Moalboal, Cebu
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Moalboal is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 27,398 people.
Extending as a peninsula in the Southwestern tip of Cebu, Moalboal is bordered to the west by the Tañon Strait. From the western shoreline, the island of Negros can be seen. Moalboal is located 89 kilometers from Cebu City, about 2.5 hours by bus.
Moalboal is nestled between the towns of Alcantara and Badian. From the tulay, an unfinished bridge located in Moalboal's town proper, Badian Island can be clearly seen, as well as the popular tourist attraction, Pescador Island.
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[edit] Demographics
The people of Moalboal are members of the Cebuano linguistic group, which is a mix of Austronesian, Spanish, and Chinese ancestry. Locals often call themselves Moalboalanons, taken from the name of their town. The "Moalboalanons" said they came from the "Boholanon" decscents.
Though majority of the people in Moalboal are Cebuanos, a few members of cultural minorities have found their way in her shores. Bajaus who are similar to Muslim nomads, are often seen in the streets, especially during the holiday season, as some of them make their living by begging. There is no evidence though that the badjaos have taken their permanent residence in the town. The first settlers was said[Please name specific person or group] to be a legendary Boholano fugitive named Laguno Sabanal.
The dominant language of the town is Cebuano. However, being separated by several mountain ranges from their Northern neighbors, the Cebuano in Moalboal has some subtle differences from that spoken in the city. For instance, terms such as asgad, which means salty, is not used by many Cebuanos in the city, using the more common term of parat instead. The intonation is also different from that of the city dwelling Cebuanos. They start at a low range voice and ends in a high range tone, similar to Boholanon.
[edit] Economy
[edit] Industry and trade
Moalboal is a peninsula and as such, it is a town almost entirely surrounded by water. Majority of the people who live in the flat lands engage in fishing as their main mode of livelihood. Those who live in the mountain regions, like Agbalanga and Bala, live through farming.
The common mode of transportation is by motorcycles with side cars, known locally as pedicabs or, depending on the distance, tricycles with side cars, called tri-sikad. However, due to the burgeoning economy of the whole province, tiny jeepneys or multicabs can now be seen in many of the rural areas, transporting people from Moalboal to many of its nearby towns.
[edit] Tourism
Since the 1970s, Moalboal has developed a tourism industry based on diving and beaches. The municipality had the sole two white sand beaches on the western shore of Cebu Island, the Panagsama Beach, where most resorts are established and the White beach at Barangay Savedra, which used to be a quieter beach that locals frequent, has only recently developed.
Tourists wanting to stay in Moalboal can easily take a taxi from Cebu International Airport. It should cost around 2000 Pesos, the ride take around 2.5 hours. Other ways to get to Moalboal would be to take a taxi to the Liberando bus terminal or the South Bus station across the road. Librando, Rough Riders and Ceres buses all go to Moalboal. Make sure you are on a bus going via Barili, or you will end up in the South of Cebu.
In Moalboal most tourists stay at Panagsama Beach. There is plenty of accommodation on the beach. The tricycle drivers normally drop you off at the main square. At the main square you will find Eve’s kiosk, a bungalow hotel and Nelsons Dive Shop. Both are high class and you can always leave your baggage at the safe dive shop to look for other accommodation.
Some of the best diving in the world can be had in Moalboal. Do NOT leave before you have done a dive at Pescador Island.
Entertainment is laid back and not for clubbers. The most popular bars at the moment are "Beach Bar" and " Chili Bar ", you can have a beer for less than 75 Cents US there.
Other than diving there’s White Beach for a tan. Planet Action Adventure will take you for mountain climbing, river climbing, horse back riding or just a bit of mountain biking.
[edit] Barangays
Moalboal is politically subdivided into 15 barangays.
- Agbalanga
- Bala
- Balabagon
- Basdiot
- Batadbatad
- Bugho
- Buguil
- Busay
- Lanao
- Poblacion East
- Poblacion West
- Saavedra
- Tomonoy
- Tuble
- Tunga
[edit] History
According to lore, Moalboal has a spring where many of the locals get their water. Once, a foreigner asked a woman with a cleft what the place was called. The woman thought he was asking her about the spring so she said that it was a bukal-bukal. However, because of her speech impediment, her words came out sounding like Moalboal and that was how the town got its name.
Another story is one of Laguno, a local warrior who was exiled from his hometown in Bohol. He and his family eventually came to the shores of Moalboal and settled there. Laguno had a yam-yam or oracion, a native prayer used to repel his enemies, and he used this to protect his home when moro invaders came. Legend goes that Laguno instructed his men to throw coconut husks into the water, then with the use of yam-yam, Laguno made it appear that the coconut husks were real men. Seeing that there were many warriors ready to defend the settlement, the moro invaders left. Laguno was reverred by his people after that and when he died, it was said[Please name specific person or group] that his body was buried near a freshwater spring located, strangely enough, on the beach. His men placed a large tree trunk over his burial ground so as not to disturb him and it is said[Please name specific person or group] that even today, that trunk still exists. Whenever anyone tried to chop the trunk, it would bleed.
The street fronting the Municipal Hall of Moalboal is called Laguno Street in honor of the warrior. Laguno's burial ground is said[Please name specific person or group] to be located underneath the mangroves near the tulay. The spring still exists today.
[edit] External links
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Category:Municipalities of Cebu
