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)
30 / km2
Density
8.1856, 125.8538
Coordinates
26.3 meters
Estimated elevation above sea level
Barangays
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
Economy
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:
Annual Regular Income = Locally Sourced Revenue + Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Current Year + Other Shares from National Tax Collection
Locally Sourced Revenue = Real Property Tax (General Fund) + Tax on Business + Other Taxes + Regulatory Fees + Service/User Charges + Receipts from Economic Enterprises
Population
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.