Молаве: Муниципалитет в провинции Замбоанга-дель-Сур, Филиппины

Municipality in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines
the tree

Molave, officially known as the Municipality of Molave (; Subanen: Benwa Molave; Chavacano: Municipalidad de Molave; Maranao: Inged a Molave; ), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. In the 2020 census, it had 53,140 people. It is in the eastern part of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, and has an area of The name "Molave" refers to the tree (and its hardwood) that was common in the area. Its economy is focused on agricultural production, and 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.

The Subanon people were early inhabitants of the area. Molave originated during the early 1930s as a small settlement in a marshy jungle which was known originally as Salug. The fertile soil of the Salug Valley attracted settlers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, making the area's population a diverse mix of Cebuano, Boholano, Ilongo, Tagalog, Ilocano, Leyteño, Misamisnon, Surigaonon, and Muslim and other ethnic groups. A number of Chinese and Filipino businessmen settled in the region before World War II. The population influx enabled the settlement's rapid development. Molave became a municipality with Republic Act No. 286, authored by Representative Juan S. Alano, on June 16, 1948. Ireneo Glepa, the former mayor, was Molave's youngest and longest serving vice mayor. Unopposed for two terms as vice mayor, Glepa was elected mayor in May 2010.

Molave is in the northeastern part of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, at the foot of a hill, and is bounded by the Salug River and mountains which protect it from typhoons. It is bordered by the municipalities of Tambulig in the east, Mahayag in the west, Josefina and Province of Zamboanga del Norte in the north, and Ramon Magsaysay in the south. Molave is about from Pagadian, the provincial capital, and from Ozamiz. It is above sea level.

Molave is divided into two topographical areas. The east and southwest lowlands, which cover 30 percent of its total land area, consist of nine barangays and are generally flat, swampy and marshy. The upland, which covers 70 percent of Molave's total area, is hilly and mostly deforested. The terrain is moderately sloping to rolling, with the overall grade varying from 10 percent in the lowlands to 27 percent in the mountains. The municipality has two types of soil. The lowlands and part of the upper barangays are composed of San Miguel silt loam, and is well suited for cultivation. Adtoyon clay loam is found in the upland areas, and can be used for grazing and a variety of crops such as corn, cassava, and camote.

Molave is the fourth type on the PAGASA climatology map, with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. Its average temperature is .