Mabinay

Mabinay, officially the Municipality of Mabinay, is a municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 85,770 people, making it the most-populous municipality in Negros Oriental.

History

Folklore has it that a woman named Binay fell in love with the son of her father's rival chieftain. Her father ended the affair by having her lover killed. Binay grieved. Mother Nature took the weeping maiden into her bosom. Where Binay was laid to rest, a spring broke forth. According to the legend, she weeps to this day, feeding Mabinay Spring, one of the town's many alluring attractions.
It had over 100 known caves, including the popular Pandalihan, Panligawan and Gasidlak, each one with its own distinctive features ranging from fascinating to awesome. A team of Belgian and Dutch cavers determined Odloman Cave to be the second longest in the Philippines.
Under Republic Act No. 2469, which was signed by President Carlos P. Garcia in 1959, Mabinay was formally created from the fourteen sitios that seceded from the then-municipality of Bais. In 1966, under Republic Act No. 4818, the municipality's territory was enlarged, with four more sitios added from Manjuyod and eight from Bais.
Mabinay produces rice and corn, copra, soybeans and peanuts. Its principal crop, sugar cane, makes it an important member of the north's sugar district. It is a border town: the provincial highway runs through it and links Negros Oriental with its sister province.
On the morning of March 3, 2018, six youth activists on an exposure trip with farmers were arrested in Barangay Luyang by the Philippine Army after 1st Lt. Prad Adoptante and 2nd Lt. Reymart Africa engaged in a firefight with communist rebels earlier in the day, with the six being charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives and suspected as members of the New People's Army. Collectively known as the "Mabinay 6" in the media, among them were Myles Albasin, a 21-year-old activist from Cagayan de Oro and Anakbayan member working as a journalist for Aninaw Productions. On September 22, 2025, seven years after the arrest, the six were acquitted of the charges by the Dumaguete Regional Trial Court Branch 42, with the court ruling the prosecution to have failed to "establish the guilt of all the six accused" due to "numerous loopholes in the evidence".

Geography

Mabinay is situated roughly in the central part of the island of Negros abutting the western side of the provincial boundary. The municipality of Ayungon bounds it in the north, the City of Bais in the south, the municipalities of Bindoy and Manjuyod and a portion of Bais in the east, and the city of Kabankalan in the province of Negros Occidental in the west.

Barangays

Mabinay is politically subdivided into 32 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Mabinay has a tropical monsoon climate. Unlike other municipalities and cities in Negros Oriental, Mabinay is situated further inland, making its mean temperatures slightly cooler compared to municipalities and cities that are on the coastline.

Demographics

Economy

Tourism

Mabinay is known for its caves. The Odloman Cave is one of the largest caves in the Philippines, with long and Cayaso Cave, the ninth longest cave in the country measuring long.
Aside from the caves, Mabinay also has rivers and natural springs. One of its known natural spring is located at the heart of the municipality, the Mabinay spring. Ideal for family outing, swimming, kayaking, it also serves as the main water resource of the main town. It is about a 3 to 5 minute ride with tricycle, jeepney or a bus from the town center.

Healthcare

Mabinay itself has a small government-run hospital. Mabinay Medicare Community Hospital provides both in emergency outpatients services and inpatient services. It is located directly behind the Municipal Hall.
Mabinay Health Center is one of the three health centers that serve the town.

Transportation

Motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys, and buses are the major modes of transportation in the municipality. Mabinay has a bus terminal that serves Ceres buses in transit from either Bacolod or Dumaguete.
The municipality is easily accessible through the Bais–Kabankalan road which cuts through the entire town. It is also directly connected to Ayungon through the Ayungon-Tambo road and to the city of Bayawan through the Bayawan-Mabinay road. Travel from Dumaguete is about two hours.
Mabinay is north-west of the provincial capital, Dumaguete, and from Bacolod.

Education

On June 16, 1997, the Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 94 established the Mabinay Institute of Technology , a technical college operated with the approval of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports. On June 25, 2004, MIT was integrated into the newly converted university, Negros Oriental State University by virtue of the university charter, Republic Act No. 9299 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. It became known as Mabinay Campus.
The public schools in the town of Mabinay are administered by four school districts under the .

Primary and elementary schools

Abis Elementary School — Abis
Alagasihan Elementary School — Sitio Alagasihan, Arebasore
Arebasore Elementary School — Arebasore
Bagtic Elementary School — Bagtic
Baliw Elementary School — Sitio Baliw, Bagtic
Banban Elementary School — Banban
Barang-barang Primary School — Sitio Barang-barang, Mayaposi
Barras Elementary School — Barras
Basakan Elementary School — Sitio Basakan, Pandanon
Bato Elementary School — Bato
Binantangan Elementary School — Sitio Binantangan, Dahile
Bugnay Elementary School — Bugnay
Bulibulihan Elementary School — Bulibulihan
Bulwang Elementary School — Bulwang
Campo-aling Elementary School — Sitio Campo-aling, Mayaposi
Canggohob Elementary School — Canggohob
Cansal-ing Elementary School — Cansal-ing
Cantombol Elementary School — Sitio Cantombol, Canggohob
Capanun-an Elementary School — Campanun-an
Dagbasan Elementary School — Dagbasan
Dahile Elementary School — Dahile
Danawan Elementary School — Sitio Danawan, Tara
Don Cristito C. Tirambulo Memorial Elementary School — Paniabonan
Hagtu Elementary School — Hagtu
Himocdungon Elementary School — Himocdongon
Inapoy Elementary School — Inapoy
Lamdas Elementary School — Lamdas
Lanot Elementary School — Sitio Lanot, Pantao
Lapong Elementary School — Sitio Lapong, Dahile
Lower Capanun-an Elementary School — Campanun-an
Lumbangan Central School — Lumbangan
Luyang Elementary School — Luyang
Mabinay Central School — Pomelo Street, Poblacion
Mampalasan Elementary School — Sitio Mampalasan, Bagtic
Manlingay Elementary School — Manlingay
Nabaliwan Elementary School — Sitio Nabaliwan, Samac
Namangka Elementary School — Old Namangka
Napasu-an Elementary School — Napasu-an
New Namangka Elementary School — New Namangka
Old Namangka Elementary School — Old Namangka
Pandanon Elementary School — Pandanon
Pantao Elementary School — Pantao
Pantao Brgy. Site Elementary School — Pantao
Pinayon-an Elementary School — Sitio Pinayon-an, Bato
Pedro Gobuyan, Sr. Memorial Elementary School — Mayaposi
Samac Elementary School — Samac
Tadlong Elementary School — Tadlong
Tampa Elementary School — Sitio Tampa, Inapoy
Tara Elementary School — Tara
Tingtingon Elementary School — Sitio Tingtingon, Cansal-ing
Secondary schools
Bagtic National High School — Bagtic
Barras Annex National High School — Barras
Benedicto P. Tirambulo Memorial National High School — Paniabonan
Campanun-an Provincial Community High School — Campanun-an
Canggohob High School — Canggohob
Cansal-ing Provincial Community High School — Cansal-ing
Dahile Provincial Community High School — Dahile
Inapoy High School — Inapoy
Mabinay National High School — Naranghita Street, Poblacion
Mabinay Science High School — Poblacion
Manlingay High School — Manlingay
Mayaposi Community High School — Mayaposi
Pantao National High School — Pantao
Tara Provincial Community High School — Tara
Private schools
Sto. Niño High School — Lumbangan