Compostela, Cebu

Municipality in Cebu, Philippines

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Municipality in Central Visayas, Philippines

Compostela

Municipality

Municipality of Compostela

Compostela skyline

Flag

Anthem: Mabuhi ka Compostela
English: long live Compostela

Map of Cebu with Compostela highlighted

OpenStreetMap

Compostela

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 10°28′N 123°58′E﻿ / ﻿10.47°N 123.97°E﻿ / 10.47; 123.97
Country| Philippines
Region| Central Visayas
Province| Cebu
District|  5th district
Founded
Chartered| 26 December 1878
17 January 1919
Barangays| 17 (see Barangays)
Government

[1]

• Type| Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor| Felijur P. Quiño
• Vice Mayor| Froilan Quiño
• Representative| Vincent Franco D. Frasco
• Municipal Council|

Members

*   * Wendell T. Castro
* Glenn A. Villaceran
* Josephine T. Abing
* Erne Q. Lawas
* Cheryl O. Sereño
* Rodrigo B. Puebla
* Arnito C. Oliverio
* Richard C. Acaso

• Electorate| 39,513 voters (2025)
Area

[2]

• Total

| 53.90 km2 (20.81 sq mi)
Elevation

| 35 m (115 ft)
Highest elevation

| 335 m (1,099 ft)
Lowest elevation

| 0 m (0 ft)
Population

(2024 census)[3]

• Total

| 58,178
• Density| 1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
• Households

| 13,612
Economy

• Income class| 3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence|

24.79

% (2021)[4]
• Revenue| ₱ 269.5 million (2022)
• Assets| ₱ 630.1 million (2022)
• Expenditure| ₱ 206.8 million (2022)
• Liabilities| ₱ 102.3 million (2022)
Service provider

• Electricity| Cebu 2 Electric Cooperative (CEBECO 2)
Time zone| UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code|

6003

PSGC|

072218000

IDD : area code | +63 (0)32
Native languages| Cebuano
Tagalog

Compostela, officially the Municipality of Compostela (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Compostela; Tagalog: Bayan ng Compostela), is a municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 58,178 people.[5]

Compostela is within the Metro Cebu area.

## History

[edit]

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In the year 1844, Spanish authorities established local government units on the northern part of Cebu starting from what is now known as the town of Compostela as far north as what is now called the town of Borbon. Compostela was among the early barrios of the Danao. The newly established barrio was named Compostela on the suggestion of Roman Catholic friar, Fr. Manuel Alonzo, who came from the town of Ibdes in Spain and brought along with him the image of Compostela’s patron saint, St. James the Great.

Adopting the said saint as the local patron, a parish chapel was built from light materials. As the population grew, the Spanish church authorities decided to elevate the chapel into a church so that in the year 1866 the catholic church was constructed on the same site. Up to present time, the same structure continues to be the major place of worship in Compostela.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Americans gained control over the Philippines when they defeated the Spaniards in the Battle of Manila Bay. As a consequence, the Treaty of Paris caused the reorganization and reclassification of all local government units in the country according to their population and income. The reorganization which took place in 1903 resulted in the secession of Compostela to Liloan. In 1919, Compostela became a municipality.

### Battle of Guila Guila

[edit]

The Battle of Guila-guila was a significant event that took place in Barangay Bagalnga, Compostela, Cebu during World War II. On March 5, 1943, Japanese forces under General Sosaku Suzuki were ambushed by Filipino guerillas led by Lt. Agapito "Pete" Admana, under the command of Major Fabian Sanchez. The ambush was successful and inflicted heavy casualties against the invading forces. The guerillas had planned the ambush for a long time, suspecting that the Japanese soldiers' objective was to invade their general headquarters located in Brgy. Tabunan in Cebu City.[6]

Witnesses reported that three machine guns were already in position and foxholes were dug for cover. The fighting started around 2:00 pm, and the guerillas retreated because they were running out of bullets and ammunition. The exact number of casualties on the enemy side is unknown, but official reports account for 232 dead bodies. Some witnesses reported truckloads of dead bodies being transported, and Japanese forces bombarded the area and burned down houses in retaliation. One of the guerillas who participated in the ambush was Jose Bobo, who was later murdered by men in uniform for allegedly supporting the New People's Army.

### The Capture of Governor Hilario Abellana

[edit]

Hilario "Dodong" Abellana was the Governor of Cebu during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II. He was captured by the Japanese on September 3, 1944, while hiding in the Libo hills of Cabadiangan, Compostela. Abellana had previously escaped capture multiple times and was actively involved with the resistance movement in Cebu. Abellana had just returned from Bohol and was passing through the area en route to the mountains when he was caught at early dawn. Despite his efforts to resist the Japanese, he was ultimately executed on January 15, 1945, at the University of the Philippines Cebu campus. Efforts to locate Abellana's remains were exhaustive but unsuccessful.[7][8][9]

### The Estaca Bay Fight

[edit]

On October 31, 1944, a group of 33 Japanese soldiers docked their sailboats on the shores of Barangay Estaca, Compostela, the first day of American bombing of Japanese headquarters in Cebu. They were not able to go beyond the seashore as they died in the hands of the guerrillas led by Democrito Mendoza, whose family owns what is now the Stakili Beach resort. In October 1942, he led 60 soldiers, some of them from Liloan and Compostela, in the offensive operation. They killed 50 Japanese soldiers before retreating to the mountains.[10]

## Geography

[edit]

Compostela is bordered on the north by the city of Danao, to the west by Cebu City, on the east by the Camotes Sea, and on the south by the town of Liloan. It is 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Cebu City.

### Barangays

[edit]

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

PSGC |  Barangay  |  Population  |  ±% p.a.

|
|
|

|  |  2024[11] |  2010[12] |
072218001 |  Bagalnga  |  3.9% |  2,283 |  1,922 |  ▴ |  1.21%
072218002 |  Basak  |  3.0% |  1,773 |  1,695 |  ▴ |  0.32%
072218003 |  Buluang  |  2.3% |  1,365 |  1,259 |  ▴ |  0.57%
072218004 |  Cabadiangan  |  3.9% |  2,284 |  2,111 |  ▴ |  0.55%
072218005 |  Cambayog  |  2.2% |  1,283 |  1,165 |  ▴ |  0.68%
072218006 |  Canamucan  |  7.5% |  4,345 |  4,058 |  ▴ |  0.48%
072218007 |  Cogon  |  12.6% |  7,357 |  5,517 |  ▴ |  2.04%
072218008 |  Dapdap  |  2.1% |  1,212 |  1,151 |  ▴ |  0.36%
072218009 |  Estaca  |  10.9% |  6,327 |  5,177 |  ▴ |  1.42%
072218010 |  Lupa  |  1.5% |  873 |  812 |  ▴ |  0.51%
072218011 |  Magay  |  4.1% |  2,391 |  2,539 |  ▾  |  −0.42%
072218012 |  Mulao  |  2.8% |  1,600 |  1,538 |  ▴ |  0.28%
072218013 |  Panangban  |  1.9% |  1,104 |  1,125 |  ▾  |  −0.13%
072218014 |  Poblacion  |  17.8% |  10,372 |  9,536 |  ▴ |  0.59%
072218015 |  Tag‑ube  |  2.1% |  1,250 |  1,203 |  ▴ |  0.27%
072218016 |  Tamiao  |  2.6% |  1,533 |  1,225 |  ▴ |  1.59%
072218017 |  Tubigan  |  0.9% |  546 |  541 |  ▴ |  0.06%
| Total  | 58,178  | 42,574  |  ▴ | 2.21%

### Climate

[edit]

Climate data for Compostela, Cebu

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 28
(82)  | 28
(82)  | 29
(84)  | 31
(88)  | 31
(88)  | 30
(86)  | 29
(84)  | 30
(86)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 29
(84)  | 28
(82)  | 29
(85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 22
(72)  | 22
(72)  | 23
(73)  | 23
(73)  | 25
(77)  | 25
(77)  | 24
(75)  | 24
(75)  | 24
(75)  | 24
(75)  | 23
(73)  | 23
(73)  | 24
(74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 70
(2.8)  | 49
(1.9)  | 62
(2.4)  | 78
(3.1)  | 138
(5.4)  | 201
(7.9)  | 192
(7.6)  | 185
(7.3)  | 192
(7.6)  | 205
(8.1)  | 156
(6.1)  | 111
(4.4)  | 1,639
(64.6)
Average rainy days  | 13.4  | 10.6  | 13.1  | 14.5  | 24.2  | 27.9  | 28.4  | 27.7  | 27.1  | 27.4  | 22.5  | 15.9  | 252.7
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[13]

## Demographics

[edit]

Population census of CompostelaYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1903 | 5,602| —
1939 | 9,441| +1.46%
1948 | 8,411| −1.28%
1960 | 11,862| +2.91%
1970 | 13,931| +1.62%
1975 | 15,506| +2.17%
1980 | 17,504| +2.45%
1990 | 22,006| +2.32%
1995 | 26,499| +3.54%
2000 | 31,446| +3.74%
2007 | 39,167| +3.07%
2010 | 42,574| +3.08%
2015 | 47,898| +2.27%
2020 | 55,874| +3.30%
2024 | 58,178| +0.97%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][12][16]

## Economy

[edit]

Poverty incidence of Compostela

2000
36.69

2003
18.25

2006
29.00

2009
27.75

2012
18.20

2015
19.57

2018
12.40

2021
24.79

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Municipality of Compostela |  (DILG)
2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
6. ^ "The Battle in Guila-Guila, Bagalnga". 2022-06-22. Archived from the original on 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
7. ^ Mojares, Resil B. (2015). The war in Cebu. Jose Eleazar R. Bersales. Talamban, Cebu City, Philippines. ISBN 978-971-539-070-5. OCLC 945648989.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
8. ^ Barreveld, Dirk J. (2015). Cushing's coup : the true story of how Lt. Col. James Cushing and his Filipino guerrillas captured Japan's Plan Z. Philadelphia. ISBN 978-1-61200-308-5. OCLC 915561223.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
9. ^ Oaminal, Clarence Paul. "Governor Hilario Abellana and Gen. Douglas MacArthur". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
10. ^ "The Estaca Bay Fight". 2022-06-22. Archived from the original on 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
11. ^ Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
12. ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
13. ^ "Compostela: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
14. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
15. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
16. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
17. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
18. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
19. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
20. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
21. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
22. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
23. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
24. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

* Wagas, Neil Edwin R (2014). "History of Compostela (Cebu, Philippines)". Archived from the original on 22 August 2016.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Compostela, Cebu.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Compostela, Cebu.

Places adjacent to Compostela, Cebu

| Asturias | Danao |

|
|

|  |
Balamban |

Compostela

| Camotes Sea
|  |
Cebu City | Liloan |

* v
* t
* e

Populated places in Metro Cebu

Highly urbanized cities|

* Cebu
* Lapu-Lapu
* Mandaue

Component cities|

* Carcar
* Danao
* Naga
* Talisay

Municipalities|

* Compostela
* Consolacion
* Cordova
* Liloan
* Minglanilla
* San Fernando

* v
* t
* e

Province of Cebu

Cebu City (capital and largest city)

People|

* List of people from Cebu
* Governor
* Vice Governor
* Cebu Provincial Board

Municipalities|

* Alcantara
* Alcoy
* Alegria
* Aloguinsan
* Argao
* Asturias
* Badian
* Balamban
* Bantayan
* Barili
* Boljoon
* Borbon
* Carmen
* Catmon
* Compostela
* Consolacion
* Cordova
* Daanbantayan
* Dalaguete
* Dumanjug
* Ginatilan
* Liloan
* Madridejos
* Malabuyoc
* Medellin
* Minglanilla
* Moalboal
* Oslob
* Pilar
* Pinamungajan
* Poro
* Ronda
* Samboan
* San Fernando
* San Francisco
* San Remigio
* Santa Fe
* Santander
* Sibonga
* Sogod
* Tabogon
* Tabuelan
* Tuburan
* Tudela

Component cities|

* Bogo
* Carcar
* Danao
* Naga
* Talisay
* Toledo

Highly urbanized cities|

* Cebu City
* Lapu-Lapu
* Mandaue

(Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Cebu by the Philippine Statistics Authority. However, qualified voters in Mandaue are allowed to vote in elections for Cebu provincial officials by virtue of Republic Act No. 6641, in accordance with Section 452-c of the Local Government Code of 1991.)
*[PSGC]: Philippine Standard Geographic Code
*[±% p.a.]: Per annum growth rate. Executive Order 135 §6 states that for "census years" (years divisible by 10) the reference date would be May 1st, but for all other years, the reference date is to be the "middle of the year". This means that growth rates, although correct, are not necessarily simple year-on-year comparisons.
*[Pop.]: Population
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template