Toboso
Municipality
Municipality of Toboso
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  Asenso pa, Toboso!
Map of Negros Occidental with Toboso highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Toboso Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°43′N 123°31′E / 10.72°N 123.52°E / 10.72; 123.52
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Negros Occidental
District	1st district
Barangays	9 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Madonnah M. Jaojoco
• Vice Mayor	Maria Luisa B. dela Cruz
• Representative	Gerardo P. Valmayor Jr.
• Municipal Council	Members Richard M. Jaojoco Jonel R. Rosa-ot John Paul B. dela Cruz Edgar M. Agabon Efren A. Mandajoyan Marilyn C. Bedonia Jose A. Ballesteros Romeo S. Leyte
• Electorate	31,371 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	117.33 km2 (45.30 sq mi)
Elevation	110 m (360 ft)
Highest elevation	928 m (3,045 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	43,445
• Density	370/km2 (960/sq mi)
• Households	10,968
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	20.26 % (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 159.8 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 523.3 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 139.6 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 158.1 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6125
PSGC	064529000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)34
Native languages	Hiligaynon Tagalog Cebuano
Website	municipalityoftoboso.com

Toboso, officially the Municipality of Toboso (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Toboso; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Toboso; Tagalog: Bayan ng Toboso), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 43,445 people.^[3]

Toboso is 114 kilometres (71 mi) from Bacolod and 198 kilometres (123 mi) from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental.

History

The site of what would become Toboso dated back to the precolonial period. The center of the original settlement was first known as Sag-ahan, an archaic word which means in the Cebuano language "to take out or catch fish by the hands" because fish were abundant in the coast and rivers, and eventually lent its name to the contemporary barangay Sagahan.

Upon Spanish colonization, the community was named Toboso in honor of a similar settlement in Spain, El Toboso, famous for appearing in the novel Don Quixote by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, as the town in which the fictional character Dulcinea del Toboso lives. Toboso was then a barrio of Municipality of Escalante. Like many other settlements on the eastern coast of Negros, the community of Toboso had expanded with the coming of immigrants from the island of Cebu and developed extensively in fishing, agriculture and commerce.

During early period of American colonization of the Philippines, more impetus was dedicated to a sugarcane mill called the Central Azucarera del Danao at Labilabi, 6 kilometers from Toboso. The development of the sugar industry was started and gave livelihood to members of the community of Toboso.

After Philippine Independence, Toboso continued to thrive as a part of Escalante until Executive Order No. 141 was signed by president Elpidio Quirino "Organizing Certain Barrios of the Municipality of Escalante, Province of Negros Occidental, into an Independent Municipality Under the Name "Toboso". The chartering executive order states:^[5]

Starting from the month of Salamanca River, upstream following the course of this river to its intersection with Tinobaga Creek; thence following the course of this creek to B.B.M. No. 6; thence running in a straight line to B.B.M. No. 5; thence following the course of the Aglolomot Creek until it intersects latitude 10° 45′; thence in a straight east-to-west line which coincides with latitude 10° 45′ to its intersection with the present Escalante-Sagay boundary line; thence southwestward following the said Escalante-Sagay boundary line to the point where it intersects the present Escalante-Calatrava boundary line; thence southeastward following the Escalante-Calatrava boundary line, then the Escalante-San Carlos boundary line as shown in the boundary and index map of Escalante cadastre, B.L. case No. 2, surveyed July, 1917, to October, 1918, by survey party No. 19 of the Bureau of Lands, passing through M.B.M. No. 2, to M.B.M. No. 1, on the shore of Tañon Strait.

The organization herein made shall take effect on July 1, 1948.

Geography

The municipality of Toboso is located on the northeastern side of the province of Negros Occidental and is facing the island of Cebu. It is bounded on the southwest by the municipality of Calatrava; northwest by the city of Sagay; north by the city of Escalante and east by Tañon Strait. The shoreline runs along the Tañon Strait from Calatrava boundary to the Escalante boundary facing east.

Barangays

Toboso is politically subdivided into 9 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bandilla^[6]
• Bug-ang
• General Luna
• Magticol
• Poblacion
• Salamanca
• San Isidro
• San Jose
• Tabun-ac

Climate

Demographics

Language

The inhabitants speak Cebuano (95.34%), followed by Hiligaynon (4.27%). Tagalog and English are widely used in schools, businesses, and government offices.

Economy

Economic progress in Toboso is sluggish due to the limited number of business establishments. It is commonly tagged as "one of the municipalities with a high number of poverty incidence in Negros Occidental". Since its municipality recognition on July 1, 1948, the town struggled to be at par with its neighboring cities like Escalante, Sagay, San Carlos and the town of Calatrava.^[12]

Economy primarily depends on sugarcane production, the plantations of which constitute largest land use, 4,746 hectares and produced 237,300 metric tons of sugarcane on 2019. Coconut production harvested 4,100 metric tons on the same year. Corn, livestock raising, poultry, game fowl and fishing are also major contributors to local economy. Inhabitants often find work in neighboring provinces (engage in shipbuilding). Others work as Overseas Filipino Workers, others engage in handicraft business. Some choose food preparations and forming of local, small businesses.

Tourism

The Mainit Hot Springs are located in the area of the Barangay San Isidro, twelve kilometers from the town center. Kampanoy Cave, located on the territory of Barangay General Luna, has a spacious interior which resembles a dome cathedral, next to the coast and is inhabited by Edible-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) which in recent years has been damaged because of phosphate mining. Trangkalan Cave is located in Brgy. Magticol, until recently it was used for native folk religious acts. The magnificent 250 meter high cascades of the Dalisun Waterfalls are located near Sitio Vergara, Brgy. Bug-ang. Offshore Toboso is the 200-acre/80 hectare Kevin's Reef, a 10-minute boat ride away.

Notable personalities

• Ambrocio Dogomeo, barangay councilor of Bandilla who received the 1995 Sajid Bulig Award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for his heroism in helping residents evacuate to an elementary school building during Typhoon Pepang.^[6]