HISTORY

It is believed that the Silmugi River played a big part during Borbon’s formulation as a town because when the rainwater was cascading from the mountainbarangay's and flowed into the Silmugi River, it got so big and wide that a boat can travel by it. 

 No wonder that in the list of Borbon folktales, the Silmugi River is a favorite subject circulating among locals.  As the story goes, one day a boat load of exploratory Spaniards reached the shores of Borbon right where the Salmugi River meets the sea. As they disembarked from their boat, they inquired from the natives the name of the place. Not understanding the language being spoken, the Spaniards resorted to some hand gestures and pointed to the ground that they stepped on. So the locals answered with a smile that it is “BONBON”, a term given to the soft clay part of the soil along the shore. Hence, the Spaniards took the name “BORBON”.

Another story circulating on how Borbon got its name is that when the Spaniards landed in the place, it didn’t have a name. So they asked a local couple what the name of the place was but unfortunately the couple did not understand what the Spaniards asked, so they answered by giving their nicknames, “Bor” and “Bon”. So, that’s how the place came to be named Borbon.

According to the Panublion publication, Borbon was established as a parish on 15 September 1862 and had San Sebastian, martyr, as patron saint.  Today, St. Sebastian’s fiesta is celebrated every January 20th. Borbon was formerly a visita or an extension community of the town of Sogod.  That is why many of the very first settlers of Borbon are families with roots that can be traced back to relatives in Sogod. 

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 In addition, Redondo (1886, 163) describes the Borbon church made of wood and tabique resting on a base of mortar, dimensions 22.5 fathoms long, 7.5 wide.  The church was thatched with grass.  The original church mentioned here is believed to be one of the oldest churches in Cebu prior to its burning during World War II.