Brief History of Calabanga
The origin of the municipality is unfolded from the legends and fables of the old generation. In 1578 when the head Mission of Quipayo was established, Calabanga was only a visita or barrio. At that time, the place had vast forests and swamps and an abundance of wildlife such as monkeys, wild chickens, and forest lizard. Others say, it derived its name from the Bicol word “Calabangan”, the plural term of “labang” or “litag”, meaning a kind of snare for catching wild animals. Another legend says that Calabanga originated from the word “Calagbangan” meaning the wide, long, and straight street spanning from the church through the poblacion, east to west, called locally as “calabaan” or “calacbangan”.
Calabanga became known with 400 tributes. On July 15, 1749, it was separated from Quipayo by virtue of the approval of Don Fray Joan de Arechera, Bishop Elect of Nueva Segovia of the Commissary of the King, in the petition signed & filed by 37 Calabangueños on April 28, 1749 for town to be conveniently administered.
There were 2 visitas, visita de Cagapad and visita de hinarijan and 12 barrios. The barrios were san Antonio, San Vicente, Sta. Catalina, Nuestra Señora de Salud, San Lucas, San Miguel, Sta. Isabel, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Roque, San Pablo, San Jose (now Balongay) and Belen.
Calabanga is one of the municipalities of the province of Camarines Sur and a member of the Metro Naga Development Council. With its fishing grounds and the vast agricultural area, it is a major supplier of fish and other marine products and prime agricultural products in the province as well as in Metro Manila.
Economic Services in Calabanga
Calabanga became known with 400 tributes. On July 15, 1749, it was separated from Quipayo by virtue of the approval of Don Fray Joan de Arechera, Bishop Elect of Nueva Segovia of the Commissary of the King, in the petition signed & filed by 37 Calabangueños on April 28, 1749 for town to be conveniently administered.
There were 2 visitas, visita de Cagapad and visita de hinarijan and 12 barrios. The barrios were san Antonio, San Vicente, Sta. Catalina, Nuestra Señora de Salud, San Lucas, San Miguel, Sta. Isabel, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, San Roque, San Pablo, San Jose (now Balongay) and Belen.
Calabanga is one of the municipalities of the province of Camarines Sur and a member of the Metro Naga Development Council. With its fishing grounds and the vast agricultural area, it is a major supplier of fish and other marine products and prime agricultural products in the province as well as in Metro Manila.
Economic Services in Calabanga
Calabanga is blessed with rich natural resources. It has big uplands and vast fishing grounds. Agricultural areas are the most extensive areas covering more than half of the total land area in this municipality. It is the dominant land use. Land devoted to crop production is approximately 7,609.79 has. Which include rice, corn and coconut as the major crops and other crops such as abaca, coffee, vegetables, rootcrops and fruit trees.
Side by side with agriculture, fishing and livestock raising constitutes major economic activities. The fish grounds of San Miguel Bay as well as the Bikol River are the rich sources of plentiful fish, shellfish, oysters, capiz shells, prawns, shrimps and other marine species providing various livelihood industries such as fish processing, fish paste and bagoong making and other marine by-product. These marine by-products as well as shrimps, prawn, mudcrabs are supplied to the city of Naga, other neighboring provinces as well as in Manila. Other water sources include Inarihan, Tigman and Hinaguinan river aside from the fishponds for the brackish and freshwater species.
Livestock raising is a thriving industry in the municipality, an inventory of livestock and poultry farms shows that there are 5 commercial piggery and 3 commercial poultry farms operating in the municipality aside from the backyard animal raising which is very common in rural areas.
Next to agriculture and fishing, commerce, trade and industry are important and significant aspects in the economy of the municipality. Commercial and industrial activities are more concentrated in the urban areas that include among others wholesale and retail trade, minor service centers, transport business, community and personal services, drugstores, agri-supplies, gasoline stations while industrial activities include rice milling, fish processing, bamboo craft, furniture making, garments, metal crafts, ice plant, welding and auto repair shops as well as other small enterprises. Nipa shingle production is also one industry predominant at western barangays where nipa swamps could be found. The products are sold not only within the municipality but to nearby towns and Naga City.
The presence of a new Calabanga Public Market which started operation last 1998 finally resolved the demands for a bigger marketing center, while Cooperatives throughout the municipality are gradually developing its enterprises.
Side by side with agriculture, fishing and livestock raising constitutes major economic activities. The fish grounds of San Miguel Bay as well as the Bikol River are the rich sources of plentiful fish, shellfish, oysters, capiz shells, prawns, shrimps and other marine species providing various livelihood industries such as fish processing, fish paste and bagoong making and other marine by-product. These marine by-products as well as shrimps, prawn, mudcrabs are supplied to the city of Naga, other neighboring provinces as well as in Manila. Other water sources include Inarihan, Tigman and Hinaguinan river aside from the fishponds for the brackish and freshwater species.
Livestock raising is a thriving industry in the municipality, an inventory of livestock and poultry farms shows that there are 5 commercial piggery and 3 commercial poultry farms operating in the municipality aside from the backyard animal raising which is very common in rural areas.
Next to agriculture and fishing, commerce, trade and industry are important and significant aspects in the economy of the municipality. Commercial and industrial activities are more concentrated in the urban areas that include among others wholesale and retail trade, minor service centers, transport business, community and personal services, drugstores, agri-supplies, gasoline stations while industrial activities include rice milling, fish processing, bamboo craft, furniture making, garments, metal crafts, ice plant, welding and auto repair shops as well as other small enterprises. Nipa shingle production is also one industry predominant at western barangays where nipa swamps could be found. The products are sold not only within the municipality but to nearby towns and Naga City.
The presence of a new Calabanga Public Market which started operation last 1998 finally resolved the demands for a bigger marketing center, while Cooperatives throughout the municipality are gradually developing its enterprises.
Soil and Water Resources
There are six (6) soil types that could be found in the Municipality. These are the (1) Hydrosol which is dominant along the Bicol River covering parts of Barangays Balongay, San Bernardino and Punta Tarawal; (2) Balong Clay; (3) Pili Clay Loam; (4) Tigaon Clay which covers the poblacion; (5) Annan Clay Loam which could be found toward the direction of Tinambac and (6) Mountain Soil in the Mt. Isarog area.
The municipality of Calabanga is endowed with abundant natural resources. The major river systems, the Tigman, Hinaguianan and Inarihan rivers are presently utilized for irrigation purposes. They originate their main tributaries from Mt. Isarog and flow down in the northwestern direction ultimately discharging the flow to San Miguel Bay.
Calabanga is blessed with many natural spring water resources found in the eastern portion of the municipality along the northwestern flanks of Mt. Isarog. Most of these are found to be potential sources for potable water supply of the municipality, aside from the Hamislag and Tawang rivers.
Calabanga is bounded by water bodies, the San Miguel Bay on the northern part and the Bikol River on the western part which are sources of abundant supplies of fish of various species and other marine products.
Land Area And Its Uses
The municipality has an approximately 163.84 km². (16,384 has.) land area which constitutes 3.1% of the province land areas. It is composed of 48 barangays, 14 of which are proposed within the urban area and the remaining 34 barangays are within the rural areas.
With its generally flat terrain, the dominant land use existing is agricultural use. While the miscellaneous use comprising of built-up areas and major rivers have the smallest portion compared to the total area. Built-up areas are clustered within the urban barangays. The urban areas expand in an almost linear development or ribbon like development pattern
Proposed land use as embodied in the Comprehensive Land use Plan has delineated the Residential, Commercial, institutional area within the Urban Land Use while the agricultural, Agro-industrial, Special use could be found in the General land use.
The municipality of Calabanga is endowed with abundant natural resources. The major river systems, the Tigman, Hinaguianan and Inarihan rivers are presently utilized for irrigation purposes. They originate their main tributaries from Mt. Isarog and flow down in the northwestern direction ultimately discharging the flow to San Miguel Bay.
Calabanga is blessed with many natural spring water resources found in the eastern portion of the municipality along the northwestern flanks of Mt. Isarog. Most of these are found to be potential sources for potable water supply of the municipality, aside from the Hamislag and Tawang rivers.
Calabanga is bounded by water bodies, the San Miguel Bay on the northern part and the Bikol River on the western part which are sources of abundant supplies of fish of various species and other marine products.
Land Area And Its Uses
The municipality has an approximately 163.84 km². (16,384 has.) land area which constitutes 3.1% of the province land areas. It is composed of 48 barangays, 14 of which are proposed within the urban area and the remaining 34 barangays are within the rural areas.
With its generally flat terrain, the dominant land use existing is agricultural use. While the miscellaneous use comprising of built-up areas and major rivers have the smallest portion compared to the total area. Built-up areas are clustered within the urban barangays. The urban areas expand in an almost linear development or ribbon like development pattern
Proposed land use as embodied in the Comprehensive Land use Plan has delineated the Residential, Commercial, institutional area within the Urban Land Use while the agricultural, Agro-industrial, Special use could be found in the General land use.
