Lake Sebu, officially the Municipality of Lake Sebu (Tboli: Benwu Sbù, /sbuʔ/; Hiligaynon: Banwa sang Sëbu /səˈbuʔ/; Tagalog: Bayan ng Sëbu), is a 1st class municipality in the province of South Cotabato, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,221 people.

The bestselling Lonely Planet described Lake Sebu as a place located in a "bowl of forests and mountains". The 42,450-hectare landscape consisting the domains of the Allah Valley is recognized by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a cultural landscape in Mindanao.

Geography

The placid lake of Lake Sebu can be found in Allah Valley near the municipality of Surallah, South Cotabato. Surrounded by rolling hills and mountains covered with thick rain forest, the lake has an area of 354 hectares (870 acres), with an elevation of approximately 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

Barangays

Lake Sebu is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Population census of Lake Sebu

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	34,350	—
1995	47,617	+6.31%
2000	54,142	+2.79%
2007	60,401	+1.52%
2010	76,170	+8.81%
2015	87,442	+2.66%
2020	81,221	−1.44%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

The lake's shores and the surrounding rainforest are home to the Indigenous Tbolis, Tirurays, Ubos, and Manobos. One of the major tribes, the Tbolis are known for their weaving skills and brassware production as well as fishing skills. The rest of the population are made of Maguindanaons, Ilonggos, Cebuanos, Bicolanos, and Ilocanos.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Lake Sebu

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 2006 55.10 2009 52.83 2012 63.47 2015 64.00 2018 49.30 2021 42.12 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

The economy is based on aquaculture of Tilapia grown in large fish cages floating in the lake. More than one half of the land around the lake is cultivated for agriculture. The Philippine government is also trying to promote ecotourism in the area. The finishing of a concrete road cut the travel time from 4 hours to less than 30 minutes greatly improving trade and commerce.

Wildlife

Wild boars and Philippine Deer which are considered endangered live around the lake. The lake and the surrounding rainforest are natural habitat to egrets, kingfishers, swallows, herons, Philippine cockatoos and kites.

Environmental conservation

The Philippine government proclaimed a 924.5 square kilometres (357.0 sq mi) area as a protected landscape. On the south-eastern watershed of the lake, a bamboo plantation was established.