Ayungon Lungsod sa Ayungon | |
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Municipality of Ayungon | |
![]() Map of Negros Oriental with Ayungon highlighted | |
Location within the Philippines | |
Coordinates: 9°51′30″N123°08′48″E / 9.8584°N 123.146758°E | |
Country | Philippines |
Region | Negros Island Region |
Province | Negros Oriental |
District | 1st district |
Barangays | 24 (see Barangays) |
Government | |
• Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
• Mayor | Dennis N. Amancio (NPC) |
• Vice Mayor | Nelda A. Favillaran (PFP) |
• Representative | Emmanuel L. Iway (PFP) |
• Municipal Council | Members |
• Electorate | 32,173 voters (2025) |
Area | |
• Total | 265.10 km2 (102.36 sq mi) |
Elevation | 112 m (367 ft) |
Highest elevation | 669 m (2,195 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (2024 census) [3] | |
• Total | 50,688 |
• Density | 190/km2 (500/sq mi) |
• Households | 11,443 |
Economy | |
• Income class | 2nd municipal income class |
• Poverty incidence | 38.42 |
• Revenue | ₱ 258.9 million (2022) |
• Assets | ₱ 671.3 million (2022) |
• Expenditure | ₱ 237.1 million (2022) |
• Liabilities | ₱ 108.3 million (2022) |
Service provider | |
• Electricity | Negros Oriental 1 Electric Cooperative (NORECO 1) |
Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
ZIP code | 6210 |
PSGC | |
IDD : area code | +63 (0)35 |
Native languages | Cebuano Tagalog |
Website | www |
Ayungon (Cebuano : Lungsod sa Ayungon; Tagalog : Bayan ng Ayungon), officially the Municipality of Ayungon, is a municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 47,102 people. [5]
Attractions include the Karalaon Bird Sanctuary, the subterranean area of the Mabato Caves, a man-made lake in Banban, and the Pagsalsalan Twin Falls (Maaslum Falls). [6]
There are at least two variations of the name's origin. According to Dr. Tomoteo S. Oracion of Silliman University, during the pre-colonial periods, a certain locality is named after the most popular person living in it. The most popular person happened to be a fisherman named "Ayung", who has his own hut where travellers would stop by. It was referred to as "Ayung's Place," which was later suffixed with "-on" to form "Ayungon". Another variation revolves around the Spaniards asking a native, who was cutting a tree, about the name of the place. The native thought they were asking for his name, so he answered "Ayung". The Spaniards asked the same question again, but this time, the native thought they were asking the name of tree he was cutting, so he answered "Dungon". The Spaniards coined the term "Ayung-Dungon" to refer to this area, which was later shortened to "Ayungon". [7]
During the Spanish regime, the original town plaza was located at the beach, which was transferred further inland due to a massive flood. The town also suffered an epidemic of smallpox which took away two-thirds of the town's population. Old municipal profiles refer to Ayungon as Todos los Santos, though there are no legends to explain that Hispanic name, just as there are no tales elaborating on the ruins of apparently Hispanic fortifications on the Tampocon II shoreline, perhaps because Ayungon's colonial past was not entirely its own. For many years, it was a mere barrio of Tayasan, until 1924 when Governor General Leonard Wood came to establish Ayungon as a full-fledged municipality through the recommendation of the then-provincial governor, Enrique Villanueva.
During World War II, numerous houses were burned, as well as people being tortured and killed. Many of them passed away due to famine and malaria. Maximo Romano Enardecido, the mayor at the time, evacuated the municipal government to Pangi, a mountainous village located south of the Poblacion. Captain Eugenio “Kusgan” Antonio led the town's guerilla movement. The town was liberated in October 1944, and the Americans came in to rehabilitate the town by lending money to pay for war damages. [7]
82 kilometres (51 mi) from the provincial capital Dumaguete, Ayungon is located on the midriff of Oriental Negros’ northern stretch, nearly two hours from Dumaguete. [6]
Of only three virgin forests said to be still remaining on Negros Island, one is located in barangay Banban. [6]
Ayungon is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 [8] | 2010 [9] | |||||
074602001 | Amdus | 2.1% | 1,049 | 1,407 | −2.04% | |
074602003 | Anibong | 4.1% | 2,102 | 2,131 | −0.10% | |
074602004 | Atabay | 2.8% | 1,398 | 1,225 | 0.93% | |
074602005 | Awa-an | 5.4% | 2,718 | 2,474 | 0.66% | |
074602006 | Ban-ban | 5.2% | 2,622 | 2,299 | 0.93% | |
074602007 | Calagcalag | 3.4% | 1,718 | 1,711 | 0.03% | |
074602008 | Candana-ay | 2.2% | 1,098 | 1,958 | −3.99% | |
074602009 | Carol-an | 6.7% | 3,375 | 2,899 | 1.08% | |
074602010 | Gomentoc | 4.3% | 2,173 | 2,065 | 0.36% | |
074602011 | Inacban | 3.6% | 1,803 | 1,588 | 0.90% | |
074602012 | Iniban | 2.6% | 1,298 | 1,273 | 0.14% | |
074602002 | Jandalamanon | 2.2% | 1,107 | 1,167 | −0.37% | |
074602013 | Kilaban | 1.5% | 744 | 846 | −0.90% | |
074602014 | Lamigan | 2.4% | 1,195 | 844 | 2.48% | |
074602015 | Maaslum | 3.4% | 1,741 | 1,799 | −0.23% | |
074602016 | Mabato | 6.2% | 3,164 | 3,253 | −0.19% | |
074602017 | Manogtong | 2.7% | 1,348 | 1,603 | −1.21% | |
074602018 | Nabhang | 2.4% | 1,228 | 1,463 | −1.22% | |
074602024 | Poblacion | 4.0% | 2,036 | 1,837 | 0.73% | |
074602019 | Tambo | 8.3% | 4,189 | 3,188 | 1.94% | |
074602020 | Tampocon I | 4.2% | 2,127 | 1,944 | 0.63% | |
074602021 | Tampocon II | 4.3% | 2,196 | 2,674 | −1.38% | |
074602022 | Tibyawan | 3.5% | 1,797 | 1,867 | −0.27% | |
074602023 | Tiguib | 5.7% | 2,876 | 2,631 | 0.63% | |
Total | 50,688 | 46,146 | 0.66% |
Climate data for Ayungon, Negros Oriental | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42 (1.7) | 34 (1.3) | 40 (1.6) | 61 (2.4) | 124 (4.9) | 188 (7.4) | 190 (7.5) | 191 (7.5) | 189 (7.4) | 186 (7.3) | 124 (4.9) | 73 (2.9) | 1,442 (56.8) |
Average rainy days | 10.0 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 12.8 | 22.3 | 26.8 | 28.4 | 27.9 | 27.3 | 27.6 | 20.5 | 13.1 | 234.7 |
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally) [10] |
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Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [9] [13] [14] |
Poverty incidence of Ayungon
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2000 64.64 2003 60.66 2006 49.70 2009 51.59 2012 51.33 2015 52.41 2018 30.50 2021 38.42 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] |
Ayungon is mostly rural with vast rice fields, dense coconut groves and expansive plantations of sugar cane, bananas and pineapple. [6]
As of May 2025, the once quiet town is starting to commercialize by bringing in numerous known international and national businesses in its Poblacion . Businesses like Mr. DIY, Crispy King, and Arnok's Fried Chicken started to show up in town during Dennis Amancio's mayoral term. 7-Eleven is soon to open at the Callao-Nacional Business Arcade, alongside with Mr. DIY as the first business to start operating at the arcade.
As the town is growing economically, it has been conferred with the status of 1st class income municipality . [23]
The public schools in the town of Ayungon are administered by two school districts under the Schools Division of Negros Oriental.
Elementary schools:
High schools:
Private schools: