The Municipal Planning Development Office through the Municipal Planning Team conducted an actual land use survey in accordance with the guidelines prepared by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. The aim was to be able to reflect the existing land uses and development patterns in the municipality. The various land uses and development patterns were observed, reflected in the existing land use maps (See Map Nos. 1 and 2) and quantified and tabulated in the succeeding sections. They are used extensively in the formulation and development of a package of intervention policies and strategies designed to achieve the desired spatial development arrangement, which in the perspective of the planning team shall provide the best opportunities accorded to the municipality for economic development.
1. EXISTING URBAN LAND USES
- Existing Functional Land Uses in the Urban Area
The sole urban area of Burgos is the Poblacion which covers 143.6391 hectares housing a population of 2,524 people in 679 households in 2010. The population density in the urban area is quite high at 19 persons per hectare (See Table 1 and Figure 1).
- Residential Use
The existing residential area in the urban areas is approximately 35.0900 hectares which accounts for 24.43% of the land use in the urban area (see Table 1and Figure 1, below).The residential areas are made up of blocks bounded by municipal roads. They are also clustered in ribbon-like morphology along municipal thoroughfares. Most of the houses are single-detached dwelling units and are made of mixed construction materials. Supplementing these residential areas are privately-owned subdivisions going up to a total of 4.3596 hectares.
- Commercial Use
Practically all commercial and trading activities in the urban area take place in the 2.4764 hectares occupied by the various existing commercial establishments of the municipality including the public market. The existing public market is complemented by a number of barangay convenience stores, retail outlets,a mini-grocery, rice stalls, some eateries, medical and dental clinics, pharmacies, and other commercial establishments providing goods and services to the populace.
- Institutional Use
Covering approximately an aggregate of 14.4200 hectares (9.91% of the urban area), lands used for institutional purposes include the municipal compound occupied by the Municipal Hall and its appurtenances, the barangay health center and offices of other government agencies. In this classification are also the barangay hall and other public and private offices. A large bulk of the institutional land use in the urban area is accounted for by the different educational institutions. Also included here are church buildings of various religious denominations. Around the urban area are open spaces classified as park and recreation areas going up to 0.5266 hectares which are included in this accounting.
- Industrial Use
There are still scattered areas actually used for industrial purposes found in the Poblacion area. This has particular reference to woodcrafts, ironworks, rice mills, auto shops and other processing centers. These establishments cover an aggregate area of around 0.0800 hectares of the total urban land area accounting for only 0.05% of the urban area.
- Agricultural Lands
Agricultural lands comprise about 73.9024 hectares comprising a large 51.45% of the total urban area. Vacant lands are interspersed in the blocks and in the built-up areas, while the agricultural lands are generally situated at the outskirts of the urban barangay. There are agro-industrial establishments scattered in the urban area, consisting of swine and other animal farms which are counted under agricultural areas.
- Roads, Easements, Canals, Water Bodies
Existing road rights-of-way cover, including the right-of-way occupied by easements and dikes cover an aggregate area of approximately 9.8900 hectares or 6.89% of the urban land. Water canals/bodies account for 0.9739 hectares.
- Special Uses
Special land use is devoted for the cemetery in the Poblacion which covers around 1.2429 hectares used to provide for the general needs of the Municipality.
- EXISTING GENERAL LAND USES
Burgos is noticeably an agricultural community. Its 14 barangays, including the Poblacion, occupies a total land area of 12,485.8528 hectares. It was inhabited by a total of 18,315 in 4,261 households in 2010 as per municipal demographic data, with a population density of about a person per hectare. The following were the observed land uses in the municipality(See Table 2 and Figure 2):
- Functional Land Uses in the Rural Area
- Built-up Areas
The built-up area consists of the residential area made up of clustered dwelling units with the customary neighborhood, commercial facilities, institutional facilities, and other uses supportive to its activities. Found generally in clusters of ribbon-type accumulation, and in some cases ring-like development patterns, built-up areas outside of urban sites comprise approximately 90.5297 hectares. The total built-up area includes residential areas comprising 41.1900 hectares, subdivisions of 21.7901 hectares, as well as commercial areas covering0.0836hectares and institutional areas accounting for 27.4660 hectares.
2.1.2. Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Areas, Pasture Land
Most of the people in the municipality engage in farming. Of the total land area of the municipality, the land use survey revealed that large 26.25% or 3,277.1601 hectares are classified as agricultural lands. Rice being the staple food is the leading crop mainly planted in these lands. Commercial crops like corn and vegetables are also grown. Mangoes, banana and coconut are also produced intensively in the agricultural zone. These account for the agro-industrial areas covering 686.7595 hectares. The fishponds found only in Cacayasen extend only to a total of 1 hectare. Tracks of land used for the grazing of animals which are areas with fertile soil but are currently untapped for agricultural. The agricultural upland cover an area of 6.920.5044 hectares comprising around 55.427% of the municipal land area.
- Industrial Use
Only a few industries are scattered around the municipality. Industrial establishments include woodcraft shops, bakeries, rice mills, welding and iron works, handicraft shops and food processing establishments. The industrial establishments of Burgos outside of the Poblacion go up to only 0.1730 hectares.
2.1.4 Forests
Forest lands cover an area of 1,057.0000 hectares comprising 8.4% of the municipal land. Only 93.000 hectares of these are protected forests while 293.0000 hectares are classified production forests. The remaining hectares are unclassified forests.
2.1.5 Open Spaces
Open spaces which are spaces used for parks and recreation, accounted for mainly by the sports areas and facilities in all the different barangays, go up to around 6.2000 hectares.
2.1.5 Tourism
Identified tourism areas in Burgos go up to only 4.5000 hectares accounted for by the more or less developed areas in Caboangoan beach in Ilio-ilio and other identified sites. This is only 0.04%of the municipal land area.
2.1.6 Roads and Easements
The total road network of the municipality (including easements and the dikes) has been determined to be about 133.1300 hectares or approximately 1.07% of the total municipal land area. Rural road to arable land ratio is less than kilometer per one hundred hectares.
2.1.7 Water Bodies
The rivers and the several smaller streams crisscrossing the municipality cover an area of around 160.5000 hectares or 1.29% of the total municipal land area. Swamps, ponds, irrigation canals, and other water bodies and other small farm reservoirs also provide irrigation water.
2.1.8 Special Uses
The purposes under this land use include the cemeteries covering 1.2625 hectares and the existing open garbage dumpsite making up 4.4945 hectares. Special land uses account for 0.46% of the municipal land area.
2.1.9 Municipal Waters
The coastal area of the municipality covers a total of 10,500 hectares located in the barangay of Ilio-Ilio which holds the whole coastline of Burgos. Coastal management in the municipality has relied on mixed usage of the waters of the municipality. Extending to 15 kilometers off the coast, fishing has been seen as a source of livelihood of the people through multiple fishing and aquaculture as well as for tourism activities.