The first inhabitants of the island were the indigenous Inagta Alabat people who are Negritos, the earliest settlers in the Philippines.

The island is located in Lamon Bay and has an extensive mangrove fringe along its southwest shore, with several hundred hectares of intertidal mudflats exposed at low tide.

Large portions of the original mangrove forest have been degraded or completely destroyed for the construction of fish and shrimp ponds.

[3] Alabat enjoys a humid tropical climate with no dry season, but a very pronounced period of maximum rainfall from November to January.

They belong to the Aeta people classification, but have distinct language and belief systems unique to their own culture and heritage.