Dalaguete, officially the Municipality of Dalaguete ( ceb, Lungsod sa Dalaguete; tgl, Bayan ng Dalaguete), is a 1st class
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Cebu
Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 16 ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 74,596 people.
Located 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
Cebu Strait (Tagalog: ''Kipot ng Cebú''; also Bohol Strait) is a strait in the Central Visayas region in the Philippines.
Geography
The Cebu Strait (and its 3 channels, the Mactan, the Olango, & the Hilutangan) connects the western part of the ...
, and to the south is the town of
Alcoy
Alcoy ( ca-valencia, Alcoi) is an industrial and university city, region and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Serpis river crosses the municipal boundary of Alcoy. The local authority reported a population of 61,135 res ...
.
Dalaguete offers one of the trails to Cebu's highest
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
, the Osmeña Peak.
History
The dalakit (''
Ficus benjamina
''Ficus benjamina'', commonly known as weeping fig, benjamin fig or ficus tree, and often sold in stores as just ficus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae, native to Asia and Australia. It is the official tree of Bangkok. The ...
'') tree is the foundation of the origin and name of Dalaguete.
They highly consider this tree for their belief that it harbors spirits or ''
diwata
''Anito'', also spelled ''anitu'', refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associa ...
s'' 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.
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.
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"''
et 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.
Geography
Land characteristics
* Land Area:
* 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)
** 6% built-up area (proj. 2010: 6 - 15%)
Climate
Tropical climate prevails year round in Dalaguete. The temperature is high and varies little with a difference of about 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
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
of Cebu". Average daytime temperatures except in mountainous region range from . Humidity is 77%.
Barangays
Dalaguete comprises 33 barangays:
Demographics
Religions
Economy
![Palengke - Dalaguete Public Market 01 by Flypegassus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Palengke_-_Dalaguete_Public_Market_01_by_Flypegassus.jpg)
* Agriculture: farming, fishing
* Products: vegetables, fish
* 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".
References
Sources
*
External links
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Cebu