Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

Lake Sebu, officially the Municipality of Lake Sebu (Tboli: Benwu Sbù, ; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Sëbu ; Tagalog: Bayan ng Sëbu), is a 1st class municipality in the province of South Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,221 people.

The bestselling Lonely Planet described Lake Sebu as a place located in a "bowl of forests and mountains". The 42,450-hectare landscape consisting the domains of the Allah Valley is recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a cultural landscape in Mindanao.

Geography
The placid lake of Lake Sebu can be found in Allah Valley near the municipality of Surallah, South Cotabato. Surrounded by rolling hills and mountains covered with thick rain forest, the lake has an area of 354 ha, with an elevation of approximately 1000 m.

Barangays
Lake Sebu is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.


 * Bacdulong
 * Denlag
 * Halilan
 * Hanoon
 * Klubi
 * Lake Lahit
 * Lamcade
 * Lamdalag
 * Lamfugon
 * Lamlahak
 * Lower Maculan
 * Luhib
 * Ned
 * Poblacion
 * Siloton
 * Lake Seloton
 * Talisay
 * Takunel
 * Upper Maculan
 * Tasiman

Demographics
The lake's shores and the surrounding rainforest are home to the Indigenous Tbolis, Tirurays, Ubos, and Manobos. One of the major tribes, the Tbolis are known for their weaving skills and brassware production as well as fishing skills. The rest of the population are made of Maguindanaons, Ilonggos, Cebuanos, Bicolanos, and Ilocanos.

Economy
The economy is based on aquaculture of Tilapia grown in large fish cages floating in the lake. More than one half of the land around the lake is cultivated for agriculture. The Philippine government is also trying to promote ecotourism in the area. The finishing of a concrete road cut the travel time from 4 hours to less than 30 minutes greatly improving trade and commerce.

Wildlife
Wild boars and Philippine Deer which are considered endangered live around the lake. The lake and the surrounding rainforest are natural habitat to egrets, kingfishers, swallows, herons, Philippine cockatoos and kites.

Environmental conservation
The Philippine government proclaimed a 924.5 km2 area as a protected landscape. On the south-eastern watershed of the lake, a bamboo plantation was established.