Carmen, Bohol

Carmen
Municipality
Municipality of Carmen
Chocolate Hills tourism deck
Flag
Nickname:  Home of the Great Chocolate Hills
Map of Bohol with Carmen highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Carmen Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 9°49′N124°12′E / 9.82°N 124.2°E / 9.82; 124.2
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Visayas
Province	Bohol
District	3rd district
Founded	1 March 1869
Barangays	29 (see Barangays)
Government [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Conchita Toribio Delos Reyes
•  Vice Mayor	Richard Francisco A. Toribio
•  Representative	Kristine Alexie B. Tutor
•  Municipal Council	Members Romeo C. Bigay, Jr. Pedro E. Budiongan, Jr. Paulito B. Budiongan Manuel Elizalde T. Clavite Victoriano M. Adlaon Jocelyn B. Sombrio Christian Paul T. Ordoñez Christine Camille U. Ramos
•  Electorate	35,223 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	239.45 km2 (92.45 sq mi)
Elevation	258 m (846 ft)
Highest elevation	440 m (1,440 ft)
Lowest elevation	147 m (482 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [3]
• Total	50,249
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
•  Households	11,244
Economy
•  Income class	2nd municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	31.94 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 317.1 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 814.4 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 232.9 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 187.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Bohol 1 Electric Cooperative (BOHECO 1)
• Mobile carriers	Smart(4G) TNT(4G) Globe(4G) TM(4G) GOMO(4G) Dito(4G)
• Fiber Internet	PLDT, Globe
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6319
PSGC	071212000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)38
Native languages	Boholano dialect Cebuano Tagalog
Patron saint	Anthony de Abbot

Carmen, officially the Municipality of Carmen (Cebuano : Munisipalidad sa Carmen; Tagalog : Bayan ng Carmen), is a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,191 people. ^[5]

Carmen celebrates its fiesta on January 17, to honor the town patron Saint Anthony de Abbot. ^[6]

History

Carmen was originally part of the municipality of Bilar and called Imbaya, after the name of a stream in the settlement. ^[7] During the Spanish time, it was inhabited by not more than fifty families. In 1868, the people of Carmen petitioned for its independence since its population grew to an unprecedented number. The town of Carmen was founded on 1 March 1869 by final order of Governor General Jose de la Gandara and renamed at the same time in honor of the Lady of Carmel of Spain. In 1874, Carmen had its separate parish with Father Pedro Nolasco San Juan as the first parish priest.

Due to the influence of Spanish culture and tradition, all barangays of Carmen have a patron saint as well as a Spanish name, who are celebrated in an annual barangay fiesta.

In World War II, Carmen served as the stronghold of the guerrilla resistance movement and the local civil government because of its strategic location.

In 2013 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook Central Visayas region, with its epicenter within Carmen municipality.

Geography

Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol

Carmen is located in the heart of Bohol Island. The Chocolate Hills, composed of 1,776 cone-shaped karst hills, are a major geographic landmark in Carmen. The origin of its name comes from the fact that the hills turn brown in the hot summer days.

Carmen is 59 kilometres (37 mi) from Tagbilaran.

Barangays

Carmen is politically subdivided into 29 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2024 [8]		2010 [9]
071212001	Alegria	2.5%	1,253	1,199	▴	0.31%
071212002	Bicao	5.1%	2,546	2,295	▴	0.73%
071212003	Buenavista	5.2%	2,605	2,546	▴	0.16%
071212004	Buenos Aires	2.8%	1,407	1,337	▴	0.36%
071212005	Calatrava	3.9%	1,974	1,801	▴	0.65%
071212006	El Progreso	1.8%	890	820	▴	0.58%
071212007	El Salvador	1.1%	566	543	▴	0.29%
071212008	Guadalupe	4.1%	2,080	1,991	▴	0.31%
071212009	Katipunan	6.0%	3,027	2,712	▴	0.78%
071212010	La Libertad	1.6%	804	840	▾	−0.31%
071212011	La Paz	2.9%	1,480	1,430	▴	0.24%
071212012	La Salvacion	2.1%	1,053	1,061	▾	−0.05%
071212013	La Victoria	2.4%	1,202	1,100	▴	0.63%
071212014	Matin‑ao	1.8%	882	800	▴	0.69%
071212015	Montehermoso	1.7%	874	952	▾	−0.60%
071212016	Montesuerte	5.3%	2,670	2,467	▴	0.56%
071212017	Montesunting	1.8%	915	870	▴	0.36%
071212018	Montevideo	2.6%	1,295	1,274	▴	0.12%
071212019	Nueva Fuerza	4.8%	2,433	2,281	▴	0.45%
071212020	Nueva Vida Este	1.8%	884	918	▾	−0.27%
071212022	Nueva Vida Norte	1.9%	967	981	▾	−0.10%
071212021	Nueva Vida Sur	1.8%	909	915	▾	−0.05%
071212023	Poblacion Norte	6.4%	3,224	2,937	▴	0.66%
071212024	Poblacion Sur	6.5%	3,279	2,961	▴	0.72%
071212025	Tambo‑an	2.6%	1,301	1,175	▴	0.72%
071212026	Vallehermoso	0.5%	262	241	▴	0.59%
071212027	Villaflor	1.8%	904	863	▴	0.33%
071212028	Villafuerte	2.4%	1,231	1,012	▴	1.39%
071212029	Villacayo	3.8%	1,890	1,789	▴	0.39%
	Total		50,249	43,579	▴	1.01%

Climate

Climate data for Carmen, Bohol
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	27 (81)	27 (81)	28 (82)	30 (86)	29 (84)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	28 (82)	27 (81)	27 (81)	27 (81)	28 (82)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	21 (70)	21 (70)	21 (70)	22 (72)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	22 (72)	21 (70)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	102 (4.0)	85 (3.3)	91 (3.6)	75 (3.0)	110 (4.3)	141 (5.6)	121 (4.8)	107 (4.2)	111 (4.4)	144 (5.7)	169 (6.7)	139 (5.5)	1,395 (55.1)
Average rainy days	18.6	14.8	16.5	16.7	23.9	26.4	25.6	24.1	24.4	26.3	23.7	20.5	261.5
Source: Meteoblue (Use with caution: this is modeled/calculated data, not measured locally.) [10]

Demographics

Downtown area

Population census of Carmen

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	3,106	—
1918	5,214	+3.51%
1939	14,026	+4.83%
1948	19,006	+3.43%
1960	18,669	−0.15%
1970	19,571	+0.47%
1975	23,580	+3.81%
1980	26,359	+2.25%
1990	34,573	+2.75%
1995	36,797	+1.17%
2000	40,713	+2.19%
2007	43,153	+0.81%
2010	43,579	+0.36%
2015	46,306	+1.16%
2020	49,191	+1.28%
2024	50,249	+0.51%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [9] [13] [14]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Carmen

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 54.63 2003 39.84 2006 75.00 2009 55.15 2012 38.38 2015 29.22 2018 25.00 2021 31.94 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

References

1.   Municipality of Carmen | (DILG)
2. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN   0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
3. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
4. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
6. "Bohol Festivals Timetable". bohol-philippines.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
7. "MUNICIPALITY OF CARMEN". bohol.gov.ph. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
8. Census of Population (2020). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
9. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VII (Central Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
10. "Carmen: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
11. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
12. Census of Population (2015). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
13. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VII (Central Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
14. "Province of Bohol". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
15. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
16. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
17. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
18. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
19. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
20. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
21. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
22. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Provincial Government of Bohol
• Latest Carmen Bohol News
• Carmen