Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay

Payao, officially the Municipality of Payao (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Payao; Chavacano: Municipalidad de Payao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Payao), is a municipality in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,952 people.^[3]

Payao
Municipality
Municipality of Payao
Flag Seal
Map of Zamboanga Sibugay with Payao highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Payao Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 7°35′09″N 122°48′08″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Zamboanga Peninsula
Province	Zamboanga Sibugay
District	1st district
Barangays	29 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Joeper H. Mendoza
• Vice Mayor	Joel J. Indino
• Representative	Wilter W. Palma II
• Municipal Council	Members Joshua Carlo R. Mendoza Jerry B. Jemlani Editha T. Indino Saraman B. Badol Glady A. Lopez Renato U. Cawanan Flordelyn T. Banagan Paulino M. Maata Jr.
• Electorate	21,784 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	245.66 km2 (94.85 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Highest elevation	333 m (1,093 ft)
Lowest elevation	−5 m (−16 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	34,952
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
• Households	8,380
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	37.54 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 215.3 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 565 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 161.7 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 121.1 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Zamboanga del Sur 2 Electric Cooperative (ZAMSURECO 2)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	7008
PSGC	0908311000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)62
Native languages	Subanon Cebuano Chavacano Tagalog
Website	www.payaosibugay.gov.ph

History

The municipality was established on November 11, 1977, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1238 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, constituting thirteen barangays separated from Siay, which was then part of Zamboanga del Sur, with Payao as the seat of government.^[5]

Territorial dispute (Guintolan)

Issues concerning territorial jurisdiction over Barangay Guintolan led to two judicial proceedings between Payao and Imelda (also created, same day). Guintolan was situated between the municipalities, both are geographically adjacent.

Residents later petitioned the transfer of the barangay from the jurisdiction of Payao to that of Imelda. In 1987, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Zamboanga del Sur issued resolutions, unanimously approving and, with the approval of the involved municipal mayors, proclaiming that Guintolan would be under the territorial jurisdiction of Imelda. Payao filed a petition for nullification of the transfer before Pagadian Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 19, questioning the provincial board's authority to do so, which was granted on November 18, 1987.

Imelda, seeking to regain Guintolan, later twice filed Petitions for Mandamus against Payao. The first, with provincial officials of Zamboanga del Sur as co-respondents, was dismissed by the Pagadian RTC Branch 21 in 2001; the second was granted by the Ipil RTC Branch 24 in 2015. The provincial government of Zamboanga Sibugay had assessed the matter as a boundary dispute.

Payao lost in their appeals before the Court of Appeals in 2018, and eventually, the Supreme Court on June 28, 2021.^[6]

Geography

Barangays

Payao is politically subdivided into 28 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Balian
• Balogo
• Balungisan
• Binangonan
• Bulacan
• Bulawan
• Calape
• Dalama
• Fatima (Silal)
• Guiwan
• Katipunan
• Kima
• Kulasian
• Kulisap
• La Fortuna
• Labatan
• Mayabo (Santa Maria)
• Minundas (Santo. Niño)
• Mountain View (Puluan)
• Nanan
• Poblacion (Payao)
• San Isidro
• San Roque
• San Vicente (Binangonan)
• Silal
• Sumilong
• Talaptap
• Upper Sumilong

Climate

Climate data for Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	61 (2.4)	55 (2.2)	75 (3.0)	81 (3.2)	145 (5.7)	189 (7.4)	189 (7.4)	197 (7.8)	162 (6.4)	181 (7.1)	115 (4.5)	70 (2.8)	1,520 (59.9)
Average rainy days	16.4	15.7	19.1	21.5	26.9	27.1	26.4	25.0	24.2	26.8	23.5	18.7	271.3
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

Population census of Payao

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1980	17,526	—
1990	23,937	+3.17%
1995	25,013	+0.83%
2000	27,036	+1.68%
2007	27,623	+0.30%
2010	29,755	+2.74%
2015	31,686	+1.20%
2020	34,952	+1.95%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Payao

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2000 60.73 2003 57.21 2006 46.50 2009 63.25 2012 50.42 2015 57.34 2018 38.80 2021 37.54 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]