Ubay, officially the Municipality of Ubay (Cebuano: Munisipyo sa Ubay; Tagalog: Bayan ng Ubay), is a fast growing 1st class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. Based on the 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority census, it has a population of 81,799 people which is projected to grow to 100,000 in 2030.^[5]

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Ubay
Municipality
Municipality of Ubay
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Dairy Capital of Bohol
Map of Bohol with Ubay highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Ubay Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°03′22″N 124°28′23″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas
Province	Bohol
District	2nd district
Founded Chartered	1821[1]
Barangays	44 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Constantino H. Reyes
• Vice Mayor	Victor A. Bonghanoy
• Representative	Ma. Vanessa C. Aumentado
• Municipal Council	Members Maximo O. Boyles Jr. Isidore G. Besas Elvira Bacolod-Cajes Violeta D. Reyes Luis M. Rotol Constancio V. Atuel Christopher O. Villadores Nador A. Vallecera[3]
• Electorate	50,205 voters (2022)
Area [4]
• Land	258.1328 km2 (99.6656 sq mi)
Elevation	14 m (46 ft)
Highest elevation	171 m (561 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[5]
• Total	81,799
• Households	19,299
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	25.70 % (2018)[6]
• Revenue	₱ 301.1 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 524.7 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 321.6 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 126.5 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Bohol 2 Electric Cooperative (BOHECO 2)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6315
PSGC	071246000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)38
Native languages	Cebuano Boholano dialect Tagalog
Patron saint	Christ Child

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Ubay is in the northeast of the province, and has an uncontested area of 258.132847 square kilometers (25,813.2847 hectares) and has a contested area of 5.87 square kilometers (587.8688 hectares) with other Municipality per certification issued by the Land Management Bureau(LMB) of the DENR. It has a 61 kilometres (38 mi) of coastline. It is the largest (estimated eight times (8x) larger than the capital city of Tagbilaran) and most populated municipality in Bohol.^[7]

One etymology derivation is that the town's name is a contraction of the term ubay-ubay, meaning "alongside".^[7]

According to Kaufmann's Visayan-English dictionary,^[8] the Visayan word "ubay" means:

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.^[9]

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.^[10] 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.

Historically, Ubay was part of Talibon, when the latter was established as a town in civil aspect in 1722.^[1] During Spanish period, a town has two aspects - religious, headed by the parish priest and civil aspect, headed by a gobernadorcillo. Religious aspect was then superior to civil aspect since it was commonly headed by a Spanish priest.^[11][10]

In 1744, the Dagohoy Revolution started, controlling the entire northeastern part of the province, stretching from Duero to Inabanga. As the revolution progresses, Jesuit were replaced by Augustinian Recollects in Bohol in 1768 led by Fr. Pedro de Santa Barbara, who travelled through mountains with proposals of peace and resettlement for Dagohoy and its followers. Through his untiring intrepidness, later on, pacified patriots together with their cluster chieftains chose to resettle in southern coastal towns. Later in 1794, Fr. Manuel de la Consolacion, then parish priest of Inabanga, successfully brought hundreds of followers and resetlled them in towns of Talibon and Inabanga, as well in the barangays (villages) of San Pedro (Talibon), Pangpang (Buenavista), and Ubay.^[12] Therefore, much of early residents of Ubay were followers of Dagohoy.

In 1821, Ubay became an independent town from Talibon in civil aspect.^[1] Its religious aspect was then still administered by the parish of Inabanga, until Talibon was able to establish a separate parish in 1831, making Ubay a visita. Residents clamor for an independent parish until a Catholic church was built.

On January 15, 1876, an independent parish was finally established during the time of gobernadorcillo Toribio Reyes, who donated its location site and its church bell. This also marked its first town fiesta. Later on, the date of town fiesta was moved every last Friday of January in commemoration and honor of their patron saint, Holy Child.^[13] Ubayanons often come home during fiesta to share the joy of reviving the beautiful old story on the origin of the place.^[14]

The official religious aspect of the town was established much later than the civil aspect. The decree of the Spanish Governor General Domingo Moriones y Murillo creating Ubay as a town in the religious aspect is on October 22, 1877. However, Royal Order No. 695 issued by the King of Spain Alfonso XII has the date 5 October 1877.^[9]

On March 6, 1902, the entire municipality of Batuanan (now Alicia ) was consolidated with Ubay through Philippine Commission Act No. 370^[15]

On October 31, 1903, the old municipality of Ipil (now Trinidad) was divided into two. With Ipil River as demarcation line, the left bank was annexed to Talibon while the right bank was consolidated with Ubay. Furthermore, barangay Cabulao and the previously annexed municipality of Batuanan was separated from Ubay, together with barangay Libas, Candijay to create the new and distinct municipality of Mabini in virtue of Philippine Commission Act No. 968.^[16]

On September 1, 1947, the municipality of Ipil was reorganized, joining the barangays of Guinobatan, Mahagbu, and Tagum from Ubay together with other barangays of Talibon to create the renamed municipality of Trinidad through Executive Order No. 80.^[17]

On June 21, 1956, barangay Babag separated from Ubay together with other barangays of Carmen, Sierra-Bullones, and Trinidad to form the new municipality of Dagohoy through Executive Order No. 184.^[18]

On March 14, 1961, barangays of Corazon and Magsaysay separated from Ubay together with other barangays of Trinidad to form the independent municipality of San Miguel through Executive Order No. 423.^[19]

On December 29, 1961, barangay San Isidro (not the present San Isidro, Ubay) separated from Ubay, together with other barangays of Candijay, Guindulman, and Sierra-Bullones to create the municipality of Pilar through Executive Order No. 460.^[20]

On June 21, 1969, barangays of Aguining, Basiao, Bonbonon, Gaus, Pitogo, and Tugas separated from Ubay to create the independent municipality of Pitogo in virtue of Republic Act 5867.^[21] It was later renamed President Carlos P. Garcia in honor of the 8th president of the Philippines on October 27, 1977 through Presidential Decree No. 1228.^[22]

The town is situated east of Trinidad, north of Alicia and Mabini, and northeast of San Miguel. It is 130 kilometres (81 mi) northeast of Tagbilaran.

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 2.73% 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 (1970–2020) is 1.85%.

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

Poverty Incidence of Ubay

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[28][29]
[30][31][32][33][34]}

Ubay has a number of business establishments commercial trading firms engaged in retail and wholesale. The new public market building was completed in 2000. 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, Municipality of Bien Unido , Alica and Mabini. Another well-known public market is located in barangay San Pascual, south of the municipality.^[35]

Ubay is one of the growth centers in and considered the dairy capital of the province where the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), National Dairy Authority (NDA) and the Ubay Stock Farm the largest and oldest livestock in the country with more than 3,000 hectares is located in the Municipality. The Municipality is also center for agri-industrial production and the biggest producers of poultry products in central visayas produced by the Marcela Farms Inc. (Alturas group of companies) located in Barangay Lomangog produce tons of poultry products like dress chicken. Ubay is also one of the top producers of fish products as it has more than 1,000 hectares of fishpond. The Municipality is a center for agriculture with government establishments like the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Bohol Experiential Station (BES), Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) and the Central Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CENVIARC) are located. The Municipality is also considered the rice granary of the province with 51% of its total land area is intended for agriculture in which majority of its rice fields are irrigated.

Ubay is the center of Eco-Agri Tourism considering its grass land area of the Ubay Stock Farm with carabaos and cows that similar to the scenery of New Zealand plus the learning experience you will gain when you visit their Department of Agriculture Facilities.

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 the municipal council.

• Erico B. Aumentado – 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.
• Karen Gallman - beauty queen, Miss Intercontinental 2018, the first ever Filipina to win the title. Also won Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018.^[61]