Jimalalud

Jimalalud, officially the Municipality of Jimalalud (Lungsod sa Jimalalud; Bayan ng Jimalalud), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 32,256 people.

Jimalalud has a land area of 139.50 sqkm.

History
Jimalalud was founded in 1797 as part of Tayasan. In 1910, it was separated from Tayasan and became an independent municipality.

Boundless sugar cane fields, typical of the northern landscape, fill the lush lands of Jimalalud most months of the year. It has reported rich deposits of coal, copper, iron and related compounds of magnetite, pyrites and marcasite, but the lodes remain untouched.

In the late 1800s the Recollects built here a convent of hardwoods, an imposing structure that was reputed to be the biggest convent in the Province for over a quarter of a century. The Revolution against Spain compelled the friars to leave and the convent fell into disrepair. Jimalalud was made a town independent of Tayasan in 1910. In 1944 World War II guerillas burned down the entire town, leaving Jimalalud without a historical landmark standing. Barrio Bankal was the seat of the 7th District Government during World War II.

Most times, Jimalalud is serene and green, and the plaza is the picturesque public space for imbibing the town's pastoral ambience.

The town was also the epicenter of the 2012 Negros earthquake.

Geography
Jimalalud has a land area of 139.50 square kilometers (53.86 sq mi). It is located 97 km from Dumaguete, the province's capital. The town is bounded by La Libertad to the north and Tayasan in the south. It faces the Tañon Strait in the east while the eastern part is mostly the mountainous part of the municipality.

Barangays
Jimalalud is politically subdivided into 28 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

The barangays North and South Poblacion serve as the center of governance, trade & commerce.

Economy
The annual regular revenue of Jimalalud for the fiscal year of 2016 was ₱86,004,882.49, according to the record from the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

Hambabalud Festival
Each 13-15th day of January, the town celebrated its annual fiesta with "Sinulog de Jimalalud" as one of the highlight event. The pageantry of its revived Sinulog keeps Jimalalud's religious and cultural heritage alive in a colorful way. Fiesta time and other special occasions usually bring on the town's stallions for the exciting, if brutal, spectacle of the Paaway sa Kabayo.

Education
The public schools in the town of Jimalalud are administered by two school districts under the Schools Division of Negros Oriental.

Elementary schools:


 * Aglahug Elementary School — Aglahug
 * Agutayon Primary School — Agutayon
 * Apanangon Elementary School — Apanangon
 * Bae Elementary School — Bae
 * Balaas Primary School — Bala-as
 * Bangcal Elementary School — Bangcal
 * Banog Elementary School — Banog
 * Buto Primary School — Buto
 * Cabang Elementary School — Cabang
 * Camandayon Elementary School — Camandayon
 * Cangharay Elementary School — Cangharay
 * Irene Elementary School — Sitio Irene, Apanangon
 * Jimalalud Central School — Feb 25 Revolution Street, South Poblacion
 * Lacaon Elementary School — Lacaon
 * Mahanlod Elementary School — Mahanlud
 * Malabago Elementary School — Malabago
 * Mambaid Elementary School — Mambaid
 * Mongpong Primary School — Mongpong
 * Owacan Elementary School — Owacan
 * Pacuan Elementary School — Pacuan
 * Sampiniton Elementary School — Sampiniton
 * Talamban Elementary School — Talamban
 * Tamao Elementary School — Tamao
 * Yli Elementary School — Yli

High schools:
 * Bangcal High School — Bangcal
 * Jimalalud National High School — Nat'l Highway, South Poblacion
 * Jimalalud NHS - Tamao Extension — Tamao
 * Owacan Provincial Community High School — Owacan

Private schools:
 * Holy Infant Jesus Learning Center of Jimalalud, Inc. — South Poblacion
 * Infant King Academy — Nat'l Highway, South Poblacion
 * Jimalalud Christian Children Academy, Inc. — South Poblacion
 * Kiddieville Learning Center, Inc. — North Poblacion