San Jose, Negros Oriental

San Jose (Lungsod sa San Jose; Bayan ng San Jose), officially the Municipality of San Jose, is a 5th class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,956 people. It is the least populous town in Negros Oriental.

San Jose is 14 km from Dumaguete.

History
The municipality of San Jose was formerly called "Ayuquitan", a name that was born due to a communication problem between the natives and Spanish Conquistadors. The story was that one day a group of Spaniards searching for flourishing communities came upon a group of natives harvesting rice. The Spaniards approached the natives and asked the name of the place while pointing to the ground filled with piles of rice chaffs. The natives thought they were asked for the name of the pile and answered "Inoquitan". From then on, the Spaniards called the place "Inoquitan". In time, the name "Ayuquitan" was adapted from the phrase "may inoquitan". In 1902 Governor Demetrio Larena considered the place as a pueblo. Pioneer Spanish Merchant is Manuel Pastor. San Jose is the home of the old Spanish families settled since 1871 like the Patero, Amiscaray, Larena, Pareja, Siglos, Remollo, Renacia, Remata, Araco, Tatel and Remoto.

San Jose was created as a town in 1954 from the barrios of Ayuquitan, Basak, Basiao, Cambaloctot, Calo, Cancawas, Hanay-Hanay, Jilocon, Lalaan, Naiba, Tapon Norte, Tampi, and sitios Guinsayawan, Kang-atid, Kangdajonog, Guilongsoran and Kaputihanan of the barrio of Siapo, all of which formerly belonged to the former municipality of Ayuquitan and then part of the municipality of Amlan.

Barangays
San Jose is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Education
The public schools in the town of San Jose are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Negros Oriental.

Elementary schools:
 * Alicia C. Calumpang Elementary School — Naiba
 * Basak Elementary School — Basak
 * Cancawas Elementary School — Cancawas
 * Crisostomo O. Retes Elementary School (formerly Tampi ES) — Tampi
 * Guilongsoran Primary School — Sitio Guilongsoran, Siapo
 * Janayjanay Elementary School — Janayjanay
 * Jose R. Remollo Elementary School — Cambaloctot
 * Pedro A. Remoto Elementary School — Jilocon
 * San Jose Central Elementary School — Nat'l Highway, Poblacion
 * San Roque Elementary School — San Roque
 * Siapo Elementary School — Siapo
 * Sra. Ascion Elementary School (formerly Calo ES) — Sra. Ascion
 * Tapon Norte Elementary School — Tapon Norte

High schools:
 * Cambaloctot High School — Cambaloctot
 * Crisostomo O. Retes National High School (formerly Tampi NHS) — Tampi
 * San Jose Provincial High School — Poblacion
 * Siapo High School — Siapo

Tourism
The town is the gateway to the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park in Enrique Villanueva, Sibulan Town.

One of the tourist attraction of the town was the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in the cane fields of Sto. Niño, where a spinning sun is said to have manifested the visit of the Lady of Lourdes, devotees flock every Saturday of the month.

The Ayuquitan Festival is held every May 7, one of the highlights of the town fiesta which is celebrated on May 10. Street dancing and showdown are the main features of the festival.

The St. Paul University Farm is located in Barangay Sra. Acion.

The Port of Tampi also serves RORO services going to the island of Cebu through the Port of Bato in the municipality of Samboan.