Pasacao

Pasacao
Municipality
Aerial shot of Pasacao with its port and oil depot.
Seal
Nickname(s): Summer Capital of Camarines Sur
Map of Camarines Sur showing the location of Pasacao
Pasacao Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 13°31′N 123°03′E / 13.52°N 123.05°E / 13.52; 123.05Coordinates: 13°31′N 123°03′E / 13.52°N 123.05°E / 13.52; 123.05
Country	Philippines
Region	Bicol (Region V)
Province	Camarines Sur
District	2nd district
Barangays	19
Government
• Mayor	Niño A. Tayco
Area
• Total	149.54 km2 (57.74 sq mi)
Population (2015 census)
• Total	49,035
• Density	330/km2 (850/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	4417
IDD : area code	+63 (0)54
Income class	1st class; partially urban

Pasacao is a first class municipality in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 49,035 people.

Pasacao is politically subdivided into 19 barangays.

The municipality belongs to the fourth distinct type of climate. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year with north-east monsoon prevailing in the area. The general direction of the wind is characteristically from north to east from October to January and from east to southeast from February to April and easterly from May to September. The area is relatively dry from December to May and wet for the rest of the year.

From February to May is hot and dry season in the Philippines and Pasacao in particular. From this months most visitors and tourists come to Pasacao to unwind. It is during the "Lingo ng Pagkabuhay" or the Easter Sunday that most resorts and beaches are fully loaded with visitors coming from nearby places and other areas of the world.

Pasacao was the slumbering "visita" and served as the only existing port of the Bicol Region. The Spaniards who set foot in Bicol late in 16th century noted the importance of the visita in their exploration. Pasacao became a strategic defense port against the raids by Moro pirates from 1585 to 19th century. Due to frequent raids the town had an estimated population of only 200 in 1823.

Vessels carrying goods and passengers made their starts or stop over here. Notwithstanding the rough road to Pamplona, this town has been contributing to, a large degree, in the economic development of the province of the Camarines Sur in particular.

Pasacao's strategic location along the rugged coast of the vast expanse of the Ragay Gulf in the east made it very important to the economic and social life of the people of the region. It is for the reason that a parish was established dedicated to the Saint Rose of Lima as the patroness. Annually in the honor of the town patroness, a fiesta is celebrated on August 30.

It is said that the geography of Pasacao makes its history full of hardships, troubles and affliction that influenced the customs, traditions and way of life of the inhabitants. The continued Moro piracy likes that one in 4 October 1779 at Caranan. The report of Bishop Manuel dela Concepcion described these raids in his letter to the King on June 29, 1758 as "undoubtedly greater at any other time." (Raids in 1757). The raids according to Domingo Abella-Bikol Annals, "ten towns and two missions were completely destroyed; ten churches were looted and burned; about 8,000 indios were captured or killed; one priest was killed, two captured, and the capital Caceres, was under alert one night. Alcalde Jacinto Rodriguez Morales provided material for a baluarte (earthwork or fortified rampant) as defense of Pasacao against these raids. He also issued rations to bantayes (watchmen, sentinels).