Amlan, officially the Municipality of Amlan (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Amlan; Tagalog: Bayan ng Amlan), is a municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 26,566 people.[5]
History
Nineteenth-century chronicler Licinio Ruiz referred to a settlement called Alman, which was reportedly named after a superior variety of guava. By 1818, Spanish records indicate that the area had 640 tributes, corresponding to a population of 3,281 residents,[6]: 200 including 155 Spanish-Filipino tribute-paying families.[7]: 359
The town became an independent parish separate from Tanjay in 1848. It was later renamed New Ayuquitan in 1912,[8] before being officially renamed Amlan through Republic Act No. 435 on June 7, 1950.
Heritage structures
The Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, completed in 1853 and believed to have taken 50 years to construct, serves as the centerpiece of the town’s tourism and offers a notable example of colonial-era architecture.
Remains of watchtowers built as defenses against Moro raids can still be found in Buswang and near the mouth of the Amlan River, as well as in areas near the school building of Ayuquitan and in Barangay Calo.
Geography
Amlan is 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Dumaguete and 194 kilometres (121 mi) from Bacolod.
Barangays
Amlan is politically subdivided into 8 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
| PSGC | Barangay | Population | ±% p.a. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024[9] | 2010[10] | |||||
| 074601001 | Bio-os | 15.5% | 4,106 | 3,235 | 1.72% | |
| 074601002 | Jantianon | 10.9% | 2,893 | 2,791 | 0.26% | |
| 074601003 | Jugno | 16.1% | 4,280 | 3,832 | 0.79% | |
| 074601004 | Mag-abo | 8.2% | 2,175 | 1,779 | 1.45% | |
| 074601005 | Poblacion | 5.5% | 1,452 | 1,425 | 0.13% | |
| 074601006 | Silab | 16.6% | 4,416 | 3,249 | 2.22% | |
| 074601007 | Tambojangin | 8.6% | 2,278 | 2,257 | 0.07% | |
| 074601008 | Tandayag | 14.7% | 3,913 | 3,638 | 0.52% | |
| Total | 26,566 | 22,206 | 1.29% | |||
Climate
| Climate data for Amlan, Negros Oriental | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) |
30 (86) |
31 (88) |
33 (91) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
31 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22 (72) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (74) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26 (1.0) |
22 (0.9) |
28 (1.1) |
41 (1.6) |
95 (3.7) |
136 (5.4) |
147 (5.8) |
126 (5.0) |
132 (5.2) |
150 (5.9) |
98 (3.9) |
46 (1.8) |
1,047 (41.3) |
| Average rainy days | 7.5 | 6.7 | 8.9 | 10.4 | 21.6 | 25.6 | 26.3 | 25.0 | 24.1 | 26.2 | 19.2 | 12.1 | 213.6 |
| Source: Meteoblue (Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.)[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1903 | 10,373 | — |
| 1918 | 12,525 | +1.26% |
| 1939 | 14,904 | +0.83% |
| 1948 | 13,342 | −1.22% |
| 1960 | 9,399 | −2.88% |
| 1970 | 11,547 | +2.08% |
| 1975 | 12,457 | +1.53% |
| 1980 | 13,638 | +1.83% |
| 1990 | 16,145 | +1.70% |
| 1995 | 16,573 | +0.49% |
| 2000 | 19,227 | +3.24% |
| 2007 | 22,173 | +1.99% |
| 2010 | 22,206 | +0.05% |
| 2015 | 23,624 | +1.19% |
| 2020 | 25,513 | +1.63% |
| 2024 | 26,566 | +0.98% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][10][14][15] | ||
Economy
Poverty incidence of Amlan
36.00
24.85
25.70
24.14
20.31
27.18
12.70
21.10
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]
Tourism
Amlan is home to many natural and man-made attractions:
- Dreamland Nature and Adventure Park (DNAP)
- A ten-minute ride away from the highway, DNAP is divided into two parks: the Animal Kingdom that showcases a collection of wildlife and other endangered species and the Adventure Park for those wanting some adrenaline rush. Activities in the Adventure Park include aerial walk, river tubing, and soon to be opened avatar zip line, tandem zip line and giant tandem swing.
- Tandayag Marine Sanctuary
- Touted as one of Tanon Strait’s top sanctuaries, the sanctuary has not seen yet an overcrowding of scuba divers. The fisherfolk managing the area is keen in sustaining the carrying capacity of the marine reserve.
- Bio-os Takot-Diot Sanctuary
- The second center piece to Amlan’s sustained efforts to marine conservation, Takot Diot is just a short hop from the coastline in Bio-os.

- Amlan Pasalan Falls
- The most majestic of the many falls found in Amlan, Pasalan is located in Silab Highlands. It can be accessed via all forms of vehicle but for the moment, anyone wanting to see the falls, must first secure approval from the local government for safety reasons.
- Kang-Untol Falls
- A prelude to its much bigger sister, Kang-Untol has a mini-lagoon for those wanting to soak in.

- Asupri sa Maiti
- A sulfur lagoon up in Jantianon Highlands, Asupri has seen an increase of tourists after photos and videos the attraction were posted in social media.
- Naparil and Cantalina Falls
- The most accessible falls in Amlan, Naparil is a short 20-minute walk from the main road in Silab.
- Lantawan Amlan
- The town’s highest peak at 1,101 meters above sea level.
- Kang Atid
- A good place to start river trekking and explore the environs along the banks of the Amlan River.
- Jantianon Tri-Falls
- The location may be difficult to access, but the three falls, namely, Paphaan, Divine and Paphaun, are sure to delight those weary souls wanting to get away from life’s hustle and bustle.[24]
Education
The public schools in the town of Amlan are administered by one school district under the Schools Division of Negros Oriental.
Elementary schools:
- Amlan Central Elementary School — Nat’l Highway, Mag-abo
- Aurelio Ibero Memorial Elementary School — Jugno
- Bio-os Elementary School — Bio-os
- Cañete Elementary School — Sitio Cañete, Jantianon
- Cantalina Elementary School — Sitio Cantalina, Silab
- Jantianon Elementary School — Jantianon
- Martin Benjamin Memorial Elementary School — Tambojangin
- Panusuan Elementary School — Sitio Panusuan, Silab
- Silab Elementary School — Silab
- Tandayag Elementary School — Tandayag
High schools:
- Amlan National High School — Rizal Street, Poblacion
- Amlan NHS – Jugno — Jugno
- Jantianon National High School — Jantianon
- Silab Community High School — Silab
Private schools:
- Seaview Learning Center — Prieto Street, Mag-abo
- St. Andrews School — Nat’l Highway, Poblacion
References
- ^ Municipality of Amlan | (DILG)
- ^ “2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density” (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ “2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ “PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ “2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President”. psa.gov.ph. July 17, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
- ^ Diccionario Geográfico, Estadístico, Histórico, de las Islas Filipinas By Fr. Manuel Buzeta and Fr. Felipe Bravo, Volume 1, Published Madrid :(Impr. de J.C. de la Peña) 1850-1851.
- ^ Diccionario Geográfico, Estadístico, Histórico, de las Islas Filipinas By Fr. Manuel Buzeta and Fr. Felipe Bravo, Volume 1, Published Madrid :(Impr. de J.C. de la Peña) 1850-1851.
- ^ “An act to change the name of the municipality of New Ayuquitan, province of Negros Oriental, to “Amlan” and the name of barrio Old Ayuquitan to “Ayuquitan”“. LawPH.com. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
- ^ Census of Population (2020). “Region VII (Central Visayas)”. Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ a b Census of Population and Housing (2010). “Region VII (Central Visayas)” (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ “Amlan: Average Temperatures and Rainfall”. Meteoblue. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ “2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ Census of Population (2015). “Region VII (Central Visayas)”. Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). “Region VII (Central Visayas)”. Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
- ^ “Province of”. Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ “Poverty incidence (PI):”. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ “Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines” (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
- ^ “2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates” (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
- ^ “City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009” (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
- ^ “2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates” (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
- ^ “Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
- ^ “PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
- ^ “PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates”. Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ “Awesome Amlan”. Awesome Amlan. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018.