Oslob, officially the Municipality of Oslob (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Oslob; Tagalog: Bayan ng Oslob), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,264 people.[3]

Oslob
Municipality of Oslob
Sandbar of Sumilon Island
Sandbar of Sumilon Island
Flag of Oslob
Official seal of Oslob
Map of Cebu with Oslob highlighted
Map of Cebu with Oslob highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Oslob is located in Philippines
Oslob
Oslob
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°33′N 123°24′E / 9.55°N 123.4°E / 9.55; 123.4
CountryPhilippines
RegionCentral Visayas
ProvinceCebu
District 2nd district
Founded1848
Barangays21 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • mayor of Oslob[*]Ronald L. Guaren (1Cebu)
 • Vice MayorRoger O. Trapa (NUP)
 • RepresentativeEdsel A. Galeos
 • Municipal Council
Members
 • Electorate20,972 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total
134.75 km2 (52.03 sq mi)
Elevation
142 m (466 ft)
Highest elevation
726 m (2,382 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[3]
 • Total
29,264
 • Density220/km2 (560/sq mi)
 • Households
6,995
Economy
 • Income class4th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
42.83
% (2021)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 179.4 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 975.7 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 126.2 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 77.9 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityCebu 1 Electric Cooperative (CEBECO 1)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6025
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)32
Native languagesCebuano
Tagalog

Oslob is bordered to the north by the town of Boljoon, to the west are the towns of Ginatilan and Samboan, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Santander. It is 116 kilometres (72 mi) from Cebu City.

Geography

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Topography

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Generally, the area's topography is hilly and rolling, dominated by open grasslands and second-growth forests. There are fairly level and rolling plateaus and valleys spread throughout the interior. These are some of the most suitable areas for upland agriculture. The highest mountain peak is 800 metres (2,600 ft) above sea level.

Soil Type

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Faraon clay steep phase; Medellin clay Lugo clay

Land Classification

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Land utilization
Category Land Area
ha acres
Classified Forest / Reservation / Timberland 9,619 23,770 71.4%  
Arable Area 5,045 12,470 37.4%  
Certified Alienable / Disposable Land 1,563 3,860 11.6%  
Industrial 242 600 1.8%  
Residential 220 540 1.6%  
Unclassified Forest Land / Wilderness 66 160 0.5%  
Commercial 13 32 0.1%  
National Parks / Playgrounds 6 15 0.0%  
Roads 0 0 0.0%
Wildlife / Military Reserve Land 0 0 0.0%
 Classified Forest/Reservation/Timberland: 9,619 (58.2%)Arable Area: 5,045 (30.5%)Certified Alienable /Disposable Land: 1,563 (9.5%)Residential: 220 (1.3%)Unclassified Forest Land/Wilderness: 66 (0.4%)Commercial: 13 (0.1%)National Parks/Playgrounds: 6 (0.0%)

Barangays

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Tumalog Falls

Oslob is politically subdivided into 21 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.


PSGC Barangay Population ±% p.a.
2020[3] 2010[5]
072235001 Alo 4.1% 1,196 1,389 −1.48%
072235002 Bangcogon 4.2% 1,231 952 2.60%
072235003 Bonbon 5.3% 1,555 1,226 2.41%
072235004 Calumpang 3.5% 1,024 941 0.85%
072235005 Canangca‑an 1.6% 481 603 −2.23%
072235009 Cansalo‑ay 2.3% 681 487 3.41%
072235007 Can‑ukban 2.0% 584 525 1.07%
072235006 Cañang 3.4% 1,009 1,010 −0.01%
072235010 Daanlungsod 5.9% 1,736 1,556 1.10%
072235011 Gawi 6.4% 1,876 1,509 2.20%
072235012 Hagdan 2.5% 731 670 0.88%
072235014 Lagunde 11.2% 3,273 2,829 1.47%
072235015 Looc 4.0% 1,183 1,048 1.22%
072235016 Luka 4.1% 1,210 1,106 0.90%
072235017 Mainit 4.6% 1,339 1,312 0.20%
072235018 Manlum 1.4% 411 456 −1.03%
072235019 Nueva Caceres 4.1% 1,189 991 1.84%
072235020 Poblacion 15.2% 4,446 4,037 0.97%
072235021 Pungtod 5.4% 1,567 1,421 0.98%
072235023 Tan‑awan 5.2% 1,512 1,169 2.61%
072235024 Tumalog 3.5% 1,030 879 1.60%
Total 29,264 26,116 1.14%

Climate

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Climate data for Oslob, Cebu
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(86)
32
(90)
31
(88)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
29
(84)
29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23
(73)
23
(73)
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) 35
(1.4)
28
(1.1)
38
(1.5)
51
(2.0)
125
(4.9)
195
(7.7)
194
(7.6)
173
(6.8)
180
(7.1)
192
(7.6)
121
(4.8)
64
(2.5)
1,396
(55)
Average rainy days 9.2 8.2 9.9 11.3 22.5 27.3 28.0 27.2 27.1 26.9 19.7 12.7 230
Source: Meteoblue[6]

The municipality of Oslob belongs to Coronas climate type III with a dry season from February to September and the wet season from October.

Demographics

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Population census of Oslob
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 9,819—    
1918 12,351+1.54%
1939 13,473+0.41%
1948 13,614+0.12%
1960 14,497+0.52%
1970 16,290+1.17%
1975 18,799+2.91%
1980 19,053+0.27%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 19,782+0.38%
1995 21,686+1.74%
2000 22,472+0.77%
2007 22,732+0.16%
2010 26,116+5.18%
2015 27,893+1.26%
2020 29,264+0.95%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[7][5][8][9]

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Oslob

10
20
30
40
50
60
2006
55.10
2009
50.85
2012
40.42
2015
35.73
2018
22.60
2021
42.83

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Public Markets: 2

Toslob Festival

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The official festival of Oslob is the annual Toslob Festival which coincides with the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion in December.[18]

The official was originally named Sadsad Festival (which started as a barangay festival of Poblacion) and then was renamed to Sadsadayon Festival, but was changed again to Toslob Festival.

Tourist attractions

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Baluarte

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Baluarte

The Baluarte (Spanish for watchtower) of Oslob was built in 1788. Its main purpose was to provide a safe place wherein guards could observe the surrounding area. It was a part of the defense system in dispelling the Moro raiders of the past, which included 6 other watchtowers along the coastline of Oslob.[19] Just near the cuartel, are the ruins of an ancient watchtower. So effective was this system that in 1815, the townspeople of Oslob were able to repel one such attack and remain at peace ever since. This prompted them to relocate the town to its present site from their fortified settlement in Daanglungsod, which is now in ruins but still breathtaking.[19]

Church of the Immaculate Conception

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Immaculate Conception Parish Church

Oslob was established as a visita of Boljoon in 1690 and became an independent parish in 1848 with the Immaculate Conception as its patroness. The present-day church of cut coral stone was started in 1830 and finished 18 years later. The buttresses were added between 1848 and 1850. The adjacent bell tower was built in 1858. The church was burned down during the Second World War liberating Philippine Commonwealth troops and Cebuano guerillas against the Japanese in Oslob in 1945, and 1955 but was eventually restored.

Outside the walls are the remains of a watchtower, one of the many that line the southeastern coast of Cebu.

The church is connected to the parish house or convento which still has its original clay-tiled roof. Across the road from the church is the former mortuary chapel with a pediment decorated with a relief of a human skeleton. North of the complex is a small road that leads to the old cemetery.

In 2008, a fire gutted the 19th-century church's interior, including the altar and adjacent rectory, but it spared the image of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, which is inside a glass case, and the 73 other icons near the door to the bell tower.[20]

Cuartel

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Old Spanish Cuartel

Located front right of the church of Oslob, just outside the perimeter stone fence and near the sea, at the intersection of Calle Aeternidad and the end of Calle Aragones, stands an unfinished building made of coral blocks resembling a Spanish-era barracks. This was intended to be the cuartel, barracks for Spanish soldiers or guardia civil. It was started about 1860, but remained unfinished at the end of Spanish occupation in 1898.[21]

Sumilon Island

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Sumilon Island is a 24-hectare (59-acre) coral island off the coast of Bancogon, Oslob, Cebu.[22] The island hosts the Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort.[23]

The island of Sumilon is located in the southeastern tip of Oslob. It is the first marine protected area in the Philippines; created as a marine sanctuary in 1974 under the guidance of the Silliman University Marine Reserve of Dumaguete in the nearby province of Negros Oriental.[24]

Sumilon has four major dive sites, which are Garden Eel Plaza, Nikki's Wall, Coral Landscape and Julie's Rock. The island's diving sites are famous for their superb visibility, stunning reefs and abundance of varied tropical marine species that provide an ideal and memorable dive. There are occasional sightings of black tip sharks during dives. A popular attraction in Sumilon Island is its sandbar because of its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island depending on the season. Other places of interest in the island are a natural lagoon with high mangroves and natural caves used by fishermen to seek refuge during storms, and a lake. On the south portion of the island, a lighthouse rests on a protected tree park, and beside it is a "baluarte", a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.[25]

Besides diving, there is also bird-watching, picnicking, fishing, hiking, island tours, paddling and trekking. The island is 125 kilometres (78 mi) from Cebu City and separated from the mainland by the Cebu Strait. It is also close to Dumaguete in the nearby island province of Negros Oriental.

From the port of Oslob, there are various boats to the island. Another route to Sumilon Island is via Dumaguete since it is also close to the island.[26]

Whale shark watching

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The whale shark in Oslob

Whale sharks can be spotted in Tan‑awan which is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the center of the town. It has become a popular tourist attraction. Local fishermen feed the whale sharks by hand.

Tumalog Falls

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Tumalog Falls, also called as "Toslob falls" or "Mag-ambak falls", is situated in barangay Luka. It takes approximately three and a half hours to get to the area from Cebu City.[27] Most tourists who go whale shark swimming in Tanawan include this waterfall in their itinerary.[28]

Transportation

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  • National Road: 20.00 kilometres (12.4 mi)
  • Provincial Road: 22.00 kilometres (13.7 mi)
  • Municipal Road : 5.75 kilometres (3.6 mi)
  • Barangay Road : 32.50 kilometres (20.2 mi)

Education

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The public schools in the town of Oslob are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:

  • Agutay Elementary School — Can-ukban
  • Alo Elementary School — Alo
  • Bancogon Primary School — Bangcogon
  • Cañang Elementary School — Cañang
  • Canangcaan Elementary School — Canangca-an
  • Daanlungsod Elementary School — Calumpang
  • Gawi Elementary School — Gawi
  • Hagdan Elementary School — Hagdan
  • Looc Elementary School — Looc
  • Mainit Elementary School — Mainit
  • Manlum Primary School — Manlum
  • Nueva Caceres Elementary School — Nueva Caceres
  • Oslob Central Elementary School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
  • Tan-awan Elementary School — Tan-awan

High schools:

  • Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School — Sitio Sayaw, Cañang
  • Oslob National High School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
  • Pungtod National High School — Pungtod
  • Tan-awan National High School — Tan-awan

Integrated schools:

  • Cansaloay Integrated School — Cansaloay
  • Tumalog Integrated School — Tumalog

Private schools:

  • St. Mary's Academy — J.P. Rizal Street, Poblacion

References

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  1. ^ Municipality of Oslob | (DILG)
  2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Oslob: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  7. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  8. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  9. ^ "Province of Cebu". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  12. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  13. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  14. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  16. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  17. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  18. ^ Department of Tourism 2015.
  19. ^ a b Cabigas 2009.
  20. ^ Inquirer 2008.
  21. ^ Cabigas 2008.
  22. ^ 9°25′58″N 123°23′09″E / 9.43278°N 123.38583°E / 9.43278; 123.38583
  23. ^ Henares 2010.
  24. ^ Alcala & Russ (2006) cited in "Apo and Sumilon Islands, Philippines". Protect Planet Ocean. 2009. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011.
  25. ^ sparksph (2022-06-04). "Sumilon Island and Sandbar in Cebu". Suroy.ph. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
  26. ^ Everything Cebu 2011.
  27. ^ Sparks, Ph (June 6, 2022). "Tumalog Falls is an Amazing Falls in Oslob, Cebu". Suroy.ph.
  28. ^ Cabigas 2014.

Sources

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