Molave, Philippines
Molave is a town of 21,088 people in Zamboanga Peninsula, Philippines, founded in June 16, 1948.
Why visit Molave
Townapedia lists 7 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Weather in Molave
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Molave
Molave, officially known as the Municipality of Molave (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Molave; Subanen: Benwa Molave; Chavacano: Municipalidad de Molave; Maranao: Inged a Molave; Tagalog: Bayan ng Molave), is a municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. In the 2024 census, it had 52,540 people. It is in the eastern part of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, and has an area of 21,685 hectares (83.73 square miles).
From the Wikipedia article Molave, Zamboanga del Sur (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Restaurants and cafes7
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship6
Calvary Baptist Church Mabuhay
Church · Baptist · 3.1 km
Mabuhay-Parasan Road, Molave
First Landmark Missionary Baptist Church Mission
Place of worship · 1.3 km
Shopping3
History
The name "Molave" refers to the tree (and its hardwood) that was common in the area. Its economy is focused on agricultural production, and 1,378.5 hectares (3,406 acres) of fertile land is irrigated and planted with rice. Corn, coconut, cassava, banana, camote and various vegetables are also grown. These are marketed to neighboring towns and cities, and reach Cebu. Due to its strategic location, Molave is becoming the commercial hub of the Salug Valley. It is the most populous municipality in Zamboanga del Sur, and the third most populous in Region IX.
Molave originated during the 1930s as a small settlement in a marshy jungle, originally known as Salug. The Subanons were early settlers of the area; the fertile land of the Salug Valley later attracted settlers from throughout the Philippines, making the area ethnically diverse. On June 16, 1948, the settlement was separated from the municipality of Aurora as a separate municipality and designated the new capital of the province of Zamboanga. Molave was the provincial capital until Zamboanga was divided into the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur; it became part of Zamboanga del Sur, with the town of Pagadian as its capital.
From the History section of Molave, Zamboanga del Sur on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries149
Molave Regional Pilot School – South Regular
School · 1.2 km
Legarda Street, Molave
Molave Regional Pilot School – Training Center
School · 1.1 km
Malvar Street, Molave
Monte Alegre Elementary School
School · 11.3 km
Aurora – Monte Alegre – Labangan Road, Aurora
Monte Alegre National High School
School · 11.3 km
Aurora – Monte Alegre – Labangan Road, Aurora
Ramon Magsaysay Central Elementary School
School · 8.4 km
Ramon Magsaysay – Paradise Road, Ramon Magsaysay
Healthcare1
Map of Molave
172 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Pagadian Airport (PAG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 km away.
- Tambulig 5 km east, about 5 min by car
- Mahayag 6 km northwest, about 6 min by car
- Tiparak 7 km southeast, about 7 min by car
- Pagadian 29 km south, about 29 min by car
- Tangub 28 km east, about 28 min by car
- Tubod 33 km east, about 33 min by car
- Ozamiz City 39 km east, about 39 min by car
- Oroquieta 56 km northeast, about 56 min by car
- Iligan 84 km east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Marawi City 88 km east, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Molave Poblacion, Marwan Khan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.