Baao

The municipality of Baao is within the 5th Congressional District of the province of Camarines Sur. The town is bounded on the north by the municipalities of Pili and Ocampo, on the east by the city of Iriga, on the west by Bula, and south by the municipality Nabua. Baao is 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Pili and 465 kilometres (289 mi) from Manila.

In the 2024 census, the population of Baao was 61,357 people,^[12] with a density of 580 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,500 inhabitants per square mile.

As of 2020 50,419 or 82% of people lived in urban areas while the remaining 11,074 18% people live in rural areas.

Religion

As one of the historical towns of Catholicism in the Bicol region, Baao has a majority of Roman Catholic adherents. Iglesia ni Cristo on the other hand is the second largest group. Islam has already set off in the town and they are composed of Muslim merchants/immigrants from Mindanao. Various Protestant religious sects are also present.

Poverty incidence of Baao

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]}

Accessible only by land transportation, it is along the main route of the Maharlika Highway and the Philippine National Railways. Commuter rail services are provided by PNR serving from Naga City as its terminus and stops at Baao Station up to Ligao City in Albay then back again northward to Naga. Yet rail service to Manila is currently suspended due severe damages brought by Typhoon Reming in 2006. However, this is overtaken by bus companies that serve daily intercity trips. From Naga City, the easiest way to go to Baao is to ride a bus going to Iriga City from the Naga City Central Bus Terminal and disembark at Baao bus stop.

The Baao Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[21]

Baao Community College the lone state school offering tertiary courses for college students.

La Consolacion College Baao (formerly, the Sta. Monica Academy) is a private catholic school run by Augustinian sisters. It offers both elementary and secondary quality education with the purpose of creating graduates not only of high caliber but also with hearts that are "in one" with the poor.

Rosary School Inc. (formerly, the Rosary Learning Center) is a private educational institution offering complete preschool, elementary and secondary courses.

Ave Maria Early Childhood Impressions Center is a private catholic school for toddlers and preschoolers ages two years old and above.

• Jorge Barlin é Imperial (1850-1909), First native Filipino bishop.
• Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., J.S.D. Lawyer, Jesuit priest, constitutional law scholar, writer and newspaper columnist
• Luis Dato, writer, poet and educator
• Joker P. Arroyo, Filipino lawyer, politician and Senator of the Republic of the Philippines.
• Beatriz Saw, Pinoy Big Brother Season 2 Big Winner, actress