HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

According to history, gold had flourished in the locality that people from the neighboring towns flocked to this place in their quest for golden fame and fortune. In one such occasion, on January 17, 1817, a Spanish soldier who was on patrol with an assigned task to write down the names of the places he would come across within the course of his mission, happened to pass by a group of men who were digging gold on one of the gold mines. Talking in Spanish, the soldier inquired about the name of the place. The natives, who did not understand the language, thought the soldier was asking them how many gold stones them already gathered. In response, they answered “Libona” meaning a thousand already. The Spanish soldier jotted the word “Libona” in his record book believing it was the name of the locality.

Libona was once a Municipal District of Maluko, now the Municipality of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon created under Executive Order No. 5 dated April 4, 1917 issued by then acting Governor Hon. Ponciano C. Reyes of the defunct Department of Mindanao and Sulu. Due to its progressive stride in both the socio-economic and political infrastructure, Libona was finally able to separate itself from her mother municipality when it was granted political identity. Former President Carlos P. Garcia, issued Executive Order No. 272, dated October 4, 1957 declaring Libona a regular municipality. By virtue of the said order, Libona became the 14th municipality in the Province of Bukidnon.