San Policarpo, Eastern Samar

San Policarpo
Municipality
Municipality of San Policarpo
Flag
Map of Eastern Samar with San Policarpo highlighted
Interactive map of San Policarpo
San Policarpo Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°10′45″N125°30′26″E / 12.1791°N 125.5072°E / 12.1791; 125.5072
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Eastern Samar
District	Lone district
Founded	June 16, 1948
Inaugurated	February 5, 1949
Barangays	17 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Conrado U. Nicart III
•  Vice Mayor	Thelma U. Nicart
•  Representative	Maria Fe R. Abunda
• Councilors	List • Editha N. Rebmann • Marshall O. Morallos • Daniel M. Calda • Thomas T. Jata-as • Mae B. Bonafe • Edito G. Mengote • Cayetano N. Baldoza • Bonifacio R. Nicart DILG Masterlist of Officials
•  Electorate	12,892 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	78 km2 (30 sq mi)
Elevation	6.0 m (19.7 ft)
Highest elevation	63 m (207 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [3]
• Total	15,597
• Density	200/km2 (520/sq mi)
•  Households	3,602
Economy
•  Income class	5th municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	41.24 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 117.7 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 399.1 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 91.68 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 234.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6821
PSGC	0802621000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)55
Native languages	Waray Tagalog
Website	www.sanpolicarpo-esamar.gov.ph

San Policarpo, officially the Municipality of San Policarpo (Waray : Bungto han San Policarpo; Tagalog : Bayan ng San Policarpo), is a municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 15,597 people. ^[5]

In the north-west, it is bounded by Arteche, in the north-east by the vast Pacific Ocean and in the south by Oras.

History

San Policarpo was established as a barrio in 1837. The Municipality of San Policarpo was created from the barrios of San Policarpo, Bahay, Alugan, Pangpang, Japunan, Tabo, Binogawan and Cajagwayan of the municipality of Oras, then in the old province of Samar, by virtue of Republic Act No. 281 signed on June 16, 1948 and inaugurated on February 5, 1949. ^[6] In 1952, the barrio of Santa Monica was transferred from Oras to San Policarpo. On June 19, 1965, the municipality was annexed to the newly-established province of Eastern Samar through a plebiscite and the sitios of Santa Cruz, Tan-awan, Bangon, Guin-osokan, Barras, Lipata and Libas were converted into barrios. ^{[7] [8]}

The town was formerly named "Bunga", derived from the plant called bunga which was very abundant in the present site of the town. "Bunga" means fruit, thus the name indicates the fruit of the toils of its founders.

Geography

Barangays

San Policarpo is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.  ^[9] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Alugan
• Bahay
• Bangon
• Baras (Lipata)
• Binogawan
• Cajagwayan
• Japunan
• Natividad
• Pangpang
• Barangay No. 1 (Poblacion)
• Barangay No. 2 (Poblacion)
• Barangay No. 3 (Poblacion)
• Barangay No. 4 (Poblacion)
• Barangay No. 5 (Poblacion)
• Santa Cruz
• Tabo
• Tanauawan

Climate

Climate data for San Policarpo, Eastern Samar
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)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	27 (81)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	105 (4.1)	67 (2.6)	65 (2.6)	53 (2.1)	86 (3.4)	129 (5.1)	135 (5.3)	113 (4.4)	131 (5.2)	163 (6.4)	167 (6.6)	162 (6.4)	1,376 (54.2)
Average rainy days	17.6	13.2	15.5	14.9	19.6	24.3	26.6	25.4	24.9	25.4	22.9	20.9	251.2
Source: Meteoblue [10]

Demographics

Population census of San Policarpo

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1948	4,779	—
1960	8,051	+4.44%
1970	9,140	+1.28%
1975	9,280	+0.31%
1980	12,258	+5.72%
1990	9,970	−2.05%
1995	11,565	+2.82%
2000	12,403	+1.51%
2007	13,689	+1.37%
2010	13,836	+0.39%
2015	14,687	+1.14%
2020	15,365	+0.95%
2024	15,597	+0.36%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

The population of San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, in the 2024 census was 15,597 people, ^[16] with a density of 200 inhabitants per square kilometer or 520 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of San Policarpo

10

20

30

40

50

60

2000
47.69

2003
39.25

2006
38.20

2009
46.40

2012
52.44

2015
48.57

2018
55.81

2021
41.24

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority ^{[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]}

The local economy of San Policarpo, one of the country's poorest towns, is dependent on fishing and farming. ^[25]

References

1.   Municipality of San Policarpo | (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. Republic Act No. 281 (June 16, 1948), An Act Creating the Municipality of San Policarpo in the Province of Samar , retrieved June 13, 2023
7. Republic Act No. 4221 (June 19, 1965), An Act Creating the Provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Western Samar , retrieved December 19, 2015
8. Republic Act No. 281 (June 19, 1965), An Act Creating Barrios in the Municipality of San Policarpo, Province of Samar , retrieved June 13, 2023
9. "Province:". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 25 August 2025.
10. "San Policarpo, Eastern Samar: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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 VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
13. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
14. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
15. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
16. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
17. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
18. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
19. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
20. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
21. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
22. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
23. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
24. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
25. Ricky Bautista (July 28, 2014). "Eastern Samar town has 2 mayors". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 28 July 2016.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine