Lebak, officially the Municipality of Lebak (; , Jawi: ايڠد نو لبک; ), is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Sultan Kudarat Sultan Kudarat, officially the Province of Sultan Kudarat (; Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Dairat nu Sultan Kudarat'', Jawi Alphabet, Jawi: دايرت نو سولتان كودرت; ; Ilocano language, Ilocano: ''Probinsia ti Sultan Ku ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. It lies on the northwestern coast of the province and has a population of 88,868 according to the 2020 census. It is a coastal municipality that lies in the northwestern part of the province.

Etymology

Lebak is a Maguindanaon word meaning hollow. This is because of the eastern part of Lebak is a mountain and on the western part is the Celebes Sea thus the hollow portion is between a mountain and the sea.

History

Early settlers are the

Manobo The Manobò (sometimes also spelled Menobò, Manuvù , Menuvù , or Minuvù) are an indigenous peoples from Mindanao in the Philippines, whose core lands cover most of the Mindanao island group, from Sarangani island into the Mindanao mainland in ...

at Salangsang.

Anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

urn burials of limestone and some

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

were found in Seminoho Cave dates back to AD 585. Manobos way of life was intact until the Teduray settlers arrived in the 1950s.

Sultanate era

Lebak was once part of

Sultanate of Maguindanao The Sultanate of Maguindanao ( Maguindanaon: ''Kasultanan nu Magindanaw'', Jawi: كسولتانن نو مڬیندنو; Filipino: ''Kasultanan ng Mangindánaw'') was a Sunni Muslim sultanate that ruled parts of the island of Mindanao, in th ...

.The arrival of Maguindanao which establish the

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

ic faith and settled in near the rivers and shores in the 15th century.

Spanish era

This territory was part of the Spanish Empire in Asia and Oceania (1520–1898). By 1696, Captain Rodríguez de Figueroa obtained from the Spanish government the exclusive right to colonize Mindanao. On February 1 of this year, he reached the mouth of the Rio Grande of Mindanao, in what is now known as the city of Cotabato. After obtaining this exclusive right, Captain Rodríguez de Figueroa began an expedition to expand Spanish influence in the region. However, his efforts met strong resistance from local communities, including the Sultanate of Maguindanao and various indigenous groups. Despite this, Spanish influence continued to grow, particularly through the establishment of military posts and Catholic missions. Spanish rule in the interior of Mindanao remained unstable, with local resistance continuing throughout the colonial period. The first written history of this town was in 1871, The colonial government of Spain, Lebac was made into a military district of Cotabato. The military campaign of Emilio Terrero y Perinat against Sultan reaches Lebak in 1887.

American period

By the end of the Spanish regime in 1898, includes politico-military comendancia of Lebak in "Fifth District of Mindanao". The town already producing rice during the period of 1905 and

vinta The vinta is a traditional outrigger boat from the Philippine island of Mindanao. The boats are made by Sama-Bajau, Tausug and Yakan peoples living in the Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga peninsula, and southern Mindanao. It is also made by t ...

was already in service from Cotabato to Lebac. In 1913 Under the United States ended the military rule in Mindanao and establish the

Department of Mindanao and Sulu The Department of Mindanao and Sulu was an agency of the United States colonial administration in the Philippine Islands task to administer all Muslim-dominated areas in the territory. It was established on July 23, 1914, pursuant to Act No. 2 ...

. Act No. 2711 of the

Philippine Commission The Philippine Commission was the name of two bodies, both appointed by the president of the United States, to assist with governing the Philippines. The First Philippine Commission, also known as the Schurman Commission, was appointed by Pre ...

dated March 10, 1917, Lebak and Salaman was incorporated into Province of Cotabato. The growing agrarian problem in Luzon and Visayas offers United States government offers the solution of homestead and resettlement in Mindanao particularly in Lebak. Act 2408 enacted on July 23, 1914, Lebak was part of Empire Province of Cotabato. Between the time between 1914 and 1937 a steady flow of Christian settlers from Luzon (Ilocanos) and Visayas (Ilongos).

World War II and Japanese occupation

In 1945,

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

when the combined American and Filipino forces took over the supervision of the Philippine Government against Japanese occupation, Marcelino A. Concha was still the Military Governor of the Empire Province of Cotabato. In the same year, Aurelio Freires, Sr. was appointed Municipal District Mayor of Salaman.

Post colonial (third republic) and creation of Lebak

On August 18, 1947, President

Manuel Roxas Manuel Acuña Roxas (; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines from 1946 until his death in 1948. He served briefly as the third and last President of the ...

sign an executive order 82 organizing municipalities and municipal district of Cotabato Province. The municipal district of Lebak was formally created under the municipal district of Kiamba under section 4, however, on same executive order on section 10 the municipal district of Salaman was under the Municipality of Dinaig. Together with the Kalamansig, Salaman was formerly a part of the municipality of once called Lebak and the seat of government is in now called Kalamansig Municipal Hall. An executive order number 195, the Municipality of Lebak as separated from the municipality of district of Kiamba and Dinaig and upholding the seat of government at Sito Kalamansig was signed by President Elpidio Quirino on December 31, 1948. and on April 12, 1951, and an executive order 432 issued to transfer the seat of government from Kalamansig to Barrio of Salaman. On April 12, 1951, the municipality of Kalamansig is formally created consisting of 20 barrios and sitios from Lebak.

Moro conflict

The Land Reform Code of

Diosdado Macapagal Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (; September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was a Filipino lawyer, poet and politician who served as the 9th President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the 5th Vice President of the Philippines, V ...

brought more Christian migrants from Luzon and Visayas. Under the command of Rajah Buayan, Commander Ali “Cassius Clay” Sansaluna of Cotabato

Moro National Liberation Front The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The MNLF was the organization most active in the Moro conf ...

Command landed at barangay Tran in December 1972 with an estimated 5,000 – 6,000 armed with European made weapon ship from neighboring Muslims countries. Tran was the main logistical base of the MNLF's Cotabato Command. Early February 26, 1973, the hostilities began when a group of fishermen at Tran River was shot and killed. The following day, February 27, 1973, the 54

Philippine Constabulary The Philippine Constabulary (PC; , ''HPP''; ) was a gendarmerie-type military police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Police. It was created by the Insular Government, American occupat ...

verify the event and the skirmishes begin. Signalled the MNLF offensive all over Cotabato raided including Civilian Home Defense Forces (CHDFs), 27th Infantry Battalion, PC Provincial Commands and villages as far as barangay Basak. 22nd Infantry Battalion (Separate) was deployed at Lebak in April 1973. Datu Guiwan Mastura withdraws from Lebak and Kalamansig and seeks sanctuary at Palimbang on March 21, 1973. Tran was guarded with 600 rebels under the command of Datu Sangki Karon. Offensive military operation started June 6, 1973, under the command of Unified Central Mindanao Command (CEMCOM) Task Force COSMOS under General Fortunato U. Abat who was the commanding general of 3rd Inf Bde (Sep) PA. Units include 21st, the 22nd and the 4th Infantry Battalions PA, the 1st Composite Infantry Battalion, GHQ, the 554th and 531st Philippine Constabulary Companies and four ships of the Naval task Group 71.1, and Composite Air Support Force Cotabato July 21, 1973, government troops controlled the Barangay Tran and kept pushing towards Sitio Turugan. A thousand rebels together with their families surrendered to government troops on August 3, 1973. On August 4, 1972, the 22nd Infantry Battalion finally cleared the Sitio Turugan, the Moro National Liberation Front stronghold. The Tran Offensive officially ended on August 6, 1973, ending the two-month conflict. Leader of Tran insurgents Datu Guiwan Mastura together with 12 men surrendered to Ferdinand Marcos in June 1973. First Presidential Streamer Award was awarded to 22nd Infantry Battalion in 1973. On the side of MNLF, 422 killed, 39 captured and 1,036 surrendered. The government troops counts 48 killed in action, 148 wounded and 1 missing including Lieutenant

Gringo Honasan Gregorio "Gringo" Ballesteros Honasan II (, born March 14, 1948), is a Filipino politician and a cashiered Philippine Army officer who led unsuccessful coups d'état against President Corazon Aquino. He played a key role in the 1986 EDSA Rev ...

was one of the wounded of this battle and was later awarded with 3 Gold Cross Medal.

Post war and 1976 tsunami disaster

The 8.0 (Mw) earthquake on August 16, 1976 at 16:11 UTC (12:11 AM local time) occurred near the

Moro Gulf The Moro Gulf is the largest bay, gulf in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Mindanao Island, and is part of the Celebes Sea. The gulf is one of the country's tuna fishing grounds. Geography The gulf stretches between and is surr ...

at a depth of , about south of the populated barangay of Tibpuan. It was followed by 15 aftershocks. The quake triggered a 9-meter

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

that killed an estimated 8,000 people in the affected region. A few years later, the municipality of Lebak was transferred from Cotabato Province to Province of

on November 22, 1979, by presidential decree 341 by President

Ferdinand E. Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the country under ...

Fifth republic

The municipality was formerly composed of 23 barangays and created 4 new barangays, Bolebak, Barurao II, Poblacion II and Poblacion III making it to 27 barangays. The renaming of Poblacion 2 to barangay Aurelio F. Frieres Sr was approved by the Sanguniang Bayan in its resolution number 007 series of 2002. A plebiscite was enacted last March 31, 2005.

Geography

Lebak is a coastal town with a total

coastline A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...

of long, separated from the mainland of

by mountain ranges. It is located on the western portion of the Province of Sultan kudarat, and bordered in the north by South Upi, Maguindanao; in the south by Kalamansig; in the west by

Celebes Sea The Celebes Sea ( ; ) or Sulawesi Sea (; ) of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawes ...

; in the east by Esperanza. Lebak is marked with hilly, mountainous ranges. It is about eight feet above sea level. The plains range from level to nearly level while uplands range from nearly level to hilly. Mountainous and gently rolling slopes are suitable for intensive rice and corn farming. The Tran River is the longest

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

in Lebak with a total length of followed by

Salaman River Salaman is a surname. Notable people with the name include: *Abraham Salaman (1881/6–1941), New Zealand merchant, dyer, herbalist and charlatan *Annette Salaman (1827–1879), English Jewish writer *Charles Kensington Salaman (1814–1901), Brit ...

and Nuling River (Barurao) . The approximate land area of the municipality of Lebak as of December 31, 1999, is 514.034445 square kilometers. But for planning purposes, the area used is 47,000 hectares, pursuant to the DBM supported by the Land Management Bureau/ Bureau of Lands. Of the 27 barangays, Salangsang has the largest area with , followed by Keytodac with , Villamonte with and Poloy-Poloy with ; while Poblacion III has the smallest area with . Lebak vegetative map

Topography

Land Formation

Lebak is marked with hilly, mountainous ranges. The plains range from level to nearly level while uplands range from nearly level to hilly mountainous and gently rolling slopes which are suitable for intensive rice and corn farming. Silty Loam which is best suited for

agricultural crops A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, fibre, or fuel. When plants of the same species a ...

such as rice, corn and vegetables. This covers 37.36% or 17,500 has of the total land area. Soils Un-differentiated which is favorable suited to

grazing In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to free range (roam around) and consume wild vegetations in order to feed conversion ratio, convert the otherwise indigestible (by human diges ...

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Types of pasture Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, c ...

, forest and agro-forestry. This covers a total of 29,440 has or 62.64%.

Hydrology/ natural resources

The Municipality is rich in

natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

. Its fishing ground abounds with fish of various species for domestic consumption and export. Marine products bring substantial income to a marginal fisherman. Fishing grounds are practically untapped. Identified watershed areas are Barurao Watershed (6,817.62), Salaman Watershed (8,176 ha.), Tran-Sucong Watershed (8,518.65) and Tran River Watershed (10,230 Ha.). Groundwater information The water resources of Lebak consist of Tran River ,

, and Barurao River the Makin and Ebi Waterfalls, Nuling, Salangsang and Ebi Springs. Some are tapped for irrigation and other purposes.

Climate

Under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, the municipality of Lebak features a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Lebak has a mild climate with evenly distributed

rainfall Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. ...

throughout the year. Being located outside of the typhoon path, it does not experience

tropical depressions A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

typhoons A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...

and devastating winds. Mean relative

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

for the Municipality of Lebak is 87%. The highest humidity is 89.5% and the lowest is 83.6%. The municipality of Lebak falls under

TYPE IV Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

classification. Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year. Prevailing winds- light to moderate. The municipality of Lebak, PAG-ASA recorded mean maximum and minimum temperatures of , respectively. Mean, Maximum and Minimum Temperature (

°C The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius temperature scale "Celsius temperature scale, also called centigrade temperature scale, scale based on 0 ° for the melting point of water and 100 ° for the boiling point ...

Barangays

Lebak is politically subdivided into 27

barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...

s. Each barangay consists of

purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...

s while some have

sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...

. *Aurelio F. Freires (Poblacion II) *Barurao *Barurao II *Basak *Bolebak *Bululawan *Capilan *Christiannuevo *Datu Karon *Kalamongog *Keytodac *Kinodalan *New Calinog *Nuling *Pansud *Pasandalan *Poblacion I *Poblacion III *Poloy-poloy *Purikay *Ragandang *Salaman *Salangsang *Taguisa *Tibpuan *Tran *Villamonte Datu Guiabar is a newly created barangay carved out from barangay Poloy-poloy. It is not officially recognized until plebiscite is held.

Demographics

The population of Lebak by age group reveals a dominance of the young population. Based on the 2007 population, children under five years old made up 14% or 11,163 of the total population of the municipality, lower than the percentage for the age group 5 – 9 which is 14.67% or 11,234 of the same year.

Child A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

dependency ratio The dependency ratio is an age-population ratio of those typically not in the labor force (the ''dependent'' part ages 0 to 14 and 65+) and those typically in the labor force (the ''productive'' part ages 15 to 64). It is used to measure the press ...

registered at 78.73% meaning 78 children dependents for every 100 working population. Total dependency ratio is 84.15%, the higher the total dependency ratio, the heavier the burden of the working age population. Economically dependent persons less than 15 years old are about 32,979 or 42.75%, Working age population registered 41,888 or 54.23% are between the ages 15–64. The percentage of female population in the reproductive age (15–49) registered 36,534 or 47.28%. About 47,436 or 61.51% of both men and women belonged to the age group 24 years and below. The population by age group declines with increase in age. The population of those belonging to ages 65 years and over or the elderly population constitutes a very small proportion of the population. Population age 65 and above constitutes 2,272 or 5.4% of the total population. Old age dependency ratio is 5.4%, meaning for every 100 working population there are 5 old age dependent persons. The working age group of 15 to 64 years old makes up 54% or 41,888 of the population while 43% or 32,979 are 14 years or younger and 5% or 2,272 are 65 years old or above.

Male Male (Planet symbols, symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or Egg cell, ovum, in the process of fertilisation. A male organism cannot sexual repro ...

population in the municipality is slightly higher than that of the female. The same is true in all barangays. Male population registered a total of 39,958 or 51.80% and 37,181 or 48.20%. The municipality is predominated by males showing males per 100 females.

Religion

There are 4 major religious groups in the municipality of Lebak. These are the

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

which accounts for 62% of the total population,

, 15%,

Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

, 8% and UCCP, 7%. The remaining percentage is distributed to Evangelical, United Pentecostal Church and other religions which make up 8%.

Languages

The most widely spoken language is Hiligaynon (41.06%), followed by Karay-a (12.98%), Maguindanaon (12.91%), Cebuano (9.42%), Teduray (8.08%), Ilocano (7%),

(5.74%), and 4.57% for other languages.

Economy

This municipality managed to boost its local economy to its full potential. Saturday market was started as early as the 1960s and the market days still observe today. The opening of new routes and improvement in transport system are expect to deliver the town into an economic promise. Strengthen inter-regional

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

linkage, gain access to potential agricultural production and will support various economic activities in the adjacent areas. The 2016,

National Competitiveness Council The National Competitiveness Council (NCC; ) is an independent policy advisory body in Ireland. It reports to the Taoiseach on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy together with recommendations on policy actions required to enhance ...

shows that the size of the local economy has total registered business gross sales of Php. 789,977,450.84.

Agriculture Sector

Agriculture is the primary source of income. Corn, rice and coconut are the most extensive crops grown. Cacao most commonly intercropped with coconut while the coffee is still a major crop. Livestock like swine/hog, ducks, cattle,

carabao Carabaos () are a genetically distinct population of swamp-type water buffaloes ('' Bubalus bubalis kerabau'') from the Philippines.FAO 2013''Philippine Carabao/Philippines''In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Food and Agriculture ...

, goat and

poultry products Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, eggs or feathers. The practice of raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typically members of the superord ...

, fruits and vegetables. Fishing Coastal barangay like Salaman, Tibpuan, Kinudalan, Datu Karon and Taguisa rely on fishing as their livelihood. Lebak is known for its produce like crabs (alimango), prawns (sugpo),

milkfish The milkfish (''Chanos chanos'') is a widespread species of ray-finned fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is the sole living species in the family Chanidae, and the only living member of the genus ''Chanos''. The repeating scientific na ...

(bangus) on its total of 247 Has. of shallow ponds. Shell fish are also abundant in shallow areas.

Communication

Smart Communications Smart Communications Inc., commonly referred to as Smart, is a wholly owned wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT Inc., a telecommunications and digital services provider based in the Philippines. As of November ...

provide services like wireless 3G connection and

broadband In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide-bandwidth (signal processing), bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Inter ...

connection on its Smart Bro product. While

Globe Telecom Globe Telecom, Inc., commonly shortened as Globe, is a major provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines. The company operates one of the largest mobile, fixed-line and broadband networks in the Philippines. As of November 2023, ...

offers 3G and

HSDPA High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) is an amalgamation of two mobile protocols—High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)—that extends and improves the performance of existing 3G mobile telecommunic ...

signal that boost mobile internet connectivity. Some complain of unstable and frequent disconnection on Globe Tattoo and

WiMax Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options. The WiMA ...

services. Fixed

telephone A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...

line are provided by the Sultan Kudarat Telephone System Incorporated (SKTSI) subsidiary of PLDT. FM station is also present in Lebak. The 105.1 MHz DXLR

Radyo Natin Radyo Natin () is a community radio network owned by MBC Media Group. It has more than 100 stations across the Philippines spread from Batanes in the northernmost part to Bongao in the south. The network also runs its main feed known as Radyo ...

of the

Manila Broadcasting Company The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), doing business as the MBC Media Group, is a multimedia company in the Philippines. It is currently owned by the FJE Group of Companies of Fred J. Elizalde, which also operates hotels and Pasay-based amusem ...

broadcast local news and advertisements with power of 500 Watts Kalamansig-Lebak Cable System, Inc. (KALECA) carries cable television signal to barangay Poblacion, Salaman, Pasandalan, Tibpuan, Barurao 1 & 2, Purikay and far as barangay Pansud.

Direct-To-Home Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

satellite TV such as

G Sat G-Sat (''Global Satellite'') is a subscription-based direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service commercially available in the Philippines. G-Sat is owned by Global Satellite Technology Services (GSTS), registered in the Philippines wi ...

Cignal Cignal (pronounced as ''signal'') is a Philippine satellite television and IPTV provider, owned by Cignal TV Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the MediaQuest Holdings Inc. under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund. Cignal's prepaid electroni ...

and

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...

are common in the rural areas.

Banking, Financial and Utility Services

Banking

With total of 27 financial institutions includes 1

commercial banks A commercial bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit (finance), deposits from the public and gives loans for the purposes of consumption and investment to make a Profit (economics), profit. It can also refer to a bank or a division o ...

and 2 rural banks, 5 finance cooperatives, 9 pawnshops, 2 foreign exchange dealers, 6 remittance centers and 2 microfinance institutions. 3

automated teller machine An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, funds transfers, balance inquiries or account ...

s (ATMs) operated by

Land Bank of the Philippines Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), often referred to simply as LandBank, is a government-owned bank in the Philippines with a special focus on serving the needs of farmers and fishermen. While it provides the services of a universal bank, it ...

and One Network Bank.

Water Utilities

Local water utilities are supplied by Lebak Water District (LEWADI) with a rate of Php. 55.2/Per Cubic Meter.

Energy

As of March 31, 2017 Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative (SUKELCO) provides electricity for 70% of the residents. The electric distribution company energized all 27 barangays (100%), 264 sitios (57%) with 6,457 member-consumer and 14,693 connections. The average cost of Php 6.7/ KwH for commercial and industrial users. SUKELCO Lebak is in constant power interruption and unreliable service. Several complaints like rude employee including its security guards pretending to be a manager of the power cooperative.

Culture

Lebak is a melting pot of culture and tradition. Mainstream culture of Lebak is the Ilonggo, the greatest number of the populace. Maguindanaon and tribal traditions can still be observed on its local settlements. Manobos and Tiduray minorities still widely practice and observe. Part of the culture of the people of Lebak is the celebration of Fiesta. Patronal Fiesta Celebration every 4th Sunday of May. Some barangays has its own festival like in Basak, Taguisa, Villamonte, Salangsang, Keytodac and Tibpuan. The Araw ng Lebak is celebrated during August 18 yearly and the Kapeonan Festival.

Tourism

Lebak is now an emerging tourism destination. The beautiful beaches stretch 22 kilometers with lined mangroves from Barangay Salaman, Tibpuan and Kinudalan, Taguisa and Datu Karon. A number of a beach resort is now existing in this coastal barangays. Entrance of Makin Falls

Enchanting Makin falls in Villamonte, Tres Andanas falls in New Calinog and Ragandang falls are part of series of seven waterfalls can be found in Lebak. The network of caves can also be found in Salangsang, Keytodac, Bululawan and Capilan. The most popular are Camilmil pit, Lom cave, Kiangus pit and, Sataluday cave, Capilan Bat cave and Tinubak cave and falls in Keytodac consist of class II cave, underground river and jump into a falls Hot Spring located in Nuling are another big things in Lebak's tourism industry . Lebak Katunggan Eco Park at barangay Taguisa is the newly opened tourist attraction in the municipality. This 720 hectares of

estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

is a home to 26 species of

mangroves A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove sal ...

become a sanctuary for birds, fish,

crustaceans Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of Arthropod, arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquat ...

and

shellfish Shellfish, in colloquial and fisheries usage, are exoskeleton-bearing Aquatic animal, aquatic invertebrates used as Human food, food, including various species of Mollusca, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish ...

species. The dedicated 237 hectares for eco-tourism park which includes the beach, rivers, sandbars with developments like 1.6 kilometers of a bamboo boardwalk, forest ranger station, cottages. Tourist will surely enjoy the activities like beach, swimming, beach volleyball, educational tour, boating on both estuarine and sea, and adventures.

Government

List of former chief executives

* Aurelio F. Freires, Sr. 1948–1955 * Timoteo P. Belarmino 1956–1959 * Aurelio F. Freires, Sr. 1960–1963 * Aurelio C. Freires, Jr. 1964–1967 * Jorge T. Labog 1968–1971 * Romeo F. Almirante 1972–1975 * Reynaldo P. Palileo, Sr. 1976–1979 * Romeo F. Almirante 1980–1986 (died in office) * Salvador G. Ang, MD 1986–1987 (appointed) * David Gestosani 1987–1988 (appointed) * Sergio P. Sabio 1988–1998 * Kahirup C. Ang, M.D. 1998–2003 * Gerardo S. Delasan 2003–2010 * Dionesio Besana 2010–2019 * Frederick Celestial 2019–Present

Transportation

Lebak has a road network of 219.35 kilometers and 37.85 km are concrete, 111.5 km graveled road and 70 km of

unpaved A road surface (British English) or pavement (North American English) is the durable surface material laid down on an area intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway. In the past, gravel road surfaces, macadam, ho ...

roads. The distance to the nearest airport (Awang Domestic Airport) is 53.99 km. Transportation from and to the muicipalites was already in place since 1925. Early

steamers Steamer may refer to: Transportation * Steamboat, smaller, insular boat on lakes and rivers * Steamship, ocean-faring ship * Screw steamer, steamboat or ship that uses "screws" (propellers) * Steam yacht, luxury or commercial yacht * Paddle st ...

like ''Fernadez Hermanos'', ''Neil McLeod'' and ''Mindanao'' from

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

had regular call at Lebak port, ''Tablas'' had irregular interval while ''Research'' had irregular trips also survey the . Early hydrography made by steamer Pathfinder on February 4 until end of July 1914. The lack of access to road Lebak was isolated for many years. These are Construction and Improvement of Awang-Upi-Lebak-Kalamansig Road, the Isulan – Bagumbayan, Senator Ninoy Aquino – Lebak Road, the planned Lebak-Kalamansig-Bagumbayan-Maitum Road.
Transport of goods from and into the town was very difficult and tricky before. Rough road to Isulan by provincial road sometimes take 1 day. The shipping from Port of Cotabato to Lebak by

motorboat A motorboat or powerboat is a boat that is exclusively powered by an engine; faster examples may be called "speedboats". Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the inter ...

locally called lantsa (an engine powered small boat) also took 12 hours of travel. Jctawang-lebak road

If you are from Manila, you can reach Lebak by plain via Manila-Gensan or Manila- Cotabato. The completion of the concrete national road from the junction of Awang — Upi — Lebak road will be a great impact on the economy of Lebak. It can be reached by Public Utility Jeep, vans and private vehicles for about 8 to 12 hours to and from Isulan and for about 5 hours via Cotabato City, the nearest city. Several Utility Van (

UV Express Utility Vehicle (UV) Express (formerly known as FX, Metered Taxi, and GT or Garage-to-Terminal Express) is a license to operate utility vehicles, particularly vans, as an alternative mode of public transport in the Philippines. The term also refe ...

) in

Davao City Davao City, officially the City of Davao, is a City of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the List of Philippine cities and municipalities ...

General Santos General Santos, officially the City of General Santos and abbreviated as GenSan, is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Regions of the Philippines, region of Soccsksargen, Philippines. According to ...

, Tacurong City,

Cotabato City Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato (Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Kutawatu'', Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ; Cebuano language, Cebuano: ''Dakbayan sa Cotabato''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, inde ...

and Isulan have routes for Lebak. Local transportation includes UV express, motor vehicles, trucks, modified motorcycle (habal-habal or skylab) and even horseback riding are common in some area. Motorboats are also available in coastal areas. This municipality has two airstrips: Lebak Municipal Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: LWA ), just 4 kilometers located at Kumalawit, Barangay Purikay is already concreted and will be fully operational accommodating from

Cessna Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufactu ...

turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...

Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, Maiden flight, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first membe ...

. Another way of reaching this municipality is by the sea. The existing Port of Lebak which is 9 km in nearby municipality of Kalamansig.

Education

The town has total of 10 secondary schools, 2 in private and 8 public schools.

Literacy rate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

is at 93% and mostly having a secondary education. Elementary education is divided into three districts: East, Central and West. These districts in total comprise the 11 primary schools, 26 elementary schools and three central schools of Lebak. NDSC

Public High School *E. Arcaño Mem. National High School (Basak National High School) *Lebak Legislated National High School *Purikay National High School *Tran National High School *Keytodac National High School *Mangudadatu National High School *Lebak National Highschool-Villamonte Private High School *Salaman Institute (SI) *Notre Dame of Salaman College (NDSC) (High School) Vocational and Tertiary Education *

Notre Dame of Salaman College Notre Dame of Salaman College is a private Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billio ...

*Salaman Institute *West Celebes College of Technology, Inc. *Lebak Family Doctors Hospital and School of Midwifery List of Elementary School (Elementary School) and Primary School (Primary School) *Lebak East District – 11 Schools # Babato Primary School #Bolibak Elementary School #Christianuevo Primary School #Datu Karon Elementary School #Don M. Concha MElementary School (Taguisa Elementary School) #Nuling Elementary School #Pansud Elementary School #Celeste Central Elementary School #Tapudi Elementary School #Tinonggos Elementary School #Tran Elementary School *Lebak Central District – 13 Schools #Adalla Primary School #Bululawan Primary School #Capilan Elementary School #Dimapitan Elementary School #Elem Primary School #F. Parohinog MElementary School (Basak Elementary School) #Keytodac Central Elementary School #Kimakang Primary School #New Calinog Elementary School #S.A. Balabagan Primary School #Salangsang Elementary School #Tibong-tibong Primary School #Villamonte Elementary School *Lebak West District – 12 Schools #Ampad-Guibar MElementary School #B. Difunturom MElementary School (Poloy-Poloy Elementary School) #Barurao Elementary School #Gestosani Mem. Elementary School #Guintales Primary School #Kinudalan Elementary School #Lagandang Elementary School #Nabagbag Primary School #Pakil Central Elementary School #Pasandalan Elementary School #Posadas Primary School #Salaman Central Elementary School

Healthcare

The health services are categorized into two. Public health services and private health services. The capacity of public health services are 3 doctors, 16 nurses, 30 midwives with 28 health centers and the private services have 7, nurses 16 and 11 midwives with 6 clinics and 2 hospitals. *Lebak Doctors Hospital *Lebak Santo Niño Hospital *Lebak Medical Group of Hospital *Medicare Community Hospital of Lebak *Lebak Family Doctors Hospital *Sabio Medical Clinic *Municipal Health Center (Birthing Section) *Labian Medical Clinic

Sister cities

* City of Makati *

References

External links

Lebak Profile at PhilAtlas.comLebak Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index
*

Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...

br>Philippine Census InformationLocal Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Sultan Kudarat Political divisions established by Philippine executive order