THE GOVERNOR

With an unwavering commitment to serve the people of Camarines Sur, Governor Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. has dedicated his life to uplifting the province through dynamic leadership and forward-looking programs. A graduate of the prestigious University of the Philippines, he honed his knowledge and skills to prepare himself for public service, which later paved the way for his groundbreaking projects in governance.

During his first three terms as Governor from 2004 to 2013, he championed development programs that energized the local economy and improved the quality of life for every Camarinense. His leadership in the House of Representatives as Congressman of the 2nd District (2016–2025) and as Deputy Speaker of the 18th Congress further strengthened his voice in shaping policies for national and local progress.

Now, as he returns as the newly elected Governor of Camarines Sur in 2025, Governor LRay brings with him a renewed vision and proven experience. With a heart for innovation and genuine public service, he is set to lead the province toward even greater growth and opportunities for all.

LOCATION

Camarines Sur is located in the central part of the Bicol Peninsula, the southeastern part of Luzon Island. It is located between 140 10' and 130 15' North Latitude and between 1240 10' and 1220 40' East Longitude. It is bounded on the north by the province of Quezon and Camarines Norte, San Miguel Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. On its south is the province of Albay, its east the Lagonoy Gulf, and its west the Ragay Gulf.

TOPOGRAPHY

Camarines Sur is hilly and mountainous with a flat central area known as the Bikol plain. It is generally flat at the midsection, between mountain ranges, with other small coastal plains on the northeastern coast. These areas are circumscribed by rolling hills. The ravines are deep, while steep slopes are covered only by cogon. Mangroves and nipa swamps form along both coasts of the province.

The Caramoan peninsula is rough and mountainous with an elevation as high as 904 meters above sea level. The Ragay coast, meanwhile, is hilly and rolling. The province has two inactive volcanoes in its central and southern part, namely Mt. Isarog, with an elevation of 1, 976 meters, and Mt. Iriga, with an elevation of 1, 196 meters.

Two mountain ranges also envelope the province. The Tangkong Baka mountain range, which is the lower portion of the Sierra Madre mountain system, and the Calinigan Mountain Range (904 meters), which is located in the Partido area. Other mountains in the province are Mt. Sugutin (366 meters), Mt. Tiis (610 meters), Saddle Peak (1,028 meters), Triple Peak (638 meters), Mt. Putianay (640 meters), Mt. Elizario (508 meters), and Mt. Talitig (385 meters).

HYDROGRAPHY

SOIL

Soil texture ranges from clayey to gravelly. The Bicol plain consists of loam, clay loam, and deposits with silt materials along the banks of the Bicol River. Generally, the surface is moderately dense and compact. The plains and valleys of Camarines Sur are covered by secondary soils, while its hills and mountains are covered by primary soils. The soils of the province are divided into 3 general groups, namely:

A

soils of plains and valleys from Pili, San Miguel Guigua or Balongay series;

B

soils of hills and mountains from Tigaon, Bacolod, Faraon and Luisana seriest; and

C

miscellaneous land types from hydrosol or undifferentiated mountains soil.

LAND USE

It is the largest among the six provinces of the Bicol Region, with a land area of 526, 682 hectares. This is 29.87% of the total area of the Bicol Region and 1.75% of the total area of the Philippines.

LAND AREA

The existing land use of the province may be classified into 5 main categories:

Agricultural areas- areas devoted to agriculture, such as irrigated and rain-fed areas, and lands devoted to crops and fruit trees;

Grassland/Shrubland- consists of grasses, shrubs, and pasture lands;

Forest land- includes primary and secondary forest lands and kaingin areas;

Wet land areas- consist of mangrove, marshland, and fishponds; and

Miscellaneous- areas occupied by residential, commercial, built-up uses, rivers, lakes, beaches, rocks, volcanic ash, and other uses.;

The existing land use of Camarines Sur is still predominantly agricultural. The next biggest land use in terms of land area is grassland, shrubland.

LAND USE CATEGORY

land	area covered
Classified Alienable & Disposable	362,624
Agricultural	295,111
Residential	19,181
Commercial	2,150
Industrial	4,200
Grazing Land	22,524
Mineral Reservation	2,000
Other Land Uses	20,458
Unclassified Forestland	4,354
Unclassified Forestland	156,704
Timberland (upland)	127,325
Forest Reserve	15,027
National Park	13,145
Civil Reserve	73
Fishpond	1,134
total	526,682

TOWN / CITIES AREA (H.a)

baao	10,663
balatan	9,309
bato	10,712
bombon	2,873
buhi	24,665
bula	16,764
cabuso	4,680
calabanga	16,380
camaligan	468
canaman	4,327
caramoan	27,600
del gallego	20,831
gainza	1,475
garchitorena	24,380
goa	20,318
iriga city	13,735
lagonoy	37,790
libmanan	34,282
lupi	19,912

baao	10,663
balatan	9,309
magarao	4,497
milaor	3,364
minalabac	12,610
nabua	9,620
naga city	8,448
ocampo	11,833
pamplona	8,060
pasacao	14,954
pili	12,625
presentacion	14,380
ragay	40,022
sangay	14,476
san fernando	7,176
san jose	4,307
sipocot	24,343
siruma	14,127
tigaon	7,235
tinambac	35,162
total	548,703

CAMSUR

PROFILE