The townsite was first located at Barangay Daan Lungsod (old town) which is just across the Adela River, north of the present poblacion.

This is, however, shortlived because he was succeeded a year later by Don Diego Tabotabo, a wealthy hacendero from Liloan, Cebu, who then finally moved the town capital to its current location.

He worked as a public school teacher but later joined the Katipunan, whose activities in Cebu were led by León Kilat.

April 7 of 1898, during the ongoing revolution, Maxilom went home to Tuburan to defend the town against an incoming attack from Spanish armed forces and loyalist Filipinos.

With the help of then-gobernadorcillo Fausto Tabotabo, he rallied the townspeople to battle on April 15, with casualties of 45 Cebuanos, among them are relatives of Maxilom.

Starting with only one barrio during the early beginning of its founding which was Barangay Putat, Tuburan is still the largest municipality in Cebu.

The municipality's land area was reduced significantly in size when its former barangay, Tabuelan, which also happened to be its biggest barangay at the time, was separated from Tuburan to form its own municipality in 1953 on the reason that Tabuelan is far from the town center (about 12 kilometers away), leading the then-barangay to not be properly maintained and administer the needs of its people there.

The local government of Tuburan initially opposed of the idea, but when it was supported by the higher authorities, they have no choice but to let go of Tabuelan and avoid economic and sociopolitical problems.

Poverty Incidence of Tuburan Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] There is a 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) coffee farm which has the capacity to produce 4.3 million kilograms (9.5 million pounds), which if when roasted can be sold at the (2017) prevailing price of ₱600 per kilogram (₱270/lb), and the farm could earn ₱2 billion annually.

The only college of the town, Cebu Technological University, is administered by the office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

However, qualified voters in Mandaue are allowed to vote in elections for Cebu provincial officials by virtue of Republic Act No.