San Vicente, Northern Samar
It is an island-municipality composed of seven islands of the Naranjo Island Group: Sila, Tarnate, Sangputan, Panganoron (Medio), Mahaba (Rasa), Maragat (San Andres) and Destacado where the town proper is located. Destacado island is in the southernmost part of the group of islands comprising the municipality.
Locals speak Cebuano language and part Waray-Waray. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 6,928 people. It is the smallest municipality in the province, both in area and population.
The island municipality of San Vicente consists of six major islands; Destacado, Panganoron, Mahaba, Maragat, Sila, Tarnate, Sangputan. The islands of Panganoron, Mahaba, Maragat, Sila Tarnate and Sangputan form a circle of island group while Destacado lies in the far south of the group. The seat of government and town center is located in Destacado Island which is separated several nautical miles from the rest of the group. Other smaller islands also form part of the municipality of San Vicente.
Geography
Barangays
San Vicente is politically subdivided into 7 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
- Destacado Poblacion (Barangay 2)
- Maragat (Maragat Island)
- Mongol Bongol Poblacion (Barangay 1)
- Punta Poblacion (Barangay 3)
- Sangputan
- Sila (Sila Island)
- Tarnate
Climate
| Climate data for San Vicente, Northern Samar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29 (84) |
29 (84) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
30 (87) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
24 (74) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 39 (1.5) |
34 (1.3) |
42 (1.7) |
36 (1.4) |
73 (2.9) |
109 (4.3) |
118 (4.6) |
108 (4.3) |
129 (5.1) |
165 (6.5) |
112 (4.4) |
89 (3.5) |
1,054 (41.5) |
| Average rainy days | 12.6 | 9.7 | 12 | 13 | 20.5 | 25.3 | 26.2 | 24.8 | 25.2 | 25.9 | 21.9 | 17.9 | 235 |
| Source: Meteoblue | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,122 | — |
| 1975 | 4,184 | +0.30% |
| 1980 | 4,786 | +2.72% |
| 1990 | 5,777 | +1.90% |
| 1995 | 5,970 | +0.62% |
| 2000 | 5,831 | −0.50% |
| 2007 | 6,506 | +1.52% |
| 2010 | 7,447 | +5.04% |
| 2015 | 7,856 | +1.02% |
| 2020 | 6,928 | −2.44% |
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority | ||
Economy
Poverty incidence of San Vicente
10
20
30
40
50
60
2006
30.10 2009
43.45 2012
45.68 2015
53.16 2018
37.31 2021
25.23 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority |
Since San Vicente is an island municipality, the primary source of income is fishing. Tourism is an untapped potential source of livelihood and jobs, but it is undeveloped. The islands of Sila, Tarnate, Sangputan, Panganoron, Maragat, and Mahaba boast of white sand beaches. At Sila island, a pink sand beach is tucked on its coast.