Caridad Norte is a barangay in the Municipality of Matalom in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It has a population of 1,502 people.^[1]

Caridad Norte's neighboring barangays are Sto. Niño (Poblacion), Caridad Sur and Elevado.

Everyone usually wonder how a particular place got its name. Even people wonder why he is named that way. Hence this work.

During the construction of Matalom Church, the Saint Joseph Parish Church which was led by Rev. Father Leonardo Celis Diaz who as at the same time the “captain del Pueblo”. He and his workers got most of the lumber post, and the wooden materials in the southern part of the town. Until such time because of their usual visit to the place where they will cut big trees used as post in the church and in the convent when these workers will be asked where are you going “Taga-Haligi” which eventually shorten to “Taghaligi” which means to cut a tree for post. The people who live in the vicinity of Taghaligi were so helpful to the priest and his men that every time they cut trees all people will help.

Every time the Priest will have a mass he usually mentioned that because of the charity of the people of Sta. Felomina the completion of the church and the convent was made possible. Even in his day to day conversation, he always mentioned his gratefulness to the charity of the people of Sta. Felomina. He even included in his report to the King of Spain that because of the charity of the people of Sta. Felomina the completion of the St. Joseph Parish Church was a success.

The word Charity-Caridad in Spanish spread through the place of Sta. Felomina. Some Spanish workers who will also visit to the place to get woods for furniture when asked where they were going to, they will also answer: to Caridad-Charity. So people in Sta. Felomina when asked too, where you were going they also follow the Spaniards “ sa Caridad”. So eventually, the place was named Caridad- Charity “MALOLOY-ON”. This was so because of the charity of the people in helping the priest.

Circa 1960, a family built two-story house in the corner of Sta. Felomina Street and the Barangay road going to Elevado. The first floor as a Sari-sari Store. The wife’s named was Caridad. At the time “TABO” was so familiar where the people from Barangay Elevado, Esperanza, Hitoog, Taylan and its Sitios brought their products to the Market. But their products cannot reach the Town proper because the local entrepreneurs and even businessman from Bato, Leyte just met the people in the upper Caridad. Since that time transportation was not available. After the business transaction, people used to rest at the Caridad Sari-sari Store at the corner of Sta. Felomina and road going to Barangay Elevado.

So, every time the TABO will happen most of the people will say we will stop or rest at Caridad (what they meant was Caridad Sari-sari Store). From the time the name Caridad become popular that coincides also with the name given to the place by Rev. Fr. Leonardo Celis Diaz. So whenever people will join the TABO after the transaction was over, their stop over was Caridad Sari-sari Store. So the name Caridad was popularized by the owner of the store. So then whenever people will be asked what’s the name of that place they will say Caridad because of the Sari-sari Store unknowingly it was also the name of the barangay, Barangay Caridad.

Year after, people started to live at Caridad because more people learned the business of fishing more so when “BONSOD” fishing flourished and “BOBO” fishing was “in na in” more people were enticed to live at Caridad. Still their stopover was the Caridad Sari-sari Store where it was strategically located that most people will stop before they go home or go to fishing.

More people were coming to live in Caridad, until the height of Martial Law, a Presidential Degree was issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos that a Barangay with a population of more than two thousand can be divided into two. In compliance with that Presidential Degree in 1975, Barangay Caridad Norte and Barangay Caridad Sur were established. Barangay Caridad Norte was led by Barangay Captain Vivencio Gido and Caridad Sur was headed by Barangay Captain Pablo Pada. So they were the two first Barangay Captains. But despite the separation still the two Barangays hold their Patron Saint Sta. Felomina close to their heart.

At present Barangay Caridad Norte is inhabited by 1,699 people and it has an area of 585,166.30 sq.meters . It is a progressive barangay where peace – loving Caridadnons live and grow.