Basic Facts About Malaybalay City
Malaybalay City (location map) is the capital of Bukidnon Province in Northern Mindanao. It is located in the central part of the province, bounded by the Pantaron Range to the east and Mount Kitanglad Range to the west. It is accessible by plane through Laguindingan Airport, which is about 120 kilometres away.
Malaybalay has an average elevation of 622 meters above sea level, and is characterized by gently sloping to mountainous landscape.
Climate
Weather patterns in the Philippines are dictated by the prevailing winds – the southwest monsoon, which runs from May to October, and the northeast monsoon, which prevails from November to early May.
Malaybalay City has a cooler climate (20°- 30°C) than Metro Manila and Cagayan de Oro City (29°-36°C) during this time of year. Conference venues are also often air-conditioned and participants may want to bring appropriate clothing. For those going up to Bendum for the pre-conference field visits, the temperature at night may drop to a cool 180C in the evening to early morning.
Language
The regional language in Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon Province is Bisaya. Most of the people can speak Filipino and English. There are translators to facilitate discussions during the field engagements.
Power Interruption
Mindanao Island continues to experience two- to three-hour rotating blackouts due to poor planning and management of its growing power needs. As this is the dry season and Mindanao is around 56% dependent on hydroelectric power, the lack of rain significantly affects the generating capacity of its hydroelectric facilities along the Pulangi River in Bukidnon and in Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur. Because of this unscheduled power outages are common during the day, though a 24-hour standby generator is available at the conference venue.