Sibonga

Sibonga, officially the Municipality of Sibonga (Lungsod sa Sibonga; ), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 53,424 people.

Sibonga is bordered to the north by the city of Carcar, to the west are the towns of Barili and Dumanjug, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Argao. It is 50 km from Cebu City.

History
The town fiesta is every August 10 every year, this celebrates the feast of Saint Philomena & October 11 Our Lady of the Pillar. Sibonga has 2 patron saints: Saint Philomena and Our Lady of the Pillar. One of the highlights of the fiesta is the Bonga Festival which features cultural dancing and the town's local produce. It is a home of many historical houses built in the Spanish era. Tulay or wharf is a common place where people of Sibonga and visitors spend time to relax - sightseeing, camping and merely having a siesta time. The Catholic Church is one of the most beautiful Churches in Cebu. It has a beautiful Tan Tinoy Park (named after a former barrio captain Tinoy) in front of the Sibonga Municipal Office. The escuela (school) houses during the Spanish era are still standing adjacent to the Catholic Church. There is Tubig Mainit (hot water) spring in Barangay Can-aga.

Barangays
Sibonga is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Economy


Sibonga has begun developing the town to become more industrial while still preserving its natural bounty. Sibonga is abundant in root crops, corn, rice, coconuts among others. The public market is held every Saturday in Poblacion. Each barangay has its own agora or marketplace with its own specific days of function. For example, in Barangay Papan, people from neighboring barangays convene in every Thursday for trade.

Sibonga now has Sibonga Community College which offers 4-year courses to its inhabitants.

Pastores de Sibonga
Pastores de Sibonga is a short Christmas play that narrates the nativity as performed in Magcagong. The play depicts the shepherds' adoration of the child Jesus. Pastores de Sibonga dates back to the 1920s.

Pastores de Sibonga is performed by at least four dancers. The female dancer wears a red blouse or shirt paired with a long white skirt. The male dancer wears a red shirt paired with black pants. Accessories include a round hat decorated with cut-outs of the sun, moon and stars in yellow, red, green, and other brightly colored papers together with a yellow sash placed across the body. It is performed using red fans and white handkerchiefs. An oval-shaped native fan is used and held by the right hand during the performance. The white square handkerchief is held by the left hand folded into a triangular shape.

The accompaniment music is a rondalla: an ensemble of stringed instruments (guitar, bandurria, and banjo), played with the plectrum. The lyrics tell of the pre-nativity, nativity, and post-nativity settings. It expresses happiness, joy, and worship, and offers praises and gifts for Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Education
The public schools in the town of Sibonga are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:


 * Abugon Elementary School — Abugon
 * Bae Elementary School — Bae
 * Bahay-Bagacay Elementary School — Bahay
 * Banlot Elementary School — Banlot
 * Basak Elementary School — Basak
 * Cagay Elementary School — Cagay
 * Can-aga Elementary School — Can-aga
 * Candaguit Elementary School — Candaguit
 * Cantolaroy Elementary School — Cantolaroy
 * Cansantic Elementary School — Sitio Cansantic, Bato
 * Guimbangcoan Elementary School — Guimbangco-an
 * Lamacan Elementary School — Lamacan
 * Libo Elementary School — Libo
 * Lindogon Elementary School — Lindogon
 * Magcagong Elementary School — Magcagong
 * Manatad Elementary School — Manatad
 * Mangyan Elementary School — Mangyan
 * Papan Elementary School — Papan
 * Sabang Elementary School — Sabang
 * Sayao Elementary School — Sayao
 * Sibonga Central Elementary School — R. Bacaltos Street, Poblacion
 * Simala Elementary School — Simala
 * Tubod Elementary School — Tubod

High schools:
 * Julian Enad Memorial National High School — Lamacan
 * Manatad National High School — Manatad
 * Mangyan National High School — Mangyan
 * Sibonga National High School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
 * Teodoro dela Vega Memorial National High School — Papan

Notable personalities

 * Gloria Sevilla – actress
 * Amapola Cabase – singer, musician, actress