A.        Geography:

The municipality of Polanco is located 8 kilometers from Dipolog City. It is bounded in the northwest by the city of Dipolog; in the northeast by the city of Dapitan, in the south by the municipality of Sergio Osmeña, in the east by the municipality of Piñan and in the southwest by the municipality of Katipunan.

B.         Political Sub-division:

The municipality of Polanco is composed of 30 barangays. Poblacion North and South are the center of commercial activities.

Lying on the northeastern part of the province, the municipality of Polanco has a total land area of 22,532.9104 hectares. Among the thirty- (30) barangays, Dansullan has the biggest land area accounting for 2,618.569 hectares. Milad follows it with 1,773.2156 hectares and the third biggest barangay is De Venta Perla with an area of 1,744.2534 hectares. While the smallest barangay is Poblacion North with only 116.0710 hectares, followed by Poblacion South with only 232.9967 hectares.

Land Area
TABLE I
Municipality of PolancO 

Source:            Municipal Assessor’s Office

                                                            Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte

C.     Topography:

Polanco is generally plain especially in the riceland areas. Some parts are slightly mountainous like Linabo, Maligaya, Milad, De Venta Perla and Dangi.

Two prominent rivers traverse the length of the municipality. These are Layawan River and Dipolog River both of which flow into the Sulu Sea at the Poblacion of Dipolog City. Situated along the riverbanks are the corn granaries of the municipality.

D.     Climate:

Polanco has mild and moderate climate and is blessed with types of soil, which is suited for agriculture. Two seasons, rainy and dry, are evenly distributed all throughout the year. Rainy seasons, usually occurs from May to December, while dry season usually starts in January and will end the month of April or May.

On December 16 and 19, 1996 two memorable days where flashfloods smack the municipality wherein Polanqueños experienced the abhorrence of the nature; destroyed major farm products, live stocks and properties of the inhabitants, prompting the local legislative body to declare the municipality into a state of calamity. Aids from different government agencies, non-government organizations and other concern citizens were given to the flashflood victims.

E.      Land Use:

With a total land area of 22,532.9104 hectares, the municipality was then apportioned to different land uses, such as residential, agricultural, industrial, commercial and institutional. The location however, was based on the zoning conducted sometimes in 1980. Seventy five percent of the total land area or 17,034.42 hectares are cultivated to various agricultural crops as follows:

TABLE 2
Agricultural crops with corresponding area: 2003

F.       Reforestation:

There are seven reforestation projects undertaken by the DENR within the municipality of Polanco as of 2003.

TABLE 3
List of Reforestation Projects

Source: PENRO, Dipolog City

In relation to reforestation program, the local legislative body passed a Municipal resolution declaring Barangays of San Pedro, New Sicayab, Dangi, De Vental Perla, Maligaya, Milad and Linabo as watershed area of the municipality. The Local Government Unit together with Southern Command of the Philippine Army, Region IX, and the Provincial Government of Zamboanga del Norte conducted tree-planting activity at barangay San Pedro in February 1996 about 10,000 seedlings of mahogany were planted.