Alegria, Cebu

Alegria
Alegria
Municipality
	Municipality of Alegria
	Heritage park of Alegria
	Map of Cebu with Alegria highlighted
	Alegria Location within the Philippines
	Coordinates: 9°43′28″N 123°20′25″E / 9.724331°N 123.340244°E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas
Province	Cebu
District	7th District of Cebu
Founded	3 April 1850
Barangays	9 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Verna Magallon
• Vice Mayor	Marcial Rodriguez
• Congressman	Peter John Calderon
• Electorate	17,573 voters (2022)
Area
• Total	89.49 km2 (34.55 sq mi)
Elevation	188 m (617 ft)
Population (2020 census)
• Total	25,620
• Density	290/km2 (740/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6030
PSGC	072203000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)32
Income class	4th municipal income class
Revenue (₱)	₱ 186.8 million (2020)
Native languages	Cebuano; Tagalog

Alegria, officially the Municipality of Alegria, (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Alegria; Tagalog: Bayan ng Alegria), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,620 people.^[3]

Alegira is bordered to the north by the town of Badian, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east are the towns of Dalaguete and Alcoy, and to the south is the town of Malabuyoc.

It is home of the first onshore oil field in the Philippines, the Alegria Oil Field.

History

Establishment of parish
Pre-1850	Native tribe; then a Spanish-era barrio called Tuburan after the spring (tubod) located at sitio Tubig (Sta. Rosa) in the poblacion.
31 January 1850	Leaders of Tuburan ask Governor of Cebu to support their petition for civil separation from mother town (matriz) Malabuyoc.
4 February	Malabuyoc leaders send letter of support for said petition. Tuburan had a church made of tabique de pampango, a convent and tribunal of light materials, two rubble watchtowers and 410½ tributos (one family = 1 tribute; unmarried adult = ½ tribute).
15 February	Petition goes to the Civil Administrator and Commanding General of the Visayas then sent to Superior Government in Manila.
31 March	Assessor General recommends approval of said petition.
3 April	Captain and Governor-General of the Philippine Islands (Antonio María Blanco) approves establishment of Tuburan as a town.
24 August	Governor of Cebu recommends changing the town's name to avoid confusing it with similarly named barrios in Balamban and Bogo.
25 September	Captain and Governor-General of the Philippines (Antonio de Urbistondo y Eguía) issues order changing the town's name to Alegria.
9 August 1854	The Padre Cura of Malabuyoc, Lucas Clavesillas de la Soledad recommends to the Bishop of Cebu (Romualdo Jimeno Ballesteros, O.P.) the creation of Alegria as a parish.
17 September	Governor of Cebu proposes separating barrio Guiuanon (Madridejos) from Badian and adding it to Alegria to form a new parish territory.
31 October	Bishop of Cebu supports creation of said territory.
10 November	Bishop informs Governor of Cebu that Badian does not object to creation of a new parish and separation of Guiuanon.
21 February 1856	Petition for said separation and the creation of new parish territory received by the Minister of Royal Treasury in Manila.
27 February	Governor of Cebu asks the Captain and Governor-General to create said parish.
3 July	the town of Alegria created as a parish. Tributes: 781 (Poblacion - 521½, Guiuanon - 259½)
1 September 1865	Bishop ask Captain and Governor-General to erect Alegria as parish.
13 March 1857	Parish of Alegria Canonically erected. Titular St. Francis Xavier Feast 3 Dec.
Source:	Libro de Erecciones de Gobierno, Philippine National Archives

ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISHES for these 3 MUNICIPALITIES

SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH (F-1834), Malabuyoc, Cebu 6029
SAN GREGORIO MAGNO PARISH (F-1847), Ginatilan, Cebu 6028
SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER PARISH (F-1857), Alegria, Cebu 6030

Barangays

Alegria comprises 9 barangays:

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2020^[3]		2010^[4]
072203001	Compostela	5.9%	1,510	1,557	▾	−0.31%
072203002	Guadalupe	10.2%	2,606	2,598	▴	0.03%
072203003	Legaspi	6.6%	1,694	1,652	▴	0.25%
072203004	Lepanto	8.2%	2,102	2,143	▾	−0.19%
072203005	Madridejos	20.1%	5,141	4,459	▴	1.43%
072203006	Montpeller	5.5%	1,408	1,315	▴	0.69%
072203007	Poblacion	9.6%	2,450	2,255	▴	0.83%
072203008	Santa Filomena	12.5%	3,194	3,139	▴	0.17%
072203009	Valencia	12.5%	3,195	2,954	▴	0.79%
	Total		25,620	22,072	▴	1.50%

Etymology

The name Alegria is derived from the Spanish word "Alegre", which translates to cheerfulness and extravagant joy in English. Locals believed that the Spaniards named it Alegria after uttering the word, "Que Alegria!" to describe how springs (tubod in Cebuano), sprout out of the mountains as if they were dancing to a certain tune.^[5]

Demographics

Population of Alegria

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	9,579	—
1918	12,653	+1.87%
1939	13,303	+0.24%
1948	13,676	+0.31%
1960	12,817	−0.54%
1970	15,232	+1.74%
1975	14,928	−0.40%

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1980	16,351	+1.84%
1990	18,253	+1.11%
1995	18,403	+0.15%
2000	20,677	+2.53%
2007	21,699	+0.67%
2010	22,072	+0.62%
2015	23,300	+1.04%

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^[6]^[4]^[7]

Tourism

The municipality of Alegria launched the Kawayan Festival on 2 December 2006, in time for the annual town fiesta. Local contingents paraded the streets, and locally produced kawayan (bamboo) products were on display. Kawayan Festival has been part of the fiesta celebration in honor of Saint Francis Xavier since then.

There is also a plan to develop Alegria as the "Organic Vegetable Basket" in Cebu and in the Visayas region by its mayor, Verna Magallon.^[8]

Economy^[9]

The formal extraction of oil and gas reserves from the Alegria Oil Field Polyard-3 Well in Barangay Montpeller would generate numerous job opportunities and income for residents, neighboring towns and the entire Cebu province.

Extracted oil will be sold to power plants at US$70 per barrel with a current production of 200 to 300 barrels per day, as told by Country Manager Edgar Benedict Cutiongco of China International Mining and Petroleum Company Inc. (CIMP), the service contractor of the oil extraction project. The Municipal government will receive an 18% income share coming from the 60% allotted to the National Government, while 14% will go to Barangay Montpeller and 8% to the Provincial Government.

References

^ Municipality of Alegria | (DILG)
^ "Province: Cebu". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
^ ^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 29 June 2016.
^ cebudailynews.inquirer.net
^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
^ 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.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/19/duterte-opens-alegria-oilfields-2/
^ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1744119/Cebu/Local-News/Town-residents-to-benefit-from-Alegria-oil-field

External links

Media related to Alegria at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Municipality of Alegria | (DILG)

[nscb-area-2] "Province: Cebu". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.

[PSA20–07-3] Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.

[NSO10–07-4] Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.

[5] udailynews.inquirer.net

[PSA15–07-6] Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.

[NSO07-07-7] 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.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[8] ttps://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/19/duterte-opens-alegria-oilfields-2/

[9] ttp://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1744119/Cebu/Local-News/Town-residents-to-benefit-from-Alegria-oil-field

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v t e Province of Cebu
Cebu City (capital and largest city)
Municipalities	Alcantara Alcoy Alegria Aloguinsan Argao Asturias Badian Balamban Bantayan Barili Boljoon Borbon Carmen Catmon Compostela Consolacion Cordova Daanbantayan Dalaguete Dumanjug Ginatilan Liloan Madridejos Malabuyoc Medellin Minglanilla Moalboal Oslob Pilar Pinamungajan Poro Ronda Samboan San Fernando San Francisco San Remigio Santa Fe Santander Sibonga Sogod Tabogon Tabuelan Tuburan Tudela
Component cities	Bogo Carcar Danao Naga Talisay Toledo
Highly urbanized cities	Cebu City Lapu-Lapu Mandaue (Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Cebu by the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, qualified voters in Mandaue are allowed to vote in elections for Cebu provincial officials by virtue of Republic Act No. 6641, in accordance with Section 452-c of the Local Government Code of 1991.)