Sibonga

Sibonga, officially the Municipality of Sibonga (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Sibonga; Tagalog: Bayan ng Sibonga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 48,186 people.[3]

Sibonga
Municipality
Municipality of Sibonga
Sibonga Municipal Hall
Map of Cebu with Sibonga highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Sibonga Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°02′N 123°34′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas (Region VII)
Province	Cebu
District	1st district of Cebu
Barangays	25 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Lionel E. Bacaltos
• Vice Mayor	Mariano Laude
• Congressman	Eduardo R. Gullas
• Electorate	30,922 voters (2019)
Area  [2]
• Total	133.45 km^2 (51.53 sq mi)
Population  (2015 census)[3]
• Total	48,186
• Density	360/km^2 (940/sq mi)
• Households	11,185
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	27.59% (2015)[4]
• Revenue (₱)	118,466,280.69 (2016)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6020
PSGC	072246000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)32
Climate type	tropical climate
Native languages	Cebuano Tagalog

Sibonga is bordered to the north by the city of Carcar, to the west are the towns of Barili and Dumanjug, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Argao.

History

The town fiesta is every 10 August each year. This celebrates the feast of Saint Philomena. Sibonga has 2 patron saints: Saint Philomena and Our Lady of the Pillar. One of the highlights of the fiesta is the Bonga Festival which features cultural dancing and the town's local produce. It is a home of many historical houses built in the Spanish era. Tulay or wharf is a common place where people of Sibonga and visitors spend time to relax - sightseeing, camping and merely having a siesta time. The Catholic Church is one of the most beautiful Churches in Cebu. It has a beautiful Tan Tinoy Park (named after a former barrio captain Tinoy) in front of the Sibonga Municipal Office. The escuela (school) houses during the Spanish era are still standing adjacent to the Catholic Church. There is Tubig Mainit (hot water) spring in Barangay Can-aga.

Barangays

Sibonga comprises 25 barangays:

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2015[3]		2010[5]
072246001	Abugon	4.5%	2,162	1,903	▴	2.46%
072246002	Bae	2.4%	1,153	983	▴	3.08%
072246003	Bagacay	5.0%	2,430	2,074	▴	3.06%
072246004	Bahay	10.4%	5,013	4,476	▴	2.18%
072246005	Banlot	3.9%	1,871	1,612	▴	2.88%
072246006	Basak	2.3%	1,106	927	▴	3.42%
072246007	Bato	3.1%	1,477	1,297	▴	2.51%
072246008	Cagay	1.7%	816	813	▴	0.07%
072246009	Can‑aga	2.1%	1,011	776	▴	5.17%
072246010	Candaguit	4.9%	2,360	2,216	▴	1.21%
072246011	Cantolaroy	1.3%	634	567	▴	2.15%
072246012	Dugoan	1.6%	783	590	▴	5.54%
072246013	Guimbangco‑an	2.2%	1,067	788	▴	5.94%
072246014	Lamacan	4.1%	1,971	1,563	▴	4.52%
072246015	Libo	2.4%	1,161	987	▴	3.14%
072246016	Lindogon	3.4%	1,648	1,563	▴	1.01%
072246017	Magcagong	2.1%	991	906	▴	1.72%
072246018	Manatad	3.0%	1,428	1,543	▾	−1.46%
072246019	Mangyan	4.7%	2,248	1,952	▴	2.72%
072246020	Papan	1.7%	816	673	▴	3.74%
072246021	Poblacion	13.5%	6,522	5,597	▴	2.96%
072246022	Sabang	5.0%	2,407	2,397	▴	0.08%
072246023	Sayao	3.7%	1,772	1,507	▴	3.13%
072246024	Simala	6.3%	3,025	3,991	▾	−5.14%
072246025	Tubod	4.8%	2,314	2,177	▴	1.17%
	Total		48,186	43,641	▴	1.90%

Climate

Climate data for Sibonga, Cebu
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)
Average low °C (°F)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	42 (1.7)	34 (1.3)	40 (1.6)	61 (2.4)	124 (4.9)	188 (7.4)	190 (7.5)	191 (7.5)	189 (7.4)	186 (7.3)	124 (4.9)	73 (2.9)	1,442 (56.8)
Average rainy days	10.0	8.5	9.5	12.8	22.3	26.8	28.4	27.9	27.3	27.6	20.5	13.1	234.7
Source: Meteoblue [6]

Demographics

Population census of Sibonga

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 25,848 —     1918 27,199 +0.34% 1939 21,803 −1.05% 1948 19,230 −1.39% 1960 19,516 +0.12% 1970 22,212 +1.30% 1975 24,510 +1.99%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1980 27,513 +2.34% 1990 33,083 +1.86% 1995 35,897 +1.54% 2000 38,281 +1.39% 2007 40,765 +0.87% 2010 43,641 +2.51% 2015 48,186 +1.90%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[3][5][7][8]

Economy

Sibonga has begun developing the town to become more industrial while still preserving its natural bounty. Sibonga is abundant in root crops, corn, rice, coconuts among others. The public market is held every Saturday in Poblacion. Each baranggay has its own agora or marketplace with its own specific days of function. For example, in Barangay Papan, people from neighboring barangays convene in every Thursday for trade.

Sibonga now has Sibonga Community College which offers 4-year courses to its inhabitants.

Pastores de Sibonga

The Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, also known as the Miraculous Mama Mary Shrine, the Shrine of Simala, or the Simala-Lindogon Church.

Pastores de Sibonga is a short Christmas play which narrates the nativity as performed in Magcagong. The play depicts the shepherds' adoration of the child Jesus. Pastores de Sibonga dates back to the 1920s.[9][10][11]

Pastores de Sibonga is performed by at least four dancers. The female dancer wears a red blouse or shirt paired with a long white skirt. The male dancer wears a red shirt paired with black pants. Accessories include a round hat decorated with cut-outs of the sun, moon and stars in yellow, red, green, and other brightly colored papers together with a yellow sash placed across the body. It is performed used red fans and white handkerchiefs. An oval-shaped native fan is used and held by the right hand during the performance. The white square handkerchief is held by the left hand folded into a triangular shape.

The accompaniment music is a rondalla – an ensemble (guitar, bandurria, and banjo), played with the plectrum. The lyrics tell of the pre-, nativity, and post-nativity settings. It expresses happiness, joy, and worship, and offers praises and gifts for Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Notable people

• Gloria Sevilla - actress
• Amapola Cabase - singer, musician, actress

References

1. "Municipality". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
2. "Province: Cebu". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
3. Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. PSA. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
4. "PSA releases the 2015 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Quezon City, Philippines. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
5. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. NSO. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
6. "Sibonga: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
7. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. NSO.
8. "Province of Cebu". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
9. Janson 1991.
10. Ocampo 2004.
11. The Freeman 1988.

Sources

• Janson, Mila C. (1991). Sayaw sa mga Pastores in the Province of Cebu (MEd thesis). Cebu: Cebu State College.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Ocampo, Astrid G. (2004). "The 'Pastores de Sibonga' in Southern Cebu". Graduate Journal. Cebu: University of San Carlos. XX (2).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• The Freeman, Quir L. de Gracia (20 December 1988). "The Christmas Pastores of Old are Vanishing". Cebu: Freeman Publishing.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

Media related to Sibonga, Cebu at Wikimedia Commons

• Sibonga Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code