Biri, officially the Municipality of Biri ( war, Bungto han Biri; tl, Bayan ng Biri), is a 5th class

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Northern Samar,

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 11,274 people. The archipelagic town is also known for its ''inakob'', a traditional Waray dish made by first cooking grated root crops (''gabi'') with coconut milk, condensed milk, eggs, brown sugar, and an herb called ''anuv''. Once cooked, the grated ''gabi'' is put inside ''gabi'' shells which have been peeled. The dish is then boiled with coconut milk. The dish is traditionally eaten hot by the people of Biri during the rainy months.

Geography

The municipality is facing Pacific Ocean to the east and San Bernardino Strait to the west. It consists of several islands off the northern coast of

Samar Island Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...

, the largest of which is Biri Island. Other larger islands are Talisay, Magasang, and Cagnipa. Biri Island is notable for a large number of unusual rock formations along the northern shore, facing the Philippine Sea. It is included in the marine protected area known as

Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape The Biri Larosa Protected Landscape and Seascape is a protected area located in Northern Samar, Philippines, about west of Catarman. It protects the Balicuatro Islands, composed of the island municipality of Biri and associated smaller islands, ...

Barangays

Biri is politically subdivided into 8

barangay A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...

s. *

Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (literally "town" or "settlement" in Spanish; ) is the common term used for the administrative center, central, downtown, old town or central business district area of a Philippine city or municipality, which may take up the ...

(Biri) *MacArthur *Kauswagan (Basud) *Pio Del Pilar *Progress or Talisay *San Antonio *San Pedro *Santo Niño (Palhugan)

Climate

Demographics

Economy

Mangrove reforestation

In 2007, the Community-Based Mangrove Protection and Management project was implemented in Biri, funded by the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF). The project aimed to contribute to the regeneration of the mangrove ecosystem by establishing a community-based mangrove management system. The project covered protection of 546 hectares and enhancement planting in 39 hectares. As of 2013, it has been expanded to all eight barangays in Biri.

Biri Initiative Org.

In 2012, a non-profit organization, Biri Initiative Org., was registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission. Its main objectives are to restore areas of coral reef damaged by

illegal fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes ...

methods, promote sustainable and environment-friendly methods of fishing, and encourage opportunities for alternative livelihoods, particularly for women.

References

External links

* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information

Local Governance Performance Management System
{{Authority control Municipalities of Northern Samar Island municipalities in the Philippines