Matnog

This article is about the municipality in Sorsogon. For the barangay of Daraga municipality, see Daraga, Albay.

Matnog, officially the Municipality of Matnog (Waray Sorsogon: Bungto san Matnog; Waray: Bungto han Matnog, Tagalog: Bayan ng Matnog), is a municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines and is the southernmost part of Luzon. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,989 people.^[5]

Matnog
Municipality
Municipality of Matnog
Skyline of Matnog
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Gateway of Luzon Gateway to Visayas
Map of Sorsogon with Matnog highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Matnog Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°35′08″N 124°05′08″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Sorsogon
District	2nd district
Founded	May 17, 1800
Barangays	40 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Cattleya M. So
• Vice Mayor	Emilio Ubaldo III
• Representative	Vacant
• Municipal Council	Members Mercy G. Gata Larry G. Oro Joseph O. Go Evelyn S. Garalde Recto G. Dulay Harry G. Garra Noli F. Galeria Emilio G. Ubaldo III
• Electorate	30,571 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	162.40 km2 (62.70 sq mi)
Elevation	49 m (161 ft)
Highest elevation	354 m (1,161 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	42,444
• Density	260/km2 (680/sq mi)
• Households	9,455
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	32.96 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 234.5 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 304.8 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 228.3 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 158.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Sorsogon 1 Electric Cooperative (SORECO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4708
PSGC	0506212000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)56
Native languages	Sorsogon language Tagalog
Website	www.matnog.gov.ph

Matnog's port is one of the busiest in the region, playing host to millions of people crossing the San Bernardino Strait to Northern Samar annually. It is the jump off point to Visayas and vice versa. It is 65 kilometers (40 mi) from Sorsogon City and 646 kilometers (401 mi) from Manila.

Etymology

Local elders say that the name Matnog comes from the Bicol word "matonog", which means very audible that describes the loud sound of the waves. Some attribute the name to the sound of the gong used by early chieftains to call council meetings, while others link it to the noise of the tidal rip in the San Bernardino Strait.^[6]

History

Old municipal hall of Matnog, built on the old Presidencia building

In 1785, Matnog became a barrio of Bulusan, with Juan Evangelista serving as its first head. Fifteen years later, it was designated as Puerto Civil. It later became a separate parish on November 21, 1963.^[6]

Geography

Mangrove plantation in Mambajog

Barangays

Matnog is politically subdivided into 40 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Balocawe
• Banogao
• Banuang-daan
• Bariis
• Bolo
• Bon-Ot Dako (Big)
• Bon-Ot Saday (Small)
• Cabagahan
• Calayuan
• Calintaan
• Caloocan (Poblacion)
• Calpi
• Camachiles (Poblacion)
• Camcaman (Poblacion)
• Coron-coron
• Culasi
• Gadgaron
• Genablan Occidental
• Genablan Oriental
• Hid-hid
• Laboy
• Lajong
• Mambajog
• Manjumlad
• Manurabi
• Naburacan
• Paghuliran
• Pange
• Pawa
• Poropandan
• Santa Isabel
• Sinalmacan
• Sinang-Atan
• Sinebaran
• Sisigon
• Sua
• Sulangan
• Tablac (Poblacion)
• Tabunan (Poblacion)
• Tugas
• Para sa Training

Climate

Climate data for Matnog, Sorsogon
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	27 (81)	28 (82)	29 (84)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22 (72)	21 (70)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	24 (74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	65 (2.6)	44 (1.7)	42 (1.7)	39 (1.5)	87 (3.4)	150 (5.9)	184 (7.2)	153 (6.0)	163 (6.4)	154 (6.1)	127 (5.0)	100 (3.9)	1,308 (51.4)
Average rainy days	13.9	9.2	11.0	12.5	19.6	24.3	26.5	25.0	25.5	24.4	19.4	15.1	226.4
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

Population census of Matnog

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	2,457	—
1918	4,437	+4.02%
1939	10,119	+4.00%
1948	12,036	+1.95%
1960	15,570	+2.17%
1970	20,330	+2.70%
1975	20,680	+0.34%
1980	24,193	+3.19%
1990	25,957	+0.71%
1995	29,309	+2.30%
2000	32,712	+2.38%
2007	34,517	+0.74%
2010	37,641	+3.20%
2015	41,101	+1.69%
2020	41,989	+0.45%
2024	42,444	+0.26%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11][12]

The native people that settled in Matnog are the Agta, Tabangon, and Cimaron Tribe.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Matnog

10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 56.73 2003 57.60 2006 46.70 2009 43.15 2012 45.21 2015 45.25 2018 37.12 2021 32.96 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Transportation

Matnog Port

Transportation includes buses going to and from Metro Manila and Bulan and ferries going to and from Allen, Northern Samar.^[21]

In order to spur development in the municipality, The Toll Regulatory Board declared Toll Road 5 the extension of South Luzon Expressway.^[22] A 420-kilometer (260 mi), four-lane expressway starting from the terminal point of the now under construction SLEX Toll Road 4 at Barangay Mayao in Lucena, Quezon, to Matnog, Sorsogon, near the Matnog Ferry Terminal. On August 25, 2020, San Miguel Corporation announced that they will invest the project which will reduce travel time from Lucena to Matnog from 9 hours to 5.5 hours.^[23]

Gallery

• 
  New Matnog Municipal Hall
• 
  Matnog Church
• 
  Matnog Beach
• 
  Matnog Port arch
• 
  Pan-Philippine Highway in Camcaman