Dumaran

For the island, see Dumaran Island.

Dumaran, officially the Municipality of Dumaran (Tagalog: Bayan ng Dumaran), is a municipality in the Philippine Province of Palawan. Located in the northeastern part of Palawan, it encompasses a portion of mainland Palawan Island and Dumaran Island. Established as a municipality in 1961, the municipality covers a land area of 435 km² (168 sq mi) across 16 barangays. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,528 people. Kalabukay Festival is an annual festival celebrated to mark the foundation day in Dumaran. The economy is based on agriculture farmers and fishing.

Dumaran
Municipality
Municipality of Dumaran
Municipal Hall
Flag Seal
Map of Palawan with Dumaran highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Dumaran Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°32′N 119°46′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Mimaropa
Province	Palawan
District	1st district
Barangays	16 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Arnel T. Caabay
• Vice Mayor	Medwin C. Pablico
• Representative	Franz Josef George E. Alvarez
• Municipal Council	Members Carlito L. Baac Ricardo F. Castro Jr. Jim P. Dolor Judy P. Parangue Jenifer F. Adier Vicente M. Cabanillas Nazer F. Samudio Elidora M. Lapides
• Electorate	15,385 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	435.00 km2 (167.95 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Highest elevation	165 m (541 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	23,795
• Density	55/km2 (140/sq mi)
• Households	5,714
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	14.87 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 248.1 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 743.7 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 188.1 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 228.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5310
PSGC	1705311000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)48
Native languages	Palawano Tagalog

Geography

Dumaran is a municipality in the Philippine Province of Palawan.^[5] Located in the northeastern part of Palawan, it encompasses a portion of mainland Palawan Island and Dumaran Island.^[6] It was established as a municipality in 1961, and covers a land area of 435 km² (168 sq mi) across 16 barangays.^[5][2] It is bounded on the north-east by Municipality of Araceli, on the south by Sulu Sea, on the south-west by Roxas, and on the north-west by the municipality of Taytay.^[7] The first settlers arrived in 1875 from Cuyo, and the town was established as a municipality in 1961 under Republic Act No. 3418.^[5] While the region was covered with evergreen forests, much of it was converted into agricultural lands. The remaining forest area is home to more than 136 species of fauna including the endangered Philippine cockatoo, Philippine pangolin and Palawan forest turtle.^[8]

Climate

Climate data for Dumaran, Palawan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	45 (1.8)	34 (1.3)	62 (2.4)	64 (2.5)	127 (5.0)	159 (6.3)	172 (6.8)	147 (5.8)	167 (6.6)	182 (7.2)	172 (6.8)	88 (3.5)	1,419 (56)
Average rainy days	12.1	9.4	13.0	14.3	22.7	26.9	28.0	26.4	27.0	27.0	22.7	17.8	247.3
Source: Meteoblue[9]

Demographics

Population census of Dumaran

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1918 1,569 —     1939 2,885 +2.94% 1948 3,497 +2.16% 1970 5,158 +1.78% 1975 7,019 +6.37% 1980 8,402 +3.66% 1990 12,624 +4.16%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1995 13,980 +1.93% 2000 16,616 +3.77% 2007 18,737 +1.67% 2010 21,397 +4.95% 2015 23,734 +1.99% 2020 23,528 −0.18% 2024 23,795 +0.27%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14]

As per the 2020 census, the population of Dumaran was 23,528 people, with a density of 54 inhabitants per square kilometre or 140 inhabitants per square mile.^[15] The population consisted of 12,154 males and 11,333 females.^[16] The population is predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of other religious groups.^[5]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Dumaran

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 71.16 2003 70.50 2006 62.20 2009 41.59 2012 30.80 2015 24.32 2018 15.52 2021 14.87 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

The economy is based on agriculture and fishing. Agricultural produce include coconut, and rice.^[5] The region also has rich natural resources, and tourism is a developing industry.^[25][26] In relation to its foundation day on June 14, Dumaran celebrates the annual Kalabukay Festival from June 14–18.^[27]

Transporation

Dumaran can be reached by commercial ships and ferry from Manila, Iloilo, and Puerto Princesa. Puerto Princesa has an airport, and is connected to Dumaran by road.^[5]