Catarman, Philippines
Catarman is a town of 97,738 people in Eastern Visayas, Philippines.
Why visit Catarman
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 53 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Weather in Catarman
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Catarman
Catarman, officially the Municipality of Catarman (Waray [Ninorte Samarnon]: Bungto san Catarman; Tagalog: Bayan ng Catarman), is a municipality and capital of the province of Northern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 97,738 people. It is the commercial, educational, financial, and political center of the province. It is the most populous municipality in Eastern Visayas.
From the Wikipedia article Catarman, Northern Samar (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Catarman on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do6
Museums and landmarks6
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes53
Caitlyn Cafe
Cafe · Pizza, Burger, Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Chicken, Regional
Andres Bonifacio Street, Catarman
41 more on the map.
History
Before the coming of the Spaniards, Catarman (also known as Calatman or Cataruman) was a settlement by the mouth of the river of the same name in the region called Ibabao. The Spanish Conquistadors applied the term Ibabao to the northern part of Samar island when it established its civil government. The similarities in the vocabularies and pronunciation of the dialects of these areas traces them to a common root as a people.
The town was one of the 13 villages and settlements and adopted as pueblos by the Spaniards in Samar Island and was one of the settlements in the northern parts of the island. The pueblo was named Calatman and was one of the pueblos in the Visayan islands, then collectively referred to as Islas de Pintados [Island of the Painted Ones].
In 1974, Catarman was made the center of the episcopal see of the then newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Catarman comprising the Northern Samar province, with the Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish Church as the designated cathedral.
From the History section of Catarman, Northern Samar on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay23
Churches and places of worship23
Emmanuel Bible Baptist Church
Place of worship · Baptist · 0.8 km
Carlos P. Garcia Boulevard
Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Chapel
Church · Roman Catholic · 3.4 km
Catarman - Lao-ang Road
United Pentecostal Church Catarman (AGM)
Church · Pentecostal · 0.8 km
J. P. Rizal Street
Iglesia Ni Cristo [Northern Samar] - Mondragon
Church · Iglesia Ni Cristo · 12.5 km
Shopping35
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries103
Lt. Jacob O. Meimban Memorial Foundation Eastern Visayas College
School · 1.3 km
Eladio T. Balite Memorial School of Fisheries
School · 8.1 km
General Lucban Street
Healthcare30
Map of Catarman
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Catarman Airport (CRM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 0 km away.
- Bobon 9 km west, about 9 min by car
- Mondragon 13 km east, about 13 min by car
- Laoang 42 km east, about 42 min by car
- Calbayog City 48 km south, about 48 min by car
- Santa Margarita 51 km south, about 51 min by car
- Gandara 57 km south, about 57 min by car
- Barcelona 68 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gubat 73 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Catbalogan 85 km south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Sorsogon 88 km northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Catarman Aerial-cr, CRMAerial.JPG : Pthfndr19 derivative work: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0
- University of Eastern Philippines NHCP Marker Site, Leocvlauzon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Catarman Cathedral in Samar province, JinJian, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.