Bombon, Camarines Sur

Bombon, officially the Municipality of Bombon (Central Bikol: Banwaan kan Bombon; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bombon), is a municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 17,346 people.^[5]

It is a quiet town known for its natural scenery and calm environment. Green fields and wide rice farms surround the area, giving it a fresh and peaceful setting.^[6]

Like any other municipalities in the province, Bombon also started as a barrio or visita. It was dependent on the older town of Quipayo for nearly 240 years, now a barangay of Calabanga. It became an independent town with the arrival of the American military government on February 11, 1900, but upon establishment of the U.S.-controlled Insular Government of the Philippine Islands in 1903, Bombon was annexed to Calabanga, then made a barrio of Magarao.

It was again made a separate municipality through Executive Order 251 dated July 27, 1949, signed by President Elpidio Quirino. Appointed officials at the time were José Buenagua Sr, Mayor; Juan Nale, Casiano Aburro, Manuel Rojo, and Julián Sumangid, Councilors.

In 1993, by E.O. 102 of President Fidel V. Ramos, Bombon was included in the creation of the Metro Naga Development Council together with the towns of Bula, Calabanga, Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Magarao, Milaor, Minalabac, Ocampo, Pamplona, Pasacao, Pili, and San Fernando.

The Leaning Bell Tower found in this municipality serves as a historical attraction. Bombon celebrates its Foundation Anniversary every August 13.

Bombon is politically subdivided into 8 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Pagao (San Juan)
• San Antonio
• San Francisco
• San Isidro (Poblacion)
• San Jose (Poblacion)
• San Roque (Poblacion)
• Santo Domingo
• Siembre

In the 2020 census, the population of Bombon, Camarines Sur, was 17,995 people,^[13] with a density of 630 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,600 inhabitants per square mile.

• 97.75% in both rural as well as urban areas
• Almost half of the population 5 years and older have reached elementary grade and about 25.8% have finished high school

• 15 years and older - about 3,590 or 55% are in the active labor force while the remaining 45% are schooling, disabled, or home caretaker
• Majority (3,590) of the population in the active force are gainfully employed with only 158 as unemployed
• Agriculture and its complementary industries are the major sources of employment

• 98% of the population considers Bikol as their first language
• Tagalog: 1.67%
• English language as second language

• Approximately ninety five percent (95%) of the population is Roman Catholics
• 5% subdivided into the different modern sects of religion such as the Iglesia ni Cristo, UCCP, Aglipay, Born Again, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist and other forms religious affiliation

• 71% of the total housing units are considered single dwelling and it is mostly made-up

of concrete and semi-permanent materials

• Shanties or "barong-barong" accounts to about 29% of the total number of housing units

Poverty incidence of Bombon

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]}

Due to its extreme proximity to Calabanga's town proper usually Bombonenos go to Calabanga for trade and buying while leaving the town behind.

Despite staying as a fourth class municipality more developments are happening in town, this was made possible by the local government of the town, including the government of Camarines Sur. Being strategically located in two booming municipalities the town of Calabanga in the north and Naga City to the south the town itself is already a small growing municipality. Its proximity to Naga City is also one of the reasons why there are developments in Bombon.

Bombon was formerly included in the Metro Naga area before the designation was discontinued in 2017.

• Major Crops:
  • Active agricultural area: About 3,978.7580 hectares
  • Mostly planted with rice either irrigated, rainfed or upland rice
    • Irrigated paddy rice has an estimated area of about 1,028.75 hectares while rainfed and upland rice occupies about 564.87 and 33 hectares, respectively
    • Corn areas comprise 38.75 hectares and sugarcane has 118.18 hectares
• Livestock and Poultry Production
  • As of 1999, area has an estimated animal population of about 6,374 heads
    • 3,740 or 59% are poultry and 2,634 or 41% are livestock
    • Chicken has an aggregate number of 2,567 and ducks with 1,053 heads
    • Major livestock raise is swine with 1,850 heads while carabao and sheep/goat have 176 and 203 heads, respectively

• Current police ratio to the population is 1:1,363

Health facilities consist of the following:

• 1 Rural Health Unit
• 1 barangay station

The Magarao-Bombon Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[22]

• Siembre High School
• Sulpicio A. Roco Memorial High School

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Official Site of the Province of Camarines Sur
• Official website