Catarman, officially the Municipality of Catarman (Waray [Ninorte Samarnon]: Bungto san Catarman; Tagalog: Bayan ng Catarman), is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Northern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 97,879 people.^[3]

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Catarman
Municipality
Municipality of Catarman
Aerial view of Catarman
Flag Seal
Map of Northern Samar with Catarman highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Catarman Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 12°29′58″N 124°37′58″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Eastern Visayas
Province	Northern Samar
District	1st district
Barangays	55 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Francisco Aurelio E. Rosales III
• Vice Mayor	Francisco C. Rosales Jr.
• Representative	Paul R. Daza
• Councilors	List • Fernando G. Carpio • Nerissa O. Daclag • Joselito S. Custorio • Neil S. Hernandez • Ernesto Patilan Jr. • Ramon Tiberio • Jennifer D. Salutan • Sandy Balite DILG Masterlist of Officials
• Electorate	61,074 voters (2022)
Area [2]
• Total	464.43 km2 (179.32 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Highest elevation	142 m (466 ft)
Lowest elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	97,879
• Density	210/km2 (550/sq mi)
• Households	20,836
Demonym	Catarmanon
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	30.27 % (2018)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 458.3 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 962 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 422.2 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
Zip Code	6400
PSGC	084805000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)55
Native languages	Waray Tagalog
Website	www.catarman-nsamar.gov.ph

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It is the largest municipality in terms of land area and population in the province. It is the commercial, educational, financial, political and government center of the province.

Before the coming of the Spaniards, Catarman (also known as Calatman or Cataruman) was a settlement by the mouth of the river of the same name in the region called Ibabao. The Spanish Conquistadors applied the term Ibabao to the northern part of Samar island when it established its civil government. The similarities in the vocabularies and pronunciation of the dialects of these areas traces them to a common root as a people.

The town was one of the 13 villages and settlements and adopted as pueblos by the Spaniards in Samar Island and was one of the settlements in the northern parts of the island. The pueblo was named Calatman and was one of the pueblos in the Visayan islands, then collectively referred to as Islas de Pintados [Island of the Painted Ones].

In 1974, Catarman was made the center of the episcopal see of the then newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Catarman comprising the Northern Samar province, with the Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish Church as the designated cathedral.^[5]

Catarman lies on the northern part of Samar Island, bounded to the east by Mondragon, to the west by Bobon, to the south by Lope de Vega, to the southwest by Calbayog City, and to the north by the Philippine Sea.

On the Pacific coast are flat lowlands with the interior characterized by outlying low hills. Mount Puyao in Barangay Liberty is the highest peak in the area. The Catarman River, a major provincial river, divides the eastern and the western parts of the town. It is fed by the Paticua, Hibulwangan, Mahangna, Tura, and Danao creeks together with lesser prominent estuaries.

There is only one airline operating through the Catarman National Airport (IATA: CRM) coming from and going to Manila: PAL Express. Flights are frequently booked out well in advance and a one way ticket from Manila costs between PhP3,000 and PhP8,000 unless booked well in advance. Pedicabs, commonly known as "padyak" and motorized tricycles are the means of transportation within the town, and going to the Land Transport Central Terminal while multicabs, jeepneys, and vans are the means of transportation from the Central Terminal to neighboring and distant towns within and outside the province. Several vans and bus companies are also operating from the town going to Manila or Tacloban city and vice versa.

Catarman is home to the University of Eastern Philippines, the first state university in the Visayas and the largest university by student population and curriculum in Eastern Visayas. The university has satellite campuses in the province, one in Laoang and the other in Catubig (officially known the Pedro Rebadulla Memorial Campus), and has several extension programs offered across satellite campuses in the region.

Catarman is also an abode to the top performing schools in the region which already have a name in the National Level.

Other public and private schools (but not limited to):

Elementary:

• Catarman Chinese Chamber Elementary School
• Catarman II Central School
• Catarman III Central School
• Baybay Elementary School
• Catarman SpEd Center
• Cawayan Integrated School
• Colegio de San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila (Elementary)
• Northern Samar Colleges (Elementary)
• University of Eastern Philippines Laboratory Elementary School

High school:

• University of Eastern Philippines Laboratory High School
• Colegio de San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila (Highschool)
• Northern Samar Colleges (Highschool)
• Saint Michael Academy (Catarman)
• Catarman National High School
• Eastern Visayas High School (High School)

Tertiary/College/Vocational:

• University of Eastern Philippines
• Eastern Visayas Central Colleges
• Colegio De San Lorenzo Ruiz De Manila
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
• Global School for Technological Studies
• East Pacific Computer College
• Northern Samar Colleges
• Lyceum of the Visayas (Foreclosure)

• Narciso Abuke- Lt. Col. and Area Commander of Northern Samar during the Philippine-American War. Killed Pulahan leader Pedro de la Cruz in 1906. Mayor of Catarman 1912–1916 ^[23]
• Pablo Rebadulla - lawyer and Waray-language poet and musician^[24]
• Sydney X. Licas - Journalist and RSPC 2023 2nd Placer
• Zoe Gastador Quibranza - Journalist and NSPC 2023 2nd Placer