Sumilao

[3] The word “Sumilao” came from a Bukidnon phrase "Kon sumilaw da”, which means “When light comes again.”[citation needed] A story has been told that there lived a man named Walu who possessed supernatural powers.Time came when seven “baylan” (spiritual leaders who possessed special powers), who were living at the plain below, fabricated degrading stories against Walu.Oral history from the town's old-time residents stated that before the Spanish colonization, the present site of the Poblacion was already inhabited.Regular missionary trips to Sumilao and Linabo were intensified by Fathers Juan Terricarbas and Eusebio Barrado.In January 1890, Sumilao was created into the first active mission station in Bukidnon, thus making her the nucleus of the Roman Catholic faith in the province.When liberation came, Mr, Juan Sumbalan, who returned to power, ordered some of his men to settle in Kisolon to protect themselves from the Japanese stragglers who were still roaming in the vicinity of Poblacion, Sumilao.However, he did not stay long for on that same year, Mr. Candido G. Sumbalan was appointed Mayor by Provincial Governor Marcus A. Reciña.Population conducted during the period of 1918-1948 showed that Sumilao has the lowest number of inhabitants compared to the other municipal districts.On December 3, 2007, 55 farmers of the Higaonon tribe from Sumilao arrived in Metro Manila, 2 months after their march through 13 provinces from Mindanao to ask the government to stop the conversion of the land they are claiming into a hog farm.Farmer Tuminhay stated that: “Our titles were cancelled because Norberto Quisumbing was allowed to convert his land on condition that he would implement a five-year development plan.[7] On December 17, 2007, the government revoked the conversion order on the disputed 144-hectare lot in Sumilao, resulting to the return of the land ownership to the 55 members of the Higaonon tribe farmers who marched 1,700 kilometers for 2 months from Mindanao to Metro Manila.It is particularly bounded in the east by the town of Impasugong, south by Lantapan and Talakag, west and north by Manolo Fortich.It is accessible by land transportation and vehicles plying the Cagayan de Oro and Malaybalay/Valencia routes passing through the eight kilometer stretch of the National Sayre Highway, which traverses the municipality's area.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) data revealed that the information on Sumilao's total land area which is 207.49 km2 can be classified as: 155.92 km2 are considered alienable and disposable and 51.57 km2 of which are forestal/timberland.From the south to the central portion moving towards the north and north-western areas are mountain ranges, canyons, and high relief topography, including part of Mt.Bukidnon province has two prevailing climate variations based on rainfall pattern existing in its northern and southern sections.On the census conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority on the year 2000, the population of Sumilao increased to 17,958 brought about by in-migration of agro-industrial workers from the neighboring towns of Manolo Fortich, Impasugong, Malaybalay City and from the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Bohol and other places in Luzon.Ordinary farmers are planting rice, corn and vegetables both traditional and high value crops while the large corporations, the DOLE Philippines-Skyland Division and the De Monte Philippines, Inc. are engaged in planting commercial crops of sweet lakatan variety banana and pineapple.