Santa Margarita, Samar

Santa Margarita, officially the Municipality of Santa Margarita (Waray: Bungto han Santa Margarita; Tagalog: Bayan ng Santa Margarita), is a municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,816 people.^[3]

Santa Margarita Magsohong
Municipality
Municipality of Santa Margarita
Welcome marker at Pan-Philippine Highway
Flag
Map of Samar with Santa Margarita highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Santa Margarita Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°02′16″N 124°39′28″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Samar
District	1st district
Barangays	36 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Felix Roma Panganoron
• Vice Mayor	Erdie Llepun de los Santos
• Representative	Stephen James T. Tan
• Councilors	List • Soledad P. Deloraya • Winefreda D. Relos • Jesus C. Egot • Edwin L. Delos Santos • Maria Liza J. Pedrosa • Ponciano A. Alegria, Jr. • Felix C. Tabogoc, Jr. • Ma. Josefina A. Escuadra GMA Eleksyon 2022 Results
• Electorate	24,881 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	129.12 km2 (49.85 sq mi)
Elevation	29 m (95 ft)
Highest elevation	247 m (810 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	26,816
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
• Households	6,348
Economy
• Income class	4th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	31.50 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 194.1 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 375.2 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 158.9 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 59.75 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Samar 1 Electric Cooperative (SAMELCO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	6718
PSGC	0806016000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)55
Native languages	Waray Tagalog

Formerly known as Magsohong, it is bounded to the north by the city of Calbayog and to the south by Gandara.

History

The town used to be a barrio in Calbayog named Magsohong. On June 29, 1878, the principalía of Magsohong petitioned the Gobierno Superior to establish Magsohong as an independent pueblo. They argued that Magsohong was four hours away from Calbayog, while it already had a casa real or a Juzgado de Paz of nipa,^[5] a church with a techada (roof) of nipa; a convent; an escuela also made of wood and nipa; and had more than 300 tributos. The petition was endorsed by the cura parroco, the Gobernadorcillo as well as the principalía of Calbayog. Fourteen years later, Royal Decree No. 25 dated September 25, 1892 approved the establishment of the pueblo of Magsohong renamed Santa Margarita. The new pueblo had three visitas: Balud, San Bernardo, and Londara.^[6] However, it remained under the parish of Calbayog.

Geography

Barangays

Santa Margarita is politically subdivided into 36 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Agrupacion
• Arapison
• Avelino
• Bahay
• Balud
• Bana-ao
• Burabod
• Cagsumje
• Cautod (Poblacion)
• Camperito
• Campeig
• Can-ipulan
• Canmoros
• Cinco
• Curry
• Gajo
• Hindang
• Ilo
• Imelda
• Inoraguiao
• Jolacao
• Lambao
• Mabuhay
• Mahayag
• Matayonas
• Monbon (Poblacion)
• Nabulo
• Napuro
• Napuro II
• Palale
• Panabatan
• Panaruan
• Roxas
• Salvacion
• Solsogon
• Sundara

Climate

Climate data for Santa Margarita, Samar
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28 (82)	29 (84)	29 (84)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	29 (85)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	21 (70)	21 (70)	21 (70)	22 (72)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	25 (77)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (73)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	72 (2.8)	52 (2.0)	65 (2.6)	62 (2.4)	87 (3.4)	129 (5.1)	153 (6.0)	124 (4.9)	147 (5.8)	157 (6.2)	139 (5.5)	117 (4.6)	1,304 (51.3)
Average rainy days	17.4	13.4	16.8	18.0	22.0	25.3	26.2	24.2	24.9	26.0	23.3	20.8	258.3
Source: Meteoblue [7]

Demographics

Population census of Santa Margarita

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	4,106	—
1918	8,028	+4.57%
1939	9,331	+0.72%
1948	10,940	+1.78%
1960	13,404	+1.71%
1970	15,814	+1.67%
1975	16,194	+0.48%
1980	16,922	+0.88%
1990	16,878	−0.03%
1995	19,146	+2.39%
2000	21,740	+2.76%
2007	23,488	+1.07%
2010	24,850	+2.07%
2015	26,348	+1.12%
2020	26,816	+0.35%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [8][9][10][11]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Santa Margarita

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 51.53 2003 70.54 2006 36.10 2009 40.73 2012 33.14 2015 36.35 2018 25.49 2021 31.50 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Tourism

• Arapison Falls
• Baluarte
• Burabod Picnic Grove
• Calvary Hill
• The Oldest Bell
• The Oldest Natural Spring Water
• Hell’s Fog Nature Oark
• Mamitagaytay ^[20]
• St. James Parish Sta Margarita

Culture

Alimango Festival

July 25 (Alimango Festival) - this dance festival revolves around the courtship between the female alimango (the mud crab Scylla serrata found in fishponds) Atabayi and the male Amamakhao. It also depicts the capture of the alimango with the use of the bobo and giant bentol (kinds of traps).^[21] Dancers, dressed as alimango, flex their hands as if to bite. Snare drums and talutang highlight the fast rhythm of the dance.