Dalaguete, officially the Municipality of Dalaguete (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Dalaguete; Tagalog: Bayan ng Dalaguete), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 74,596 people.[3]
Located 84 kilometers (52 mi) south of Cebu City, Dalaguete is bordered to the north by the town of Argao, to the west are the towns of Badian and Alegria, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Alcoy.
Dalaguete offers one of the trails to Cebu's highest mountain, the Osmeña Peak.
History
The dalakit (Ficus benjamina) tree is the foundation of the origin and name of Dalaguete.
The natives look upon the tree not for its gigantic size, nor for its fruit which is of no use, but rather for the religious observance of the natives.
They highly consider this tree for their belief that it harbors spirits or diwatas who could impose sickness if maltreated or hand in fortunes and gifts if placated. When fully grown, the intertwining roots are exposed from the earth and form huge caverns that could house several people.[5]
In ancient times, before the coming of the Spaniards, these trees had been used by people as major landmarks. People gathered under the encompassing shades and conduct social and economic activities such as festivities, contest, trading meetings, and other community gatherings. They establish market places under the shades of the dalaket where they sell their products and conduct trade with local roving traders bringing in Chinese and Asiatic goods from the port of Cebu.[5]
The place where the church or the poblacion were laid would have been the site of a communal gathering area for the natives. It was also the abode of a huge dalakit tree which provide shade and shelter while people conduct their activities. "Adto ta mag-abot sa dalakit". "Adto ta magtigom-tigom sa dalakit" [Let us meet at the dalakit]. These and other phrases were common among locals of centuries past when coming up with an agreement to meet or conduct an activity specifically at the site where the dalakit is situated. For several generations in pre-Hispanic Dalaguete, the area has always been unofficially called as dalakit. Its accessibility and its reputation as a communal area for community gathering have prompted the Spanish authorities to construct the church and eventually establish the area as part of an encomienda. From this common ground, and from this tree, begun the conception of a larger town which later come to be known as Dalaguete.[5]
Geography
Osmeña peak in Mantalongon, Dalaguete
Land characteristics
Land Area: 15,496 hectares (38,290 acres)
Topography: 85% hilly and mountainous with more than 30% slope
Land Use:
45% protected area and watersheds
30% agriculture (prime area for vegetable production in the province)
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) [6]
Tropical climate prevails year round in Dalaguete. The temperature is high and varies little with a difference of about 3 °C (5.4 °F) between the coldest month which occurs around January and hottest month around May. The mountain barangays are cold and Mantalongon is considered the "Little Baguio of Cebu". Average daytime temperatures except in mountainous region range from 22.2 to 32.1 °C (72.0 to 89.8 °F). Humidity is 77%.
Barangays
Dalaguete town proper
Dalaguete is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
Cottage industry: blanket & mat weaving, basket making
Mineral Resources: ice stones, lime red stone, lime pink stones, wood stones, phosphate, coal
Utanon Festival
Dalaguete celebrates its annual town fiesta in honor of its patron saint, San Guillermo, every 9 and 10 February. One of the highlights of the celebration is the street dancing and showdown competition called "Utanon Festival".
Utanon Festival is also a form of thanksgiving for all the blessings and graces the Dalaguetenons have received from San Guillermo and for giving them a place so rich in agriculture and music. Utanon Festival is a celebration of good harvest through dance and music. The town is known as the "Vegetable Basket of Cebu" and Mantalongon as the "Summer Capital of Cebu".
(Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Cebu by the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, qualified voters in Mandaue are allowed to vote in elections for Cebu provincial officials by virtue of Republic Act No. 6641, in accordance with Section 452-c of the Local Government Code of 1991.)
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