Tudela, Misamis Occidental

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of Misamis Occidental showing the location of Tudela

Tudela is a fourth class municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 23,047 people in 4,617 households. Tudela is widely known for its colorful Binalbal Festival (very much like a giant Halloween costume party, where many revelers are clad in very gory costumes) held every New Year's Day (Jan. 1).Close to the border of Tudela and Sinacaban, its neighboring town to the north, is the beautiful and popular eco-tourism attraction called Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park,known for its sactuary for dolphins (and other endangered sea animals) on Moapy Island, a ten-minute boat ride away from its other attraction which is located along the mangroves of Tigdok and Libertad Bajo, baranggays of Tudela and Sinacaban, respectively - a wildlife park that serves as sanctuary for other endangered animals like the monkey-eating eagleand the tarsier found in the forests of nearby Mt. Malindang (a national park and another eco-tourism attraction in the area). For hotel accommodations, the park offered very comfortable, fully air-conditioned, local hut-inspired suite cottages built along the mangroves.

[edit] History

Originally, Tudela had 36 barangays. Today it has 33 barangays since 1995. The 3 other barangays namely Tuno, Lalud and Lampasan were annexed to the newly created municipality of Don Victoriano.

During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, Tudela was previously known as Simbalagon. In 1847, a Spaniard named Juan Tejada founded the sitio of Simbalagon (after Simbalagon River, a tributary of Clarin River).

The origin of its name is ambiguous. One version claims that a certain Father Jimenez, a Spanish priest, changed its name from Simbalagon to Tudela after his birthplace in Spain. The other version states that in 1854 another Spanish priest named Apolinario Tudela was assigned in the town of Misamis (presently, the City of Ozamis). Simbalagon, at that time a sitio of Misamis, was later renamed Tudela in honor of the priest.

On February 2, 1921, during the American occupation, Governor General Francis Burton Harrison, through the efforts of Senator Jose F. Clarin, created the Municipality of Tudela through Executive Order No. 61 Series of 1920.