Sofronio Española | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Sofronio Española | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map of Palawan with Sofronio Española highlighted | |
OpenStreetMap  | |
.svg)  Sofronio Española Location within thePhilippines | |
| Coordinates:8°57′17″N117°59′38″E / 8.954756°N 117.994008°E /8.954756; 117.994008 | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Mimaropa |
| Province | Palawan |
| District | 2nd district |
| Founded | June 5, 1995 |
| Named after | Sofronio Española |
| Barangays | 9 (seeBarangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Abner Rafael N. Tesorio |
| • Vice Mayor | Marsito C. Acoy |
| • Representative | Jose C. Alvarez |
| • Municipal Council | Members
|
| • Electorate | 24,345 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 473.91 km2 (182.98 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 37 m (121 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 204 m (669 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 39,371 |
| • Density | 83.077/km2 (215.17/sq mi) |
| • Households | 9,918 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 2nd municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 21.31 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 350.3 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 812.2 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 264.6 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 322.9 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 5324 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)48 |
| Native languages | Palawano Tagalog |
Sofronio Española, officially theMunicipality of Sofronio Española (Tagalog:Bayan ng Sofronio Española), is amunicipality in theprovince ofPalawan,Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 39,371 people.[5]
It is the province's newest municipality, officially established on June 5, 1995, and Iber Chou became the first Municipality Mayor, whenRepublic Act No. 7679 partitioned the town fromBrooke's Point.[6] It was named after the late PalawanRepresentative andGovernor Sofronio Española.[7]
The creation of the Municipality of Sofronio Española took nearly three decades. Resolution No. 120 dated December 12, 1988 of the Sangguniang Bayan of Brooke’s Point proposed the separation of its northern barangays, namely, Abo-Abo, Isumbo, Panitian, Labog, Punang, Iraray, Pulot Shore, Pulot Center and Pulot Interior, into a new municipality. The proposed municipality was to be called Sofronio Española in honor of the late Congressman Sofronio Española of the then lone district of Palawan. Barangay Resolution dated April 16, 1990 of Barangay Pulot reinforced this move, requesting Hon. Ramon V. Mitra, Jr., then Speaker of the House of Representatives, to facilitate the creation of the new municipality.
On July 9, 1992, Hon. Alfredo E. Abueg, Jr., then congressman of the Second District of Palawan, filed House Bill No. 60, an Act creating the Municipality of Sofronio Española in the Province of Palawan. To expedite the approval of this bill, Board Member Cipriano Barroma sponsored Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 120 on April 16, 1993.
The House of Representatives approved Republic Act 7679, the law creating the Municipality of Sofronio Española in the Province of Palawan on August 3, 1993, and by the Senate on November 25, 1993. Finally, the law creating Sofronio Española was lapsed into law.
Section 1 of RA 7679 states that Barangays Pulot Center, Pulot Shore (Pulot I), Pulot Interior (Pulot II), Iraray, Punang, Labog, Panitian, Isumbo and Abo-Abo are to be separated from the Municipality of Brooke’s Point and constituted into a distinct and independent municipality of the province to be known as the Municipality of Sofronio Española. The seat of government shall be in Barangay Pulot Center.
Sofronio Española is located in the southern part of Palawan along its eastern seaboard, beginning at kilometer 128.1 to kilometer 166 of the National Highway (Puerto Princesa City, South Road). It lies approximately between 8 53’3.58” to 9 11’26.26” North and 117 51’24.42” to 118 7’35.58” East. It is bounded on the north byNarra, on the south byBrooke's Point, on the east by the Sulu Sea, and on the West byQuezon. It is 163 kilometres (101 mi) fromPuerto Princesa.
Sofronio Española is politically subdivided into 9barangays. Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.
| Climate data for Sofronio Española | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 25 (76) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 85 (3.3) | 69 (2.7) | 100 (3.9) | 105 (4.1) | 202 (8.0) | 246 (9.7) | 241 (9.5) | 215 (8.5) | 236 (9.3) | 262 (10.3) | 231 (9.1) | 144 (5.7) | 2,136 (84.1) |
| Average rainy days | 15.6 | 13.3 | 17.5 | 19.9 | 27.4 | 28.1 | 29.4 | 28.6 | 28.6 | 28.8 | 26.4 | 21.0 | 284.6 |
| Source: Meteoblue[8] | |||||||||||||
Sofronio Española is characterized by type I climate – a pronounced wet and dry season. The wet season is from May to November, while the dry season is from December to April. The prevailing winds in the municipality are the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat). The Northeast Monsoon blows the sea into fury from November to March. The Southwest Monsoon is stronger than the Northeast Monsoon with gusts of up 60kph or more and usually blows from June to September. In between the two-monsoon wind is the lull season. This is usually during the months of April and May of every year. During this period, the sea is as smooth as glass, and since it is also the peak of the dry season, it is the best time for sea travel and other sea activities.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 22,986 | — |
| 2000 | 26,801 | +3.35% |
| 2007 | 28,698 | +0.95% |
| 2010 | 29,997 | +1.62% |
| 2015 | 32,876 | +1.76% |
| 2020 | 37,416 | +2.76% |
| 2024 | 39,371 | +1.23% |
| Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[9][10][11][12][13] | ||
In the 2020 census, the population of Sofronio Española was 37,416 people,[14] with a density of 79 inhabitants per square kilometre or 200 inhabitants per square mile.
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Based on the religion of the population of Sofronio Española in 2024, the majority wereChristianity (96.4%), followed byIslam (3.2%), and others (0.4%). In this municipality, Christianity, especiallyCatholicism, is practiced byTagalog-speaking people and theindigenous peoples of Palawan. Meanwhile, Islam is practiced by some of the nativePalawano people, as well asMoro immigrants, especially theMaranao andTausug.
Barangay Abo-Abo is one of the first places where the Muslim ofTausug people officially established a settlement, during the Spanish government era, precisely during the reign of the 31stSultan of Sulu,Harun Ar-Rashid, was exiled to Palawan in 1894.
Poverty incidence of Sofronio Española
Source:Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]
The Brooke's Point II (Sofronio Española) 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.[23]
Places adjacent to Sofronio Española | ||||||||||||||||
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 Province ofPalawan | |
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Puerto Princesa (capital and largest city) | |
| Municipalities | |
| Highly urbanized city |
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