Background Information and History:
On the other hand, Ronda was a barrio of Dumanjug, then of Barili and back to Dumanjug, from 1870 through 1899. Finally, Ronda became a full-fledged municipality in 1913 by an Act of the Philippine Assembly. Today, Ronda is comprising 14 barangays with a total land area of 4,600 hectares.
Ronda is administratively subdivided into 14 barangays ( With the Legends of The Name of the Barangays prepared by retired public school teacher Rene A. Montayre, who was then Cultural Revival Coordinator at Ronda Elementary School, noted by then school principal Estella M. Sungcad.):
- Butong - was named after a specie of bamboo locally called "Butong", which grew abundantly near a medicine couple's house four kilometers from the town capital. It grew on the crossroad, where people usually passed by and which is now the site of the Butong Elementary School.
- Can-abujon - was named after the former leader of the Barangay, Kapitan Abo and his wife Ahon. Abo was born in the kitchen fireplace(abohan in dialect) and Ahon was born on top of a box(kahon in dialect), and with the passage of time, the two names were joined to Can-Abohon in honor of the people who were chosen leaders by their people.
- Canduling - was named after Kandu and Luling. Kandu and his daughter Luling were from Bohol, who settled in Barangay Biyateles. Kandu was brave, brilliant and helpful to the natives, especially in the milling of corn with the stone-mill he had set up in his house. Luling, a beautiful maiden, was wooed with multitude of local young swains. Unfortunately, she was abducted by the Moro pirates who were then pursued by Kandu, who never returned to the place. In reverence to Kandu and Luling, the natives named the place on the honor which through the passage of time became joined into Canduling.
- Cansalonoy - before was named Barangay Putian because of abundant white trees that grew in its hills. The natives were ignorant and superstitious and very inquisitive to strangers. On meeting a stranger, the natives would almost invariably ask, " Who are your parents? (Kinsa kang anak?), or when they saw you with fruits, like bananas or lanzones, they would always comment on their ripeness (lonoy in dialect). The natives so used the two words "Cansa"( for "kinsa") and "lonoy" in most of their conversations that the name eventually stuck as Cansalonoy.
- Cansayahon - was also named after the industrious and philanthropic couple named Cansa and Yahon. Cansa was a beautiful woman married to a politically minded Yahon, the man. Most troubles or cases in the place were settled by their leaders, Cansa and Yahon. In honor of their deeds and kindheartedness, the people named the barangay after both of them: Cansayahon.
- Ilaya - is an agricultural place where an outlet of a river passes through to the big open sea, and which always near the Poblacion. Most such sitios or barangays in Cebu are named Ilaya.
- Langin - means blessing. The place is vast, fertile agricultural valley planted to rice, corn, coconut, vegetables and other crops, and its people are deeply religious and industrious. It is said that from olden times, before and afte planting, the farmers would pray religiously for "a blessing from Heaven" (panalangin sa langit, in dialect) for bountiful harvests and prosperous living. Others would say that the place was so high up in the mountains, it was such a short distance to heaven that their "panalangin" would be heard more easily. In time, "panalangin" was abbreviated to Langin.
- Liboo - was named after the beautiful landmark of Ronda: the Liboo Hill. In vernacular word "libo" means talkative. During the Spanish times, the people living on the hill were talkative that most people especially from Poblacion would say "Liboo" and it meant talkative.
- Malalay - was named after a maiden named Malalay. In 1812, a Spanish soldier patrolling the place saw a maiden washing clothes. As the girl started to hang her laundry to place, the soldier approached and asked for the name of the place. Nervous and not understanding the foreign tongue of the soldier, she thought the soldier was asking for her name, not the place, so she said : Malalay.
- Palanas - was named after the rocky and stony place which is hardly used by farmers. Its former name was Barangay San Jose, but in 1913, the name was changed to Palanas, which is decsriptive of the area.
- Poblacion - During the Spanish times, it was always the capital of the town was where the seat of the municipal government, the parish church and the town market were located. Today, as it was then, most centers of religious , political and economic activities are called Poblacion. It is where most of the people reside, thus the most thickly populated part of the town.
- Santa Cruz - got its name after fiesta patron of the chapel of Santa Cruz, which was located in Canduling. It has three sitios: Jandiliog, Laum-tabay and Cambun-an. As a compromise and to avoid conflict and envy among the people, if one of the sitios would bear the name of the barangay, a congressman wisely called it Sta. Cruz in honor of the Holy Cross where Christ had been crucified. The name Sta. Cruz was commonly embraced by the residents who were mostly fishermen, farmers, and merchants.
- Tupas - was named after a specie tree called "Tupas", growing abundantly in farmlands planted to rice, corn, and coconuts. But before you could till the soil and plant, you must first clear the area of Tupas trees. Cutting the Tupas trees became a major occupation of the natives that when asked about the name of the place, they would answer " Tupas", meaning they were out there to cut Tupas trees to farm the land.
- Vive - signifies "lives" in Spanish. But some natives would say that barangay was actually named after a variety of ducks called vive, which were raised abundantly along its river bank. Yet old folks would argue that Vive was named after a big tree named Vive where passers-by after a long travel would rest under its cool canopy and drank water from its nearby spring.
Ronda, Cebu was formerly called a "HULUYAW", a banana plant, which grew abundantly along the banks of the settlement and a picturesque little city in Andalucia of Southern Spain, which is surrounded by an amphitheater of rugged mountains. It has been originated with a popular legendary story of Jolo, a pirates from Jolo who came out to plunder his village to loot and run away with properties and kidnap natives, who would be heard shouting “Jolo, ayaw!” or "Jolo, won't." Ronda before was a favorite hiding place of insurrectos or rebels and the law enforcers would raid (Ronda in Spanish) the town. But a more plausible account has it that a Spanish priest was sent to the place to see how things were with the natives, and he saw Liboo Hill that added to its striking similarities to a quaint little town in his home country. That beautiful town in Spain was called Ronda.
Municipality:
The Municipality of Ronda which is 81.5 Kms. away and is two and a half hour ride from Cebu City is situated in the southwest coast of Cebu Province. It is bounded in the East by the Municipality of Argao; in the west by the Tanon Strait; in the North by the Municipality of Dumanjug and in the South by the Municipality of Alcantara.
Topography:
Areas within barangay Malalay, Cansalonoy and Butong which covers a total land area of 428 Has. or 8.8% of the total area have very steep slopping lands in many direction to mountainous and hilly areas. Likewise Liboo has forestal area of 22.6194 Has.
Climate :
Falls under the third type of climate with no pronounce maximum rain period with short dry season.
HOW TO GET TO RONDA FROM CEBU :
Go to Librando Transit, a bus stop located at Natalio Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City. Librando operates southwest route. Ceres Bus line, found at the South Bus terminal , a bus line under Vallacar Transit Inc. is another option. Also in Citilink Terminal which is a transportation of V-hire. Transportation fee is very affordable and irresistably unregrettable. Give yourself a complete relaxation and amuse yourselves with the wonders of nature and spots in RONDA ! Adventurers, Be there !
HOW TO GET TO RONDA FROM CEBU :
Go to Librando Transit, a bus stop located at Natalio Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City. Librando operates southwest route. Ceres Bus line, found at the South Bus terminal , a bus line under Vallacar Transit Inc. is another option. Also in Citilink Terminal which is a transportation of V-hire. Transportation fee is very affordable and irresistably unregrettable. Give yourself a complete relaxation and amuse yourselves with the wonders of nature and spots in RONDA ! Adventurers, Be there !
(Trivia)
A Video Clip Of Amazing Nature