The arrival of the Spaniards in the upper reaches of Agusan and the discovery of the Manobos occurred in 1600, long before Fr. Urios came to the region in the 1880s. The Manobos were persuaded to form a settlement and live in a community named “Loreto” on March 30, 1965, in honor of Fr. Urios’s hometown in Spain.
The municipality’s land area spans 1,462.74 square kilometers (or 564.77 square miles), making up 14.64% of the total area of Agusan del Sur. According to the 2020 Census, the municipality’s population was 43,880, representing 5.93% of the total population of Agusan del Sur province, or 1.56% of the entire population of the Caraga region. Based on these statistics, the population density can be calculated at 30 inhabitants per square kilometer (or 78 inhabitants per square mile).
17
Barangay count
8507
Postal code
1,467.74 km
Land Area
43,880
Population (2020)
Esperanza has 15 barangays. The graph and table below show the population per barangay for the years 2015 and 2020.
| Barangay | Population (2020) | Population (2015) |
| Binucayan | 3,138 | 2,781 |
| Johnson | 1,691 | 1,433 |
| Kasapa | 1,975 | 1,738 |
| Katipunan | 633 | 525 |
| Kauswagan | 2,153 | 2,445 |
| Magaud | 3,552 | 3,314 |
| Nueva Gracia | 2,561 | 2,270 |
| Poblacion | 7,107 | 6,384 |
| Sabud | 2,674 | 4,367 |
| San Isidro | 1,634 | 1,601 |
| San Mariano | 2,501 | 2,411 |
| San Vicente | 2,335 | 2,163 |
| Santa Teresa | 2,244 | 2,325 |
| Santo Niño | 1,321 | 1,088 |
| Santo Tomas | 4,363 | 3,859 |
| Violanta | 1,572 | 1,439 |
| Waloe | 2,426 | 2,358 |
| Fiscal Year | Annual Regular Income |
| 2009 | 142,511,876 |
| 2010 | 150,790,078 |
| 2011 | 163,603,280 |
| 2012 | 158,605,065 |
| 2013 | 180,217,787 |
| 2014 | 203,358,396 |
| 2015 | 232,667,189 |
| 2016 | 256,405,187 |
End notes:
| Census date | Population |
| 1903 | – |
| 1918 | 908 |
| 1939 | 2,418 |
| 1948 | 2,701 |
| 1960 | 5,746 |
| 1970 | 7,971 |
| 1975 | 12,634 |
| 1980 | 14,389 |
| 1990 | 16,144 |
| 1995 | 23,044 |
| 2000 | 20,880 |
| 2007 | 25,214 |
| 2010 | 28,562 |
| 2015 | 28,217 |
| 2020 | 30,969 |
Over the past century, Loreto’s population has undergone significant growth, rising from 2,447 individuals in 1918 to 43,880 people in 2020. This represents a total population increase of 41,433 individuals over the course of 102 years. According to the most recent census figures in 2020, Loreto’s population continues to grow at a positive rate of 0.67%, with an increase of 1,379 people from the previous population of 42,501 in 2015.
Distances
Based on the great-circle distance (the shortest distance between two points over the surface of the Earth), the cities closest to Loreto are Bislig, Surigao del Sur, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Tagum, Davao del Norte, Valencia, Bukidnon, and Butuan. The nearest municipalities are La Paz, Agusan del Sur, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, Veruela, Agusan del Sur, Rosario, Agusan del Sur, Trento, Agusan del Sur, and Santa Josefa, Agusan del Sur. Its distance from the national capital is 885.79 kilometers (550.40 miles). The following list delineates such distance measurements.
Great-circle distance
Nearest towns
Nearest cities
Transparency Report
Contact Us
📞 Contact Number:
Hotline: (085)-242-1061 / (085)-242-1064
📧 Email Address:
mail@pgas.ph
For more information about the Province of Agusan del Sur
