Socio-Economic and Physical Profile of Gubat

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC



Geographical Study

Commercial Location

The Municipality of Gubat is located in the East Coast of the Province of Sorsogon. It is bounded on the North by the Municipalities of Bacon and Prieto Diaz, on the South by the Municipality of Barcelona, on the West by Sorsogon City and the town of Casiguran , and on the East by the vast Pacific Ocean.

It is nineteen (19) kilometers from Sorsogon City, eighty (80) kilometers from the regional center of Legazpi City, and six hundred twenty one (621) kilometers from Manila. The Municipality lies on the coordinates 12° 55’ 15.63” North Latitude, and 124° 07’ 28.66” East Longitude.


Climate

The municipality experiences a Type II climate characterized by a short dry season in the months of April to August, and a pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January. The average rainfall is 6.65 mm while the highest readings occur in the month of February at 14.3 mm and the lowest at .4 mm in the month of May. The mean temperature is 27.245 degrees Celsius.

There are three kinds of wind systems passing the municipality at different times of the year. The Northeast Monsoon occurs during the months of October to February; the North Pacific Trades from March to April; and the Southwest Monsoon from May to September. Gubat is along the path of typhoons of the magnitude 11k from May to December. Normal track of typhoon may occur once a year.

Topography

The municipality is crises-crossed by creeks and rivulets that are mostly tributaries of the three main rivers called the Bulacao, Basiao and Tingting. The Bulacao River has two sources: one originates from Ariman in Barangay Bentuco flowing through Anibong, Malidlid and Calumpit, all sitios of Barangay Bulacao, to Barangay Tabi and Ariman where it meets the seashore. The other source originates from Liyang, Sitio Bentuco, to Lucha in Bulacao and merges at Calumpit.

The Basiao River starts from the numerous springs in Barangay Cabigaan, to Pandan in Bulacao, to Arasiang in Barangay Union, to Tanke in Barangay Sta.Ana , to Aropag in Barangay Ariman and into the sea.

The Tingting River serves the northwestern part of the municipality. From a small brook in Manapao, it flows to Caragti in Barangay Carriedo, to Carriedo proper , then to Maroc-baroc and Tingting in Barangay San Ignacio, then to the southern part of Barangay Tiris and flows out to the sea. Another source originates from Barangay Casili, to Barangay Payawin, to Barangay Jupi and then merges at Tingting. From Tingting, rivulets and creeks traverse the outlying plains of the different sitios of Barangay Dita and barangays Lapinig and Patag. All rivers in the municipality empty at the Pacific Ocean.

There are four all-weather roads from the poblacion going to the rural barangays. A national road connects the poblacion to the city of Sorsogon, and the town of Barcelona, while a provincial road connects the poblacion to the municipalities of Prieto Diaz and Casiguran.

Unchecked spot elevations in the municipality are found in Barangay Tigkiw at 135 meters, Bentuco, 115 meters, Togawe at 95 meters, Naagtan at 87 meters, and part of Cabigaan and Bagacay at 73 meters. The other barangays have an average elevation of 24 meters.

Geology

A typical coastal town, the municipal terrain contains alluvial deposits mostly sand, gravel, silt and clay, sandstone, tuffaceous elastic rocks, and siltstone. A portion of the northwestern boundary contains deposits of coal waiting to be tapped commercially.

Soil

Different soil types characterize the terrestrial territory of the Municipality of Gubat. These are Bascaran clay, comprised of 2,834 hectares; clay loam, 4,877 hectares; sandy loam, 240 hectares; hydrosoil, 354 hectares; fine sandy loam, 406 hectares; and fine clay loam, 1,709 hectares. The coastal barangays are the hydrosoil type or the beach type of soil.

The clay loam, fine clay loam and the Bascaran clay are the primary medium, of agriculture in the municipality. The clay loam, which has the biggest area coverage, is found in the low lands while the Bascaran clay is found exclusively in the highlands.



Soil Characteristics

Clay Loam

Depth Characteristics

0-40 cm Surface soil, clay loam, dark brown to brick reddish brown; coarse granular to blocky; highly plastic when wet, but becomes brittle upon drying. It has a fair organic matter content and is well penetrated by roots. Boundary to the subsoil is wavy and diffused.

40-110 cm Subsoil, clay, reddish brown, dark brown to brown; coarse granular to columnar. It is mottled black and gray, highly plastic and sticky when wet , and brittle and hard when dry. It is moderately compact. Boulders are present in some places in this layer. It has diffused and wavy boundary to the lower layer.

110-170 Lower subsoil, clay, dark brown to reddish brown; blocky to columnar. Presence of gray and bluish streaks and concretions. Boundary to the substratum is clear.

170-200 Substratum, clay, dark brown to reddish brown; moderately compact and columnar with plenty of concretions. Underneath is reddish orange and gray and highly weathered parent material.

Bascaran Clay

0-40 Surface soil, clay, brownish gray to grayish brown and light reddish brown; moderately compact; blocky structure; slightly plastic when wet; fair amount of organic matter. Gravel is present.

40-65 Subsoil, silty clay to clay, grayish brown to dark brown with abundant brick red streaks; plastic when wet and brittle when dry; coarse columnar. Weathered yellowish gravel is present in this layer. Boundary is diffused and smooth to the lower horizon.

65-115 Lower subsoil, clay, brownish gray splotched with red; columnar and contains yellowish orange gravel. Boundary is smooth and diffused.

115-150 Substratum, clay, yellowish brown, grayish brown to brownish gray, massive. Compact.

Hydrosoil

The hydrosoil in the Municipality of Gubat comprises the areas of swamps and marshes. The areas are under water practically the whole year round, and are extensive along the Gubat coastline. The hydrosoil is generally characterized by a brackish aqueous horizon that is about 100 centimeters deep or more depending upon the rise and fall of the tide. Underneath the aqueous layer is the sub-aqueous horizon. It is slimy, brownish gray to grayish brown to light gray, fine to coarse sandy clay to silty clay with plenty of plant remains. The depth ranges from 35 to 80 centimeters. The basal horizon is also slimy, ashy gray sandy clay. The depth ranges from 80 to 150 centimeters or more from the sub-aqueous surface.

Fine Sandy Loam

0-15 Surface soil, fine sandy loam, black to grayish black; friable; fine granular; loose and mellow in all moisture conditions. Fair in organic content and no stones. boundary to the subsoil is smooth and clear.

30-60 Lower subsoil, silt loam, brown to grayish brown and mottled brown; structureless; very compact in dry and wet conditions. Boundary to substratum is smooth and diffused.

60-150 Substratum, sandy loam, light gray and compact. Below the substratum is a layer of dark gray clay.

Clay Loam

0-60 Surface soil, clay loam; grayish black to reddish brown; coarse granular and moderately compact; slightly sticky and plastic when wet and very crumbly when dry. Contain good amount of organic matter and coarse skeleton is present on areas along rivers. Boundary to the subsoil is clear and weavy.

60-80 Subsoil, clay; reddish brown to strong brown; coarse granular to columnar; moderately compact; very sticky and plastic when wet. In some places, stones are present. Boundary to the lower layer is diffused and wavy.

80-120 Lower subsoil, clay; dark brown to reddish brown with bluish black mottling; coarse columnar. Free from stones. Boundary to the substratum is clear and smooth.

120-below Substratum, clay; arrange brown to reddish brown speckled yellow and black; coarse granular. This layer rests on highly weathered sandstone and tuff.

Slope

The town is predominantly level to nearly level to very gently sloping (0-9%) spread over 7,350 hectares that represent 70.4% of the total land area. The gently sloping (9-18%) is 857 hectares or 8.3% of the total land area widely scattered over the whole municipal area. Moderately sloping or rolling to strongly sloping or strongly rolling has an area of 2,032 hectares contributing 19.6% of the total land area. This type is situated in the northern part of the municipality. The strongly hilly to mountainous portion of more than 30 % and located on the southwest side of the municipality has a total land area of 181 hectares and is 1.7% of the total land area.

Texture of Soil Surface
Soil Surface Land Area in Has. Percent to Total
Clay (Bascaran Clay) 3,658.67 27.2
Clay Loam (Castilla Clay Loam) 6,295.07 46.8
Sandy Loam 309.37 2.3
Loam (Hydrosoil) 457.33 3.4
Fine Sandy Loam 524.59 3.9
Fine Clay Loam 2,205.96 16.4
TOTAL 13,451.00 100

Slope Classification
Slope Land Area in Has. % to Total Slope Grouping Interpretation
0 -2.5% 7626.717 56.70 A - Level to nearly level
2.6% - 5% 1842.787 13.70 B - Very gently sloping
5.1% - 10% 1116.433 8.30 C - Gently sloping
10.1% - 15% 981.923 7.30 D - Mod. sloping or rolling
15.1% - 25% 1654.473 12.30 E - Strongly sloping or rolling
25.1% Above 228.667 1.70 F - Strong. hilly or mountainous
TOTAL 13,451.00 100.00

GENERAL LAND USE

The General Land Use classification in the municipality will include the built-up area having an area of 268.4756 hectares making up the poblacion and the respective barangay “visitas” and sitios. Agriculture with such diverse crop use as rice paddies, coconut land, vegetable and other related use has an area of 9,967.9065 hectares. Forest with an area of 18.1 hectares is situated mostly on the mountainous section of the municipality. Swamp marshlands are distributed along the coast having an area of 135.5209 hectares, and open grassland doting the agricultural section has an area of 20 hectares. A meager are of 1.0008 hectares located in Barangay Tagaytay will be reclassified into special use and assigned into a controlled dumpsite.

The urban section in the municipality is the poblacion composed of 8 barangays. The poblacion becomes the town’s socio-cultural, economic, political center. The poblacion has a total area of 117.4726 hectares with diverse land use classification traversed by an almost parallel road network forming a grid pattern of settlement on a coastal development.

The existing commercial district lies primarily in Barangay Luna-Candol and some portions of the respective jurisdiction of Manook, Pinontingan, Paradijon, and Balud del Sur. It has an area of approximately 11 hectares. It serves all the barangays of Gubat and the adjacent municipalities of Prieto Diaz, Barcelona and Bulusan, and the Municipality of Biri in Northern Samar. The commercial area is 6.48% of the total urban land area with a density of 130 persons per hectare.

Residential areas surround the central business section on a concentric pattern spread over 54.7712 hectares or 45.62% of the total urban built up area. It has a density of 184 persons per hectare.

The existing institutional areas are scattered at the light residential areas having a total of 23.0656 hectares or 19.63% of the urban area. These include schools, churches, government buildings, protective service buildings and other public and semi public structures.

Cottage industries are likewise widely scattered in the poblacion comprising an area of 4.1792 hectares or 3.65% of the total urban land area. The open spaces are made up of parks, cemeteries, vacant lots, and green belts have an area of 3.6032 hectares or 3.07% of the total urban land area.

The road network in the poblacion has a total area of 133,510 square meters or 13.510 hectares representing 11.37% of the total urban land area.


URBAN LAND USE

The “poblacion” or the urban center of the municipality lies on the Eastern portion halfway between the Northern and Southern extremes of the town. It is divided into eight barangays. The respective territorial jurisdiction have the following land area: Pinontingan, 17.84 has; Luna-Candol, 14.65 has; Paradijon, 14.06 has; Panganiban, 13.63 has; Manook, 11.62 has; Balud del Norte, 9.11 has; Balud Sur, 9.70 has; and Cota na Daco, 8.94 has. The total area is 99.55 hectares. Barangay Cogon having an area of 137.60 hectares and a portion of Barangay San Ignacio fronting Barangay Cogon with an area of approximately 20 hectares are included in the computation for the total urban area.

The poblacion has diverse land uses that traversed by an almost parallel road network forming a grid pattern of settlement on a coastal development.

The existing commercial district is located mostly in Barangay Luna-Candol and portions of Manook, Pinontingan, Paradijon and Balud del Sur and has a total area of approximately 6 hectares or 5.10% of the total land area with a density of 130 persons per hectare. However, the area has mixed land uses where residential, industrial and institutional edifices are located.

The residential area surrounds the central business sector spread over 54.7712 hectares or 46.62% of the total land area. It has a density of 184 persons per hectares. It is also of mix uses like commercial and industrial uses.

The existing institutional areas are scattered in the eight residential areas with a total land area of 23.0656 has or 19.63% of the total urban area. These include schools, churches and other places of worship, government buildings, protective services buildings and other public and semi public structures.

Industries classified as cottage industries are widely scattered in the poblacion comprising an area of 4.1792 hectares or 3.6% of the total urban land area.

Agricultural uses although little economic benefits are derived from the one still being farmed in barangays Cota Na Daco, Manook, Paradijon, Luna-Candol and Panganiban with an area of approximately 12.509 hectares.

The open spaces are made of parks, cemeteries, vacant lots and green belts with an area of approximately 3.6032 hectares or 3.06% of the total land area.

The road network in the poblacion has a total area of 13.51 hectares representing 11.37% of the total urban land area.

Erosion Condition & Potentials
Erosion Condition Land Area in Hectares Percent to Total
Not Susceptible 6,321.97 47.00
Slightly Susceptible 941.57 7.00
Moderately Susceptible 134.51 1.00
Highly Susceptible 941.57 7.00
Very Highly Susceptible 5,111.38 38.00
TOTAL 13,451.00 100.00