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In the lowlands of Mt. Apo lies the rural town of Bansalan. Despite its agricultural economy, it is one of the progressive municipalities in the province of Davao del Sur. Legend has it that Bansalan got its name from a Bagobo chieftain (datu) named "Dansalan" whose tribal folks were the original inhabitants of the place. A so-called reporting error by the early surveyors transposed the name to Bansalan and somehow became the official name on record.
Bansalan is also previously called Miral and some local folks still refer to this former name. Visitors to this rustic town would notice that in public transportation the signboard still says Miral instead of Bansalan. Bansalan is about 72 kilometers south of Davao City and is very accessible by land transportation mostly by buses going to Cotabato City, Kidapawan City, and Tacurong. Bansalan is about 12 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Digos. Her neighboring towns include Makilala, North Cotabato in the north, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur (formerly called Kialeg) in the west, Matanao, Davao del Sur in the south, Mt. Apo and parts of Digos City in the east. Its geographical coordinates are 6° 47' 10" North, 125° 12' 48" East.
The town of Bansalan has been recently classified as a first class municipality by the Department of Finance which means its income level exceeds 50 million pesos annually.
According to the 2007 data of the National Statistics Office, Bansalan has a population of 54,246 people in its 25 barangays. About 16,000 (30%) of the populace live in the poblacion or town center. It is the fourth most populous town in Davao del Sur with a growth rate of .87 which is well below the national population growth rate of 2.16.
Agriculture is the major source of income for this town. Bansalenos grow rice, corn, banana, fruit trees, coconut, sugar cane in the lowlands. Coffee, vegetables and fruits are grown in the colder highlands of Mt. Apo.
Bansalan is also keeping up with the times in terms of technology. It has access to cable television, internet, and cell phone sites. It may not be at par with the big cities but it's getting there. Gone are the days when radio was the only source of mass media communications.
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The Immaculate Concepcion Parish of Bansalan - highway view
The Immaculate Concepcion Parish of Bansalan - inside the gates view
Bansalan has arguably the most beautiful Catholic parish church in Davao del Sur. From a wooden church building, an impressive structure was erected patterned after Canadian architectural design. Rev. Fr. Germaine Pelletier, PME was the parish priest who saw to its completion. Fr. Pelletier was a Canadian missionary from Quebec, Canada. Although he was a French-Canadian, he was also fluent with the local dialect which is predominantly Cebuano. The PME missionaries used to serve the parishes of Davao del Sur.
Mt. Apo is the country's highest peak. Daring folks who would like to conquer its majestic heights may opt for the Balutakay Trail in Bansalan. The Philippine Department of Tourism through its WOW Philippines campaign even mentioned the Balutakay Trail in its website as one of the approaches to scale Mt. Apo. Also mentioned as an attraction in Bansalan under the "Man Made" category is the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center. This conservation area in Kinuskusan, Bansalan is famous for its Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT).
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Salamat Sa Pagbisita!
(Thanks for visiting)
Website created by:
Edwin Bibera
California, USA
Website sponsored by:
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*Photo courtesy of Henry Tacio. Click on picture for bigger view.
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