Located at the northernmost boundary of the province of Albay and south of the province of Camarines Sur, the municipality
of Tiwi is approximately 12 kilometers from the commercial center of Tabaco City; 39 kilometers from the City of Legazpi;
and 538 kilometers from the center of Metro Manila. Tiwi has a total land area of 11,628 hectares and politically subdivided
into 25 barangays, 11 of which are located at the coastal district facing Lagonoy Gulf and the Pacific Ocean while 14 barangays
are on the western slope from the Poblacion to the extinct volcano, the Mt. Malinao. The town is bounded on the north by the
municipality of Sangay, Camarines Sur; at the west by the municipality of Buhi, Camarines Sur; at the south by its mother
municipality of Malinao, Albay; and the east coast facing the Pacific Ocean by the island province of Catanduanes
Generally, the area is mountainous and yet coastal with relatively small areas of flat lands, valleys and swamps. The
terrain characteristics are as follows: 45%, mountainous; 25%, plain; 20%, hilly; and 5%, coastal. The greater portion of
flat lands is found in barangays Nagas, Naga, Tigbi, and Libjo. The rugged terrain starts from Brgy. Sugod going northward
to the direction of Tiwi-Sangay boundary, a stretch of 11 kilometers. The 11,628 hectares of land is identified with and utilized
for various usages. For agriculture, 5,993 hectares--51%--are cultivated; and for industrial, commercial, residential, and
infrastructural improvements, 5,656 hectares--49%--are now devoted. National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) owns around 517 hectares
of land for geothermal industry. There are two major soil types in Tiwi--the clay soil called Louisiana and the Malinao sandy
loam, which is of volcanic origin. The sandy loam--good for agriculture--can be found in the barangays of Nagas, Belen, Coro-Coro,
San Bernardo, Bagumbayan, Oyama, Libtong, Gajo, Tigbi, Baybay, Cararayan, Cale, Naga, and Biyong. The clay soil is found in
Bolo, Putsan, Sugod, Lourdes, Bariis, Joroan, Maynonong, Misibis, Dapdap, and Mayong. Bolo and Putsan clay is suited for pottery
and other related industries.
Climate
The site falls under the Second climatic type, characterized to have no pronounced dry rainfall,
i.e. with maximum rainfall from November to January, typical of Schistosomiasis endemic places in the country. The climate
is influenced by two (2) air stream systems, which produces the variation of the areas climate. These are the monsoons and
the Pacific Trade Winds.
Tiwi has a total population of 44,261 as of May 1, 2000, with 8,036 households distributed in 25 barangays.
Municipality of Tiwi
Table 5 Projected Population Province of albay
Year
Projected population
1995
39,733
1996
40,689
1997
41,798
1998
42,906
1999
44,015
2000
44,261
2001
45,204
2002
46,167
2003
47,150
2004
48,154
2005
49,180
2006
50,227
2007
51,297
2008
52,390
2009
53,506
2010
54,646
Fertility & Mortality
The registered live birth pegged at 1,322 in 1998, 1,378 in 1999, and 1,462 in 2000. There
are 190 death cases recorded in 1998, 175 in 1999, and 211 in 2000 caused by various illnesses, notably pneumonia, cardiovascular
accidents, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma, and febrile convulsions.
Labor Force & Livelihood
Based on the unpublished 1999 employment statistics of the Municipal Planning and Development
Office, Tiwi, Albay, there are 7,566 or 17.64% of the total population engaged in gainful occupations. Those that are included
in manufacturing are the weavers or makers of abaca raw products, and handicrafts from abaca, caragumoy, coconut, and etc;
and the pot makers and ceramics practitioners. The skilled workers are the bakers, carpenters, electricians, tailors, dressmakers,
mechanics, midwives (in private practice), beauticians, painters, masons, wigmakers, hilot, wood sawyer, abaca stripers, and
blacksmiths. The unskilled workers are the fish vendors, lavanderas, coriadores, salesgirls, housemaids, conductors (transport
utility), pot sellers, and vegetable vendors. The peace officers include the PNP police force, army personnel, and security
guards. The undefined laborers are those with no definite job placement but who only provide day-to-day supply of manual labor
in order to earn an income.
