Buhi, officially the Municipality of Buhi (Buhinon: Banwaan nya Buhi; Rinconada Bikol: Banwāan ka Buhi; Tagalog: Bayan ng Buhi), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,306 people. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Lake Buhi is home to the world's smallest edible fish locally known as "Sinarapan". Buhi is not just known for Lake Buhi but it is likewise the home to the world's smallest commercial fish locally known as the sinarapan (Mystychtis luzonensis).

History

The town known today as Buhi began as a small settlement by refugees fleeing the outrage of Mayon Volcano hundreds of years ago. These people founded a permanent settlement in an area close to the lake and flourished as time passed. The general exodus of people fleeing and being able to escape grave calamities such as Mayon's eruption was known in local vernacular as "naka-buhi". Local lore takes this as the most probable explanation as to how the town acquired its present name – Buhi. One version of local legend attributes the town being accorded the name to the time when the first Spaniards came and asked local settlers the name of the area. The local settlers misunderstood the question as how they came to be there and so gave the response "Naka-Buhi". There were two patron saints with whom the town directed their devotion. The first was St. Francis of Assisi placed in the church made of wooden materials. Unfortunately, in 1730 the church was razed down by fire. It was, however, replaced by a stone structure built under the supervision of Rev. Fray Jose de Cerda. Another saint was installed, St. Anthony of Padua. The present Buhi Church was completed in 1884. The roof was destroyed by fire and fully repaired in 1890. On December 28, 1995, 13 people of Sitio Bogtong, Barangay Gabas were killed, three of whom were beheaded, by four gunmen inside a house, with survivors numbering at least seven. The massacre arose due to disputes over a 24-hectare farm land previously owned by the assassinated Cristito Nieva Jr. and his wife Ester; two of the victims, Estelito Campo and Alex Gaite, were petitioners in an agrarian case that had the Nieva couple as respondents. A witness pointed to brothers Toto and Rogelio "Crisboy" Clyde and two of their relatives as being the perpetrators of the crime.

Geography

Buhi is located in the south-eastern part of the province of Camarines Sur. It is bound on the east by Mount Malinao, on the west by Mount Asog and Iriga City, on the north by Sagñay-Buhi mountain ranges and on the south by the low-lying ranges of Polangui, Albay, with the following coordinates: 13 degrees 25’ 32.4" north latitude and 123 degrees 30’ 49.1" east longitude. It is 75 km north-east of Legaspi City and 53 km and south of Naga City. The municipality has been divided into five sectors, namely:

Barangays

Buhi is politically subdivided into 38 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Topography

Buhi has generally mountainous and hilly surface, with 50% of its area having a slope of around 25%. The Poblacion located on the south shore of Lake Buhi, has gently rolling topography. Mt. Malinao and Mt. Asog dominate the town's surface terrain whose highest elevations are 1548 m and 1196 m above main sea level respectively. Itbog Falls located in Barangay Santa Cruz, on the south-eastern side of Lake Buhi, is a 60 ft twin waterfalls. It could be reached by means of a motorized boat ride from the town proper, then a 30-minute trek.

Climate

Buhi has a warm, humid climate. During the warmest months from March to June, temperatures reach 29.2 C. The weather cools off during the rainy season which last from August to February with an average temperature of 24.7 C.

Land use

A total area of 24665 ha is occupied by the municipality, about 13,000 hectares of which are part of the watershed in Rinconada. 18378 ha of its land area are within the watershed declared as protected area by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 573 and Executive Order no. 224. All other areas are cultivated for agriculture, quarry and human settlement. Higher slopes east and north of Lake Buhi are predominantly forests and secondary brushland. Total area utilized as built-up areas is 448 ha. Farmlands make up about 7500 ha of which about 2375 ha have access to irrigation, while 600 ha are non-irrigated. About 2811 ha are open water spaces of Lake Buhi, and other lakes and streams.

Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Buhi, Camarines Sur, was 81,306 people, with a density of undefined PD/km2. The total population was 70,756 in 2007, with a growth rate of about 2.1%. The total number of households was 13,238 and with an average household size of 5 persons. At the 2010 census, the population has increased to 73,809 persons. The local language is Buhinon, a dialect of Bikolano. Literacy rate of Buhi is about 99%. The labor force is about 24,000 people strong, or 63% of economically productive people age 15 to 64 years old. 8 out of 10 persons are Roman Catholics; Iglesia ni Cristo makes up about 2% of the total population which is the largest minority religion in the municipality.

Language

Buhinon is the mother tongue of the majority of the population especially those residing around the lake area with Rinconada Bikol as its first language especially the folks residing on the eastern part of the municipality near Iriga City. Buhinon is classified as a lone language, and the only one used in the province of Camarines Sur. Buhinon, the Albay Bikol languages, and Rinconada Bikol are members of Inland Bikol group of languages and share common vocabulary.

Economy

Infrastructure

Transportation

Spring Resorts

Utilities

Water supply: Power and electricity:

Health

Presence of 1 public hospital; 3 private medical clinics; 38 health stations/centers; 3 pharmacies Public Hospital: Private Clinics: Dental Clinic

Education

State colleges

Public high schools

Private high schools

Private elementary schools

Media

Social media

FM stations

Notable people

Gallery