Pilar, officially the Municipality of Pilar, is a municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 76,908 people.
It is known for its supply of fresh prawns and mud crabs. These seafood products are available throughout the year and form a key part of the town’s local food industry.
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Etymology
The town got its name in honor of a newborn Spanish princess named Pilar, the daughter of King Philip and Queen Isabela.
Geography
Pilar is 55 kilometres (34 mi) from Sorsogon City and 560 kilometres (350 mi) from Manila.
Barangays
Pilar is politically subdivided into 49 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
In 1957 the sitios of Naspi and Calaguitan were separated from the barrio of Putiao and converted into the barrio of Naspi.
Economy
Poverty incidence of Pilar (%)
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority
Pilar's economy is mainly agricultural. Despite efforts on multiplicity, this town is still dependent on the monoculture of coconut.
Tourism
Though whale sharks are more associated with the town of Donsol, whale sharks can also be seen in Pilar Bay near San Antonio. Interaction with the whale sharks is regulated by the local department office. With the help of WWF, strict guidelines were developed to protect the sharks. These include limiting the number of swimmers per boat, no scuba divers and staying further than three meters away from the sharks. In practice, this rule is almost never applied. As many as 14 boats at a time may 'mob' a shark, with up to 30 or 40 swimmers following the shark on the surface. In recent years the number of male sharks has out-numbered female sharks by 20:1. The females that are seen are generally large mature adults in the 7 m ~ 9 m range. Increasing numbers of sharks show propeller marks on their backs. Anecdotal evidence from local fishermen suggests that prop strikes are from fishing boats in the off-season, rather than from tourist boats in the main January–May tourist season.
Education
There are two schools district offices which govern all educational institutions within the municipality. They oversee the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools. These are the:
Pilar I Schools District
Pilar II Schools District