Isabel, Leyte

Isabel (IPA: [ʔɪsɐ'bɛl]), officially the Municipality of Isabel (Cebuano: Lungsod sa Isabel; Waray: Bungto han Isabel; Tagalog: Bayan ng Isabel), is a First Income Class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 46,781 people.^[5]

Isabel Quiot
Municipality
Municipality of Isabel
Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp.
Flag
Map of Leyte with Isabel highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Isabel Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 10°56′N 124°26′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Leyte
District	4th district
Founded	15 January 1948
Barangay	24 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Bennet Pongos
• Vice Mayor	Adam Fuentes
• Representative	Richard Gomez
• Councilors	List • Teddy E. Alemia • Romel Mappala • Bobet Rojas • Deborah Bertulfo • Alden Martin • Manny Amodia • Ailene J. Dearos • Dan Tentativa DILG Masterlist of Officials
• Electorate	34,770 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	64.01 km2 (24.71 sq mi)
Elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Highest elevation	573 m (1,880 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	46,858
• Density	730/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
• Households	11,758
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	24.32 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 267.2 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 696.3 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 267.2 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 430 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Leyte 5 Electric Cooperative (LEYECO 5)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6539
PSGC	0803722000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)53
Native languages	Cebuano Tagalog

History

The town was formally established and created by carving out the villages of Quiot, Santa Cruz, Libertad, Matlang, Tolingon, Bantigue, Apale and Honan from the town of Merida, by the passage of Republic Act No. 191.^[6][7]

Geography

Isabel is bounded to the east by the municipality of Merida and to the north by the municipality of Palompon. Nearest landfall south is Ponson Island (Camotes) at about 7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi; 3.9 nmi). Nearest landfall west is coastal Tabogon, Cebu at about 50 kilometres (31 mi; 27 nmi).^[8]

Barangays

Isabel comprises 24 barangays. ^[9] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Anislag
• Antipolo
• Apale
• Bantigue
• Binog
• Bilwang
• Can-andan
• Cangag
• Consolacion
• Honan
• Libertad
• Mahayag
• Marvel (Poblacion)
• Matlang
• Monte Alegre
• Puting Bato
• San Francisco
• San Roque
• Santa Cruz Relocation
• Santo Niño (Poblacion)
• Santo Rosario
• Tabunok
• Tolingon
• Tubod

Climate

Climate data for Isabel, Leyte
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22 (72)	22 (72)	22 (72)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	78 (3.1)	57 (2.2)	84 (3.3)	79 (3.1)	118 (4.6)	181 (7.1)	178 (7.0)	169 (6.7)	172 (6.8)	180 (7.1)	174 (6.9)	128 (5.0)	1,598 (62.9)
Average rainy days	16.7	13.8	17.3	18.5	23.2	26.5	27.1	26.0	26.4	27.5	24.6	21.0	268.6
Source: Meteoblue[10]

Demographics

Population census of Isabel

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1948 14,085 —     1960 14,633 +0.32% 1970 15,974 +0.88% 1975 15,327 −0.83% 1980 15,980 +0.84% 1990 33,389 +7.65% 1995 36,134 +1.49%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2000 38,486 +1.36% 2007 40,214 +0.61% 2010 43,593 +2.98% 2015 46,915 +1.41% 2020 46,781 −0.06% 2024 46,858 +0.04%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][12][13][14][15]

In the 2020 census, the population of Isabel, Leyte, was 46,781 people,^[16] with a density of 730 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,900 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Isabel

5 10 15 20 25 30 2000 27.81 2003 26.28 2006 18.40 2009 23.66 2012 23.87 2015 23.44 2018 17.83 2021 24.32 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]

Leyte Industrial Development Estate (LIDE) is a 425 ha special economic zone in the industrial town of Isabel. It currently has 2 locators: PASAR(Philippine Associated Smelting & Refining Corporation) & PHILPHOS(Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation).

Education

School
Visayas State University- Isabel Campus
LIDE Learning Center Inc.
Doane Baptist School of Isabel
Isabel National Comprehensive School
Isabel National Highschool
Holy Child Parish School of Isabel
Matlang National High School
Bilwang Elementary School
Matlang Elementary School

St. Filomena National High School