The topography of Guinobatan is generally characterized by rich fertile valleys gently sloping down from the base of the volcano reaching as far as the town proper after which it starts to rise again to meet the rolling hills and mountains. These rolling hills and mountains comprise 1,000 hectares of the total land area and level land covers an area of 14,000 hectares. This in the reason why Guinobatan is predominantly an agricultural community.

Being an inland town, Guinobatan is not blessed with big bodies of water nor navigable rivers. Except for the San Francisco River bisecting the poblacion area, Guinobatan has no other bodies of water of significant size. This river has its origin from the various springs and riverlets going down from the volcano, which provides irrigation water as it winds its way through the lowland rice fields. After cutting its way through the town proper, it snakes its way among the western shore of the province.

Guinobatan’s town proper is moderately rolling. The Philippine National Highway from Manila passes its way through the commercial center, while the provincial road branches out south to the town of Jovellar and another one follows a northwesterly course passing the barangays at the base of the volcano and comes out to join the road from Ligao in the west and going to the part of Tabaco in the northeast.

Because of the elevation, which is more than 2,500 feet above sea level, and locational advantage of adequate vegetative cover, Guinobatan enjoys the refreshingly cool nights of a highland climate.

Rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year with about 223 rainy days on the average per year and on annual precipitation of about 121 inches.

The Southeast monsoon significantly influences the climate in the municipality during the months of June to September. Due to its geographical location, like the rest of Albay towns, it s not sheltered from the brunt of destructive typhoons that commonly occur in September to the middle part of January. From October to February, the northeast monsoon prevails usually accompanied by the diffused toil of the cold front.

The soil in the municipality consists of four (4) types. They are: (1) Mayon gravelly sandy loam, (2) Legazpi sandy loam, covering the barangays in the Mayon Sector, (3) Guinobatan sandy loam (4) Mauraro gravelly sandy lam, covering the areas toward the highland Sector. The proximity of Mayon Volcano influences greatly the soil typology of Guinobatan. In the northeastern portion of the municipality, the prevalent soils found are the Mayon gravelly sandy loam and legazpi sandy loam while on the southern hilly sides, the Guinobatan sandy loam and Mauraro gravelly sandy loam cover the area.

Past volcano eruptions of Mayon Volcano have a boon and bone for Guinobatan soils, while each eruption had caused damages to particular agricultural areas due to mudflows, siltation of sand and stones, the accumulation of the more beneficial volcanic deposits over the centuries have generally enriched the land for multi-crop uses.

Potential Products for Export: Handicraft, woodcraft, pili delicacies, longanisa Investment

Potential: Tourism, food processing, handicraft, coffee plantation, woodcraft, ube production, cold storage, horticulture 

   The kind of commercial area found in the municipality belongs to the Minor Central Business District Category wherein the public dominates all commercial activities complemented by various stores, shops and offices as well as recreational and transportation facilities, mainly characterized by quasi-residential-commercial or mixed-used development. The existing public market belongs to the wet and dry market type wherein merchandise are retailed directly to the consumers. The central business district of the municipality is expanding generally towards the urban barangays, particularly portions along Maharlika Highway. Barangay Mauraro has an emerging built-up area serving as crossroad of the municipalities of Camalig and Jovellar. Barangay Masarawag has also an emerging built-up area which serves its population and nearby particularly those adjacent municipalities of Ligao and Camalig. The most number of establishments found in Guinobatan are general merchandise stores, dry goods, restaurants/kitchenettes and catering services, meat and vegetables, hardware, lumber and lumber product stores. The rest of commercial establishments are agri-proudct supply stores, compradas, drug stores, tailoring and dress shops, gasoline stations, pawnshops and jewelry shops, handicraft and native products stores, photo and video services shops, banks and financing institutions, lodging houses and apartelles, amusement and recreation, videoke, private hospitals and clinics, barber shops, beauty parlors, funeral services, communication, lessons, cable, TVs, drug testing center, appliance stores, vehicle repair shops, newspaper and print stands and various peddlers/ambulant vendors.

   For having an agri-based economy, the town's industries are either supportive or dependent on agricultural products. Rice mill is still the dominant industry in the municipality. Small-scale industries supportive or dependent on agricultural products include, longaniza, making pili sweets, tabrilla (native chocolate), balot (duck eggs), barkillos and other industrial establishments such as welding shops, machine shops, printing press are relatively few in numbers thus Guinobatan has a low industrial lad density. This can be attributed to the following factors: a) lack of infrastructure support facilities for industries; b) lack of private sector investment; c) lack of plans and programs to promote industrial activities in the municipality.        

Elementary:

• 33 Public Elementary Schools
• 1 Private School (St. Benedict Academy)

Secondary:

• 7 Secondary School (1 Private High School - St. Benedict Academy)

• 2 Private Colleges (Republic Collge and PLT)
• 1 State University (Bicol University Collge of Agriculture and Forestry - BUCAF)

There are also six (6) private hospitals/clinics facilities namely; Gata-Garcia Hospital, Retuema General Hospital, Navera General Hospital, Medicus Clinic, Baylon Clinic, Manatlao Clinic,

• Cuebillas Dental Clinic
• Valeza’s Dental Clinic
• Remendado’s.Dental Clinic
• Soratorios Dental Clinic
• Clarino’s Dental Clinic
• Oriartes Dental Clinic
• Camba’s Dental Clinic
• Orpiada’s Dental Clinic
• Vergara’s Dental Clinic

Main Health Centers:

• Lower Binogsacan
• Upper Binogsacan
• Inascan
• Banao
• Lomacao
• Catomag
• Agpay
• Morera
• San Rafael
• Inamnan Grande
• Inamnan Pequeño
• Quitago
• Travesia
• San Francisco
• Minto
• Masarawag
• Maninila
• Doña Tomasa
• Muladbucad Pequeño
• Muladbucad Grande
• Bubulusan
• San Jose
• Maipon
• Tandarora
• Mauraro
• Mapaco
• Quibongbongan
• Sinugtan
• Balite
• Pood
• Doña Mercedes
• Malobago
• Malipo
• Bololo
• Palanas
• Batbat
• Ongo
• Cabaloaon

   Housing in the municipality is characterized generally by the tenancy system and sub-standard dwelling units. This may be caused by the agro-based economic situation, wherein landowner-tenant relationship has led to ownership by the land tenant, and also the tradition of allowing or accommodating other people to build or construct in the property of another for close family ties and humanitarian considerations.

   It was noted that in the urban and rural areas many of the households do own their houses but majority are not in their own property lot.

   The number of dwelling with are classified according to the type of construction materials used namely: concrete/brick stone, half concrete/brick stone and half wood, wood-mixed, bamboo/sawali/cogon/nipa and other light materials.

   The only known housing project is the CORE shelter established by the DSWD with 31 housing units.     

   As of 2000, a total of 156.55 kms of road interconnect the urban and rural settlement areas of Guinobatan, of this road length 8.0 kilometers are national, 51.35 kilometers provincial, 10.0 kilometers municipal and 97.20 kilometers barangay roads classification by administration. By type of construction 27.54 kms or 17.59 % are concrete, 1.00 km. Asphalt or 0.64 % 42.66 kms gravel or 27.25% and 85.35 kms earth fill or 54.52%.  In terms to road connection 34 barangays or 77.27% are accessible by road and 10 barangays or 22.73% are without road connection. As regards to transportation there is no permanent structure for bus terminal except the PNR Station Transportation routes within the barangay from Poblacion are commonly served by tricycles while inter-municipality and inter-provincial routes are served by buses and PUJ’s aside from the services provided by the Philippine National Railways.

   There are seventeen (17) bridges with a total length of 0.266 kms. Of these bridges 86.06 % are concrete and 19.94% remains to be timber bailey or wooden bridges.

   Guinobatan is served by one telecommunication facility a telegraph office operated by the Department of Transportation and Communication located at the Municipal Hall. Postal service is provided by the Philippine Postal Corporation with office located at the TESDA building. For far flung barangays, mail distribution is effected by the barangay council.

   The municipality has two (2) cable TV stations operating and locally serving almost all the urban barangays and one local FM radio station. It is also within the broadcast coverage of 6 AM and 7 FM local radio stations and 2 televisions networks located at Legazpi City. There are also three private landline telephone companies in operation serving the urban area.

   Leading national and local newspapers and other printed media are readily available in the town owing to the overland transport and distribution strategy of print media circulation management. Also, its proximity to Legazpi City as the primary distribution center proves advantageous.

   Electricity in the municipality is provided by the Albay Electric Cooperative (ALECO). As of 2000 thirty three (33) barangays has been energized by the rural electrification program while eleven (11) barangays are left unserved.

   Residential or domestic consumption accounts for the largest bulk of electric power consumption in the municipality with 75.03% while commercial and industrial consumption are 16.83% and 03.48% respectively. About 02.92% are utilized in institutional buildings and 01.74% for streetlights and other public facilities.

   For those barangays served with electricity, it is only the urban barangays where the supply of electricity reaches almost all of the households, while supply of electricity is still inadequate in households located in rural barangays. Rural barngays left unserved by electricity resort to traditional sources of fuel or lighting as well as cooking purposes.

   The development of an area calls for the provision of power supply as a basic facility as in the case of those in the rural barangays which remain unserved by ALECO at present. The construction and growth of all the barangays toward the desired development of the municipality depend on the factor of adequate supply of power as infrastructure support component.

   Water supply requirement of this municipality is merely supplied by springs deep and shallow wells in almost all of the rural barangays, while the main source of water in the urban barangay is a main spray developed into a level III water system. Households in rural barangays which are not supplied by levels I and II water system, drew their water from some unidentified sources.

   2000 data revealed that urban barangays are served by level I with 2,771 households or 19.578% and level III with 2,297 households or 16.229% while rural barangays are served by level I with 7,756 households or 54.797 %, level II with 1,160 households or 8.198 % and level III with 170 households or 1.201 %.

   Environmental management priorities of the municipality is carried out to manage, control and regulate the manners in which human population at different levels of social concern (from individual, the household and the community) interact with the environment.

   The present status of household toilet facilities shows that both in rural and urban barangays represents 88.10% (49.20% in urban barangays and 38.90% in rural barangays) of the total household population. Wheras, thos household with unsanitary toilet accounted for 3.13% of the total household (0.90%) in urban barangays and 2.23% in rural baranagays) and those without toilet 8.772% (2.772%) in urban barangays and 6% in rural baranagays).

   The waste disposal ordinance was enacted in 1995 for the appropriate disposal of waste and conservation of a clean living environment. It prescribed who are responsible for the treatment of waste from the household and the waste from business activites. It also defines the role of administration on waste management, and prohibits illegal waste disposal with penal/regulations.

   Waste materials are classified into biodegradeble (compostable) and non-biodegradable (non-compostable). Residential waste constitutes the largest source of waste and market wastes. Volume of waste generated ranges to 5359 kg/day for compostable and 3441 kg/day for non-compostable. Garbage disposal pracatices of household which accounted for garbage collection, 23%; burning, 40%; open pit, 20%; composting, 11%; and other, 6%.

   The existing municipal dumpsite is located at barangay Ilawod and situated along the Maharlika Highway about 500 meter away from the Poblacion. It occupies an area of about 2,500-3,000 square meters, generally bouded by coconuts, bamboos and other snall tree species. The dumpsite basically serves the urban barangays. The municipality utilizes 2 units of 10 cu.m. open dump truck for the collection and transporting solid waste generated by the households of urban barangays and at the collection point of the public market and business establishment.