Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur

Lakewood, officially the Municipality of Lakewood (Lungsod sa Lakewood; Subanen: Benwa Danaw; Chavacano: Municipalidad de Lakewood; Bayan ng Lakewood), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,559 people.

Etymology
The old name of Lakewood is Danaw Likowai and Tubod is Obod. Its name derives from the Cebuano term tubod which means "spring". Its current name derived from Lake Wood, a large lake on which the poblacion is located.

History
The municipality was founded on November 11, 1977, when Barangays Gatub and Bagong Kahayag of the Municipality of Kumalarang and Barangays Lakewood, Bolalawan, Sebugay, Bisuangan, Lokoan, Backing, Dagum, Sapang Pinolis, Tubod, Gasa, Tiwales and Matalang of the Municipality of Lapuyan were separated and formed into an independent municipality. The most popular species of fish in the province can only be caught in the lake: the carpa and porang.

The Subanen tribe is the major ethnic group living in the suburban areas; they cultivate vegetables and corn for their own use. Subanens have their own language, but they also speak Cebuano as a common language for conversation.

Barangays
Lakewood is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
 * Bagong Kahayag
 * Baking
 * Biswangan
 * Bululawan
 * Dagum
 * Gasa
 * Gatub
 * Lukuan
 * Matalang
 * Poblacion (Lakewood proper)
 * Sapang Pinoles
 * Sebuguey
 * Tiwales
 * Tubod

Tourism

 * Paved Walkway along the lake in Poblacion.
 * Baka Falls in Barangay Gasa
 * Majestic Waterfalls in Sitio Lanayan of Brgy. Gasa
 * Trekking/Mountaineering and overview at Mount Sirungan, the peak of Lakewood
 * Boating at the lake
 * Trekking at Sitio Sawá to Pegampuan to Biswangan
 * Cycling at Biswangan to Gasa Road

Health
It has a hospital, the Singidas Medical Clinic, which is regarded as the cleanest hospital of the town.

Notable personalities

 * Felip Jhon Suson a.k.a. Ken - member of Filipino pop boy band, SB19