J. Carrillo (became a lawyer on April 6, 1990) and Rodulph Joseph Val J. Carrillo (he became a lawyer on April 11, 1996 and is presently an assistant city prosecutor of Cebu City).