San Fernando, Masbate

San Fernando, officially the Municipality of San Fernando, is a municipality in the province of Masbate, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,600 people.^[5]

San Fernando Tabunan
Municipality
Municipality of San Fernando
Flag
Map of Masbate with San Fernando highlighted
OpenStreetMap
San Fernando Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°29′09″N 123°45′46″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Masbate
District	1st district
Barangays	26 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Maria Vida E. Bravo
• Vice Mayor	Fernando V. Moguies
• Representative	Narciso R. Bravo Jr.
• Municipal Council	Members Piedad B. Capariño Alistair Edward A. Lozano Rex M. Clemente Loneto N. Centura Rene C. Alindogan Romeo L. Espejon Belinda C. Abapo Victor V. Mogueis
• Electorate	16,767 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	77.50 km2 (29.92 sq mi)
Elevation	36 m (118 ft)
Highest elevation	256 m (840 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	22,006
• Density	280/km2 (740/sq mi)
• Households	5,521
Economy
• Income class	5th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	23.29 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 137.5 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 513.6 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 121.9 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 55.35 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Ticao Island Electric Cooperative (TISELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5416
PSGC	0504118000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)56
Native languages	Masbateño Tagalog
Website	www.sanfernando-masbate.gov.ph

It is located on Ticao Island. The economy of the town is based on fishing, farming, and other trades.

History

In 1951, the barrios of Batuan, Burgos, Gibraltar, Costa Rica, Panisihan, and Matabao were separated from San Fernando to form the town of Batuan.^[6]

Geography

Barangays

San Fernando is politically subdivided into 26 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Altavista
• Benitinan
• Buenasuerte
• Buenavista
• Buenos Aires
• Buyo
• Cañelas
• Corbada
• Daplian
• Del Rosario
• Ipil
• Lahong
• Lumbia
• Magkaipit
• Minio
• Pinamoghaan
• Poblacion (District 1) Baybaydagat
• Poblacion (District 2) Silangan
• Poblacion (District 3) Magsasaka
• Poblacion (District 4) Bayanihan
• Progreso
• Resurreccion/Looc
• Salvacion
• Sowa
• Talisay
• Valparaiso

Climate

Climate data for San Fernando, Masbate
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	29 (84)	31 (88)	32 (90)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	30 (86)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (73)	23 (73)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	24 (75)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	39 (1.5)	34 (1.3)	42 (1.7)	36 (1.4)	73 (2.9)	109 (4.3)	118 (4.6)	108 (4.3)	129 (5.1)	136 (5.4)	112 (4.4)	89 (3.5)	1,025 (40.4)
Average rainy days	12.6	9.7	12.0	13.0	20.5	25.3	26.2	24.8	25.2	25.9	21.9	17.9	235
Source: Meteoblue[7]

Demographics

Population census of San Fernando

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 5,338 —     1918 7,862 +2.61% 1939 14,663 +3.01% 1948 17,417 +1.93% 1960 13,221 −2.27% 1970 17,494 +2.84% 1975 18,041 +0.62% 1980 18,766 +0.79%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 16,904 −1.04% 1995 18,722 +1.93% 2000 19,179 +0.52% 2007 19,565 +0.28% 2010 21,309 +3.16% 2015 23,057 +1.51% 2020 21,600 −1.36% 2024 22,006 +0.45%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11][12]

In the 2020 census, the population of San Fernando, Masbate, was 21,600 people,^[13] with a density of 280 inhabitants per square kilometre or 730 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of San Fernando

10 20 30 40 50 60 2000 57.24 2003 54.28 2006 34.60 2009 38.13 2012 40.51 2015 35.95 2018 27.20 2021 23.29 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Archaeological and Ecological Landscape and Seascape of Ticao

The municipality is part of Ticao Island, which is known as an archaeological landscape, possessing thousands of pre-colonial artifacts such as the Baybayin-inscribed Rizal Stone, Ticao gold spike teeth, Burial jars of varying designs and sizes, jade beads, human face rock statues, and the Ticao petrographs. Much of the homes in Ticao Island use these archaeological finds to design their interiors. The island is also an ecological frontier for the conservation of manta rays. The island also possesses a 'rare subspecies' of Visayan warty pig, that is almost near extinction.