| ANTIQUE TOWNS: SIBALOM |
| MUNICIPALITY OF SIBALOM (Reprinted from the Binirayan 2000 Souvenir Magazine) LOCATION Sibalom is located in the south central portion of the
elongated province of Antique. It is bounded by the municipalities of San
Remegio and Patnongon on the north and northwest., Belison on the west, San
Jose on the southwest, Hamtic on the south and the province of Iloilo on the
east. Sibalom
has a total land area of 23,400.2095 hectares. It is ten (10) kilometers from
San Jose, the provincial capital of Antique. The
municipality is composed of 76 barangays, all of which are classified as rural
with the exception of the four districts of the Poblacion, which are
considered relatively urban. TOPOGRAPHY Sibalom
topography is characterized by extensive floodplains generally to the central
portion of the municipality and rolling hills on the The
municipality has smooth and rugged slopes. The level to gently sloping terrain
is limited to the west central portion of the municipality and renders this
part of Sibalom available for rice and corn production. The moderately sloping
areas are found mostly on the outer fringes and the gently sloping terrain
that leads to the steeply sloping areas are found mostly in the eastern part of the
munipality. This is also part of the western cordillera of Antique where
the headwater of the Tipuluan River, a major tributary of the Sibalom River, is
found. POPULATION Latest
data from the National Statistics Office reveal that Sibalom, for the year
1995, has a total population of 46,143 and a population density of 1.86
persons per hectare. This shows an increase of 3,496 persons within a span of
five years from 1990 population of 42, 647. Sibalom’s population growth rate
from 1990-1995 is 1.4%. Basing
from the 1995 census of population and housing survey, Sibalom has a young
population. Out
of the total number of 46,146 household population, 23,239 or 50.36% are male
and 28,887 or 49.58% are female giving a ratio of 1.02 male for every female. The dependency
ratio is 1:1 .33. EDUCATION The
municipaity has private and public schools offering elementary education. Sta.
Rita Academy is the only private school in the municipality. It is managed
by the Assumption sisters. There
are 48 public schools, which are divided into two mother districts, the
Sibalom South and the Sibalom North Districts. Four National High Schools
offer secondary education. The only state college in the province, the
Polytechnic State College of Antique (formerly the Antique School of Arts and
Trade), offers secondary education aside from
several technical and diploma courses, bachelor’s degree and graduate
programs HEALTH
SERVICES There
are 12 barangay health stations in the whole of Sibalom and one MunicipaI Health Office located in the The
municipal Health Office has 21 personnel headed by a Municipal Health Officer.
There are two Public Health Nurses, one of whom is designated as the
Department of Health (DOH) representative. The other staff members are
composed of 10 health midwives, three Sanitary Inspectors, one Municipal
Health Dentist and one Dental Aide. PEACE AND ORDER Sibalom
is relatively peaceful. The police force is composed of nineteen (19)
policemen. Taking into account the total population of the municipality of
46,143, the ratio would be one police officer to 2, 428 residents. ECONOMY A.
Agriculture Its
predominantly agricultural area of about 20,189 hectares or 85 percent
utilized crop production. Twenty-seven (27) percent (or 5,589 hectares) of the
total agricultural area is planted to rice, the main dominant produce. Other
crops include corn, sugarcane, peanuts, sweet potato, mongo (mung beans), coconut and
various vegetables. The
vast areas available for grazing have helped maintain livestock production in
the municipality. Livestock animals such as cows, goats, and carabaos (water buffalos)
are
tended by most people, especially the upland farmers. These have become their
major source of income. B.
Forestry The
town ranks first in the province in terms of established plantations and
percentage contribution with 34% or 4, 388 hectares planted as of December C. Commerce and Industry It
ranks second in terms of number of business establishments in the whole
provinve of Antique. Seventy percent (70%)
of Sibalom’s establishments belongs to the trade sector. The rest of the trade
industries are involved in miscellaneous activities such as general
merchandising, supplying veterinary products, veterinary products,
agricultural inputs, as well as electrical, mechanical and construction
materials. There are also manufacturing establishments such as metal craft
shops and bakeries. The
growing number of commercial establishments in town implies that the economic
situation of the town is improving and is expected to continue in the
succeeding years. Another
industry that is expected to boost the economy of the municipality is gemstone processing. The semiprecious stones are in abundance in the
riverbeds of Mao-it and Tipuluan rivers. TOURISM Sibalom
is endowed with vast resources that could be turned into a booming tourist
industry. Its western cordillera has a rugged and mountainous slope suitable
for development into mountain resorts. The highest peak in the municipality, Mt. Porras, is found in this portion and is considered a national park. It
offers lush vegetation endowed with interesting and colorful species of
various flora and fauna. The place is accessible only by hiking from any of the ten
barangays (barrio) surrounding it. Presently, the local government
unit sees the potential of this area and plans are underway for Mt. Porras to
be developed in a suitable manner. ORGANIZATIONAL
MANAGEMENT AND FISCAL ADMINISTRATION The
municipal government has a total workforce of 108 out of the total 118
positions to be filled up. Of the total number of employees, 43 are male and
64 are female. The largest office in terms of personnel is the Office of the
Municipal Mayor with 26 personnel, including the Municipal Mayor. Sibalom
is classified as third class municipality. The municipal income comes from the
following: Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), property taxes, taxes on goods
and services, and operating and miscellaneous expenses.
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