Parish Community

The total population of the parish is approximately 8,000 sparsely distributed along the sea coasts, river beds, denuded mountains and forest areas. There are two groups of indigenous people, namely: Batak and Tagbanua. Of the total population, 80% are Catholics.

Most of the areas are accessible through unpaved and rough feeder roads, while some communities only by motorized fishing boats, and those of the indigenous tribes can be reached only by forest trails. Electricity is available only in the three baranggays nearest the city proper that is in the radius of 47 kilometers.The only means of communication is through the mobile phone. The water supply of the dormitory comes from an artesian well that is only 20 feet deep and it was tested to be positive for thermo-tolerant fecal coliform.

The main livelihood of the people is fishing, low land and upland farming, hunting, harvesting of forest products like rattan and bamboo which are raw supplies for house construction and furniture and fixtures; honey and almasiga. Uneducated and unskilled, the people have slim possibility of improving their means of living.

These are the families where the beneficiaries of the program come from.

There are 3 public high schools, 11 public elementary schools, and 1 Catholic high school in the whole parish, composed of 8 baranggays and 29 chapel-based communities spread out in 92,000 hectares of forests and denuded land.