Ayungon

Ayungon Lungsod sa Ayungon
Municipality
Municipality of Ayungon
Flag
Map of Negros Oriental with Ayungon highlighted
Interactive map of Ayungon
Ayungon Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°51′30″N 123°08′48″E / 9.8584°N 123.146758°E / 9.8584; 123.146758
Country	Philippines
Region	Negros Island Region
Province	Negros Oriental
District	1st district
Established	June 1924
Barangays	24 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Dennis N. Amancio (NPC)
• Vice Mayor	Nelda A. Favillaran (PFP)
• Representative	Emmanuel L. Iway (PFP)
• Municipal Council	Members Kizzle Mae D. Opada Gerryl B. Opada Roger O. Baldado Keith B. Enardecido Rizaldy N. Gumba Joseph A. Dayahan Wilfelito B. Arinaza Romulo P. Alforque Ramel L. Mandate ‡ Wilfe Jun Arinaza ◌ ‡ ex officio ABC president ◌ ex officio SK chairman
• Electorate	32,173 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	265.10 km2 (102.36 sq mi)
Elevation	112 m (367 ft)
Highest elevation	669 m (2,195 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	50,688
• Density	191.20/km2 (495.21/sq mi)
• Households	11,443
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	38.42 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 258.9 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 671.3 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 237.1 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 108.3 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Negros Oriental 1 Electric Cooperative (NORECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6210
PSGC	074602000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)35
Native languages	Cebuano Tagalog
Website	www.ayungon.gov.ph

Ayungon (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Ayungon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Ayungon), officially the Municipality of Ayungon, is a municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 50,688 people.^[5]

Attractions include the Karalaon Bird Sanctuary,the subterranean area of the Mabato Caves, a man-made lake in Banban, and the Pagsalsalan Twin Falls (Maaslum Falls).^[6]

There are at least two explanations for the origin of the name Ayungon. According to Dr. Timoteo S. Oracion of Silliman University, it may date back to the pre-colonial period, when places were often named after prominent individuals. In this case, the locality was associated with a fisherman named Ayung, whose dwelling served as a resting place for travelers. The area came to be known as “Ayung’s place,” which later evolved into Ayungon with the addition of the suffix “-on.”

Another account suggests that the name resulted from a misunderstanding between Spanish visitors and a local resident. When asked for the name of the place, the native, who was cutting a tree, thought he was being asked his name and replied “Ayung.” When asked again, he assumed the question referred to the tree and answered “Dungon.” The Spaniards reportedly combined the two responses into “Ayung-Dungon,” which was eventually shortened to Ayungon.^[7]

During the Spanish regime, the original town plaza was located at the beach, which was transferred further inland due to a massive flood. The town also suffered an epidemic of smallpox which took away two-thirds of the town's population. Old municipal profiles refer to Ayungon as Todos los Santos, though there are no legends to explain that Hispanic name, just as there are no tales elaborating on the ruins of apparently Hispanic fortifications on the Tampocon II shoreline, perhaps because Ayungon's colonial past was not entirely its own. For many years, it was a mere barrio of Tayasan, until 1924 when Governor General Leonard Wood came to establish Ayungon as a full-fledged municipality through the recommendation of the then-provincial governor, Enrique Villanueva.

During World War II, numerous houses were burned, as well as people being tortured and killed. Many of them died due to famine and malaria. Maximo Romano Enardecido, the mayor at the time, evacuated the municipal government to Pangi, a mountainous village located south of the Poblacion. Captain Eugenio “Kusgan” Antonio led the town's guerilla movement. The town was liberated in October 1944, and the Americans came in to rehabilitate the town by lending money to pay for war damages.^[7]

82 kilometres (51 mi) from the provincial capital Dumaguete, Ayungon is located on the midriff of Oriental Negros’ northern stretch, nearly two hours from Dumaguete.^[6]

Of only three virgin forests said to be still remaining on Negros Island, one is located in barangay Banban.^[6]

Ayungon is politically subdivided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Poverty incidence of Ayungon

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}

Ayungon is mostly rural with vast rice fields, dense coconut groves and expansive plantations of sugar cane, bananas and pineapple.^[6]

As of May 2025, the once quiet town is starting to commercialize by bringing in numerous known international and national businesses in its Poblacion.

As the town is growing economically, it has been conferred with the status of 1st class income municipality.^[23]

The public schools in the town of Ayungon are administered by two school districts under the Schools Division of Negros Oriental.

Elementary schools:

High schools:

• Ayungon National High School — Nat'l Highway, Tampocon I
• Ayungon NHS - Carol-an Extension — Carol-an
• Ayungon Science High School — Todos Los Santos Street, Tampocon II
• Mabato Provincial Community High School — Mabato
• Tambo National High School — Tambo

Private schools:

• Negros Academy-Negros College, Inc. — Enardecido Street, Tampocon II

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