1. Etymology

2. History

3. Geography
    Climate 

4. Barangays

5. Demographics

6. Economy

7. Tourism and culture
    Delicacies  Ubay-ubay Festival 

8. Local government

9. Infrastructure
    Transport  Health  Public order and safety  Utilities 

10. Education
     Elementary schools  Secondary and high schools  Higher education 

11. Notable Ubayanons

12. References

13. Sources

14. External links

{{PH wikidata|name}}, officially the {{PH wikidata|official_name}}, ({{lang-ceb|Lungsod sa {{PH wikidata|name}}}}; {{lang-tgl|Bayan ng {{PH wikidata|name}}}}), is a {{PH wikidata|income_class_ordinal}} settlement_text}} of the Philippines|{{PH wikidata|settlement_text}} in the province of {{PH wikidata|province}}, {{PH wikidata|country}}. According to the {{PH wikidata|population_as_of}}, it has a population of {{PH wikidata|population_total}} people.{{PH census|current}}

Ubay is in the northeast of the province, and has an area of {{convert|{{#invoke:math|round|{{formatnum:{{PH wikidata|area}}|R}}|0}} |km2|sqmi}}, with {{convert|61|km}} of coastline. It is the largest and most populated municipality in Bohol.

Etymology

One etymology derivation is that the town's name is a contraction of the term ubay-ubay, meaning "alongside".^[2]

According to Kaufmann's 1934 Visayan-English Dictionary,{{sfn|Kaufmann|1934}} the Visayan word "ubay" means:{{ordered list|list_style_type=lower-alpha| to accompany other in bed or along the side, be they persons or animals;| the flow or rivers and streams. from one place to another.}}

The flow of seawater between the mainland and the island of Lapinig Grande (now Pres. C.P. Garcia town) could justify the second definition of Ubay. It is a situation that is permanent and the constant reference to the flow of water can make the term ubay be attached as the name of the place.

An alternative derivation is that the term 'ubay-ubay' or 'alongside' became the byword of seafarers who used to travel close to the shorelines of Ubay to avoid the strong current of the Canigao Channel. There was a single path to follow reach the island trading centres. This trail was located alongside (ubay) the sandy beach. Later on the term Ubay became the original name of the community.

History

Before the Spanish regime, Ubay was part of Talibon. On 15 January 1844, it separated from Talibon to become an independent municipality.^[2]

The religious aspect of the town was established much later than the civil aspect of the town. The decree of the Spanish Governor General creating Ubay as a town in the religious aspect is dated 22 October 1877. However, Royal Order No. 695 issued by the Kingdom of Spain has the date 5 October 1877.

The town celebrates its fiesta every 29 January in commemoration and honor of their patron saint, Holy Child.^[3] Ubayanons often come home during fiesta to share the joy of reviving the beautiful old story on the origin of the place.

Geography

The town is situated east of Trinidad, north of Alicia and Mabini, and northeast of San Miguel. It is {{convert|124|km|abbr=out}} northeast of Tagbilaran, {{convert|636|km}} southeast of Manila and {{convert|71|km}} east of Cebu City.

Climate

| 22.2 | 30.0 | 191

| 22.2 | 30.1 | 111

| 22.5 | 31.0 | 94

| 23.4 | 31.7 | 58

| 23.8 | 32.5 | 106

| 23.5 | 32.0 | 154

| 23.7 | 31.7 | 210

| 23.7 | 31.8 | 159

| 23.5 | 31.6 | 186

| 23.4 | 31.4 | 204

| 23.1 | 31.1 | 222

| 22.6 | 30.3 | 192

The climate is typically equatorial – temperature range over the year is less than three degrees Celsius ({{convert|3|C-change|disp=output number only|spell=in}} deg F), and annual rainfall exceeds {{convert|1500|mm|in|0}}. The dry season starts in February and lasts through April sometimes extending to mid{{nbhyph}}May. The climate in Ubay falls within Coronas climate type IV, characterised by not very pronounced maximum rainfall with a short dry season from one to three months and a wet season of nine to ten months.{{sfn|Coronas|1920}}

Ubay has a tropical climate. Most months of the year are marked by significant precipitation, making agriculture favorable – it supports at least two rice crops per year. The short dry season has little impact. Ubay is classified as Am (Tropical monsoon climate) by {{nowrap|Köppen–Geiger}} climate classification system.

Barangays

Ubay comprises 44 barangays organized into eight urban districts (UD):

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Demographics

When the first national census was held in 1903, the municipality had a population 7,355. It continued to grow until 1960 with 34,090 (annual growth rate of {{PAGR|1903|7355|1960|34090}} over the period). The population markedly decreased in 1970 with the creation of the municipality of President Carlos P. Garcia, formerly a constituent barangay. Since 1970, average annual growth rate (1970–{{PH wikidata|population_point_in_time}}) is {{PAGR|1970|32717|{{PH wikidata|population_point_in_time}}|{{formatnum:{{PH wikidata|population_total}}|R}}}}.

The primary language is Cebuano: Filipino and English are understood to a limited degree.

Economy

Ubay has a number of business establishments mostly small-scale commercial trading firms engaged in retail and wholesale. A new public market building was completed recently. The regular market day is Monday and local traders from neighboring towns come to sell their merchandise consisting mostly of agricultural products and small consumer items like used clothes, household utensils and other products. Ubay also provides a market for the neighboring island municipality of Pres. Carlos P. Garcia.

Tourism and culture

Ubay's point of interests, destinations, and attractions include:

• Ubay Stock Farm (USF): Started in 1921 and occupying {{convert|4500|ha|-1|abbr=out}}, it is the largest and oldest government livestock facility in the Philippines. The place was chosen as one of the accredited livestock technology training facilities for Visayas and Mindanao. It is located in Lomangog.^[4]
• Bohol Experimental Station: The Integrated Agricultural Research Center of Department of Agriculture in Central Visayas PhilRice's national lead agency for the planning, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of all rice research and development activities in the Philippines. It is located in Gabi.
• Capayas Dam (or Kapayas)(sometimes known as Banana Dam): One of the largest dams in the province and located alongside the main Ubay—Alicia—Guindulman highway. The southern end is in Lumangog, the remainder in Imelda. Completed in December 1991, it irrigates {{convert|750|ha|abbr=out}} and serves 688 farm households. In 2011, the Department of Agriculture seeded the dam with 30,000 tilapia fingerlings, as part of their sustainable food security program.{{sfn|Espinola|Maghirang|2014}}
• Ubay Agri-Park: The first of its kind in the Visayan region was recently launched to boost the agriculture and tourism industries in the area. A {{convert|100|ha|adj=on|abbr=out}} area situated along the national highway in Lomangog, Ubay Agri-Park helps to promote agri-tourism or "farm tourism," and is a showcase of Bohol's advances in farm technology.
• Sinandigan Multi-Species Hatchery: It is the biggest multi-species hatchery farm in the Philippines.^[5] A fishery infrastructure and mariculture park established to enable the fish farmers to become totally independent from wild stocks and to promote a more stable food security for the province. The facility is producing fingerlings of various fisheries products such as, but not limited to, milkfish (bangus), groupers (lapulapu), and siganids (kitong, danggit). It also houses a seaweed tissue culture laboratory which aims to rehabilitate quality seagrass planting materials using tissue branch culture, spore shredding and callus cell culture. It is supervised by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and inaugurated in April 2011.^[6]
• Gaviola Ancestral House: Located in the Población near the church plaza, this Filipino-Spanish house was the residence of Don Ruperto Gaviola (former mayor of Ubay). The two-storey house has a traditional cut stone ground and a wooden painted ceiling made by Cebuano artist Ray Francia.{{sfn|Akpenodu|Saloma|2011}}^[7]
• Ubay Green Park and Techno Center: Formerly, an open dumpsite converted into an ecological facility. The park was launched in 2013, which consists of flower and fruit gardens. It is located in sitio Palayan (Purok 7) barangay Imelda.^[8]

Delicacies

• Ube Calamay: It is a purple rice cake, (Calamay) with Ube. This sweet and delightful delicacy is said to be originated from this town because of its large plantations of Ube (purple yam).
• Fried Ube bread: Another mouthwatering delicacy made of ube. It is bread deep{{nbhyph}}fried then filled with purple yam.

Ubay-ubay Festival

Like the Sinulog of Cebu, the Ubay-ubay Festival is the town's own version in celebration and honor of the patron saint, Sr. Santo Niño. This colorful and fascinating festivity is a well-attended event where people flock the town's major roads and venues to view the grand street parade and the festival dance-competition. This celebration is held each 28 – 30 January.^[9]

Local government

Ubay is governed by the municipal mayor as head of the municipality. The vice mayor is the next highest position and acts as the presiding officer of municipal council.

Infrastructure

Transport

The most common form of local transportation is the tricycle for nearer barangays. For far barangays, the motorcycle is the most common. All barangays are connected by roads and the only places without roads are the steep slopes of the central mountains.

The improvement of the Bohol circumferential road and the port facilities helped Ubay to become the trading and transportation hub of northeastern Bohol, connecting it to the neighboring island of Leyte and the rest of Bohol province. Passenger and cargo traffic to these destinations has noticeably increased over the years indicating an increasing volume of trade between these points.

Land transportation is provided by various short and long-distance buses, jeeps and vans, connecting Ubay to the rest of the towns in the province. Tagbilaran can be reached from Ubay in two to three hours by bus or van. There are also daily combined road/ferry services to Metro Manila (Pasay City / Cubao, Quezon City).

Ubay seaport is considered the province's principal gateway to Leyte, and Samar.^[12] Its improved port area is linked to the major port destinations of neighboring provinces such as Bato and Hilongos in Leyte, Maasin City in Southern Leyte, and Cebu City, the regional capital.{{sfn|Bohol Standard|2010}} Four vessels travels to and from Cebu City daily,^[12] and routes to and from Bato, Hilongos and Maasin City are also served daily. The journey time for each destination is 4–5 hours.^[13]

Ubay is home to one of only two airports in Bohol (the other being Tagbilaran Airport), but Ubay Airport is completely undeveloped and has no scheduled service, nor any facilities. The runway currently is only about {{convert|400| m| ft|-1}} long but couldn't extend at the southwestern end becomes it is close to hills, and the northeastern end reaches housing and the sea.{{sfn|Bohol News Today|2016}}

Health

For health services, the town has two public health units staffed by doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, medical technologists and sanitary inspectors. A small government hospital was established to provide outpatient services to local residents. A private 15-bed hospital in Fatima also provides services for emergencies. A pediatrics and OB-gynae clinic complements the health services available in town.

Barangay Health Workers (BHW) from each barangay provide direct health care assistance to barangay residents.

Public order and safety

The local police force is 37 police officers. Police–population ratio is 1:{{formatnum:{{#expr:{{formatnum:{{PH wikidata|population_total}}|R}} / 37 round 0}}}}, {{#ifexpr:{{#expr:{{formatnum:{{PH wikidata|population_total}}|R}} / 37 round 0}}>1000|less|more}} favourable than the standard ratio of 1:1,000. The police are augmented by 492 Barangay Tanod volunteers. It is reported that crime rate in Ubay is relatively low. The local Fire Department is staffed by eight fire fighters with two fire trucks. Incidence of fires is reportedly low in the municipality.

Utilities

Bohol was linked to the major source of geothermal power in Leyte through the underwater connection between Maasin City, Southern Leyte and Ubay. Presently, only three of the 44 barangays have no electricity, yet only 34.97 percent of the total households in the municipality have electricity compared to the province, which was 58.3 percent energized in 2000.

The town proper and seven other barangays was served by the Ubay Water Service Cooperative. The cooperative planned to expand their service to eight other barangays in the near future. Due to consumer demand and the limited size of the supply, water service became difficult during dry months. Bohol province reported that 23.71 percent of its households had their own faucets from a community system while Ubay reported only 8.97 percent.

For the province, 21.68 percent of households had access to shared faucets while Ubay only had 8.86 percent. In Ubay, slightly more than half (51.83%) of the households had access to dug wells.

Education

Elementary schools

There are 44 public elementary schools in the municipality – one in each barangay except Cuya, and one on Tres Reyes island.^[14]

There are 7 private elementary schools.^[15]

Secondary and high schools

There are 16 public and private secondary and high schools in the municipality.^[16]

Higher education

To meet the increasing demands Bohol Northeastern College was founded in 1996 by Ubayano political leaders, Erico B. Aumentado and former governor David B. Tirol. The name was changed to Bohol Northern Star Colleges in January 2007.

Notable Ubayanons

• Erico B. Aumentado – the only Bohol governor who served three consecutive terms (2001–2010), former deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, former congressman of Bohol's 2nd District, former provincial vice-governor and Board Member.{{sfn|Bohol Chronicle|2013}}
• Eutiquio Boyles – who served as the fifth provincial governor of Bohol from 16 October 1916 – 15 October 1919. Barangay Governor Boyles was named after him.^[17]
• Bishop Alberto Sy Uy - current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tagbilaran

References

Sources

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External links

• Municipality of Ubay, Bohol

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