Balamban, officially the Municipality of Balamban (; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 98,170 people. Balamban is known for its shipbuilding industry.

History

There is no exact date which can be ascertained as the establishment date for the settlement of Balamban.

According to oral history, a polity called Balambang was part of a pre-Hispanic

The Cebu Transcentral Highway was constructed in the 1990s improving the accessibility of Balamban with Cebu City.

Geography

thumb|Aerial view of Balamban

Balamban is bordered to the north by the town of Asturias, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is Cebu City, and to the south is the City of Toledo. It is from Cebu City.

Barangays

Balamban is politically subdivided into 28 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

thumb|Town center

Economy

thumb|[[Tsuneishi Shipbuilding's Cebu shipyard in Balamban.]]

thumb|A fruit stall in Balamban

Shipbuilding is a major industry of the town of Balamban since the 1990s. Among the prominent firms with shipyards in the town is Austal Philippines, Tsuneishi and Metaphil at the West Cebu Industrial Park.

Farming is another source of livelihood for residents with corn, crops and vegetables among the important crops. The municipality is also the only source of abaca fibers in Cebu produced in a plantation in Mount Manunggal in barangay Magsaysay.

Cannabis has also been illicitly cultivated in Magsaysay and other mountainous barangays of Balamban which is discouraged by the government and has encouraged farmers to grow alternative crops including abaca.

Government

The following were the mayors of Balamban:

  • Eufracio Yntig (1945–1946)
  • Rizalina Migallos (1947–1955)
  • Exasperanza Sanchez-Binghay (1955 – 1967)
  • Socrates Gonzalez (1967–1986)
  • Vicenta Dumdum (OIC; 1986–1987)
  • Jose Narvios Jr. (March–June 1998)
  • Alex Binghay (1988–1998)
  • Marcelo Ike Pilapil (1998–2001)
  • Alex Binghay (2001–2010)
  • Ace Stefan Binghay (2010–2019)
  • Alex Binghay (2019–2022)
  • Ace Stefan Binghay (2022–2025)

References

  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]