Bato, Camarines Sur

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Bato
Municipality
Municipality of Bato
Municipal Hall
Seal
Map of Camarines Sur with Bato highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Bato Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°21′22″N 123°21′50″E / 13.3561°N 123.3639°E / 13.3561; 123.3639Coordinates: 13°21′22″N 123°21′50″E / 13.3561°N 123.3639°E / 13.3561; 123.3639
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Camarines Sur
District	5th district
Barangays	33 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Frank B. Bernaldez
• Vice Mayor	Domingo L. Zorilla Jr.
• Representative	Jocelyn F. Fortuno
• Municipal Council	Members Diosdado T. Zorilla Dominici G. Batacan Maria Elizabeth F. Doctolero Ignacio L. Hugo Jose V. Samar Ruben R. Aguila Sr. Matilde D. Sandrino Noel C. Tino
• Electorate	31,657 voters (2019)
Area [2]
• Total	107.12 km2 (41.36 sq mi)
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Highest elevation	59 m (194 ft)
Lowest elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population  (2020 census) [3]
• Total	52,155
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Households	9,720
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	41.22% (2015)[4]
• Revenue	₱162,359,010.07 (2020)
• Assets	₱420,787,886.13 (2020)
• Expenditure	₱154,298,237.00 (2020)
• Liabilities	₱262,562,070.54 (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Camarines Sur 3 Electric Cooperative (CASURECO 3)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4435
PSGC	051703000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)54
Native languages	Rinconada Bikol Central Bikol Tagalog

Bato, officially the Municipality of Bato (Rinconada Bikol: Banwāan ka Bato; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bato), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 52,155 people. ^[3]

The municipality of Bato, like Buhi town, is home to a lake teeming with various kinds of fishes. Sinarapan, the world's smallest commercially harvested fish, occupies the waters of Lake Bato. Also present, the lake abounds with tilapia housed in fish cages.

History[]

This town was formerly called as "Kaliligno" or "Caligno" named by the natives that settled along the river area. See also, the Bato's native Pre-Spanish Era Early Settlers.

This small village later was elevated into a status of a town under the decree of Spanish Superior Government on February 15, 1753. Years back, a parish was already existing which was also made under the same decree. This parish adopted "The Most Holy Trinity" as its patron; its feastday is celebrated every Sunday after the Pentecost.Known for best noodles called Pansit Bato.

Geography[]

Barangays[]

Bato is politically subdivided into 33 barangays.

Climate[]

Demographics[]

Population census of Bato

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	5,111	—
1918	6,044	+1.12%
1939	11,537	+3.13%
1948	14,816	+2.82%
1960	21,078	+2.98%
1970	25,985	+2.11%
1975	28,492	+1.86%
1980	29,774	+0.88%
1990	35,294	+1.72%
1995	38,771	+1.78%
2000	42,739	+2.11%
2007	44,437	+0.54%
2010	48,306	+3.08%
2015	52,137	+1.46%
2020	52,155	+0.01%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [6] [7] [8][9]

In the 2020 census, the population of Bato, Camarines Sur, was 52,155 people, ^[3] with a density of 490 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,300 inhabitants per square mile.

Only about 58.27% of the household population is considered as literate.

Mother tongue of the majority is Riŋkonāda also known as Bikol Rinconada, one of the languages of Bicol region. The population speaks a different form of Rinconada Bikol called Bato variant, a lowland dialect (sinaranəw). Natives are also conversant with Coastal Bikol, Filipino/Tagalog and English languages.

Religious affiliation

• Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, followed by the Iglesia ni Cristo as the largest minority.
• Other religious denominations include Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; United Churches of Christ in the Philippines Seventh Day Adventist; Bible Baptist; Born Again; Jehovah's Witnesses; Protestants; Aglipay and Islam.

Economy[]

Poverty Incidence of Bato
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Majority of employment is within agriculture, fishery, poultry and construction industry groups.^[17]

Commerce and industry

• 96 commercial establishments engaged in retail trade
• 46 commercial establishments engaged in services
• 1 commercial establishment engaged in real estate - MTBK Co.
• 1 engaged in banking and finance
• 31 industrial establishments
• 2 Hotels - Casa de Piedra and MTBK Hotel

Natural resources include clams, pearls, local shrimps, tabios, and tilapia, particularly within Lake Bato; forest products such as anahaw leaves and local bamboo; non-metallic mineral resources such as white clay among others.

Agriculture Sector

• 78.087 square kilometers of Agricultural Lands devoted to crop production
• Rice, corn, coconut, root crops, vegetables, and fruit-bearing trees.
• Numerous farm and poultry products found

Tourist attractions[]

• white sand beaches, white caves, natural falls and springs
• Bato Parish Church considered as Historical landmark
• seven last words at Mount Calvary foot and lacustral procession during town fiesta celebration and the Annual Foundation Day Celebration
• MTBK Hotel - Poblacion Rd, Santiago, Bato, Camarines Sur

Infrastructure[]

Health[]

• Municipal Health Center and Barangay Health Stations total bed capacity: Eight (8) beds
• Health personnel numbers only about seventeen (17)

Security[]

Facilities for police protection include Police Station Headquarters near the Municipal Hall in the Poblacion, Police Substation in Barangay Tres Reyes, Police Outpost in Barangay San Miguel. The bureau of Fire Protection of Bato has about eleven (11) firemen personnel.

Transportation[]

• 19.550 kilometers of National Roads
• 45,650 kilometers of Provincial Road
• 7.206 kilometers of municipal roads
• 38.683 kilometers of Barangays Roads
• six (6) bridges
• 235 privately owned vehicles
• public utility vehicles and government vehicles

Utilities[]

Water supply is provided on 3 levels:

• Level I: wells, springs, or water peddlers common in rural barangays and households
• Level II: communal faucet system
• Level III: Bato Water District provides Level III Water Supply Service generally within the poblacion only

Power and electricity:

• Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative (CASURECO) which provides retails electrical supply to the municipality and maintains a substation
• Domestic Consumptions
• 95.18% with total average consumption rate of 35,595.40 KWH/month Industrial and Commercial Consumption have only about 0.48% connections
• Public buildings, streetlights and other account for the remaining 1.72% number of consumption

Communication facilities include telephone/cellular services, postal services, telegraph services, cable television services, and print and broadcast media services.

Education[]

• 3 private college Holy Trinity College of Cam. Sur/Mataas na Paaralan ng Pagatpatan/Saint John the Baptist
• 15 public elementary schools
• 4 public secondary schools
• 4 private schools
• 1 public library - MTBK Divina Pastora Library

Notable people[]

• Maria Venus Raj - Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2010 and placed 4th Runner-Up in Miss Universe 2010 pageant.

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bato, Camarines Sur.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Official Site of the Province of Camarines Sur