Calabanga is a first class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is composed of 48 barangays, 14 of which are within the urban area and the remaining 34 barangays are within the rural areas. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 78,119 people, and a land area of 16,380 hectares (40,500 acres), which constitutes 3.1% of the province’s land area.
It is bounded on the west by the Bicol River and beyond the municipality of Cabusao; on the south by the municipality of Bombonand Naga City; on the east by the forest lands of Mount Isarog, the Tigman River and each tributary forming the natural boundary and beyond the municipality of Tinambac; on the north by the fishing grounds of San Miguel Bay, and beyond, the municipalities of Sipocot, Basud and Mercedes.
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| Map of Camarines Sur showing the location of Calabanga |
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| Official Seal of Calabanga |
Topography and slope
The topographic landscape of the municipality could be characterized as generally flat with a slope 0-3%, gently sloping (3-8%) towards the direction of the eastern portion and finally rolling up to higher steeps towards the direction of the southeastern part going to Mt. Isarog. The 0-3% slope is a broad area of flat to nearly level land which extends from Barangay Balongay along the Bicol River to Poblacion area and surrounding areas down to Barangay Manguiring. This is the dominant slope of the municipality.
Soil and water resources
There are six (6) soil types that could be found in the Municipality. These are the (1) Hydrosol which is dominant along the Bicol River covering parts of Barangays Balongay, San Bernardino and Punta Tarawal; (2) Balong Clay; (3) Pili Clay Loam; (4) Tigaon Clay which covers the poblacion; (5) Annan Clay Loam which could be found toward the direction of Tinambac and (6) Mountain Soil in the Mt. Isarog area.
The municipality of Calabanga is endowed with abundant natural resources. The major river systems, the Tigman, Hinaguianan and Inarihan rivers are presently utilized for irrigation purposes. They originate their main tributaries from Mt. Isarog and flow down in the northwestern direction ultimately discharging the flow to San Miguel Bay.
Calabanga is blessed with many natural spring water resources found in the eastern portion of the municipality along the northwestern flanks of Mt. Isarog. Most of these are found to be potential sources for potable water supply of the municipality, aside from the Hamislag and Tawang rivers.
Calabanga is bounded by water bodies, the San Miguel Bay on the northern part and the Bikol River on the western part which are sources of abundant supplies of fish of various species and other marine products.
Land use
With its generally flat terrain, the dominant land use is agricultural. The built-up areas and major rivers have the smallest portion of the total area. Built-up areas are clustered within the urban barangays. The urban areas expand in an almost linear development or ribbon like development pattern.
Proposed land use as embodied in the Comprehensive Land use Plan has delineated the Residential, Commercial, institutional area within the Urban Land Use while the agricultural, agro-industrial, special use could be found in the General land use.
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Barangays
Calabanga is politically subdivided into 48 barangays, fourteen (14) of which are within the urban area while the remaining 34 barangays belong to the rural areas. It has 11 coastal barangays.
- Balatasan
- Balombon
- Balongay
- Belen
- Bigaas
- Binanuaanan Grande
- Binanuaanan Pequeño
- Binaliw
- Bonot-Santa Rosa
- Burabod
- Cabanbanan
- Cagsao
- Camuning
- Comaguingking
- Del Carmen
- Dominorog
- Fabrica
- Harubay
- La Purisima (Quipayo)
- Lugsad
- Manguiring
- Pagatpat
- Paolbo
- Pinada
- Punta Tarawal
- Quinale
- Sabang
- Salvacion-Baybay
- San Antonio Poblacion
- San Antonio (Quipayo)
- San Bernardino
- San Francisco
- San Isidro
- San Lucas
- San Miguel
- San Pablo
- San Roque
- San Vicente (
- Santa Cruz Pob.
- Santa Cruz (Quipayo)
- Santa Isabel
- Santa Salud
- Santo Domingo
- Santo Niño (Quipayo)
- Siba-o
- Sibobo
- Sogod
- Tomagodtod
History
In 1578 when the head Mission of Quipayo was established, Calabanga was only a visita or barrio. At that time, the place had vast forests and swamps and an abundance of wildlife such as monkeys, wild chickens, and forest lizard. Others say, it derived its name from the Bicol word “Calabangan”, the plural term of “labang” or “litag”, meaning a kind of snare for catching wild animals. Another legend says that Calabanga originated from the word “Calagbangan” meaning the wide, long, and straight street spanning from the church through the poblacion, east to west, called locally as “calabaan” or “calacbangan”.
Calabanga became known with 400 tributes. On July 15, 1749, it was separated from Quipayo by virtue of the approval of Don Fray Joan de Arechera, Bishop Elect of Nueva Segovia of the Commissary of the King, in the petition signed & filed by 37 Calabangueños on April 28, 1749 for town to be conveniently administered.
There were 2 visitas, visita de Cagapad and visita de hinarijan and 12 barrios. The barrios were san Antonio, San Vicente, Sta. Catalina, Nuestra Señora de Salud, San Lucas, San Miguel, Sta. Isabel, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Roque, San Pablo, San Jose (now Balongay) and Belen.
Calabanga is one of the municipalities of the province of Camarines Sur and a member of the Metro Naga Development Council. With its fishing grounds and the vast agricultural area, it is a major supplier of fish and other marine products and prime agricultural products in the province as well as in Metro Manila.
Economy
Calabanga is blessed with rich natural resources. It has big uplands and vast fishing grounds. Agricultural areas are the most extensive areas covering more than half of the total land area in this municipality. It is the dominant land use. Land devoted to crop production is approximately 7,609.79 has. Which include rice, corn and coconut as the major crops and other crops such as abaca, coffee, vegetables, rootcrops and fruit trees.
Side by side with agriculture, fishing and livestock raising constitutes major economic activities. The fish grounds of San Miguel Bay as well as the Bikol River are the rich sources of plentiful fish, shellfish, oysters, capiz shells, prawns, shrimps and other marine species providing various livelihood industries such as fish processing, fish paste and bagoong making and other marine by-product. These marine by-products as well as shrimps, prawn, mudcrabs are supplied to the city of Naga, other neighboring provinces as well as in Manila. Other water sources include Inarihan, Tigman and Hinaguinan river aside from the fishponds for the brackish and freshwater species.
Livestock raising is a thriving industry in the municipality, an inventory of livestock and poultry farms shows that there are 5 commercial piggery and 3 commercial poultry farms operating in the municipality aside from the backyard animal raising which is very common in rural areas.
Next to agriculture and fishing, commerce, trade and industry are important and significant aspects in the economy of the municipality. Commercial and industrial activities are more concentrated in the urban areas that include among others wholesale and retail trade, minor service centers, transport business, community and personal services, drugstores, agri-supplies, gasoline stations while industrial activities include rice milling, fish processing, bamboo craft, furniture making, garments, metal crafts, ice plant, welding and auto repair shops as well as other small enterprises. Nipa shingle production is also one industry predominant at western barangays where nipa swamps could be found. The products are sold not only within the municipality but to nearby towns and Naga City.
The presence of a new Calabanga Public Market which started operation last 1998 finally resolved the demands for a bigger marketing center, while Cooperatives throughout the municipality are gradually developing its enterprises.
The municipality is home to two malls, the LCC Center Calabanga which is located in the poblacion of the town, and the small Quipayo Community Center.
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| Calabanga's Market |
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| Calabanga's Market |
Education
The literacy rate in the municipality is high at 98.5%. The NSO survey in year 2000 for household population, 5 years old and over in terms of educational attainment, reflects the following; of the total population, 29,555 are in the elementary grade; 15,037 are in high school; only 2,623 or 0.045% of the population has no grade completed. 4, 446 are college under graduates with 1,057 degree holders and 201 with post baccalaureate degrees.
There are 38 public elementary schools in the entire municipality; eight high schools; one vocational and some five private schools that offer pre-school, grade school and high school. College education is being offered by two government- owned institutions, the Calabanga Community College and the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (formerly : CSSAC - Calabanga Campus and privately owned computer Schools, one of which offer a multi- grade schooling from elementary to college levels (Malayan Computer College).(edited last Dec.3,2009 by Gilbert Caganda).
| Name of School | Address |
|---|---|
| Calabanga Central Division Pilot School | San Francisco Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Calabanga West Central School | San Francisco Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Balatasan Elementary School | Balatasan Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Balombon Elementary School | Balombon Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Balongay Elementary School | Balongay Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Binaliw Elementary School | Binaliw Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Binanuaanan Grande Elementary School | Binanuaanan Grande Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Binanuanan Pequeño Elementary School | Binanuaanan Pequeño Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Burabod Elementary School | Burabod Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Cagsao Elementary School | Cagsao Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Camuning Elementary School | Camuning Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Comaguingking Elementary School | Comaguingking Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Dominorog Elementary School | Dominorog Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| G. Dumalasa Elementary School | Bonot Sta. Rosa Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Fabrica Elementary School | Fabrica Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Harubay Elementary School | Harubay Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Hinaguianan Elementary School | Manguiring Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Ilihan Elementary School | Tomagodtod Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Lope Guisic Elementary School | Sto. Domingo Calabanga, Camarines Sur |
| Lugsad Elementary School | Lugsad Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Manguiring Elementary School | Manguiring Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Pagatpat Elementary School | Pagatpat Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Paolbo-Belen Elementary School | Paolbo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Pinada Elementary School | Pinada Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Punta Tarala Elementary School | Punta Tarawal Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Quinale Elem. School | Quinale Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Quipayo Elementary School | La Purisima Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Ratay Elementary School | Sta. Cruz Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Sabang Elementary School | Sabang Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Salvacion Baybay Elementary School | Salvacion Baybay Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Siba-O Elem. School | Siba-O Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Sibobo Elementary School | Sibobo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Sta. Cruz Quipayo Elementary School | Sta. Cruz Quipayo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Taculod Elementary School | San Roque Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Tomagodtod Elementary School | Tomagodtod Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Union Elementary School | San Lucas Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| San Bernardino Elementary School | San Bernardino Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Taculod Elementary School | San Roque Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Calabanga National High School | Sta. Cruz Poblacion Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Union National High School | Sto. Domingo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Jose De Villa National High School | Maguiring Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Medroso - Mendoza High School | Binanuaanan Pequeno, Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Quipayo High School | San Antonio Quipayo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Sabang High School | Sabang Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| West Coast High School | Dominorog Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Central Bicol State University of Agriculture Laboratory High School Calabanga Campus | Sta. Cruz Poblacion Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Nuestra Seniora De La Salud Family Rural School | Sta Salud Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Dominican School of Calabanga | San Francisco Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Inarihan SDA Multi-Grade School | Paolbo Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Hansel and Gretel Learning School | San Isidro Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Central Bicol State University of Agriculture | Sta. Cruz Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| WorldTech Research Institute | San Antonio Calabanga Camarines Sur |
| Calabanga Community College | Sta. Cruz Poblacion Calabanga Camarines Sur |
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| Dominican School of Calabanga |
Local Government
Elected officials June 2013 – 2016:
Mayor: Eduardo Severo
Vice-Mayor: Ramoncito Roco Robles
Councillors:
Danilo N. Campil
Manuel N. Mendoza
Jude Anthony C. Hilado
Sonia H. Medroso
Danilo Bico
Levi Sta. Ana Jr
Erma Barrios
Job R. Casida
Tourism
Calabanga
is well known because of the Hinulid Shrine, which became the destination of
all the pilgrims every April of the year in celebrating the Holy Week. It is
also known as the "Alay lakad" where thousands of pilgrims walk from
different places, neighboring Towns and Cities to Hinulid Shrine. The faith and
beliefs by the pilgrims to "Amang Hinulid" as a miraculous savior is
one of the reasons why thousands of pilgrims visits the shrine.
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| Amang Hinulid |
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| Our Lady of La Porteria Parish |
Calabanga
is also a place to visit not just because of its religious sites and events,
also Calabanga can offer tourists a place to relax and have fun. In 2010,
The Village or known as the LRV-Agri Science Farm and Resort located at San
Bernardino Calabanga Camarines Sur was opened to the public to serve a more
relaxing environment and an Eco-Friendly environment for pleasure where you can
swim, harvest vegetables, fishing, boat rides, spa/massage, camping and
many more activities to be made in just one place. Unlike CWC, The
Village offers a different kind of activity that will suit and satisfy the
needs and wants of the locals and foreign tourists.
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| Birds-eye-view of LRV-Agri Science Farm and Resort |
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| LRV-Agri Science Farm and Resort |
References
- ^ "Municipalities". Quezon City, Philippines: Department of the Interior and Local Government. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ a b c "Province: CAMARINES SUR". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010". 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
- http://goturismoateneo.blogspot.com/2012/10/come.html
