Sadsad festival shifts to TOSLOB FESTIVAL

Toslob Festival

Municipality of Oslob, Cebu. March 2, 2009. One Visayas. Cebu International Convention Center, Mandaue City, Cebu.

Sumilon Island, Oslob

Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort is located on tranquil Sumilon Island. The Island remains as one of Cebu's best kept secrets and is found on the southeastern tip of the mainland. It is 125 kilometers from Cebu City and is in close proximity to Dumaguete. The island has an area of 24 hectares and is surrounded by crystal clear waters with varying aquamarine hues. It is the first marine protected area in the Philippines and was made a fish sanctuary in 1974 under the guidance of Siliman University Marine Reserve. During dives, one will find varied marine species and even occasional sightings of black tip sharks. Pristine white sand beaches are situated in different areas in Sumilon.

Its Sandbar is well known for its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island, depending on the season. On the island, there is a natural lagoon teeming with high mangroves. There are also natural caves where fishermen used to seek refuge. On the southside, a lighthouse rests on a protected tree park. Beside it is a “Baluarte”, a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.

Oslob: Fuerza Paradiso

As we approached our first destination, we were greeted with a great vista of a seaside cliff and sea road. It was romantic. Wow! And I can see easily the diver’s paradise from a distance. Anyway, our first pit stop is Oslob. Sumilon Island’s hometown.

The second to the last town in southeastern Cebu, it is rustic and surrounded by barren hills and the blue sea. Its main attraction however is the Fortress Church of Immaculada Concepcion. This massive church was most likely served also as a fortres due to its thick butresses and massive walls and tall bell tower, much similar to those back in Iloilo and Ilocos. One of the legacies of Fray Bermejo, (who is famous for creating a security network of watchtowers and fortress churches in south Cebu to protect the residents from marauding Moros of the south) it is one of the few churches that has a seal of the King of Spain.

Surrounding its vicinity is the age-old church walls and a ruin of a Spanish-era establishment. Probably a tribunal, cuartel or casa real (tribubal, prison/guardia civil HQ or town hall). Go to the beach and you’ll see a massive ruin of a bantayan sa hari or a watchtower, decayed by nature’s awesome power. Several meters away, another heritage site for the paranormals, the cemetery. It features an arch with a skull and a crossbone.

Whew! It was quite a hot morning (we arrived there by 8AM), so off we go to an eatery besides the highway and drank Sparkle lemon softdrink. The lady told us that: “Bag-o ko ra kamo kakita diri.” (Your new faces here). She gave us a cool serving of the drink and offered for us something to eat. Oslobnons are very hospitable to their weary visitors. I’m sure we’ll get back here I told the lady and thanked her.

If given time and resources, we will opt to go to the diver’s paradise of Sumilon, just 10 kilometers further south from the town proper.

So, off we waited for a Ceres Bus bound back north. Next stop, Boljo-on!

Trade and Industry

Commercial Establishments
Type of Business No. of Establishments
Sari-sari Stores: 135 Restaurants & Cafeterias: 15 Fresh Fish & Meal Retailers: 8 General Merchandising: 23 Service and Repair Shops: 5 Tailoring & Dress Shops: 4 Pawnshops & Lending Investments: 2 Lumber and Hardwares: 4 Pharmacies and Drug Stores: 5 Marketing Firms (Appliances, furniture,etc.): none Gasoline Stations: 1 Bakeries: 6 Photo Shops & Beauty Parlors: 3
Raw materials available within the area: 1. Coconut 2. Rice 3. Root crops 4. Fruit trees 5. Corn 6. Fishery Livestock and Poultry
7. Bamboos Limestone
(Names of existing Commercial farms within the area) 1. Gawi Poultry Farms

SadSad festival

Sadsad FestivalThe word "sadsad",in the local dialect, means dance. This is where the Sadsadfestival got its name. The sadsad festival is held in honor of the patroness, the Immaculate Concepcion. It was started in Barangay Poblacion but was later elevated as the town festival when the barangay captain became the mayor of the town.

Fire destroys Oslob church, convent

A DAWN fire destroyed one of the oldest churches in Cebu in the most destructive blaze to hit the province this Fire Prevention Month. It took firefighters nearly eight hours to put the flames out. The fire that razed the Immaculate Conception Parish and its convent in the southern town of Oslob also highlighted the need for the government to pay attention to upgrading firefighting equipment. The church sat about 50 meters away from the Oslob fire station in Barangay Poblacion, but much of the firefighting came from the neighboring towns of Santander, Argao, Dalaguete and Sibonga, because Oslob’s two firetrucks were defective. Firefighters from Oslob Fire Station led by fire marshal SFO2 Jaime Suycano, together with some residents, had to push one of the trucks to the site. The first firetruck to arrive, about 30 minutes after the alarm was raised, came from Santander Fire Station. An initial investigation by Suycano showed the fire began at 1:40 a.m. based on the statement of Feryland Gemelo, 20, nephew of parish priest Fr. Valentino Gemelo and an acolyte of the church, who first saw the flames. Suycano said an electrical short-circuit may have caused the fire, but that still has to be verified.

Infrastructure and Utilities Road Network

National Road: 20.00 km. Provincial Road: 22.00 km. Municipal Road : 5.75 km. Barangay Road : 32.50 km. Ports (Domestic/International): none Airport (If any): none Schools (Public & Private) Elementary: 13
High Schools:3
College: none

Public Library: none Public Market: 2 Multi-purpose Building: 5 Recreation Courts/Centers : 15

Transportation Services No. of Buses: 5
No. of Jeepneys : 8
No.of Tricycles: 15
No. of Trisicads : 25

Communications No. of Post Office: 1
No. of Telephone Stations: 1
No. of Telex Services: none
No. of Telegraphic Stations: 1

Power Source of Electricity: CEBECO
No. of Barangay Served: 17
No. Household Served: -

Water Source of Water: Mun. Water System
No. of Households Served: -

Topography

Topography: Generally, topography of the area is hilly and rolling, dominated by open grasslands and second growth forest. There are fairly level and rolling plateaus and valleys spread throughout the interior. These are some of the most suitable areas for upland agriculture. The highest mountain peak is 800 meters above sea level.
Climate : The Municipality of Oslob belongs to the third type of climate in the Philippines where in dry season comes on the months of February to September and the heaviest rains come on the month of October.
Soil Type : Faraon clay Faraon clay steep phase Medellin clay Lugo clay

Land Infromation

Land Classification as of (Latest Year) Arable Area: 5,045.00 Has.
Residential : 220.00 Has.
Commercial : 12.60 Has.
Industrial : none
Certified Alienable /Disposable Land: 1,563.00 Has.
Classified Forest/Reservation/Timberland: 9,619.00 Has. Wildlife/Military Reserve Land : none
Unclassified Forest Land/Wilderness : 65.89 Has.
National Parks/Playgrounds : 5.75 Has.