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San Buenaventura
Municipality of Buhi
Province of Camarines Sur

Background

San Buenaventura, previously known as Poblacion, is a barangay in the municipality of

Buhi, in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 Census, the city has

2,365 people. They constituted 2.91 percent of the entire population of Buhi.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a small group of refugees escaping the wrath of

Mayon Volcano established a tiny community in what is now known as Buhi. With time, these

people found a permanent community in a nearby location near the lake and prospered there.

The widespread migration of people escaping and being able to avoid catastrophic

tragedies such as Mayon's eruption was referred to as "naka-buhi" in the local language. The

local legend explains how the town came to be known as Buhi. The local settlers mistook the

query as a question about how they got to be in that location and responded with the phrase

"Naka-Buhi."

The community devoted itself to two patron saints. The first was St. Francis of Assisi in

the wooden church. Sadly, in 1730, a fire demolished the church. But a stone building designed

by Rev. Fray Jose de Cerda replaced it. Saint Anthony of Padua was also established, and his

feast day is celebrated on 4 October.

Buhi is not only recognized for its gorgeous Lake Buhi, but it is also the home to the

sinarapan, the world's smallest commercial fish and the world's tiniest commercial fish ever to

survive on Earth.
Geography

In the province of Camarines Sur, the town of Buhi is situated near the southwestern most

point. With the following geographic coordinates: 13 degrees 25' 32.4" north latitude and 123

degrees 30' 49.1" east longitude, it is bordered on the east by Mt. Malinao, on the west by Mt.

Asog, on the north by the Sagay-Buhi mountain ranges, and on the south by the low-lying fields

of Polangui, Albay,

The municipality is located 75 kilometers northeast of Legaspi City and 53 kilometers

south of Naga City, respectively, and is accessible by road.

Topography

Buhi's terrain is mostly steep and rugged. The geography of the Poblacion to the south of

the lake is gradually rolling.

Mountains such as Mt. Malinao (5,538 ft.) and Mt. Asog (4,852 ft.) dominate the town's

surface topography, with the maximum elevations of 1.143m and 1.584m above main sea level,

respectively, dominating the surface terrain. According to the government, the watershed

designated as a protected area by Presidential Proclamation No. 573 and Executive Order No.

224 encompasses 18,378 hectares of the country's total area. All the other regions have been

developed for agriculture, quarrying, and human habitation. The vegetation is mainly composed

of woods and secondary brushland on the higher slopes east and north of Lake Buhi.

The municipality are divided into four sectors, namely:

- The Poblacion

- The Lake/Mt. Asog sector

- The Road/cross road sector

- The Mountain sector, according to their location.

Climate

Warm and humid conditions prevail in Buhi. Temperatures reached 29.2 degrees Celsius

during the hottest months of March to June. In the rainy season, which runs from August to

February and has an average temperature of 24.7 degrees Celsius, the weather cools down

significantly. The annual average rainfall in Buhi is 2.53mm.

Demography

Buhi is made up of 38 barangays, six of which are located inside the Poblacion. As of

2007, the overall population of the city was 70,756 people. The growth rate is around 2.1

percent. The total number of households is 13,238, with an average household size of 5 people.

1.1 Land
It is estimated that the municipality has a total area of 22,855 hectares, with around 13,000
hectares of that land being included in the Rinconada watershed. Coconuts and other permanent
crops are grown in a portion of the watershed.

1.2 Agricultural Area

Irrigated farmland accounts for around 2,375 hectares, while non-irrigated farmland accounts for
approximately 600 hectares of the total land area. Within the Lake Buhi watershed, there are
about 2,811 hectares of open water areas.

1.3 Roads
In order to connect farms to markets and provide access from neighboring barangays,
transportation infrastructure is required. It is a difficulty on the road network in Buhi as
practically all of its roads are gravel, particularly those in the lakeside, roadside, and
mountainous areas.
1.4 Water
It is estimated that Buhi's lakes, lakelets, rivers, and streams cover an area of around 2,811
hectares.
The lakelets, particularly the sinarapan, are used as fish sanctuaries. The Lakelet of Manapao and
the Lakelet of Katugday are two of the lakelets that can be found in Buhi.
In addition to serving as drainage canals and water sources for irrigation, rivers and streams
provide habitat for wildlife.
Potable water is provided by the existing waterworks system in the three barangay sectors, which
serve 7,768 residents.
1.5 Forests
Buhi features steep terrain, with a slope of around 25 percent, covering almost half of the total
land area.

1.6 Human Resources

• Currently, the population is 70 756 people, and the total land area used for built-up
areas is 448 hectares.
• All aspects of local government administration and specialized areas like planning,
project development, program administration, budgeting, revenue administration, and
human resources are carried out by officials and workers from the local government
sector.
• The DSWD exists to care for, protect, and rehabilitate those with minor quality of life
and indigenous people (Agta) and return them to effective social functioning and
community activities.

Educational establishments
• No. of pre-schools: 33 public and 4 private schools
• No. of elementary schools: 33 public and 4 private schools
• No. of high schools: 3 private and 6 public schools
• No. of colleges: 1 state college
• No. of universities: 1 state university

Sources:
https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/r05/camarines-sur/buhi/san-buenaventura.html
https://lgu201.dilg.gov.ph/view.php?r=05&p=17&m=05
http://bdp.bgas-phil.net/pdf/bdp/18558
https://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?
title=San_Buenaventura_(Pob.),_Buhi,_Camarines_Sur,_Philippines