BALAMBAN, CEBU

Are you looking for your next travel stop as you explore Western Cebu?

Pack your bags, as this article will guide you with important information about the municipality of Balamban that you need to understand first together with the best destinations to include in your bucket list before you book that next flight – a tranquil experience awaits you!

Balamban, Cebu

Balamban is a 1st class municipality that has quickly developed into an industrial town in Cebu with a total land area of 337.00 square km that has served as a home for approximately 95,136 Cebuanos especially because of its growing shipbuilding industry and great landscape for tourism in the modern time as the Trans-Central Highway connects the area to the mountainous region of Cebu City.

Where is Balamban, Cebu?

Balamban, Cebu is located 31 km North 40 Degrees about 30 minutes West of Cebu City along the northwestern coast of Cebu which is bordered by the town of Asturias on the North, City of Toledo on the South, Tañon Strait on the West, and City of Danao and Compostela on the East with the coordinates: 10° 28′N 123° 47′E.

How to get to Balamban, Cebu

From Cebu South Terminal located in Cebu City, you can opt to ride a van via Trans-Central Highway for approximately 1 hour of travel duration or through buses via Naga-Uling with an estimated time of arrival of 2 hours ranging from Php 60 to Php 170.

Local Government of Balamban, Cebu

Vision

Municipality of Balamban, a world class shipbuilder in the Midwest of Cebu, is a premier industrial hub which is an economically and socially progressive community living in a just, healthy, disaster resilient and climate change adaptive environment with strong, responsible and humane leadership with proactive and God-centered citizenry.

Mission

The Municipality of Balamban has the mission to uplift the quality of life in every constituents by providing their basic needs, promoting the positive Filipino values among the families, ensuring a just and humane society, through a committed public service, maintaining a clean environment and implementing programs and projects for the development of a healthy economy and highly competent technology. 

Contact Details 

If you have any queries regarding the municipality of Balamban, Cebu, you can email their General Services Office at gso@balambancebu.gov.ph. Moreover, if you are interested in visiting the area not just to unwind and travel but also to get to know the region more, you can ask for assistance from their Municipal Tourism Office at tourism@balambancebu.gov.ph. 

Barangays

Balamban is divided into 28 barangays wherein:

• 19 are landlocked including: (Bayong, Biasong, Cabagdalan, Cabasiangan, Cambuhawe, Cantibas, Cansomoroy, Duangan, Gaas, Ginatilan, Hingatmonan, Lamesa, Liki, Luca, Magsaysay, Matun-og, Prenza, Singsing and Vito)
• the rest are part of the coastal areas (Abucayan, Aliwanay, Arpili, Baliwagan, Buanoy, Cantu-od, Nangka, Pondol, and Sta. Cruz – Sto. Niño).

History of Balamban, Cebu

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the whole region was a densely forested area covered in thick vegetation except for a very narrow strip along the coastline. 

Once they have arrived on the land, they are disappointed to discover that there is not even one house to exist as it has already been robbed by the Moro pirates known as pillaging, forcing the indigenous people in the area called as the Kangmas move internally in the region. 

Soon as the Spaniards have located the Kanga territory, the Kangmas expressed no fear nor hesitation as they already gained familiarity with the Spanish settlements in the Barangay of Zebu who have taught them to link their arms to stimulate the seat of a chair which is referred to a local term known as “Balang balang”. 

The locals even communicated with the white men who asked for the name of their location but given that their knowledge is still limited, they responded the same actions almost in every question which has been accepted by the Spanish and soon shortened into “Bangbang” for ease of pronunciation.

However, due to excessive flood that has destroyed the natives’ stone houses, they were forced to transfer to the town’s current location with regards to the civil authorities until the area has changed to its present name of Balamban as several generations have already passed.

In 1745, Balamban became a town “pueblo” as attested by Spanish documents recognizing its existence during the Spanish colonial period. Ciriaco Gutierrez, a Spanish Captain, it its first administrator.

Balamban City ?

House Bill No. 1547 was filed by Congressman Pablo John Garcia on July 8, 2019. The said bill aims to convert the first class municipality of Balamban, as a component city in the province of Cebu.

Main Industries of Balamban, Cebu

Agriculture

In the past, Balamban was only an agricultural community. Coconut, rice, corn, and a few root crops are among its products. Other agricultural items are discovered to be more productive and money-generating as the village grows. Thus, the new items also contain abaca and dragon fruit.

The fruit of numerous cactus species is known as a pitaya, pitahaya, or dragon fruit. “Pitaya” typically refers to fruit from the genus Stenocereus, whereas “pithaya” or “dragon fruit” always refers to fruit from the genus Hylocereus. Barangay Singsing has a dragon fruit farm.

The banana species known as abaca, scientific name Musa textilis, is indigenous to the Philippines and is raised commercially in those countries as well as in Costa Rica and Ecuador.

In Barangay Sunog in Balamban, there is a substantial plantation of this product (Magsaysay).

Shipbuilding

Balamban has grown into an industrial municipality, thanks to the huge shipbuilding industry that is located in Buanoy. Buanoy is a known barangay for it is the location of the well-renowned Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, the ship-making company that gave the title Ship Building Capital of the Philippines to Balamban.

The 50-hectare WCIP property belongs to Cebu Industrial Park Developers, Inc. (CIPDI). The largest Asian shipbuilding company is based on the property.

Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc. (THI) constructs car and truck carrier vessels and bulk carrier ships up to 180,000 deadweight tons.

Another business is still present in the WCIP Industrial Zone. Among other fastrafts, Austal Philippines, Pty Ltd constructs catamarans.

Metaphil International is another industry that significantly boosted Balamban’s economy. In the industrial zone as of 2014, there were 12,000 people, both direct hires and subcontractors. Balamban is the Philippines’ center for shipbuilding thanks to these businesses.

Balamban, Cebu is one of a kind destination that helps you unwind, recollect your thoughts, reflect on your life in its refreshing accommodations while still having some fun in their top tourist attractions or just by simply wandering around the neighborhood that has a peaceful ambiance and welcoming Cebuanos that will surely make you want to extend your stay in the region until you don’t want to leave anymore – make every second of your visit count and enjoy life!