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MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila)

The Metro Rail Transit Line 3, also known as the MRT Line 3, MRT-3, or Metrostar Express, is a rapid transit line in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The line runs in an orbital north to south route following the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). Despite its name, the line is more akin to a light rapid transit system owing to its tram-like rolling stock while having total grade separation and high passenger throughput. The line is officially known as the Yellow Line.

Envisioned in the 1970s and 1980s as part of various feasibility studies, the 13-station, 16.9 km line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started full operations in 2000. The line is owned by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) under a 25-year build–lease–transfer agreement with the Philippine government's Department of Transportation (DOTr), who operates the line.

The line is integrated with the public transit system in Metro Manila, where passengers also take various forms of road-based public transport, such as buses, to and from a station to reach their intended destination. Serving close to 360,000 passengers on a daily basis, the line is the busiest among Metro Manila's three rapid transit lines. Total ridership significantly exceeds its built maximum capacity of 350,000 passengers a day, with various solutions being proposed or implemented to alleviate chronic congestion. Expanding the network's capacity to accommodate the rising number of passengers is currently set on tackling this problem.

Early planning
In 1973, the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA; predecessor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency) presented a plan to construct five subway lines in Metro Manila. The study was known as the Urban Transport Study in the Manila Metropolitan Area. One of the five lines, Line 3, was planned as a 24.3 km line along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the region's busiest road corridor. The plan would have resolved the traffic problems of Metro Manila and would have taken 15 years to complete.

Another study by JICA was presented in 1976 which included the five lines proposed in 1973. The study recommended heavy rail due to the rising population.

During the construction of the first line of the Manila Light Rail Transit System in the early 1980s, Electrowatt Engineering Services of Zürich designed a comprehensive plan for metro service in Metro Manila. The plan—still used as the basis for planning new metro lines—consisted of a 150 km network of rapid transit lines spanning all major corridors within 20 years. The study integrated the previous 1973 OTCA study, the 1976 JICA study, and the 1977 Freeman Fox and Associates study, which was used as the basis for the LRT Line 1.

Development and early delays
The project was restarted as a light rail project in 1989. DOTC planned to construct a light railway transit line along EDSA, a major thoroughfare in Metropolitan Manila, which would traverse the cities of Quezon, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay. The plan, referred to as EDSA Light Rail Transit III (EDSA LRT III), was intended to provide a mass transit system along EDSA and alleviate the congestion and growing transportation problems in the metropolis. On March 3, 1990, a letter of intent was sent by Eli Levin Enterprises, Inc., represented by Elijahu Levin, to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), now Department of Transportation (DOTr), secretary Oscar Orbos, proposing to construct the EDSA LRT III on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

On July 9, 1990, President Corazon Aquino signed Republic Act No. 6957, simply known as the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law; it took exactly three months later. The government then published an invitation to pre-qualify and bid for the project on February 21, 1991. Five groups responded to the invitation: ABB Trazione of Italy, Hopewell Holdings Ltd. of Hong Kong, Mansteel International of Mandaue, Cebu, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. of Japan, and EDSA LRT Consortium, composed of ten foreign and domestic corporations: namely, Kaiser Engineers International, Inc., ACER Consultants (Far East) Ltd. and Freeman Fox (both later merged with Hyder Consulting), Tradeinvest/ČKD Tatra of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republics, TCGI Engineering All Asia Capital and Leasing Corporation, The Salim Group of Jakarta, E. L. Enterprises, Inc., and A.M. Oreta & Co. Capitol Industrial Construction Group, Inc., and F. F. Cruz & Co., Inc. EDSA LRT Consortium was the sole firm that passed the pre-qualification process, and submitted its proposal to the DOTC on July 16. The Build-lease-Transfer (BLT) agreement was signed on November 7.

On September 22, 1992, DOTC and EDSA LRT Corporation signed a revised and restated BLT Agreement. The new BLT Agreement defined the project coverage in two phases: Phase 1, which spanned 16 km between North Avenue, Quezon City and Taft Avenue, Pasay, and Phase II, which spanned 5.5 km from North Avenue to Monumento, Caloocan. The project was approved by the Cabinet on January 19, 1993. On May 6 of that same year, the project was launched by President Fidel V. Ramos.

According to the agreements, the EDSA LRT III will use light rail vehicles from the Czech and Slovak Federal Republics and will have a maximum carrying capacity of 450,000 passengers a day, or 150 million a year to be achieved, through 54 such vehicles operating simultaneously. The EDSA LRT III will run at grade, or street level, on the mid-section of EDSA for a distance of 17.8 km from F.B. Harrison, Pasay, to North Avenue, Quezon City. The system will have its own power facility. It will also have thirteen (13) passenger stations and one depot on 16-hectare government property at North Avenue.

However, construction could not commence, with the project stalled as the Philippine government conducted several investigations into alleged irregularities with the project's contract. The Supreme Court had a case barring Eli Levin from implementing the project in March 1994, and the bids were ABB (ASEA Brown Boveri) and Mitsubishi Corporation, which also wanted to supply contracts.

A year later, the Supreme Court upheld the regularity of the project which paved the way for construction to finally begin during the term of President Ramos. A consortium of local companies, led by Fil-Estate Management was later joined by Ayala Land, and 5 others, later formed the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) in June 1995 and took over the EDSA LRT Corporation.

Construction and opening
On March 27, 1996, the unveiling marker was attended by President Ramos and others. The MRTC was subsequently awarded a Build-Lease-Transfer contract by the DOTC, which meant that the latter would possess ownership of the system after the 25-year concession period. Meanwhile, the DOTC would assume all administrative functions, such as the regulation of fares and operations, leaving the MRTC responsibility over construction and maintenance of the system as well as the procurement of spare parts for trains. MRTC would later transfer the responsibility of maintaining the system to the DOTC in November 2010. In exchange, the DOTC would pay the MRTC monthly fees for a certain number of years to reimburse any incurred costs.

Construction began on October 15 of the same year, with a BLT agreement signed between the Philippine government and the MRTC. An amended turnkey agreement was later signed on September 16, 1997, with Sumitomo Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Sumitomo and Mitsubishi subcontracted EEI Corporation and AsiaKonstrukt for the civil works. A separate agreement was signed with ČKD Dopravní Systémy (ČKD Tatra, now part of Siemens AG), the leading builder of trams and light rail vehicles for the Eastern Bloc, on rolling stock. MRTC also retained the services of ICF Kaiser Engineers and Constructors to provide program management and technical oversight of the services for the design, construction management, and commissioning. MRTC would later sign a maintenance agreement with Sumitomo and Mitsubishi for the maintenance of the line on December 10 of the same year.

During construction, the MRTC oversaw the design, construction, equipping, testing, and commissioning, while the DOTC oversaw technical supervision of the project activities covered by the BLT contract between the DOTC and MRTC. The DOTC also sought the services of SYSTRA, a French consultant firm, with regards to the technical competence, experience and track record in the construction and operations.

On December 15, 1999, the initial section from North Avenue to Buendia was inaugurated by President Joseph Estrada, with all remaining stations opening on July 20, 2000, a little over a month past the original deadline, due to DOTC's inclusion of additional work orders such as the Tramo flover in Pasay leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. However, ridership was initially far below expectations when the line was still partially open, with passengers complaining of the tickets' steep price and the general lack of connectivity of the stations with other modes of public transportation. Passengers' complaints of high ticket prices pointed to the maximum fare of ₱34 1999, which at the time was significantly higher than a comparable journey on those lines operated by the LRTA and the PNR or a similar bus ride along EDSA. Although the MRTC projected 300,000–400,000 passengers riding the system daily, in the first month of operation the system saw a ridership of only 40,000 passengers daily (the ridership improved quickly, however, when passengers experienced significantly faster and convenient travel along EDSA, which experience soon spread by word of mouth). The system was also initially criticized as a white elephant, comparing it to the Manila Light Rail Transit System and the Metro Manila Skyway. To alleviate passenger complaints, the MRTC later reduced passenger fares to ₱15 1999, as per the request of then-President Joseph Estrada and a subsequent government subsidy.

During the line's construction in 2000, Pasay residents raised concerns about the line being constructed at ground level, resulting in the closure of several intersections along EDSA, forcing people to take long detours just to cross EDSA. Residents also complained that they were not properly consulted about the line's construction in their area. The MRTC stated that the segment could not be made as an elevated railway due to the air rights above the LRT-1 already being awarded to the Department of Public Works and Highways for a flyover in 1996.

Overcrowding and later decline
MRTC projected a capacity breach in the system by 2002. By 2004, the line had the highest ridership of the three lines, with 400,000 passengers daily. By early 2012, the system was carrying around 550,000 to 600,000 commuters during weekdays and was often badly overcrowded during peak times of access during the day and night. The line operated beyond its original designed capacity from 2004 to 2019. In 2011, Sumitomo, through TES Philippines, issued a warning about the overcrowding situation of the line, in which a failure to immediately upgrade the line's trains and systems would result in damage to the trains and systems.

By October 2012, DOTC removed Sumitomo as the maintenance provider of the line due to the high costs of the contract. With the entry of the joint venture of Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation (PH Trams) and Comm Builders & Technology Philippines Corporation (CB&T) as the maintenance provider in 2012, and APT Global in 2013, it marked the start of the deterioration of the line due to poor maintenance by the aforementioned maintenance providers that DOTC appointed. In 2014, there were reported daily incidents and disruptions, and a derailment of one train coach on August 13 of that year. The government of Benigno Aquino III had been planning to buy the line from the MRT Corporation (MRTC), the private concessionaire that built the line, and then bid it out to private bidders. The Aquino government accused the MRTC of neglecting and not improving the services of the line under its watch.

In February 2016, the Philippine Senate released a report stating that DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya and other DOTC officials "may have violated" the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in relation to questionable contracts with the subsequent maintenance providers. In a Senate report where the line's condition was found to be in "poor maintenance" as per studies made by MTR HK, DOTC officials were reported to be involved in graft in relation to questionable contracts, especially those for the maintenance of the line.

The DOTC tried to bid out a three-year maintenance contract in 2014 and 2015, but both biddings failed because no bidders submitted a bid. Through a negotiated procurement, the Busan joint venture, a joint venture of Busan Transportation Corporation, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp Inc., and Castan Corporation, was awarded a three-year maintenance contract by the DOTC. The contract started in January 2016 and was slated to end by January 2019. In 2017, DOTC's succeeding agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) attributed the operation's disruptions of the rail system to the Busan joint venture, later known as Busan Universal Rail, Inc. (BURI), with DOTr Transport Undersecretary for Rails Cesar Chavez noting 98 service interruptions and 833 passenger unloadings (or average of twice daily) as well as train derailments in April–June 2017. BURI insisted that the disruptions the railway line was experiencing is due to "inherent design and quality concerns" and not to poor maintenance or normal tear or wear. It said that glitches started occurring since 2000, a claim that MRTC dismissed when Sumitomo was maintaining the system. The maintenance contract was terminated on November 6, 2017.

Capacity expansion
Due to the high ridership of the line, a proposal under study by the DOTC and NEDA proposed to double the current capacity by acquiring additional light rail vehicles to accommodate over 520,000 passengers a day.

In January 2014, the DOTC entered into a contract with CNR Dalian for the procurement of 48 light rail vehicles. The trains, commonly referred to as the Dalian trains, were delivered in batches from 2015 to 2017. The introduction of the new trains would have allowed the line to handle over 800,000 passengers. The Dalian trains entered revenue service in May 2016. However, these became a subject of controversy among government officials, citing its incompatibility with the signaling system and weight limits on tracks. Later, it was revealed that several adjustments to the Dalian trains were required prior to revenue run deployment. The train manufacturer CRRC Dalian has agreed to amend the train specifications to match the contract terms at no cost, and will do so in the soonest possible time. Due to the trains undergoing the said adjustments, they were slowly introduced into regular operations, which led to the start of the gradual deployment on October 27, 2018.

Aside from the procurement of the new trains, the capacity expansion project included the upgrading of the ancillary systems such as the power supply, overhead lines, the extension of the pocket track near Taft Avenue station and the modification of the turn back siding north of the North Avenue station. The original plan also included the upgrading of the signaling system. These upgrades, except for the upgrades to the Taft Avenue pocket track and the North Avenue turn back siding, would only be realized as part of the line's rehabilitation.

Plans were also laid to increase the number of cars in each train set, from the current three cars to four cars, which also increases the number of passengers being accommodated for each trip, from 1,182 passengers to 1,576. The first mention of this plan was in 2013, during the procurement of the new trains. However, in January 2016, an anonymous railway expert warned that the power supply at that time was not capable of handling four-car operations. Despite this, four-car operations were first tested in a Dalian train in May 2016. After the rehabilitation of the line which included the upgrading of the power supply, a dynamic test run for the use of four-car trains for regular operations was conducted on March 9, 2022. Regular four-car operations began in the same month, initially deploying two trains for daily operations, subsequently increased to four. Although full conversion was initially planned to be achieved by 2023, all trains reverted to the existing 3-car configuration a few months after the months-long free rides ended.

Rehabilitation
As early as 2011, there were proposals to rehabilitate the line. An unsolicited proposal were made by Metro Pacific Investments in 2011 at a cost of ₱25.1 billion. Another proposal was presented in 2014 at a cost of ₱23.3 billion. In 2017, in the wake of various daily service interruptions in the line, San Miguel Corporation expressed its interest to rehabilitate the line. That same year, Metro Pacific submitted another ₱20 billion proposal to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the line. These proposals however would be rejected by the government.

Following the termination of the maintenance contract with Busan Universal Rail, Inc., the DOTr announced on November 29, 2017, that a government-to-government agreement between the Philippines and Japan would be signed by the end of that year, paving the way for Sumitomo Corporation to return as the maintenance provider of the line. The three-year contract would cover the rehabilitation and maintenance of the line. The ₱22 billion project, partly funded by a ₱18 billion loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency, was approved by the Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) board of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on August 17, 2018. It intended to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing systems and trains, for the line to return to its original high-grade design. The project was part of the Build! Build! Build! infrastructure program.

On November 8, 2018, the loan agreement for the project was signed, while the rehabilitation and maintenance contract was signed on December 28. The project was initially slated to start by January 2019, but the implementation of a re-enacted government budget for 2019 and finalization of documents caused repeated delays on when the project could start, which only started on May 1, 2019.

Under the 43-month contract, which was undertaken by Sumitomo, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering (MHIENG; part of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries [MHI] group), and TES Philippines, rehabilitation works were to be done within 26 months. It covers the overhaul of all MRTC Class 3000 vehicles, repairs on the escalators and elevators, rail replacement, upgrades on the signaling and communication systems, power supply, overhead systems, maintenance and station equipment. After the rehabilitation, a 17-month maintenance contract will be undertaken by the Japanese firms. The contract was originally slated to end by December 31, 2022, or 43 months after the start of rehabilitation, but was moved to May 31, 2023.

The rehabilitation was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2021. However, delays brought by the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its completion to the following December. The project was completed on the aforementioned date, as announced by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on February 28, 2022. On March 22, President Rodrigo Duterte and Secretary Tugade inaugurated the newly rehabilitated line at a completion ceremony held at Shaw Boulevard station. As part of its completion, free rides were offered initially for a month to combat inflation, but was extended twice until June 30.

On May 26, 2023, a ₱6.9 billion loan was signed by the governments of Japan and the Philippines for the second phase of the project, covering the line's continued maintenance and its connection to the North Triangle Common Station with the lines that would interchange at that station. Four days later, DOTr and Sumitomo signed a contract to extend the latter's maintenance in the railway line until July 31, 2025. Among the projects included under the new contract is the conversion of the trains used on the line from the present three railcars to four, following the previous test runs for the four-car trains in 2022, and the expansion of the Taft Avenue pocket track to cater longer trains. The program aims to increase the line's ridership capacity to 500,000 passengers a day.

Route
The lines run along the alignment of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue from North Avenue in Quezon City to the intersection of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay. The rails are mostly elevated and erected either over or along the roads covered, with cut and underground sections between Buendia and Ayala stations, the only underground stations on the line. The rail line serves the cities of Pasay, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City. The line crosses Osmeña Highway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) at Magallanes Interchange in Makati.

Stations
The line has 13 stations along its 16.9 km route, spaced on average around 1.3 km apart. The southern terminus of the line is Taft Avenue at Pasay Rotonda, the intersection between Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and Taft Avenue, while the northern terminus is the North Avenue along EDSA in Barangay Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City. Three stations serve as connecting stations with the lines of the Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT) and Philippine National Railways (PNR). The Magallanes station is near PNR's EDSA station, while Araneta Center–Cubao is indirectly connected to the LRT Line 2 station of the same, and Taft Avenue is connected via a covered walkway to the LRT Line 1 EDSA station. No stations are connected to other rapid transit lines within the paid areas, though that is set to change when the North Triangle Common Station, which has interchanges to LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 7, opens in 2025.

Operations
The line is open from 4:40 a.m. PHT (UTC+8) until 10:10 p.m. on a daily basis. It operates almost every day of the year unless otherwise announced. Special schedules are announced via the public address system in every station and also in newspapers and other mass media. During Holy Week, a public holiday in the Philippines, the line is closed for annual maintenance, owing to fewer commuters and traffic around the metro, leaving the EDSA Carousel as an alternative mode of transport. Normal operation resumes after Easter Sunday. During the Christmas season, operating hours are shortened to allow its staff to celebrate the holidays with their families.

It has experimented with extended opening hours, the first of which included 24-hour operations beginning on June 1, 2009 (primarily aimed at serving call center agents and other workers in the business process outsourcing sector). Citing low ridership figures and financial losses, this was suspended after two days, and operations were instead extended from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 am. Operations subsequently returned to the former schedule (5:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 5:30 a.m. until 10:00 pm during weekends and holidays) by April 2010, but services were again extended starting March 10, 2014, with trains running on a trial basis from 4:30 am to 11:30 pm in anticipation of major traffic buildup in light of several major road projects beginning in 2014.

Responding to a commuter's concern on X (formerly Twitter) about the limited operating hours at night, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) explained in August 2023 the need for timely maintenance works, since any delays would affect other portions of the line for the next trips. The DOTr added that unlike the extensive railway systems of Europe and Japan, where 24-hour operations are possible, the MRT system only consists of one line. The department also claimed that if maintenance is not ensured, the line would "slowly deteriorate".

Station facilities, amenities, and services

Station layout and accessibility
The stations have a standard layout, with a platform level and a concourse level. The concourse is usually above the platform, with stairs, escalators and elevators leading down to the platform level. However, fare gates are located at the platform level in most stations, meaning that commuters will need to exit the paid area to catch a train going in the opposite direction. Switching trains without paying a new fare is only possible at the Araneta Center–Cubao, Boni, Buendia, Ayala, and Taft Avenue stations due to their different layout.

The station platforms have a standard length of 130 m, designed to accommodate trains with four cars. The stations are also designed to occupy the entire span of EDSA, allowing passengers to safely cross between one end of the road and the other.

Most stations are also barrier-free inside and outside the station, and trains have spaces for passengers using wheelchairs. With the exception of Buendia and Ayala stations, and the platform level of Taft Avenue and Boni stations, all stations are situated above ground, taking advantage of EDSA's topology.

Stations either have side platforms, which is the case for most stations, or island platforms, such as Taft Avenue. Due to the very high patronage of the line, before the pandemic, part of the platform corresponding to the first car of the train is cordoned off for the use of senior citizens, pregnant women, children who are below 4 ft and age seven, and disabled passengers. Since 2021, the first two doors of the first car of the train have been allotted as a priority section for the aforementioned passengers.

The line has a total of 46 escalators and 34 elevators across all 13 stations. Prior to the rehabilitation, only few escalators and elevators were operational. The escalators and elevators were rehabilitated as part of the rehabilitation of the line. The project started in June 2019 and was completed on August 20, 2020.

In February 2012, the line allowed folding bicycles to be brought into trains provided that the wheels do not exceed more than 20 in in diameter.

Platform screen doors were also planned for each station, with the plans for the platform doors were laid out as early as 2013, however, these plans were delayed until it was reconsidered in 2017.

Shops and services
Some stations are connected at concourse level to nearby buildings, such as shopping malls, for easier accessibility. Inside the concourse of all stations are stalls or shops where people can buy food or drinks. Stalls vary by station, and some have fast food stalls.

Since November 19, 2001, in cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, passengers have been offered copies of the Inquirer Libre, a free, tabloid-size, Tagalog version of the Inquirer, which is available at all stations. In 2014, Pilipino Mirror also started distributing free tabloid newspapers.

Safety and security
The line's safety was affirmed in a 2004 World Bank paper prepared by Halcrow, describing the overall state of metro rail transit operations in Manila as being "good". However, since the DOTr took over maintenance of the train system in 2012, the safety and reliability of the system has been questioned, with experts calling it "an accident waiting to happen." While several incidents and accidents were reported between 2012 and 2014, they did not deter commuters from using the system. The Philippine government, meanwhile, continues to assert that the system is safe overall despite those incidents and accidents.

As the line operated significantly above its designed capacity of 350,000 passengers per day from 2004 to 2019, government officials have admitted that capacity and system upgrades are overdue, although the DOTr has never acted on the numerous capacity expansion proposals of the private owners. In the absence of major investment in improving system safety and reliability, DOTr has resorted to experimenting with and implementing other solutions to reduce strain on the system, including crowd management on station platforms and the proposed implementation of peak-hour express train service. However, some of these solutions, such as platform crowd management, are unpopular with passengers.

For safety and security reasons, persons who are visibly intoxicated, insane and/or under the influence of controlled substances, persons carrying flammable materials and/or explosives, and persons carrying bulky objects or items over 1.5 m tall and/or wide are prohibited from entering the line. Products in tin cans are also prohibited on board, citing the possibility of home-made bombs being concealed inside the cans.

In late 2000 and early 2001, in response to the Rizal Day bombings and the September 11 attacks, security was increased. Following a vandalism incident in May 2021, the number of security personnel deployed across all stations was increased and a patrol car was deployed for added security. After a bomb threat incident on September 8, 2023, DOTr formed an inter-agency task force to enhance security across all transportation sectors. Units of the Philippine National Police and security police provided by private companies can be found in all stations. All stations have a head guard. Some stations may also have a deployed K9 bomb-sniffing dog. The line also employs the use of closed-circuit television inside all stations to monitor suspicious activities.

Pets have been allowed to ride since July 12, 2021, but these must be placed inside a carrier bag before boarding a train.

Ridership
The original designed ridership of the line is 350,000, yet as the years passed, the number doubled from 450,000 daily passengers in 2006–2007 to 490,000 passengers in 2008 and up to 500,000 passengers from 2010 to 2012, with record numbers reaching as high as 620,000 from 2012 to 2013, before declining to 560,000 in 2014. The high ridership of the line is due to the time consumed when commuting via EDSA, as well as the speed of the trains reaching up to 60 kph, and connectivity to Metro Manila's major transport hubs, railway lines, and central business districts, which results to a reduced commuting travel time and an increase in ridership. The daily ridership of the line can reach as much as 300,000 to 500,000 passengers from 2012 to 2016, despite poor maintenance and long lines, causing the government to launch bus services, known as MRT Buses, around its stations, to serve as alternatives for 900,000 to 1 million passengers. In addition to the rising daily ridership that continues to exceed the line's designed capacity, and as the government continues to implement the metro line's capacity expansion project, it aims to reach a ridership of 800,000 daily passengers as all of the new trains from China will be added to its current fleet.

Ridership declined in 2015, with a daily average of 327,314 passengers, which is lower than the 2014 record of 464,871 daily passengers on average. It slightly increased in 2016, to 370,036, and the highest recorded daily ridership was recorded at 517,929 in December of that year. However, ridership started to decline by 2017 due to poor maintenance and daily incidents, which continued through 2018 and 2019. A significant drop in ridership was recorded in 2020 due to capacity limitations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, serving 70,000 to 150,000 passengers daily. It previously served almost 40,000 passengers in June 2020, and 150,000 passengers in January 2021. Until February 2022, the line operated at a limited capacity before capacity limitations were removed by March 1, 2022.

Ridership slightly increased in 2021, servicing 136,935 daily passengers on average due to the increased capacity in November 2021. After the completion of the rehabilitation project in 2022, the line offered free rides to commuters in three months. This, in turn, increased the ridership of the line. By the end of the free rides, a total of 28.6 million passengers rode the line. It also recorded a daily average of 318,055 passengers in the same period. By the end of the year, the line carried 98,330,683 passengers, its highest since the rehabilitation, with an average of 273,141.

Statistics
Data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Fares and ticketing
The line, like all other lines in Metro Manila, uses a distance-based fare structure, with fares ranging from 13 to 28 pesos (24 to 51 U.S. cents), depending on the destination. Commuters who ride the line are charged ₱13 for the first two stations, ₱16 for 3–4 stations, ₱20 for 5–7 stations, ₱24 for 8–10 stations and ₱28 for 11 stations or the entire line. Children below 1.02 m (the height of a fare gate) may ride for free.

Fares are free of charge every March 8 (International Women's Day; free rides exclusive for women), June 12 (Independence Day), and December 30 (Rizal Day) on limited time slots.

The line, along with the LRT Line 2 and Philippine National Railways lines also offered free rides to students starting July 1, 2019, but students must register to avail a student pass. However, the free rides for students stopped in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as distance learning was implemented as a mode of learning during the pandemic. With the shift towards the return of physical face-to-face classes, a plan to return the free rides to students by August 2022 was announced; however, free rides for students were only limited to the LRT Line 2 due to more losses that the government will incur as a consequence of the free rides (Line 2 itself later stopped the free rides after three months due to similar reasons). Instead, the line will offer a 20% fare discount for students that wish to avail.

Magnetic tickets (1999–2015)
Two types of tickets exist: a single-journey (one-way) ticket whose cost is dependent on the destination, and a stored-value (multiple-use) ticket for 100 pesos. The 200-peso & 500-peso stored-value tickets were issued in the past, but have since been phased out. The single-journey ticket is valid only on the date of purchase. Meanwhile, the stored-value ticket is valid for three months from date of first use.

The tickets come in several incarnations: these include tickets bearing the portraits of former presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which have since been phased out, and one bearing the logos of the DOTC and the MRTC. Ticket shortages are common: in 2005, the MRTC was forced to recycle tickets bearing Estrada's portrait to address critical ticket shortages, even resorting to borrowing stored-value tickets from the LRTA and even cutting unusable tickets in half for use as manual passes. Shortages were also reported in 2012, and the DOTC was working on procuring additional tickets in 2014. Because of the ticket shortages, it had become common practice for regular passengers to purchase several stored-value tickets at a time, though ticket shortages still persist.

Although it has partnered with private telecommunications companies in experimenting with RFID technology as an alternative ticketing system in the past, these were phased out in 2009.

Beep cards (2015–present)
Currently, inter-operable beep cards with similar-to-the-previous single-journey and stored-value ticket types are now issued, along with the deployment of brand-new ticketing machines that replaced the barely-used ticketing machines that has been in place since the line's inauguration. The beep, tap-and-go tickets, loadable up to ₱10,000, became available to use in all stations of the line on October 3, 2015.

A shortage of the stored value cards was reported in 2022 due to the global chip shortage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fare adjustment
Adjusting passenger fares was ordered by President Joseph Estrada as a means to boost flagging ridership figures, and the issue of fares both historically and in the present day continues to be a contentious political issue involving officials at even the highest levels of government.

Current fare levels were set on January 4, 2015, as a consequence of DOTr (formerly DOTC) having to increase fares for LRT Line 1 as per their concession agreement with MPIC-Ayala, with fare hikes delayed for several years despite inflation and rising operating costs. Prior to the current fares levels, fares were set on July 15, 2000, under the orders of then President Estrada; this was intended to have the line become competitive against other modes of transport, but had the effect of causing revenue shortfalls which the government shouldered. While originally set to last only until January 2001, the new fare structure persisted due to strong public opposition against increasing fares, especially as ridership increased significantly after lower fares were implemented. In 2022, when the line waived its fares, ridership also increased. These lower fares—which are only slightly more expensive than jeepney fares—ended up being financed through large government subsidies amounting to around ₱45 per passenger, and which for both the MRT and LRT reached ₱75 billion for the 10-year period between 2004 and 2014. Without subsidies, the cost of a single trip is estimated at ₱60, and a ₱10 increase in fares would yield additional monthly revenues of ₱2–3 billion a month.

Passenger fare subsidies are unpopular outside Metro Manila, with subsidy opponents claiming that their taxes are being used to subsidize Metro Manila commuters without any benefit to the countryside, and that the fare subsidies should be used for infrastructure improvements in the rest of the country. In his 2013 State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III claimed that it would be unfair for non-Metro Manila residents to use their taxes to subsidize the LRT and MRT. However, supporters of the subsidies claimed that the rest of the country benefits economically from efficient transportation in Metro Manila.

In January 2023, a petition was filed for a ₱4–6 fare hike due to a major net loss incurred; in 2022, the incurred revenue was only ₱1.11 billion against expenditures of roughly ₱8.97 billion, resulting in a loss of ₱7.86 billion. In the petition, the MRT-3 management said that fare revenues were never enough to compensate the MRTC to cover the initial investment in the construction, operations, and maintenance of the line. The fare hike is now set for the first quarter of 2024.

Rolling stock
The line runs light rail vehicles (LRV) in a regular three-car configuration. Four-car trains began operating by March 2022, although most trains remain running in three cars. The DOTr planned to convert all three-car trains to four-car trains by 2023. Two train types run in the line, the latest being those purchased from CRRC Dalian, under the Aquino administration.

The line has a total of 121 light rail vehicles. 73 of which were made in the Czech Republic by ČKD (now part of Siemens AG) and were purchased with export financing from the Czech government. One ČKD train car was damaged following a derailment of a train in 2014. Another 48 were made by CRRC Dalian in China that were purchased at a cost of ₱3.8 billion. Trains have a capacity of 1,182 passengers, expandable to 1,576, which is a little bigger than the normal capacity of LRT Line 1 first generation rolling stock that has a capacity with the same configuration of 1,122 passengers, although trains came with air conditioning. Despite this, it is designed to carry in excess of 23,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), and is expandable to accommodate 48,000 passengers per hour per direction.

The plans for new rolling stock has been an issue for the MRT during the Aquino administration under DOTC's leadership of then Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, with plans to acquire 52-second-hand LRVs offered from Madrid Metro in Spain with a budget of ₱8.43 billion, along with a proposal from Inekon Trams in 2013. However, undisclosed issues and train incompatibility issues regarding the project, the project was downgraded to 48 LRVs, with the contract having CRRC Dalian supply 48 new LRVs. The deployment of the Dalian trains was delayed due to several factors, including weight limits on existing tracks and inconsistencies in production, which has since been corrected. On October 27, 2018, DOTr started the gradual deployment of the 2nd-generation trains. Currently, none of the Dalian trains are in operation as a consequence of restrictions imposed by the line's current maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corporation.

The trains are designed to run at a maximum speed of 65 km/h, but currently run at an operating speed of 60 km/h, though some areas are limited to 40 km/h like turnouts.

The Passenger Assist Railway Display System (PARDS), a passenger information system powered by LCD screens installed near the ceiling of the train that shows news, advertisements, current train location, arrivals and station layouts, are already installed inside the first-generation trains. PARDS is also installed on trains on LRT lines 1 and 2.

Depot
The line maintains an underground depot in Quezon City near North Avenue station. Above the depot is TriNoma, a shopping mall owned by the Ayala Corporation. The depot occupies 84444 sqm of space and serves as the center of operations and maintenance. It is connected to the mainline through a spur line. The depot is capable of storing 81 light rail vehicles, with the option to expand to include 40 more vehicles as demand arises. They are parked on nine sets of tracks, which converge onto the spur route and later on to the main network. However, a lot of rail tracks for storage inside the depot owned by MRTC were taken by DOTC (now DOTr) to repair broken rails, as DOTC's previous maintenance provider did not purchase spare rails. These rails have since been replaced during the rehabilitation done along the entire line by Sumitomo.

Signaling
The line uses the CITYFLO 250 fixed block signaling solution supplied by Alstom (formerly Bombardier Transportation), designed for light rapid transit operations with on-board automatic train protection (ATP) system on trains. Other components include train detection using track circuits, EBI Screen 900 centralized traffic control, and computer-based interlocking.

Adtranz, later Bombardier Transportation, designed and supplied the original signaling system and maintained it from 2000 to 2012. The firm owns the proprietary rights to supply new components for the system. In October 2015, Bombardier was awarded the contract to upgrade the system's local control system. The seven-month upgrade replaced the MAN 900 local control system with the newer EBI Screen 900 system with modern computers and fiber optic technology.

The previous maintenance providers failed to properly maintain the signaling system and used non-original spare parts to save costs. This in turn, caused many problems within the system which became among the top three causes of frequent service interruptions. On February 9, 2018, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with original equipment manufacturer Bombardier Transportation to upgrade the system and procure the spare parts. Included in the MoU was a two-year maintenance contract that was later cancelled in May 2019 due to the rehabilitation program which included the maintenance of the signaling system by Sumitomo.

The 2019–2021 upgrade covered the replacement of copper cables with fiber optic cables, installation of 71 new signal lights, new interlocking equipment, new point machines, new track circuits (including tuning units which form part of the circuits), and other wayside equipment. Works continued during the acquisition of Bombardier Transportation by Alstom in January 2021. The upgraded system was commissioned on October 24, 2021.

Tracks
The standard gauge tracks consist of 54 kg/m rails designed to the UIC 54 rail profile, which are welded together to form a continuous welded rail. Some rails located at turnouts have fishplates bolted at the ends of the rail. These are laid on sections of the line with ballasted and concrete plinth sections. Sections with track ballast are located on at-grade sections and the underground portion of the line (except Buendia and the turnouts south of the station), while plinth sections are located at elevated sections of the line. The tracks on ballasted sections are supported by concrete sleepers. The rehabilitation of the line led to the introduction of fiber-reinforced foam urethane (FFU) railway sleepers. FFU sleepers are found at the depot and the turnouts near Taft Avenue station.

Plans to replace the rail tracks were laid in 2015. Replacement works in certain sections of the line were conducted in February and March of that year. In January 2015, the joint venture of Jorgman, Daewoo, and MBTech Group was awarded the ₱61.5 million contract for the major replacement works. The joint venture supplied 7,296 pieces of 12 m rails.

By 2014, speed restrictions were imposed due to safety concerns, which downgraded the operating speed from 60 kph later downgraded to 40 km/h, subsequently downgraded to 30 km/h. A comprehensive rail replacement program started on November 4, 2019, under Sumitomo's maintenance. 4,053 pieces of 18 m rails assembled by Nippon Steel Corporation in Fukuoka were used for the replacement program. Rail replacement works were initially suspended during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon, but works resumed in April 2020 and the replacement was fast-tracked. The replacement program was slated to be completed by February 2021, but was completed five months early, in September 2020. The turnouts near Taft Avenue station were repaired in October and November 2020. The rail replacement was intended to increase the operating speed back to 60 km/h and was achieved on December 7, 2020.

Privatization
In November 2022, the Department of Transportation said that it is considering to privatize the operations and maintenance of the line to enhance efficiency, reduce operating costs, and keep fares affordable. The rail lines assets will remain owned by the government, similar to the LRT Line 1. Such a plan was announced as early as 2017.

Line merge with LRT Line 1
Although Phase 1 of the line (Taft Avenue to North Avenue) has already been built, the original route envisioned by the government was for it to traverse most of EDSA (from Monumento to Taft Avenue), eventually meeting with the LRT Line 1 at Monumento in Caloocan (Phase 2) to create a seamless rail loop around Metro Manila. The total length of the planned extension was 5 km.

A study about the integration of Metro Manila's railway network, published by JICA in 2001, proposes the through-operation of both LRT-1 and the MRT-3, which would have interoperability to create a seamless loop around the region. The trains would start from Monumento before turning back to the mainline of LRT 1 at Pasay Rotonda.

The expansion was shelved by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in favor of the LRT Line 1's extension from Monumento to a new common station that it will share with at North Avenue, thus closing the loop. The National Economic and Development Authority, as well as President Arroyo have said that the link at North Avenue is a national priority, since it would not only provide seamless service between the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 but would also help decongest Metro Manila. It is estimated that by 2010, when the extension is completed, some 684,000 commuters would use the line every day from the present 400,000, and traffic congestion on EDSA would be cut by as much as 50%.

Proposals to fully unite LRT-1 and MRT-3 operations and systems have been pitched but has not been pursued so far. Feasibility tests for this proposition included LRT-1 trains visiting MRT 3 depot facilities and running them on the entire line. Even if the structure gauge connecting the two rail lines has been successfully tested, commuters have to go down at Fernando Poe Jr. station of LRT Line 1 and walk over or take a tricycle or jeepney for the 1 km distance to the North Avenue station of MRT Line 3. In 2011, the Department of Transportation and Communications (precursor to the DOTr), under Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus, launched an auction for a temporary five-year operations and maintenance contract for the two lines; the bidding was set for July. Over twenty-four companies expressed interest to bid which included Ayala Corporation, Bombardier Transportation, CAF, Metro Pacific, Sumitomo Corporation, Siemens, DMCI Holdings, San Miguel Corporation, and others. De Jesus later resigned from the DOTC in June for personal reasons, and his successor, Mar Roxas, halted the auction process and was later shelved.

The proposal to integrate the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3 was revived in June 2024 by Metro Pacific Investments. The company, which holds a majority stake in LRT Line 1 operator Light Rail Manila Corporation, submitted an unsolicited proposal to integrate the operations of the two lines. It is now under review by DOTr and has been endorsed to the former by the PPP Center, after initially rejecting it due to being incomplete in substance. The proposed line merger will run both LRT-1 and MRT-3 trains on the same track, while resolving outstanding issues such as the Dalian trains, supply chain and potential line expansion.

Southern and western extension
In the 1999 Metro Manila Urban Transportation Integration Study, the line was proposed to extend all the way to Navotas, which is only 10 km, and another one to the reclamation area (known as Bay City) in about 2 kilometers. The line was also intended to extend all the way to Kawit.

In a feasibility study in 2009 and in 2015, launched by Japan International Cooperation Agency, along with the Department of Transportation, the Transport and Traffic Planners (TTPI) Inc. and other Japanese and local railway officials, launched a plan to extend the present MRT line's southern end, by constructing a 2.2 km at-grade and underground segment, from Taft Avenue station to the SM Mall of Asia complex. Plans were also laid out to add another station, by traversing through Macapagal Boulevard and linking the line to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, therefore adding another 3.1 km to the main line. The study also included a planned 7.2 km extension to the northern and western cities of Navotas, Southern Caloocan, and Malabon, which is also included to the planned merging project with the LRT Line 1, and connecting it to the North–South Commuter Railway.

Due to the numerous problems surrounding the project, such as right-of-way and cost issues, the government decided to presumably scrap the extension plans, and look for alternatives instead, such as the planned Integrated Pasay Monorail project by the Pasay City LGU and SM Investments, starting from the Taft Avenue station to SM Mall of Asia.

Makati Loop
In the initial stages of the construction of the transit line, a proposal was formulated for a supplementary rail extension that would traverse from Buendia to Gil Puyat stations, situated between Ayala and Buendia stations. The sole existing trace of this discontinued proposal is an underground tunnel extending from Buendia to Ayala stations, taking a rightward trajectory towards Ayala Avenue, before running towards Gil Puyat Avenue. Despite sporadic references, there is presently no intention to reassess or reinstate this abandoned initiative.

Extension to NAIA
In 2000, during the completion of the line, MRTC proposed an idea to build the extension of the line to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), running from Taft Avenue station, then passing along Roxas Boulevard, and ending at this airport. The project was expected to cost ₱500 million 2000.

Transfer of operations from MRTC to LRTA
A new study for the Metro Manila Rail Network has been unveiled by DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco that LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3 will be placed under the management of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). This is due to maintenance cost issues for LRT 1's maintenance cost, which is approximately ₱35 million, along with LRT Line 2's ₱25 million and MRT Line 3's ₱54 million maintenance costs. Another reason for this study is for the unification of the lines. According to DOTC Undersecretary for Rails Glicerio Sicat, the transfer was set by the government in June 2011. However, it is unlikely that the private owners, MRTC, will approve this plan.

On January 13, 2011, LRTA Administrator Rafael S. Rodriguez took over as officer-in-charge of the line in preparation for the integration of operations of the three lines, but with the entry of a new leadership into the DOTC that year and in 2012, the transfer was deemed not likely to happen; however, in April 2012, a LRT 1 trainset made the first trial journey to the MRT 3 depot.

On May 26, 2014, the line's general manager Al Vitangcol was replaced by LRTA Administrator Honorito Chaneco as officer-in-charge. The move came after Vitangcol was accused by the ambassador of the Czech Republic of extortion and for awarding the maintenance contract in October 2012 to PH Trams, a company established by Vitangcol's uncle-in-law. Vitangcol was also involved in an attempt to extort $30 million from Inekon Group in exchange of 48 train vehicles in July 2012.

As the build-lease-transfer contract of the DOTr and MRTC nears its 2025 expiration, the department plans to transfer its management of the line to the LRTA. Such a plan was pitched in July 2023 by Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez, when the department considered privatizing the operations and maintenance and bundling it with that of the LRT Line 2.

North Triangle Common Station
On November 21, 2013, the NEDA board, chaired by President Benigno Aquino III, approved the construction of a common station within North Avenue between SM City North EDSA and TriNoma Mall. It is estimated to cost 1.4 billion pesos. It will feature head-to-head platforms for LRT 1 and MRT 3 trains with a 147.4 m elevated walkalator to MRT 7. SM Investments Corporation posted 200 million pesos for the naming rights of the common station. This is inconsistent with the original plan of having seamless connectivity to Monumento and is also an unusual arrangement of having two train stations beside each other. However, the project was shelved indefinitely due to disputes over cost, engineering issues and naming rights. The Supreme Court halted the construction of the project in August 2014 after SM Prime Holdings contested the new location near Trinoma. An agreement was later reached under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on September 28, 2016, and the common station finally begun construction on September 29, 2017. The station will open in 2025.

Incidents
During the testing period of the system, the MRT–3 has been prone to numerous disruptions and breakdowns due to technical problems in the overall systems and design since its opening in 1999, due to many factors, such as the humid conditions in the country, lack of accessibility to the stations, and incompatible problems in the rolling stock, causing major adjustments to the system.

However, problems began to arise in 2012, due to poor maintenance causing train glitches, lack of spare parts, and negligence. The system has faced numerous interruptions and accidents. This in turn has caused lower ridership, frequent unloading of passengers and passenger inconvenience.

Among the notable incidents involving the railway line are:

 * On November 3, 2012, a MRTC 3000 class train from the Araneta Center-Cubao station caught fire as it approached GMA–Kamuning station, causing passengers to scramble to the exits, and having two women injured. The train caught fire due to electrical short-circuit technical failure.
 * On May 8, 2013, a man was killed in an apparent suicide after allegedly jumping in front of an oncoming MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station.
 * On March 26, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train at Guadalupe station suddenly stopped due to the train driver not observing the red light status at the Guadalupe station and accelerated southbound without getting prior clearance from the Control Center, causing the automatic train protection system to trigger and activate the emergency brakes, resulting in eight injuries.
 * On August 13, 2014, a southbound MRTC 3000 class train heading to Taft Avenue station derailed and overshot to the streets. The train first stopped after leaving Magallanes station due to a technical problem. Later on, the train broke down altogether, so another train was used to push the stalled train. During this process, however, the first train became detached from the rails and overshot towards Taft Avenue. As a result, the train crashed through the buffer stop and concrete barriers and derailed onto Taft Avenue. At least 38 people were injured. The accident was blamed on two train drivers and two control personnel for failing to follow the proper coordination procedures and protocol.
 * On September 2, 2014, a MRTC 3000 class train continued with one of its doors left open after a train door failed to close at the Guadalupe station. The passengers were then evacuated after the train arrived at Boni station.
 * On November 14, 2017, an alighting passenger at the Ayala station suddenly fell down to the tracks. The passenger was caught between the first and second cars of the train, and her arm was cut off. Operations were disrupted but was resumed shortly. The injured passenger was then brought to a nearby hospital and her arm was reconnected by surgeons the following day. Following this incident, the government reconsidered the use of platform screen doors in stations to prevent such incident.
 * On November 16, 2017, at 11:30 am, at least 140 passengers were evacuated from a train car that detached from a MRTC 3000 class train between the railway lines of Buendia and Ayala Avenue Stations.
 * On August 7, 2018, an aircon leak caused the inside of a MRTC 3000 class train to flood, prompting passengers inside to open their umbrellas. The train was removed from service to fix the air conditioning unit and the train involved in the incident returned to service the following day.
 * On September 26, 2018, two maintenance vehicles collided between Buendia and Guadalupe stations while doing a routine track maintenance, injuring 7 people. This resulted in a one-hour delay of the deployment of trains, causing long lines at stations.
 * On September 6, 2019, an overhead catenary line section snapped at Guadalupe station, causing a power supply glitch in the whole line affecting over 7,000 passengers. Partial operations were implemented from North Avenue station to Shaw Boulevard station. The situation normalized at 5:00 pm. The incident was caused by a defective and old Protection and Control Unit (PTU) that was overdue for replacement, after an investigation was made. Train preparation and daily maintenance were among the factors that failed to prevent this incident.
 * On November 4, 2019, at 4:08 pm, a MRTC 3000 class train suddenly emitted smoke while on the northbound track of the line. Around 530 passengers were unloaded. Around two hours after the incident, the operation of the line was back to normal. The fire was caused by a short-circuit in the traction motor.
 * On May 9, 2021, two men were arrested for illegally going down to the railway tracks at Quezon Avenue station to take a selfie.
 * On May 12, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car was vandalized near Taft Avenue station. An investigation found that an unidentified culprit had cut the perimeter fence near the station, which may have caused the vandalism.
 * On October 9, 2021, a MRTC 3000 class train car caught fire near the Guadalupe station. A provisional service was implemented between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard station, and the site of the incident was declared fire out at 9:51 pm. As a result of the incident, 8 passengers sustained minor injuries. Normal operations resumed the following day.
 * On November 21, 2021, a window in a MRTC 3000 class LRV was damaged due to a stoning incident, with one injury reported. The suspect was later identified as a garbage collector and was subsequently arrested and charged.
 * On June 12, 2022, two persons fell to their deaths from the EDSA-Taft Avenue (Tramo) flyover, onto the MRT-3 tracks leading to Taft Avenue station, causing an hour-long interruption in services.

title: MRT Line 3 (Metro Manila)


text:
Moalboal

Moalboal, officially the Municipality of Moalboal (Lungsod sa Moalboal; ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 36,930.

Moalboal is one of the eight municipalities comprising the 7th Congressional District Cebu Province. It is 105 km south from Cebu City.

Pescador Island, a popular tourist attraction, is part of the municipality and is one of the best known diving sites in the Philippines.

Etymology
There are two versions of etymology that was proposed about the origins of the town's name, both based on phonetic distortions, are ascribed as the origin of the place named “Moalboal,” The first version is an onomatopeic derivation from the bubbling sound called as "bocalbocal" (bukál-bukál) in Cebuano, emitted by the waters of a spring located within the town proper. The second is a less popular version attributes to the belief that most of the town’s first settlers are from the island of Bohol, known as Boholanos or Bol-anons. In either version, it is believed by many residents that bocalbocal or Bol-anon eventually was transformed into “Moalboal”. Perhaps, the real clue to the etymology of Moalboal is its old orthography. Redondo’s  "Breve Reseña de la Diocesis de Cebu en las Islas Filipinas" spells the name of the town as “Mualbual”. The same spelling is reflected on a page from Sale’s "Ang Sugbo sa Karaang Panahon" showing a map of the Cebu Province.

Spanish Colonial Period
During the pre-colonial to early colonial period in the Philippines. There is a legend said that Laurente Sabanal who is popularly known as "Laguno" (also spelled as Llaguno) was the founder and the first ruler of Moalboal. It was said that he was a Bol-anon which roots originated from Bohol, where he killed a guardia civil that abused him. He then escaped and eventually discovered the town. People believed that he possessed supernatural abilities where he was gifted with an oración also known in Cebuano as yamyam which make objects float in the air whenever he could. Due to the frequent Moro attacks, he would use this ability to scare the Moro raiders and make them return to their vintas. When Laguno died, his body was buried in the sandy shore where he made his defense against invaders. On his grave was placed a log, that serves as a symbol of the uttermost respect for his heroism, bravery and exemplary life. A street along the shore where he was buried was named after him which is the "Laguno Street".

Moalboal as a Parish

During the Spanish era, the church and state were unified, which meant that the formation of a parish required the combined authority of both the Bishop and the Provincial Governor. This authority was governed by the Royal Order of July 31, 1874, which became effective in the Philippines from June 2, 1886, and was later revised by the Royal Decree of July 10, 1894. As a result of this arrangement, parishes in Cebu, including the town of Moalboal, were established by local religious authorities. Sometime in the year 1851, the Spanish Governor passed a decree approving the petition which was the erection of Moalboal as a parish. By the following year, January 20, 1852, the corresponding decree from the Bishop was received. And on February 6, 1852, San Juan Nepomuceno Parish, Moalboal, Cebu was officially established.

American Occupation
The Americans then replaced the Spaniards as colonizers of the Philippines in 1899. And in 1917, the town was then declared to be an independent municipality separated from Alcantara (which was a former barrio of Moalboal). The first to be appointed as municipal president was Melecio Lambo. Some of the notable families in Moalboal include the Gadors, Gakos, Cabarons, and Babieras, who believed to be migrants from Bohol. The Gadors were a ruling class family in pre-Hispanic times and one of the most prominent families in pre-American Moalboal.

Second World War
During the Japanese occupation and the Battle of Visayas, the war also took place all over the province of Cebu where Filipino guerillas fought the Japanese forces as a campaign for liberation of the Philippines during World War II. Moalboal is one of the notable places in Cebu where the Japanese soldiers surrendered, which is then the historic "Battle of Tomonoy" took event at exactly August 13, 1944. Japanese Combatant Units travelled to southern Cebu and eventually reaching Moalboal in which they ransacked and pillaged houses. With the command of Lt. Epic Faunillan along with Guerilla units of Southern Cebu Sector station, they immediately reported to the Tomonoy-Balabagon area.

No old ancestral houses can be found in Moalboal due to the town being burned to the ground by the Japanese in retaliation for the successful ambush of their troops. The only remaining 18th century architecture was the original San Juan Nepumoceno Parish Church. With only the belfry tower and exterior walls of the façade stood still in the present day as it was abandoned in 2005 due to the structure's deterioration. A marker site was put up by the municipal government along the Tomonoy Valley to commemorate the events of war.

Geography
Moalboal is a peninsula situated on the south-western coast of Cebu Island, bordered to the west by the Tañon Strait; Negros Island is visible from its shore.

Moalboal is bordered to the north by the town of Alcantara, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is the town of Argao, and to the south is the town of Badian.

The municipality has a land area of 124.86 square kilometers or 48.21 square miles which constitutes 2.53% of the total area of the Cebu province.

Barangays
Moalboal is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Barangay Basdiot, Balabagon, Poblacion East, Poblacion West, Tomonoy, Tuble, Tunga and Saavedra are geographically classified as coastal with four of them situated in the peninsula. While Barangay Agbalanga, Bala, Batadbatad, Buguil, Bugho, Busay and Lanao are landlocked with most of them being hilly and mountainous. Busay is the largest barangay in terms of land area.

Poblacion East and Poblacion West are the downtown/urban barangays that serves as a commercial hub, and Basdiot being the most populous barangay in Moalboal is also considered urban to some extent as it is the busiest area of the town.

Climate
The climate in Moalboal experiences a significant amount of rainfall, even during the month with historically low precipitation levels. Köppen and Geiger classify this climate as Af (Tropical monsoon).

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Moalboal was 36,930 people, with a density of 296 inhabitants per square kilometre or 766 inhabitants per square mile.

Though the majority of the people in Moalboal are Cebuanos, a few members of cultural minorities have found their way there. Bajaus who are similar to Muslim nomads, are often seen in the streets, especially during the holiday season, as some of them make their living by begging. There is no evidence though that the badjaos have taken up permanent residence in the town.

Due to the tourism boom that the town has experienced in the 2000s and 2010s, a small contingent of expatriates have also started to settle in Moalboal. Europeans and Americans are the most prominent expatriates in the town, but recently, expatriates from East Asian countries have also started to settle in the area.

Language
Most of Moalboalanons (people living in Moalboal) predominantly speak Cebuano which is the most spoken language throughout Visayas and Mindanao. Filipino (the standardized version of Tagalog) and English are taught in schools and both are used as medium of instruction in all levels. It is also necessary to speak either languages especially on locals, for the sake of communicating with foreign and domestic tourists.

Economy
Moalboal is a peninsula and therefore it is almost entirely surrounded by water. The majority of the people who live in the flat lands engage in fishing as their main mode of livelihood. Those who live in the mountain regions like Agbalanga, Bala, Batadbatad, Buguil and Busay live through farming.

Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) eyes Moalboal as one of the major tourism investment destinations in the province of Cebu. It is one of the assigned urban service centers outside the Metro Cebu according to the Central Visayas Regional Development Plan by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for the year 2017-2022 and 2023-2028. The downtown area serves as a commercial center, with some residents from the neighboring towns of southwestern Cebu flock to Moalboal due to numerous business establishments spawning throughout the town.

There are two operating shopping malls in the municipality namely the Gaisano Grand Mall Moalboal and Gaisano Town Center Moalboal, both located in Poblacion East. Poblacion West on the other hand serves as an education and government center of the town.

The tourist flocked areas of Moalboal such as Basdiot, Tuble and Saavedra have several other business establishments such as hotels, resorts, lodging houses, pension houses, spa, bars, internationally-inspired restaurants and diving schools.

Transportation

The common mode of transportation is by bicycles with side cars, known locally as pedicabs or tricycles with side cars, called trisikads. There are motorcycles also known as habal-habal, and the fare may vary depending on distance.

Several buses and vans-for-hire travel to or from Moalboal at 30-minute intervals. The ride from Cebu South Bus Terminal in Cebu City is three to four hours depending on traffic. Bus the is mostly the preferred transportation for traveling to or from Moalboal.

Tourism

Since the 1970s, Moalboal has developed a tourism industry based on recreational diving and beaches. Panagsama Beach (Basdiot) is where most resorts and restaurants are established, while further north on the peninsula, in Saavedra, is White Beach (Basdako), a 2 km beach. This beach used to be mostly frequented by locals, but has since developed an international tourist trade. In Moalboal, most tourists stay at either Panagsama Beach (Basdiot) or White Beach (Basdako), both located 3 - 5 km away from the main bus stop in Moalboal.

Recreational diving is the main tourist activity in Moalboal, and reefs along the west coast of the Copton peninsula are home to a great variety of marine life. Pescador Island, about 3 km off the coast, is the most popular dive spot with an underwater cave known as "the Cathedral". Indeed a breath-taking view of the underwater world as some of the country’s best diving sites in Moalboal as the terrain of the reef follows the entire coast line, making the place ideal for scuba-diving, snorkeling and freediving, with a drop-off close to shore descending to more than 40 m. The area is also known to be a home for sea turtles, as well as a vast school of sardines. Whale sharks, dolphins and thresher sharks are also seen.

Other attractions of Moalboal include:
 * Airplane Wreck (dive site) - Located in Saavedra, the airplane is approximately 7m down the slope at the wall’s edge at 20m depth. The airplane was put there as a dive attraction in 1993.
 * Batadbatad Falls - Locally known as Taginis falls, a hidden and less popular waterfalls is located in barangay Batadbatad.
 * Budlot Spring - A freshwater spring is located in barangay Bala.
 * Busay Cave - A spring inside a cave that serves as a potable water throughout the whole town.
 * Magpayong Rocks - Also known as "Mushroom rocks", is a rock formation located at the northernmost seashore of Basdaku/White Beach in Saavedra. It is called Magpayong because each rock resembles an umbrella.
 * Moalboal Heritage Park - Also known as "Seaside Park". It is located at the back of the municipal hall and sports complex. A picturesque attraction with lush green spaces and extensive murals of marine life ideal for strolling and sunset viewing.
 * Orchid Gallery - A scenic garden of orchids and different types of flowers with a swimming pool.
 * Rizal Monument - A Dr. José Rizal statue located along the highway of Moalboal
 * Talisay Wall (dive site) - Located at the southern part of Panagsama Beach in Basdiot. The shallow reef top is covered with hard corals. Talisay wall is full of black coral, sea fans, sponges and various sea creatures.
 * Tongo Point (dive site) - Also known as Tongo Marine Sanctuary, it is a well protected area of Moalboal. The reef is covered with hard and soft corals, dramatic drop off, and a great variety of marine life.
 * Tomonoy Valley (rice field) - A vast rice field located along the highway of barangay Tomonoy
 * Tulay (Wharf) - Located near the Seaside Park and Wet Market. With fruit stands and multi-purpose buildings getting constructed, the wharf is frequented by locals especially during holidays to enjoy swimming. It also serves as a base point for island-hopping to the Pescador Island.
 * Tuble Marine Sanctuary (dive site) - One of the protected areas of Moalboal located in barangay Tuble. The reef also offers stunning coral formations and marine life.

Moalboal has been featured by several Filipino TV show hosts, such as Kuya Kim Atienza of Matanglawin, Drew Arellano of Biyahe ni Drew, Slater Young, and Kryz Uy. Pol-kun, self-made renowned local Anime artists of Cebu which is one of the supporters for Moalboal too. Moalboal also serves as a base for other activities, such as canyoneering in Badian and the Kawasan Falls, 20 km away from Moalboal.

Kagasangan Festival
The annual feast of Moalboal is held on the 15th and 16th of May. Moalboal is also known for its "Kagasangan Festival" (from the Cebuano word Gasang which literally translates to coral). The festival symbolizes the town's rich marine life in which they perform dances and music with dancers dressed in colorful costumes depicting the sea's flora and fauna. It is held in honor of St. John of Nepomuk (San Juan Nepumoceno).

Education
The public schools in the town of Moalboal are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:
 * Agbalanga Elementary School — Agbalanga
 * Bala Elementary School — Bala
 * Balabagon Elementary School — Balabagon
 * Basdiot Elementary School — Basdiot
 * Batadbatad Elementary School — Batadbatad
 * Buguil Elementary School — Buguil
 * Busay Elementary School — Busay
 * Lanao Elementary School — Lanao
 * Moalboal Central Elementary School — Poblacion West
 * Omay Elementary School — Sitio Omay, Busay
 * Saavedra Elementary School — Saavedra
 * Tomonoy Primary School — Tomonoy
 * Tuble Elementary School — Tuble
 * Tunga Elementary School — Tunga

Integrated schools:
 * Bugho Integrated School (formerly Bugho Elementary School) — Bugho
 * Moalboal Tourism Management Integrated National High School — Balabagon

Secondary schools:
 * Bala National High School — Bala
 * Busay National High School — Busay
 * Moalboal National High School — Basdiot

Private schools:
 * Moalboal Christian School Inc.— Tunga
 * Nuevo School of Technology and Humanities — Tunga
 * Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center — Tunga
 * San Juan High School of Moalboal, Cebu Inc. — Poblacion West

College/University:
 * Cebu Technological University - Moalboal Campus (formerly Cebu State College of Science and Technology - College of Fisheries) — Poblacion West

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Moalboal


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Oslob

Oslob, officially the Municipality of Oslob (Lungsod sa Oslob; Banwa sang Oslob; ), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 29,264 people.

Oslob is bordered to the north by the town of Boljoon, to the west are the towns of Ginatilan and Samboan, to the east is the Cebu Strait, and to the south is the town of Santander. It is 116 km from Cebu City.

Topography
Generally, the area's topography is hilly and rolling, dominated by open grasslands and second-growth forests. 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 m above sea level.

Soil Type
Faraon clay steep phase; Medellin clay Lugo clay

Barangays
Oslob is politically subdivided into 21 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate
The municipality of Oslob belongs to Coronas climate type III with a dry season from February to September and the wet season from October.

Economy
Public Markets: 2

Toslob Festival
The official festival of Oslob is the annual Toslob Festival which coincides with the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion in December.

The official was originally named Sadsad Festival (which started as a barangay festival of Poblacion) and then was renamed to Sadsadayon Festival, but was changed again to Toslob Festival.

Baluarte

The Baluarte (Spanish for watchtower) of Oslob was built in 1788. Its main purpose was to provide a safe place wherein guards could observe the surrounding area. It was a part of the defense system in dispelling the Moro raiders of the past, which included 6 other watchtowers along the coastline of Oslob. Just near the cuartel, are the ruins of an ancient watchtower. So effective was this system that in 1815, the townspeople of Oslob were able to repel one such attack and remain at peace ever since. This prompted them to relocate the town to its present site from their fortified settlement in Daanglungsod, which is now in ruins but still breathtaking.

Church of the Immaculate Conception
Oslob was established as a visita of Boljoon in 1690 and became an independent parish in 1848 with the Immaculate Conception as its patroness. The present-day church of cut coral stone was started in 1830 and finished 18 years later. The buttresses were added between 1848 and 1850. The adjacent bell tower was built in 1858. The church was burned down during the Second World War liberating Philippine Commonwealth troops and Cebuano guerillas against the Japanese in Oslob in 1945, and 1955 but was eventually restored.

Outside the walls are the remains of a watchtower, one of the many that line the southeastern coast of Cebu.

The church is connected to the parish house or convento which still has its original clay-tiled roof. Across the road from the church is the former mortuary chapel with a pediment decorated with a relief of a human skeleton. North of the complex is a small road that leads to the old cemetery.

In 2008, a fire gutted the 19th-century church's interior, including the altar and adjacent rectory, but it spared the image of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, which is inside a glass case, and the 73 other icons near the door to the bell tower.

Cuartel

Located front right of the church of Oslob, just outside the perimeter stone fence and near the sea, at the intersection of Calle Aeternidad and the end of Calle Aragones, stands an unfinished building made of coral blocks resembling a Spanish-era barracks. This was intended to be the cuartel, barracks for Spanish soldiers or guardia civil. It was started about 1860, but remained unfinished at the end of Spanish occupation in 1898.

Sumilon Island
Sumilon Island is a 24 ha coral island off the coast of Bancogon, Oslob, Cebu. The island hosts the Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort which developed the island into an eco-friendly haven for those who want to get away from the stress of city living.

The island of Sumilon is located in the southeastern tip of Oslob. It is the first marine protected area in the Philippines; created as a marine sanctuary in 1974 under the guidance of the Silliman University Marine Reserve of Dumaguete in the nearby province of Negros Oriental.

The island is famous throughout the country and internationally for the exceptional beauty of its dive sites. Sumilon has four major dive sites, which are Garden Eel Plaza, Nikki's Wall, Coral Landscape and Julie's Rock. The island's diving sites are famous for their superb visibility, stunning reefs and abundance of varied tropical marine species that provide an ideal and memorable dive. There are occasional sightings of black tip sharks during dives. A popular attraction in Sumilon Island is its sandbar because of its changing shapes and shifting locations around the island depending on the season. Other places of interest in the island are a natural lagoon with high mangroves and natural caves used by fishermen to seek refuge during storms, and a lake. On the south portion of the island, a lighthouse rests on a protected tree park, and beside it is a "baluarte", a historical watchtower built as part of a warning system to thwart slavers and marauders in the 19th century.

Besides diving, there is also bird-watching, picnicking, fishing, hiking, island tours, paddling and trekking. The island is 125 km from Cebu City and separated from the mainland by the Cebu Strait. It is also close to Dumaguete in the nearby island province of Negros Oriental.

From the port of Oslob, there are various boats to the island. Another route to Sumilon Island is via Dumaguete since it is also close to the island.

Whale shark watching

Whale sharks can be spotted in Tanawan which is 10 km from the center of the town. It has become a popular tourist attraction. Local fishermen feed the whale sharks by hand which tourists find entertaining.

In the vicinity of whale shark swimming is a recent attraction: Tumalog Falls. Most tourists and visitors who go whale shark swimming in Tanawan usually include this waterfall in their itinerary.

Tumalog Falls
Tumalog Falls, also called as "Toslob falls" or "Mag-ambak falls", is situated in barangay Luka. It takes approximately three and a half hours to get to the area from Cebu City.

Transportation

 * National Road: 20.00 km
 * Provincial Road: 22.00 km
 * Municipal Road : 5.75 km
 * Barangay Road : 32.50 km

Education
The public schools in the town of Oslob are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:
 * Agutay Elementary School — Can-ukban
 * Alo Elementary School — Alo
 * Bancogon Primary School — Bangcogon
 * Cañang Elementary School — Cañang
 * Canangcaan Elementary School — Canangca-an
 * Daanlungsod Elementary School — Calumpang
 * Gawi Elementary School — Gawi
 * Hagdan Elementary School — Hagdan
 * Looc Elementary School — Looc
 * Mainit Elementary School — Mainit
 * Manlum Primary School — Manlum
 * Nueva Caceres Elementary School — Nueva Caceres
 * Oslob Central Elementary School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
 * Tan-awan Elementary School — Tan-awan

High schools:
 * Cañang-Marcelo Luna National High School — Sitio Sayaw, Cañang
 * Oslob National High School — N. Bacalso Avenue, Poblacion
 * Pungtod National High School — Pungtod
 * Tan-awan National High School — Tan-awan

Integrated schools:
 * Cansaloay Integrated School — Cansaloay
 * Tumalog Integrated School — Tumalog

Private schools:
 * St. Mary's Academy — J.P. Rizal Street, Poblacion

title: Oslob


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Pilar, Cebu

Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar (Lungsod sa Pilar; ), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 12,506 people.

The municipality is contiguous with Ponson Island, one of the four Camotes Islands in the Camotes Sea (along with Pacijan Island, Poro Island, and Tulang Island). The island is about 10.6 km long and 3.7 km wide.

Barangays
Pilar is politically subdivided into 13 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Language
People in Pilar mainly speak Cebuano with an accent similar to the locals of Bohol. Like most Filipinos, Pilaranons may also speak Tagalog and English. Waray is also spoken due to its proximity to Leyte.

The town is home to the Porohanon language, one of the most endangered languages in the Visayas. The language is only used in the Poro islands. The language is classified as distinct from Sebwano (Bisaya) by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino and is vital to the culture and arts of the Porohanon people.

title: Pilar, Cebu


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Pinamungajan

Pinamungajan, officially the Municipality of Pinamungajan (Lungsod sa Pinamungajan; ), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 75,131 people.

Pinamungajan is bordered to the north by the City of Toledo, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is the city of Naga and the town of San Fernando, and to the south is the town of Aloguinsan. It is 82 km from Cebu City.

The municipality, also known as Pinamungahan, was established in the 1815 under the Spanish colonial government in the country. The municipality got its name from the diligent and hardworking people, working hand-in-hand especially during the agricultural harvest season – "Pinamungajan", which originated from the Visayan word pinamuhuan, meant a worker share for his effort during a farm harvest. Over time the Pinamuhuan eventually changed to the current name of the municipality.

The town patroness is Saint Monica, mother of one of the fathers and doctors of the Catholic Church, Saint Augustine of Hippo. However, instead of August 27, Pinamungajan celebrates the memorial of the saint on May 4. In 2008, in response to the call of then governor and now Congresswoman Gwendolyn Garcia for each Cebu town and city to hold a festival as part of local culture and heritage, Pinamungajan began the Pinamuohan Festival in honor of Saint Monica on her memorial.

Barangays
Pinamungajan is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Tourism

 * Campolabo Sandbar
 * Hidden Valley Wave Pool Resort
 * Odlom Falls
 * Kamangon Cave
 * Sinungkulan Falls

Notable personalities

 * June Mar Fajardo - 6-time PBA Most Valuable Player (2014 to 2019)

title: Pinamungajan


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Poro, Cebu

Poro, officially the Municipality of Poro (Lungsod sa Poro; ), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,232 people.

Poro, along with the municipality of Tudela, is located on Poro Island of the Camotes Islands.

Poro is bordered to the north by the Province of Leyte in the Camotes Sea, to the west is by the island of Pacijan Island With the town of San Francisco, to the east is the town of Tudela and to the south is the Camotes Sea

The patronal feast of Poro is celebrated on the third Friday of January, in honour of the Santo Niño de Cebu.

Barangays
Poro is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Etymology and languages
The town's name is derived from the Waray-Waray word puro meaning "island". This how Camotes Island is called by Warays and Leyteños. Before the first municipality to be established in Camotes, puro meant the name of all the islands.

Aside from Cebuano, Waray, Tagalog, and English, the townsfolk also speak the local Porohanon language. Also known as Camotes Visayan, the language is mutually intelligible with other Visayan languages (e.g. Cebuano) spoken in the rest of the Camotes Islands, Cebu, other parts of the Visayas, and Northern Mindanao.

The town is home to the Porohanon language, one of the most endangered languages in the Visayas. The language is only used in the Poro islands. The language is classified as distinct from Cebuano by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino and is vital to the culture and arts of the Porohanon people. Porohanon is distinguished by the way the locals substitute /'/ sounds with /'/, for instance Cebuano maayong buntag ("good morning") vocalised as maazong buntag in Porohanon. (Possibly occasions too a handover from the yeísmo phenomenon in Spanish.) Other dialectical variations include the Porohanon ara dira instead of the standard Cebuano na-a diha.

title: Poro, Cebu


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Ronda, Cebu

Ronda, officially the Municipality of Ronda (Lungsod sa Ronda; ), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,005 people.

Ronda is one of the eight municipalities comprising the 7th Congressional District Cebu Province. It is 91 km from Cebu City.

Etymology
Ronda (which is named after a town in Malaga) is usually attributed to the Spanish word ”ronda” which means ”to round” or ”to patrol” but evidence suggests Ronda is derived from Arunda, presumably of Celtic origin however its meaning is uncertain.

Oral traditions suggest that the town was named “Holoyaw” before the Spanish conquest. ‘’Holoyaw’’ refers to a type of banana that was abundant in the area. Others posit the name’s origin to Jolo as the southern parts of the Visayas was infamous to being vulnerable to raids by Muslim pirates. However, Jolo is just a recent orthographic innovation from earlier “Xoló”, with the “x” being pronounced as /ʃ/ (the sh in English ship).

Geography
Ronda is bordered to the north by the town of Dumanjug, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is the town of Argao, and to the south is the town of Alcantara.

Barangays
Ronda is politically subdivided into 14 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Education
The public schools in the town of Ronda are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:
 * Butong Elementary School — Butong
 * Can-abujon Elementary School — Can-abujon
 * Cansalonoy Elementary School — Cansalonoy
 * Cansayahon Elementary School — Cansayahon
 * Langin Elementary School — Langin
 * Liboo Elementary School — Libo-o
 * Madanglog Elementary School — Vive
 * Ronda Central Elementary School — Palanas
 * Sta. Cruz Elementary School — Sta. Cruz
 * Tupas Elementary School — Libo-o

High schools:
 * Langin National High School — Vive
 * Ronda National High School — Palanas

Private schools:
 * Academia de Nuestra Señora, Inc. — J.P. Rizal Street, Poblacion

title: Ronda, Cebu


text:
Samboan

Samboan, officially the Municipality of Samboan (Lungsod sa Samboan; ), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 20,373 people.

It is located 150 km south of Cebu City.

Samboan is bordered to the north by the town of Ginatilan, to the west is the Tañon Strait, to the east is the town of Oslob, and to the south is the town of Santander.

History
Samboan is popularly known as an abbreviation of the word sinamboang as a form of fishing during the Spanish time.

However, Samboan in our historical papers is probably known to be Canamucan which is a territory under the Spanish encomienda system of the Spanish administration during their tenure and conquest. As time goes by, Canamucan becomes Samboan in the current usage.

Samboan is a small town on a hill. But it used to be a much bigger town, with Alegria under its territorial jurisdiction. In fact, the people of Alegria were made to render forced labor for the construction of the Samboan church. It was only sometime during the middle of the 1880s that those two towns were separated from Samboan (the towns of Ginatilan and Malabuyoc, which now lie in between, were created after the separation).

The municipality of Samboan is one of the emerging towns in the island of Cebu. It is one of the most resilient towns of the whole Philippines ranking 6th in the whole country per ranking under the competitive index of LGUs as of the year 2017. It is also a two-time awardee for the National Seal of Good Local Governance from year 2016 and 2017. It is also a known awardee for the Child-Friendly municipality in 2016 and continues to be so at present.

Barangays
Samboan is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Heritage buildings
One aspect of interest is that of Samboan's cultural heritage left by the Spanish conquerors.

St. Michael Archangel Church is one of the oldest Spanish-built churches in Cebu, made of coral stones. Today, it is a national protected heritage structure by the National Historical Commission. It has now a NHC permanent marker.

The Watch Tower is another Spanish structure, also made up of blocks of coral stones. It was built on the side of the hill to watch out for Moro invaders approaching the island. It is the tallest watch tower in the entire island of Cebu, and best preserved.

Connecting the beach area with the Spanish Watch Tower is St. Jacob's Ladder (Escala de Jacobe). It is a flight of 147 stone steps built in 1878, which leads to the old watchtower on a plateau 65 m above the town. From here, one can get a view of the Tañon Strait.

The Museo de Samboan is the old municipal building of Samboan which now housed items of Samboan's way of life during our history up to the present. It was converted into a museum when the New Samboan Municipal Hall was erected.

The Samboan WWII Volunteers Monument, at the center of Poblacion on the National Highway, was built in honor of the many volunteers who fought for the freedom of the Philippines.

The San Sebastian Stone Walls are old stone structures near San Sebastian Parish Church. This may be why this barangay is popularly known as 'Bato' (meaning "stone").

The Spanish Boundary Post. It stands along the highway in Tangbo beside the Tangbo—Bonbon River Bridge. It was believed that it used to mark the boundary limit of old Poblacion but now merely serves to mark the boundary between Bonbon and Tangbo barangays.

Natural attractions
Samboan is known for its beautiful crystal clear waters with a rich marine ecosystem along its coastal barangays.

Colase Marine Sanctuary is managed by the municipality together with a fisherfolks organization. Here one can visit the fish sanctuary or dive for a fee to experience the most preserved marine ecosystem where sharks, dolphins and whales in the shallowest part of the foreshore. Aside from Colase, other coastal barangays including San Sebastian (Bato), Dalahikan, Tangbo, Bonbon, Suba and Poblacion offer the same experience generally.

Aguinid Waterfalls in Tangbo comprises five different tiers along Tangbo river. Each tier has a unique waterfall. One can never reach the peak or last waterfall without climbing the limestone walls of each waterfall from the lowest to highest.

Bonbon Binalayan Hidden Falls to the immediate south of Poblacion which some visitors call the Triple Drop Falls.

Ponong Hidden Lake is a small enclosed lagoon with a brackish water. It is unique in the sense that here is where a certain kind of bird – the "manolong" – dives into its salty waters and stays under for a long time in order to escape hunters. Today, it is perfect for relaxation, bird watching, fish feeding and firefly watching.

Balay'g Sawa Falls has a waterfall located in the heart of Samboan covered with lush forest greens. It is along the river shared by Poblacion and Bonbon. It is home to protected species including bats and siloys not to mention some local plants and trees.

Mt. Bartolina situated in between Bulangsuran and Canang (Oslob) is where one can climb the peak and see both sides of Cebu, facing Bohol Strait to the east and Tañon Strait to the west. Bartolina is the highest peak in the south of Cebu where the panoramic view of north and south Bais Bay and the rest of Negros, Siquijor, and Bohol islands can be seen.

Dau Falls is the highest waterfall in Samboan. It is located in Barangay Suba.

Tabon Falls is a recently developed natural spot found between Tangbo and Bonbon.

Town Fiesta
The town fiesta is celebrated each 29–30 September in honor of the patron saint, Michael (San Miguel, ang Arkanghel).

Delicacies

 * Torta Especial (with or without coco wine) and Samboan cookies, which usually come out best during fiesta for visitors to try.
 * Torta de Tangbo is said to be among the best in the locality.
 * Manokhang is a native chicken cooked under coconut milk with hot pepper and "ulang" (Freshwater Shrimp).
 * Linubihang Kagang is a common specialty in town from "kagang" (Land Crab) cooked with "tuno" (coconut milk).
 * Tabanglang is a native dish made from sauteed "tabangka" (Snail) and "Ulang" (Freshwater Shrimp). It is a good appetizer.
 * Coco Maize Pudding is locally known as "kalo-kalo" with coconut meat and corn flour (tiktik). It is a dessert served hot & cold.

Education
The public schools in the town of Samboan are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Cebu Province.

Elementary schools:
 * Basak Elementary School — Basak
 * Cambigong Elementary School — Cambigong
 * Cañorong Elementary School — Cañorong
 * Colase Elementary School — Colase
 * Dalahikan Elementary School — Dalahikan
 * Jumangpas Elementary School — Jumangpas
 * Kalatagan Elementary School — Calatagan
 * Kamburoy Elementary School — Camburoy
 * Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School — Poblacion
 * Monteverde Elementary School — Monteverde
 * Samboan Central Elementary School — Poblacion
 * San Sebastian Elementary School — San Sebastian
 * Suba Elementary School — Suba
 * Tangbo Elementary School — Tangbo

High schools:
 * Pedro B. Uy Calderon Memorial National High School — Jumangpas
 * Samboan National High School — Poblacion
 * San Sebastian National High School — San Sebastian

Integrated schools:
 * Bulangsuran Integrated School — Bulangsuran

Private schools:
 * St. Pius X School of Samboan, Inc. — Poblacion

title: Samboan