Physical Characteristics

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

A. LOCATION

The capital town of Catbalogan is located in the Western Seacost of the Province of Samar.  It is bounded on the north by the Municipalities of Tarangnan and San Jorge, on the east by the Municipality of Jiabong, and on the west by Maqueda Bay.  The Philippine-Japan Highway traverses the town from Barangay San Vicente in the north through the poblacion to Barangay Lagundi in the south.  It is about 800 kilometers south of Manila.

B. LAND AREA

The total land area of Catbalogan is 274.22 sq. km.  Its town proper covers an area of 130 hectares.

There are fifty-seven (57) barangays in the entire municipality.  Twenty-one (21) of which are situated in the poblacion, likewise, twenty-one (21) also in the coastal area and fifteen (15) barangays in the interior/upland area.

C. TOPOGRAPHY

The topography of Catbalogan is rough and its mountains are relatively high. Approximately 2% of the land area are plain and mostly found along the seacost while 43% are rolling hills and 55% is mountainous.

The coastline of Catbalogan is irregular with bays bordering the poblacion and other barangays.  It has a total of ten (10) miles in length.

D. CLIMATE AND RAINFALL

The climate is classified as the 4^th type (mild) wherein rainfall is more or less distributed throughout the year.

In Catbalogan there is hardly a month without rainfall.  The driest month is April, generally, there is no distinct dry season but the months of February, March, April and May comprise the shortest dry season.  Rainfall is more or less uniform throughout the year and heaviest during the months of November and December.

Typhoons are very frequent during the months of August, September, October, November and December.  Although Samar (Catbalogan) has been popularly known as typhoon prone area, but the truth is, the island of Samar is only being used only as reference point by PAG-ASA.       

E. SOIL TYPES

The soils of Catbalogan are two types.  The Catbalogan clay loam and faraon clay.  The clay loam, which is predominant, is the primary soil developed from shales and sandstones.  The faraon clay is a residual from Caroline limestone.  It is fair to orgnic matter contents.  Limestone rocks are sometime found on the surface.  The clay loam is a type of soil suited for agriculture particularly for rootcrops.