Santa Elena, Camarines Norte

Santa Elena
Municipality
Municipality of Santa Elena
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Gateway to Bicolandia
Map of Camarines Norte with Santa Elena highlighted
Interactive map of Santa Elena
Santa Elena Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 14°10′47″N122°23′31″E / 14.1797°N 122.3919°E / 14.1797; 122.3919
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Camarines Norte
District	1st district
Founded	June 21, 1969
Named after	Saint Helena
Barangays	19 (see Barangays)
Government   [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
•  Mayor	Bernardina E. Borja
•  Vice Mayor	Ryan Jeffrey T. Mendoza
•  Representative	Josefina B. Tallado
•  Municipal Council	Members Darwin I. Argarin Howard Dom T. Mendoza Cecilia M. Fermo Cecilio P. Bactol Ramil P. Lagamayo Arnold C. Leynes Myrna M. Sibulo Edgardo N. de Guzman
•  Electorate	28,229 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	199.35 km2 (76.97 sq mi)
Elevation	68 m (223 ft)
Highest elevation	530 m (1,740 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census) [3]
• Total	42,585
• Density	213.62/km2 (553.27/sq mi)
•  Households	10,205
Economy
•  Income class	3rd municipal income class
•  Poverty incidence	23.62 % (2021) [4]
•  Revenue	₱ 231.9 million (2022)
•  Assets	₱ 640 million (2022)
•  Expenditure	₱ 153.3 million (2022)
•  Liabilities	₱ 161.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative (CANORECO) Quezon I Electric Cooperative (QUEZELCO I)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4611
PSGC	0501610000
IDD  :  area code	+63 (0)54
Native languages	Tagalog Manide

Santa Elena, officially the Municipality of Santa Elena (Tagalog : Bayan ng Santa Elena), is a municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 42,585 people. ^[5]

History

Santa Elena, formerly known as Ilayang Santol, was then a sitio of barrio Pulonguit-guit, Capalonga. In 1948, through the efforts of local leaders, it became an independent barrio. ^[6]

Santa Elena became a municipality with ten barangays out of Capalonga by virtue of Republic Act No. 5480 on June 21, 1969. ^{[6] [7]}

Territorial dispute

Map of Camarines Norte in 1918 which excluded the eight barangays disputed with Calauag, apart from Kagtalaba.

Santa Elena and Calauag in Quezon province were involved in a decade-long boundary dispute, leading to a Supreme Court case and presidential intervention. The dispute involved nine barangays: Don Tomas, Guitol, Kabuluan, Kagtalaba, Maulawin, Plaridel, Patag Ibaba, Patag Iraya, and Tabugon. In 1991, the Provincial Government of Quezon and Municipal Government of Calauag ordered the demolition of a boundary marker installed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. In 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos intervened during his visit to Calauag, initially allowing Calauag to retain jurisdiction. However, the Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Camarines Norte, transferring these barangays from Calauag's jurisdiction. ^[8]

Geography

Santa Elena is 80 kilometers (50 mi) from Daet and 262 kilometers (163 mi) from Manila.

Barangays

Santa Elena is politically subdivided into 19 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Basiad
• Bulala
• Don Tomas
• Guitol
• Kabuluan
• Kagtalaba
• Maulawin
• Patag Ibaba
• Patag Ilaya
• Plaridel
• Polungguitguit
• Rizal
• Salvacion
• San Lorenzo
• San Pedro
• San Vicente
• Santa Elena (Poblacion)
• Tabugon
• Villa San Isidro

The indicated barangays (‡) were formerly disputed with Calauag, Quezon, due to boundary realignment from Macahadok River to Tabugon Stream adjoining Quezon Canal in Barangay Tabansak in Calauag. In 2001, the case was elevated to the Supreme Court. The Case of Province of Quezon vs. Province of Camarines Norte eventually ruled in favor of Camarines Norte and Santa Elena was granted the said barangays. ^[8]

Climate

Climate data for Santa Elena, Camarines Norte
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	26 (79)	27 (81)	29 (84)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	27 (81)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22 (72)	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)	51 (2.0)	35 (1.4)	37 (1.5)	39 (1.5)	91 (3.6)	131 (5.2)	168 (6.6)	132 (5.2)	162 (6.4)	184 (7.2)	166 (6.5)	101 (4.0)	1,297 (51.1)
Average rainy days	13.4	10.5	11.8	12.0	19.8	24.1	26.7	25.1	25.3	23.9	21.2	17.6	231.4
Source: Meteoblue [9]

Demographics

Population census of Santa Elena

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1970	8,608	—
1975	10,841	+4.73%
1980	13,092	+3.84%
1990	20,105	+4.38%
1995	33,955	+10.32%
2000	37,878	+2.37%
2007	40,300	+0.86%
2010	40,828	+0.47%
2015	40,786	−0.02%
2020	43,582	+1.41%
2024	42,585	−0.55%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

In the 2024 census, the population of Santa Elena was 42,585 people ^[15] with a density of 210 inhabitants per square kilometre or 540 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Santa Elena

10

20

30

40

50

60

2000
47.55

2003
49.35

2006
50.30

2009
43.05

2012
30.37

2015
43.68

2018
35.79

2021
23.62

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority ^{[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]}

Education

The Santa Elena Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. ^[24]

Primary and elementary schools

• Basiad Elementary School
• Bulala Elementary School
• Don Tomas Elementary School
• Dygico Elementary School
• Earth's Bounty Elementary School
• Guitol Elementary School
• Juan A. Amparo Elementary School
• Kagtalaba Elementary School
• M. Hebrado Elementary School
• Maria Aurora Academy
• Maulawin Elementary School
• Patag Ibaba Elementary School
• Patag Ilaya Elementary School
• Pulongguit-Guit Elementary School
• R. Oquindo Elementary School
• Rizal Elementary School
• Salvacion Elementary School
• San Pedro Elementary School
• Sta. Elena Adventist Elementary School
• Sta. Elena Parochial School
• Tabugon Elementary School
• Villa San Isidro Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Bulala High School
• E.P. Borja High School
• Leocadio Alejo Entienza High School
• Lyceum of St. Dominic
• Maulawin National High School
• Rizal National High School
• San Pedro - Domingo Llarena High School
• Sta. Elena Integrated School

Higher educational institutions

• Sta. Elena Adventist Academy
• Sta. Elena College
• Sta. Elena Institute of Science & Technology
• Southern Tagalog Rural High School

References

1.   Municipality of Santa Elena | (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. "Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte – Executive Summary (2022)" (PDF). Commission on Audit of the Philippines .
7. Republic Act No. 5480 (June 21, 1969), An Act Creating the Municipality of Santa Elena in the Province of Camarines Norte , retrieved February 23, 2025
8. "Province of Camarines Norte Vs. Province of Quezon, Re: Urgent Petition to Cite Governor Eduardo T. Rodriguez of Quezon Province, and Mayor Julio U. Lim of Calauag Quezon, in contempt of court". G.R. No. 80796. Supreme Court of the Philippines. October 11, 2001. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
9. "Santa Elena, Camarines Norte: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Meteoblue. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
10. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
11. Census of Population (2015). "Region V (Bicol Region)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
12. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region V (Bicol Region)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
13. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region V (Bicol Region)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
14. "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
15. "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
16. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
17. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
18. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
19. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
20. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
21. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
22. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
23. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
24. "Masterlist of Schools" (PDF). Department of Education. January 15, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2025.

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information