Candoni, Negros Occidental

Candoni Tabla Valley
Municipality
Mountain view showing a rice field in a rural area in Candoni
Map of Negros Occidental with Candoni highlighted Map of Negros Occidental with Candoni highlighted
Candoni Location within the Philippines
Coordinates:
Country	Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region (NIR)
Province	Negros Occidental
Congr. district	6th district of Negros Occidental
Established	1958
Barangays	9
Government
• Mayor	Cicero "Celot" Borromeo
• Vice Mayor	Diomedes "Med" Magada
Area
• Total	191.70 km2 (74.02 sq mi)
Elevation	192 m (630 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	21,336
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	6110
Dialing code	34
Income Class	4th class Municipality

Candoni is a fourth class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. In 2007, Candoni was the least populated municipality in Negros Occidental with 0.9% share in the total population of the province. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 21,336 people. The town is about 131 km south-southwest of the provincial capital, Bacolod City.

Etymology

Candoni was derived from the native phrase Kan Dune, which means belonging to Dune, a legendary beautiful maiden named Dionesia who committed suicide after being forced by her parents to marry a man she did not love.

History

Formerly a barrio of the Municipality of Cauayan, Candoni started as the center of the Tabla Valley Settlement founded in 1935 by Santiago H. Diego, a prominent man from the Municipality of Isabela. He led a group of settlers with a pioneering spirit and prompted by the desire to have a piece of land they could call their own. Pooling their resources and organizing themselves into a cooperative they called Tablenos, the settlers started clearing the valley starting from where the town is now located. They toiled the forests enduring hardships, but many of them died of malaria.

Their efforts were noticed by the Provincial Government who supported them, starting with Gov. Emilio Gaston to Gov. Valenciano Gatuslao, who along with then Speaker Gil Montilla, helped them appeal to President Manuel Roxas in Malacanang for tangible government aid, which came in the form of the road from Dancalan, Ilog to Candoni, following the trail blazed by the Tablenos.

Candoni was finally declared a municipality on August 22, 1958 through Executive Order No. 314 signed by President Carlos P. Garcia. It was inaugurated on August 12, 1961, with Benjamin R. Nava as its first acting mayor.

Recent history of Candoni again showed its people’s struggle, this time, against the turmoils brought about by the insurgency problem. Fed up with being caught in the crossfire of battles between rebels and government forces, the people of Sitio Cantomanyog in Brgy. Haba of the town declared their area as a “Zone of Peace”, the first in the country ever to be declared as such by the residents composed of some 40 families, and this policy is respected by both rebels and government troops.

Geography

Candoni is located about 131 km south-southwest of the provincial capital, Bacolod City. It is approximately four hour drive from Bacolod City aboard a public utility vehicle and about two hours and 45 minutes on a private car. From Bacolod City, buses are available at Bacolod South Terminal. From Kabankalan City, one can take the public utility jeepneys or buses going to this town. Candoni is the third town with highest elevation in Negros Occidental after Salvador Benedicto and San Carlos City.

Barangays

Candoni is politically subdivided into 9 barangays.

Barangay	Location	Classification	Population (May, 2010)
Agboy	Upland	Rural	1,749
Banga	Upland	Rural	1,961
Cabia-an	Upland	Rural	1,316
Caningay	Upland	Rural	3,026
Gatuslao	Upland	Rural	2,433
Haba	Upland	Rural	2,123
Payauan	Upland	Rural	2,346
Poblacion East	Poblacion	Urban	3,007
Poblacion West	Poblacion	Urban	3,375

Demographics

Population census of Candoni
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1970	10,258	—
1975	12,614	+4.23%
1980	10,831	−3.00%
1990	16,638	+4.39%
1995	17,004	+0.41%
2000	19,987	+3.53%
2007	21,748	+1.17%
2010	21,336	−0.69%
Source: National Statistics Office

Landmarks

Zone of Peace

On the Road to Candoni, Negros Occidental

The Sitio of Cantomanyog in Brgy. Haba was the first Zone of Peace in the Philippines. Peace Zone culture is so influential that the people of Cantomanyog were able to produce cultural products therefrom like oral history of Cantomanyog, poetry and music to the extent that it inspired a cluster of communities to do same.

The first skirmish between the NPA and the military happened in Southern Negros on September 1971. With the information that the NPA had a base in the towns of Candoni and Kabankalan, the military immediately sent troops in the said area to hunt down the rebels. The NPA’s popularity in the hinterlands of Southern Negros, where government was seldom seen and felt, could be explained by its ability to dispense swift, revolutionary justice and maintain order in the community. On April 18, 1989, an undetermined number of NPA guerillas launched a surprise attack on the 7th IB, Alpha Company Detachment at Caningay, Candoni. The Caningay raid was one of the NPA’s most daring attacks on a military outpost in Candoni.

In 1989, on the island of Negros, 300 children died from hunger as the result of the U.S.-organized bombing raid, “Operation Thunderbolt” in the municipalities of Candoni, Hino–baan, Ilog, Cauayan, Kabankalan and Sipalay popularly referred to as the CHICKS area. The people of Cantomanyog began to ask themselves, “Why is this war happening here?”

In November 1989, the Area Core Group leaders of the Kristiyanong Katilingban of Cantomanyog or the Basic Christian Community of Cantomanyog (BCC) after their usual panimbahon (community prayer meeting) discussed the peace zone concept. On December 4, 1989, the Basic Christian Community of Cantomanyog gathered for a General assembly wherein a resolution declaring Sitio Cantomanyog as a Peace Zone was read, passed and approved. Their simple declaration was delivered to both the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. The NPA and the AFP respected the Zone of Peace.

On February 16, 1990, during a worship service and Eucharist, Natividad Epalan, a community leader holding her two-year-old child, read a statement declaring the village of Cantomanyog to be the first “zone of peace” in the Philippines.

“Our village is open to everyone whose intentions are good,” she read. “We wish to be free of the danger of weapons of war and death…Therefore, whoever enters this zone of peace should not bring any guns with them.”

On 25 May 1993, Senator Rodolfo G. Biazon sponsored a resolution passed by the Senate as Resolution No. 435 urging the Executive Department for the declaration of Cantomanyog and the other six Peace Zones as Special Development Areas. President Ramos, consequently and in cognizance to the Comprehensive Peace Policy, recognized the legitimacy of the said Peace Zones and further declared them as Special Development Areas (SDAs). Each of the seven SDAs was allocated P5,000,000.00 for community development projects through the then National Program for Unification and Development Council now part of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process under the Office of the President.

Sit-an Cave

Sit-an Cave is a natural marvel that extends about one hundred fifty meters from its entrance to its hindmost part which resembles a church-like cavern with cool natural pool with overflowing water ranging from knee-high to waistline depth that forms an underground stream running along the columns of stalactites that hung like a pendant from its roof.

Festivals

The Dinagayaw (Formerly Pabalhas sa Tablas) is the annual town fiesta happen every February 7–11 and it is also called Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The name Pabalhas sa Tablas was derived from a huge tree named Tabla. Tablas were being used to construct road and bridges by the group of settlers from Isabela way back 1935.

Aside from the annual town fiesta, Candonians also enjoy from multiple Barangay, SK and community fiestas whole year-round.

Notable People

• Leopoldo Serantes – competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics in the Light Flyweight (-48 kg) division winning the bronze medal
• Romel Oliveros – a super flyweight national boxer
• Elisheba Etabag Manzano – 2007 Gold Medal (Top 1) – Highest Achievement Award for Certified Internal Auditor exam.

Climate

Climate data for Candoni, Negros Occidental
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	31 (88)	32 (90)	31 (88)	31 (88)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	32 (90)
Average low °C (°F)	24 (75)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	54.8 (2.157)	60.5 (2.382)	53.8 (2.118)	43 (1.69)	89.8 (3.535)	153.9 (6.059)	142.6 (5.614)	88.2 (3.472)	98.9 (3.894)	141.9 (5.587)	130.6 (5.142)	112 (4.41)	1,170 (46.06)
Average rainy days	15	11	10	6	11	16	16	14	15	17	16	17	164
Source: worldweatheronline.com

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System