Sulop

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Sulop is a municipality in the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. It sits about 17 kilometers from Digos, roughly between Davao City and General Santos. The town covers 155.26 square kilometers and has a population of about 40,134 people as of 2024.

History and name
The name Sulop comes from a mix of local words: “surop” (rushing waters) and “sul-op” (wild) from the Tagacaulo language, plus the name of a B’laan chieftain, Datu Sulo. Sulop started as a swampy area surrounded by forests. In 1958, Sulop became its own municipality, separated from Limonso (now Padada), by Executive Order 259 issued by President Carlos P. Garcia on April 24, 1958.

Geography and people
Sulop is made up of 25 barangays. The land ranges from sea level to high hills, with elevations from 0 to 617 meters. The area has long been a place for farming and markets, and it developed as people from different parts of the Visayas and Mindanao settled there over the years. The local languages include Davawenyo, Cebuano, Kalagan, Tagalog, Ata Manobo, and other languages spoken by residents.

Government and economy
Sulop is a 3rd class municipality governed by a Sangguniang Bayan (town council). The mayor is Jose Jimmy S. Sagarino, the vice mayor is Willie S. Villegas, and the representative is John Tracy F. Cagas. The town’s voters numbered about 27,312 in 2025.

The town’s economy is centered on agriculture and local services. In 2021, about 16% of residents lived in poverty. In 2022, the municipality collected around 293 million pesos in revenue and had assets of about 406 million pesos, with expenditures around 183 million pesos. Electricity is provided by Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative (DASURECO).

Education and development
A notable education project in Sulop is the extension campus of Davao del Sur State College (DSSC Sulop). This campus began in 2010 after a push by local leaders. It started with a Diploma in Agriculture Technology and operated in borrowed classrooms while the LGU built dedicated facilities. The college site received a donated area of about 20,070 square meters, donated by the municipality. The extension campus helps support Sulop’s agricultural-based economy and provides local students with higher education opportunities.