Bato, Camarines Sur

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Bato
Municipality
Municipality of Bato
Municipal Hall
Flag Seal
Anthem: Bato, Banwaan na Ginikanan
Map of Camarines Sur with Bato highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Bato Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°21′28″N 123°22′04″E / 13.3578°N 123.3678°E / 13.3578; 123.3678
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol Region
Province	Camarines Sur
District	5th district
Barangays	33 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Enric L. Dancalan
• Vice Mayor	Diosdado T. Zorilla
• Representative	Miguel Luis R. Villafuerte
• Municipal Council	Members John Mark T. Zorilla Martin G. Batacan Dominici G. Batacan Adolfo A. Ramos Eliseo T. Priela Jhonel Ll. De Lima Noel C. Tino Noel C. Tuyay
• Electorate	34,609 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	107.12 km2 (41.36 sq mi)
Elevation	13 m (43 ft)
Highest elevation	59 m (194 ft)
Lowest elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	52,021
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
• Households	10,782
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	37.28 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 228.3 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 621.3 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 189.9 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 365.6 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Camarines Sur 3 Electric Cooperative (CASURECO 3)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	4435
PSGC	0501703000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)54
Native languages	Rinconada Bikol Central Bikol Tagalog

Bato, officially the Municipality of Bato (Rinconada Bikol: Banwāan ka Bato; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bato), is a municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2025 census, it has a population of 52,021 people.

The municipality of Bato is home to a lake teeming with various kinds of fishes. Sinarapan, the world's smallest commercially harvested fish, occupies the waters of Lake Bato. Also present, the lake abounds with tilapia housed in fish cages.

Bato is 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Pili and 476 kilometres (296 mi) from Manila.

This town was formerly called as "Kaliligno" or "Caliligno" named by the natives that settled along the river area.

This small village later was elevated into a status of a town under the decree of Spanish Superior Government on February 15, 1753. Years back, a parish was already existing which was also made under the same decree. This parish adopted "The Most Holy Trinity" as its patron saint. Its feast day is celebrated every Sunday after the Pentecost. The Bato is also known for its best noodles called Pansit Bato.

Bato is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

In the 2020 census, the population of Bato, Camarines Sur, was 52,155 people,^[11] with a density of 490 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,300 inhabitants per square mile.

Only about 58.27% of the household population is considered as literate.

Mother tongue of the majority is Riŋkonāda also known as Bikol Rinconada, one of the languages of Bicol region. The population speaks a different form of Rinconada Bikol called Bato variant, a lowland dialect (sinaranəw). Natives are also conversant with Coastal Bikol, Filipino/Tagalog and English languages.

• Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, followed by the Iglesia ni Cristo as the largest minority.
• Other religious denominations include Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; United Churches of Christ in the Philippines Seventh Day Adventist; Bible Baptist; Born Again; Jehovah's Witnesses; Protestants; Aglipay and Islam.
• There are three (3) Catholic Churches in Bato.

Poverty incidence of Bato

Majority of employment is within agriculture, fishery, poultry and construction industry groups.^[20]

Commerce and industry

• 96 commercial establishments engaged in retail trade
• 46 commercial establishments engaged in services
• 1 commercial establishment engaged in real estate - MTBK Co.
• 1 engaged in banking and finance
• 31 industrial establishments
• 2 Hotels - Casa de Piedra and MTBK Hotel

Natural resources include clams, pearls, local shrimps, tabios, and tilapia, particularly within Lake Bato; forest products such as anahaw leaves and local bamboo; non-metallic mineral resources such as white clay among others.

Agriculture Sector

• 78.087 square kilometers of Agricultural Lands devoted to crop production
• Rice, corn, coconut, root crops, vegetables, and fruit-bearing trees.
• Numerous farm and poultry products found

The list of the incumbent and former officials of the Municipality of Bato is the following:^[21]

2025-Present

• Mayor: Enric L. Dancalan
• Vice-Mayor: Diosdado T. Zorilla
• Councilors:
  • John Mark T. Zorilla
  • Martin G. Batacan
  • Dominici G. Batacan
  • Adolfo A. Ramos
  • Eliseo T. Priela
  • Jhonel Ll. De Lima
  • Noel C. Tino
  • Noel C. Tuyay

2022–2025

• Mayor: Domingo L. Zorilla Jr
• Vice-Mayor: Victorio S. Ramos
• Councilors:
  • Josebello Buquid
  • Diosdado T. Zorilla
  • Martin G. Batacan
  • Noel C. Tino
  • Alvin O. Sacueza
  • Adolfo A. Ramos Jr.
  • Noel C. Tuyay
  • Erwin Nestor O. Rempola Jr.

2019-2022:^[22]

• Mayor: Hon. Francisco B. Bernaldez
• Vice-Mayor: Hon. Domingo L. Zorilla Jr.
• Councilors:
  • Diosdado T. Zorilla
  • Dominici G. Batacan
  • Elizabeth Doctolero
  • Ignacio L. Hugo
  • Jose Samar
  • Ban-Ban Aguila
  • Matilde Sandrino
  • Noel C. Tino

2016-2019:^[23]

• Mayor: Hon. Francisco B. Bernaldez
• Vice-Mayor: Hon. Victorio S. Ramos
• Councilors:
  • Diosdado T. Zorila
  • Domingo L. Zorilla Jr.
  • Martin G. Batacan
  • Darwin Doctolero
  • Edgar R. Argarin
  • Nestor A. Orasa
  • Danilo S. Mata
  • Ignacio L.Hugo

• Cotmon Falls
• Arbin Beach Resort
• Lake Bato
• Most Holy Trinity Parish Church
• Maruma Beach
• Bato Boulevard

• Municipal Health Center and Barangay Health Stations total bed capacity: Eight (8) beds
• Health personnel numbers only about seventeen (17)

Facilities for police protection include Police Station Headquarters near the Municipal Hall in the Poblacion, Police Substation in Barangay Tres Reyes, Police Outpost in Barangay San Miguel. The bureau of Fire Protection of Bato has about eleven (11) firemen personnel.

• 19.550 kilometres (12.148 mi) of National Roads
• 45.650 kilometres (28.366 mi) of Provincial Road
• 7.206 kilometres (4.478 mi) of municipal roads
• 38.683 kilometres (24.037 mi) of Barangays Roads
• six (6) bridges
• 235 privately owned vehicles
• public utility vehicles and government vehicles

Water supply is provided on 3 levels:

• Level I: wells, springs, or water peddlers common in rural barangays and households
• Level II: communal faucet system
• Level III: Bato Water District provides Level III Water Supply Service generally within the poblacion only

Power and electricity:

• Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative (CASURECO) which provides retails electrical supply to the municipality and maintains a substation
• Domestic Consumptions
• 95.18% with total average consumption rate of 35,595.40 KWH/month Industrial and Commercial Consumption have only about 0.48% connections
• Public buildings, streetlights and other account for the remaining 1.72% number of consumption

Communication facilities include telephone/cellular services, postal services, telegraph services, cable television services, and print and broadcast media services.

Private school institutions:

• Holy Trinity College of Cam. Sur
• Mataas na Paaralan ng Pagatpatan
• Saint John the Baptist Institute of Bicol Inc.
• Ocampo Academy Technological Institute.
• Taburnal Learning Center inc.
• Modern Learning Center
• Verbum Dei School

15 public elementary schools:

5 public secondary schools:

• Bato National Highschool
• Masoli Highscool
• Salvacion National Highschool
• San Roque National Highschool
• Payak Highschool

1 public library:

• MTBK Divina Pastora Library

• Maria Venus Raj - Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2010 and placed 4th Runner-Up in Miss Universe 2010 pageant
• Froilan Canlas - Tawag ng Tanghalan season 1 and placed 1st Placer
• Julian Alturas - Actor under ABS-CBN Star Magic and co-managed by Rise Artists Studio in 2022

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bato, Camarines Sur.

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Official Site of the Province of Camarines Sur
• https://ph.rappler.com/elections/2022/camarines-sur/bato