Boljoon, officially the Municipality of Boljoon (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Boljoon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Boljoon), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,525 people.[3]

Boljoon
Municipality of Boljoon
Boljoon
Boljoon
Official seal of Boljoon
Map of Cebu with Boljoon highlighted
Map of Cebu with Boljoon highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Boljoon is located in Philippines
Boljoon
Boljoon
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°38′N 123°26′E / 9.63°N 123.43°E / 9.63; 123.43
CountryPhilippines
RegionCentral Visayas
ProvinceCebu
District 2nd district
Founded1600
Barangays11 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorJoie Genesse N. Derama (1Cebu)
 • Vice MayorErvin M. Villanueva (1Cebu)
 • RepresentativeEdsel A. Galeos
 • Municipal Council
Members
 • Electorate11,932 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total117.00 km2 (45.17 sq mi)
Elevation
163 m (535 ft)
Highest elevation
744 m (2,441 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[3]
 • Total17,525
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)
 • Households
4,106
Economy
 • Income class5th municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
47.07
% (2021)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 132.7 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 360.9 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 116.7 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 91.08 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityCebu 1 Electric Cooperative (CEBECO 1)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
6024
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)32
Native languagesCebuano
Tagalog
Websitewww.boljoon.com

Geography

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Boljo-on, as locally called, has a total land area of 117.00 square kilometres (45.17 sq mi). It is 103 kilometres (64 mi) from Cebu City.

Boljoon is bordered to the north by the town of Alcoy, to the west are the towns of Malabuyoc, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Oslob.

Barangys

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Boljoon is politically subdivided into 11 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. Among its barangays, 7 are coastal while the rest are landlocked.


PSGC Barangay Population ±% p.a.
2020[3] 2010[5]
072212008 Arbor 7.0% 1,235 1,035 1.78%
072212001 Baclayan 2.9% 503 438 1.39%
072212002 El Pardo 19.9% 3,483 2,953 1.66%
072212003 Granada 8.5% 1,484 1,046 3.56%
072212004 Lower Becerril 8.9% 1,563 1,153 3.09%
072212009 Lunop 5.6% 984 874 1.19%
072212010 Nangka 3.9% 689 590 1.56%
072212005 Poblacion 23.8% 4,169 3,709 1.18%
072212006 San Antonio 5.9% 1,039 1,125 −0.79%
072212011 South Granada 5.4% 941 813 1.47%
072212007 Upper Becerril 8.2% 1,435 1,291 1.06%
Total 17,525 15,027 1.55%

Climate

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Climate data for Boljoon, Cebu
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(86)
32
(90)
31
(88)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
30
(86)
29
(84)
29
(84)
29
(84)
30
(86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 23
(73)
23
(73)
23
(73)
24
(75)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
24
(75)
23
(73)
24
(75)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 35
(1.4)
28
(1.1)
38
(1.5)
51
(2.0)
125
(4.9)
195
(7.7)
194
(7.6)
173
(6.8)
180
(7.1)
192
(7.6)
121
(4.8)
64
(2.5)
1,396
(55)
Average rainy days 9.2 8.2 9.9 11.3 22.5 27.3 28.0 27.2 27.1 26.9 19.7 12.7 230
Source: Meteoblue (Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.)[6]

Demographics

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Population census of Boljoon
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 7,299—    
1918 9,121+1.50%
1939 10,087+0.48%
1948 11,299+1.27%
1960 9,151−1.74%
1970 11,049+1.90%
1975 11,359+0.56%
1980 10,735−1.12%
1990 11,646+0.82%
1995 12,318+1.06%
2000 13,380+1.79%
2007 14,877+1.47%
2010 15,027+0.37%
2015 16,344+1.61%
2020 17,525+1.38%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[7][5][8][9]

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Boljoon

10
20
30
40
50
60
2006
52.10
2009
48.57
2012
33.63
2015
34.59
2018
23.30
2021
47.07

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Boljoon Church

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Church of Patrocinio de Maria

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima shows old and intricate carvings and bas-reliefs. It is in a pseudo-baroque rococo style. It has a main nave, a transcript, and twenty-eight pillars which support the walls. The walls are as thick as the pillars which are two metres (6 ft 7 in) thick and made of mortar and lime.

Boljoon became a visita of Carcar founded according to some authors in 1599. It became an independent vicariate on October 31, 1690, and on April 5, 1692, Fr. Nicolas de la Cuadra was appointed as prior. Because of the lack of priests, the church was turned over to the Jesuits on September 27, 1737, following the recommendation of the intermediate chapter of 1732. In the year 1747, the General of the Augustinians Order proposed the recovery of the parishes left off in the Visayas.[18]

Boljoon's earlier building had been destroyed in a raid in 1782, and its pastor Fr. Ambrosio Otero started rebuilding the following year. The work was continued by Fr. Manuel Cordero in 1794 but when Fr. Julian arrived, the work was not yet completed. He decided to build a blockhouse 120 by 80 metres (390 ft × 260 ft) on which artillery was mounted, and he enclosed the church perimeter with a wall. He finally completed the church. The church and the adjoining convento were restored by Fr. Leandro Moran (1920–1948) the last Augustinian friar to be assigned to Boljoon.[19]

In 1999 the National Historical Institute declared it a National Historical Landmark. The following year, the National Museum declared it as a National Cultural Treasure. The then Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio Parish Church withstood the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2013 which affected Bohol and Cebu.

The Boljoon Church is currently in the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension). A proposal has been suggested by scholars to make a separate UNESCO inclusion for the Old Centre of Boljoon which includes the Boljoon Church. The same would be made for other churches listed in UNESCO's tentative sites, where each town plaza and surrounding heritage buildings would be added. No government agency has yet to take action on the proposal. The Venerated Marian Image enshrined was Granted a Decree of Canonical Coronation by Pope Francis. The Coronation Rites was held on April 23, 2022

Discovery of 16th-century artefacts

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In 2009, Japanese and Filipino archaeologists from the Sumitomo Foundation-funded Boljoon Archaeological Project conducted by the University of San Carlos with the National Museum of the Philippines, discovered ancient Japanese pottery that has been to believed to been in existence since the early 18th century. The ancient Japanese pottery that was discovered there, has proven that there was activity of trading activity between Japan and Cebu Island Philippines going back to the 16th century.[20]

In February 2008, archaeologists discovered 26 human remains (with china plates on top of heads) and 16th-century artefacts beneath the parvis of Boljoon Church.[21]

Education

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The public schools in the town of Boljoon are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:

  • Arbor Elementary School — Arbor
  • Baclayan Elementary School — Baclayan
  • Becerril Elementary School — Upper Becerril
  • Boljoon Central Elementary School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
  • Caipilan Elementary School — Sitio Danao, Lower Becerril
  • El Pardo Elementary School — El Pardo
  • Granada Elementary School — Granada
  • Lunop Elementary School — Lunop
  • Nangka Elementary School — Nangka
  • Pondohan Elementary School — Sitio Pondohan, Upper Becerril

High schools:

  • Boljoon National High School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Lower Becerril
  • El Pardo National High School — El Pardo
  • Lunop National High School — Lunop

Integrated schools:

  • San Antonio Integrated School — San Antonio

References

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  1. ^ Municipality of Boljoon | (DILG)
  2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "Boljoon: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  7. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  8. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  9. ^ "Province of Cebu". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  10. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. November 29, 2005.
  12. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. March 23, 2009.
  13. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. August 3, 2012.
  14. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. May 31, 2016.
  15. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. July 10, 2019.
  16. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. December 15, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  17. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  18. ^ "Brief Historical Notes on Boljoon".
  19. ^ "Boljoon Church".
  20. ^ "Ancient Japanese pottery in Boljoon town". May 30, 2011.
  21. ^ Philippine Sun Star, Jujemay G. Awit (April 23, 2008). "Remains, artifacts found in Boljoon". The Boljoon Blogs. Archived from the original on September 29, 2009.
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