Sara, officially theMunicipality of Sara (Hiligaynon:Banwa sang Sara,Tagalog:Bayan ng Sara), is amunicipality in theprovince ofIloilo,Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 54,637 people.^[3]

Sara
Municipality
Municipality of Sara
Typical farm in Sara
Flag Seal
Map of Iloilo with Sara highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Sara Location within thePhilippines
Coordinates:11°15′N123°01′E / 11.25°N 123.02°E /11.25; 123.02
Country	Philippines
Region	Western Visayas
Province	Iloilo
District	5th district
Barangays	42 (seeBarangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jon N. Aying
• Vice Mayor	Jess A. Salcedo
• Representative	Raul C. Tupas
• Municipal Council	Members Delson T. Sonza Jr. Dexter B. de la Rama Murve D. Muyco Antonio Martin S. Tedoco III Esther Rose B. Mallo Francis Xavier A. Salcedo Jeneda C. Salcedo Isalio M. Jalandoni
• Electorate	38,464 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	169.02 km2 (65.26 sq mi)
Elevation	50 m (160 ft)
Highest elevation	245 m (804 ft)
Lowest elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	54,637
• Density	320/km2 (840/sq mi)
• Households	14,218
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	24.63 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 275.5 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 399.9 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 204.6 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 96.44 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Iloilo 3 Electric Cooperative (ILECO 3)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	5014
PSGC	063044000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)33
Native languages	Hiligaynon Capisnon Tagalog
Website	sarailoilo.com

Sara is 98 kilometres (61 mi) fromIloilo City and is 89 kilometres (55 mi) fromRoxas City.

1877– the Spaniards who have travelled the northward coast of Iloilo had discovered natives who with their houses built near the seashore called this "Lakdayan". The Spaniards established a seat of government in Concepcion. Its surrounding barrios are San Dionisio, Ajuy and Sara. The head of the local government of Concepcion was called Kapitan while the subordinate leaders in San Dionisio were called Tenientes and Cabezas de Barangay.

Barangay of San Dionisio includes

1. Odiongan
2. Capinang
3. Cudionan
4. Bagacay
5. Nipa

1877 – A village of San Juan separated from Concepcion and became a town . San Dionisio and Lemery were attached to San Juan . The Augustinians Fathers founded Sara into a "pueblo" under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist, whose feast is celebrated on June 24. Formerly, it's just barrio San Juan that includes much of Ajuy. It became a regular parish in 1895 with father Paulino Diaz as curate.

Barangay of SaraIlongbukid, Maremhon, Lawa-an, Bai-ran, Batuan, Agsinapot, Maligayligay, Samponongbolo, Alabidhan, Ambolong, Busay, Caburra, Asue Pabriaga, Balabago, Alawehao, Quinasop-an, Bolod, Aglahog, Madarag, Serruco, Salvacion, Ajuz, Talisay, Masonson, Quipot, Quipot, Damasco.^[5]

Sara and Ajuy remained the top sugar producers in Iloilo until the onset of the American colonization, followed by Balasan, Passi and Dingle (Panay Directory and Souvenir Book, 1937).

In 1928, the Central Azucarera de Sara-Ajuy was incorporated by the Ynchausti y Cia, and established a sugar mill in Ajuy (Annual Report of the Governor General of the Philippine Islands, 1929).

Sara-Ajuy sugar central's production steadily increased, starting with 1,842 tons in 1929, it climbed to 4,046 tons and 4,716 tons in 1930 and 1931, respectively (American Chamber of Commerce Journal, August 1931).

It became the top sugar producer in Iloilo by the late 1930s, followed by the Central Santos-Lopez in Barotac Nuevo, the Philippine Starch and Sugar Co. in Janiuay and the Central Lourdes in Dingle.

Before World War II broke out, the Central Azucarera de Sara-Ajuy recorded a production of 108,725.52 piculs during the crop year 1941–1942.

"However, in the course of the Japanese invasion... there came a total blackout on the sugar milling activities," wrote historian Henry Funtecha in "Iloilo in the 20th Century: An Economic History (1997)".

After the war, Central Azucarera de Sara-Ajuy briefly resumed operations but found it difficult to recover until it eventually closed.^[6]

Sara District Hospital was founded in 1960s in Anoring, Sara as co-referral hospital for Lemery, San Dionisio, Ajuy and Conception, Iloilo.

Sara is politically subdivided into 42barangays. ^[7] Each barangay consists ofpuroks and some havesitios.

In 1957, Congress enactedRepublic Act No. 1733 which renamed a lot of these barangays.^[8]

In the 2020 census, the population of Sara, Iloilo, was 54,637 people,^[3] with a density of 320 inhabitants per square kilometre or 830 inhabitants per square mile.

Poverty incidence of Sara

Sara is the Banking Center in Northern Iloilo where a number of banks are located such as Land Bank of the Philippines, RCBC and one network bank. Gaisano Grand Mall – Sara was opened on July 31, 2019.

• 107.5 Hot FM
• List of Radio & Television Station in Iloilo

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System