Malaybalay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. It is the capital city of Bukidnon.According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 123,672 people in 23,522 households.
When Spanish Explorers came to the central portion of the province in the late 18th century, they inquired as to the name of the town. The people replied in sputtering Visayan "walay balay" - which means "no house" in Visaya. The Spaniards mispronounced the name and repeated it as Malaybalay.
On March 26, 1996, the Sangguniang Bayan of the municipality of Malaybalay passed Resolution No. 3699-96 petitioning to the House of Representatives for the conversion of Malaybalay into a city. Reginaldo Tilanduca, 2nd District Representative of Bukidnon at that time, files House Bill No. 6275, proposing the creation of Malaybalay into a component city. On February 11, 1998, President Fidel Ramos signed the act (R.A. 8490) that converted Malaybalay to a city, making it the first component city of Bukidnon.
Malaybalay City, the capital city of Bukidnon is located in the central part of the province. It is bounded in the east by the municipality of Cabanglasan and the Pantaron Range, which separates Bukidnon from the provinces of Agusan del Sur and Davao del Norte; on the west by the municipality of Lantapan and Mount Kitanglad; on the north by the municipality of Impasug-ong; and on the south by Valencia City and the municipality of San Fernando.
The whole eastern and southeastern border adjoining Agusan del Sur and Davao del Norte is elevated and densely forested mountains, which is one of the few remaining forest blocks of Mindanao.
The city is landlocked, and the nearest sea and air ports are in Cagayan de Oro City, which is 91 kilometers away.