Malabuyoc is a 5th class municipality of Cebu Province and one of the 15 towns under the 2nd congressional district of the province. It is located in the southwest portion of the island, about 126 kilometers away from the main city.
The town is bounded by the municipality of Alegria on the north, the municipality of Ginatilan on the south and the municipality of the Boljoon on the east. It faces the turbulent waters of the Tañon Strait on the west.
The town covered a total land area of 8,819 hectares and is subdivided by 14 barangays namely: Armenia (Cansilongan), Tolosa (Calatagan), Cerdeña (Ansan), Labrador (Bulod), Lo-oc, Lombo, Mahanlud, Mindanao (Pajo), Montañeza (Inamlang), Salmeron (Bulok), Santo Niño (Saliring), Sorsogon (Balikmaya), Barangay I (Poblacion Uno) and Barangay II (Poblacion Dos).
Its topography is classified as gently sloping to rough terrain. The highest elevation is 600 meters above the sea level. Only 2% of the total land area is reserved for Forest/ Reservation/ Timberland.
The prime moving industries in Malabuyoc are agriculture and fishing. The farmers focus on fruit-bearing trees though they also supplies coconut, corn, rice and bamboo lumbers to neighboring towns and cities. Being a coastal town, the sea provides for the daily consumption of fish and other seafood to the residents.
How The Town Got Its Name:
Malabuyoc was known for its fruit bearing trees like mangoes, lanzones, cacao and others that are growing profusely in the place. The branches of the trees are weighted down by the heavy weight of the fruits. The sight was called “Buyoc” in Visayan dialect and thus the place was named “Malabuyoc”.
History:
Before the place was declared as an independent political unit, Malabuyoc was once part of the town of Samboan. On June 16, 1834, a parish was created and chose San Nicolas Tolentino as its patron, after whom the Recollect province was named.
Aside from the church, another structure which reminds of the town’s tragic past and glorious victory is the coastal watchtower or “Bantayan Sa Hari”. It was part of the network of defenses designed to thwart the attack plans of the Moro pirates who sabotaged the place and its people.
The town also boasts of natural wonders that other towns doesn’t have. Tourists frequently visit the place for its towering waterfalls, refreshing streams and rivers, the exciting trekking in the mountain ranges or the rejuvenating hot springs and pools.
How To Get There:
You can ride any public buses or hire private V-Hires (vans) from the Cebu South Terminal in Cebu City. Expect a long trip with an estimated travel time of 3 hours nonstop. So, be early before traffic catches you.
To get the west coast easily, you can transverse through Toledo road through the mountains. It is a historic road constructed by American engineers early in the century.
