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Wikipedia

Isabela (province)

May 07, 2023

Isabela, officially the Province of Isabela (Ilocano: Probinsia ti Isabela; Ibanag: Provinsia na Isabela; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Isabela), is the second largest province in the Philippines in land area located in the Cagayan Valley region. Its capital and the largest local government unit is the city of Ilagan. It is bordered by the provinces of Cagayan to the north, Kalinga to the northwest, Mountain Province to the central-west, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya to the southwest, Quirino and Aurora to the south, and the Philippine Sea to the east.

Isabela
Province
Province of Isabela[1]
(from top: left to right) Pacific coast in Dinapigue, Sierra Madre Mountains, Magat Dam, Cagayan River in Jones, Aerial view of Divilacan and Cabigan Church Ruins in San Pablo.
Flag
Seal
Nicknames: 
  • Queen Province of the North
  • Rice Bowl of the North
  • Top Corn Producer of the Philippines[2]
  • Sentro ng AGRIkultura[3]
Location in the Philippines
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 17°N 122°E / 17°N 122°E / 17; 122Coordinates: 17°N 122°E / 17°N 122°E / 17; 122
CountryPhilippines
RegionCagayan Valley
FoundedMay 1, 1856
Named forIsabella II of Spain
Capital
and largest city		Ilagan
Government
 • TypeSangguniang Panlalawigan
 • GovernorRodolfo T. Albano III (PDP–Laban)
 • Vice GovernorFaustino Dy III(NPC)
 • LegislatureIsabela Provincial Board
Area
[4]
 • Total12,414.93 km2 (4,793.43 sq mi)
 • Rank2nd out of 81
 (includes Santiago)
Highest elevation
[5] (Mount Dos Cuernos)
1,736 m (5,696 ft)
Population
 (2020 census) [6][7]
 • Total1,697,050
 • Rank15th out of 81
 • Density140/km2 (350/sq mi)
  • Rank67th out of 81
 (Includes Santiago)
Demonyms
  • Isabeliño (m)
  • Isabeliña (f)
  • Isabelan
Divisions
 • Independent cities
1
 • Component cities
2
 • Municipalities
34
 • Barangays
 • DistrictsLegislative districts of Isabela (shared with Santiago City)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP code
3300–3336
IDD : area code +63 (0)78
ISO 3166 codePH-ISA
Spoken languages
Websiteprovinceofisabela.ph

This primarily agricultural province is the rice and corn granary of Luzon due to its plain and rolling terrain. In 2012, the province was declared as the country's top producer of corn with 1,209,524 metric tons.[8] Isabela was also declared the second-largest rice producer in the Philippines and the Queen Province of the North.[9][10][11]

Isabela is the 9th richest province in the Philippines as of 2021.[12] The province has four trade centers in the cities of Ilagan, Cauayan, Santiago and the municipality of Roxas. Santiago City is considered to have the fastest-growing local economy in the entire Philippines.[13]

Etymology

The province was named after Isabella II, who was queen regnant of Spain from September 29, 1833, until September 30, 1868, when she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution, and her formal abdication two years later.[14]

There have been proposals to change the name to something more indigenous, but these were rejected by the people of Isabela.

History

The province of Isabela used to be a vast rainforest where numerous indigenous ethnolinguistic groups lived. Many of the same ethnic groups still live in the province. Shell midden sites and other archaeological sites throughout the province constitute the material culture of those groups during the classical era.

Spanish colonial period

During the Spanish era, prior to 1856, the Cagayan Valley was divided into only two provinces: Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya. The Province of Cagayan at that time consisted of all towns from Tumauini to Aparri in the north. All other towns from Ilagan southward to Aritao comprised the Province of the old Nueva Vizcaya. In order to facilitate the work of the Catholic missionaries in the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley, a royal decree was issued on May 1, 1856, creating the Province of Isabela consisting of the towns of Gamu, Old Angadanan (now Alicia), Bindang (now Roxas) and Camarag (now Echague), Carig (now Santiago City) and Palanan, all detached from the Province of Nueva Vizcaya; while Cabagan and Tumauini were taken from the Province of Cagayan.

The province was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor (Lieutenant Colonel of Cavalry Francisco Contreras y Urtasun) with Ilagan as the capital, where it remains up to present. It was initially called Isabela de Luzón to differentiate from other places in the Philippines bearing the name of Isabela. The new province was named after Queen Isabella II of Spain.[15] During that time, the Spanish controlled only the areas along the Cagayan River, leaving the Mallig Plants, the Magat River and the Sierra Madre Mountains to Gaddang tribes.

American invasion era

Although the province did not play a major role in the revolt against Spain, it is in Palanan that the final pages of the Philippine Revolution were written when United States troops, led by General Frederick Funston, finally captured General Emilio Aguinaldo in the area on March 23, 1901. To commemorate this historical event, Dr. Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS (now a cardiac surgeon in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Munster, Indiana, USA) then a 26-year-old medical missionary volunteer to the Work-A-Year-With-The-People's project of then Senator Raul S. Manglapus, Manuel Quezon Jr., and Ramon Magsaysay Jr., in 1962, while ministering to the health needs of the people in Palanan in his medical office at the Carmelite Convent, succeeded in convincing the town officials to construct a marker, a monument by the Palanan City Hall, right on the spot where General Aguinaldo was captured, to memorialize the historical event. The monument was inaugurated on June 12, 1962, Philippine Independence Day, and still stands today.

Isabela was re-organized as a province under the American military government through Act No. 210, passed August 24, 1901.[16]

The Americans built schools and other buildings and instituted changes in the overall political system. However, the province's economy remained particularly agricultural with rice replacing corn and tobacco as the dominant crop.

Japanese occupation era

World War II stagnated the province's economic growth but it recovered dramatically after the war. In 1942, Imperial Japanese occupied Isabela. In 1945, the liberation of Isabela commenced with the arrival of the Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Army, Constabulary, and USAFIP-NL units and recognized guerrillas attacked by the Japanese Imperial forces in World War II.[further explanation needed]

A new wave of immigration began in the late 19th and 20th centuries with the arrival of the Ilokano who came in large numbers. They now constitute the largest group in the province, and it was only in this large-scale Ilocano immigration & settlement that made Ilocano language replaced Ibanag as the lingua franca of the province. Other ethnic groups followed that made Isabela the "Melting Pot of the Northern Philippines".[15]

Philippine independence

In the years after the Second World War , Isabela was ruled by the Dy family for 35 years (1969-2004). The dynasty was started by the patriarch of the family, Faustino N. Dy Sr., who served as the Mayor of Cauayan from 1965 to 1969 and sat as provincial governor for 22 years (1969–1992), surviving the initial attempts of President Ferdinand Marcos to remove him for being a member of the political opposition during the imposition of Martial Law in 1972 and winning reelection in 1988 after his removal by President Corazon Aquino after he had sided with Marcos in 1986.

During the Marcos era era, Isabela became one of the first strongholds of the New People's Army, with events such as the discovery of the Taringsing Documents in Cordon outlining plans for a communist takeover and the botched landing of arms bound for the NPA in Palanan during the MV Karagatan incident in 1972 being cited as one of the justifications for the declaration of Martial Law by Marcos that year.

It was also during the dictatorship that Marcos began awarding logging concessions to his cronies in the areas of the Sierra Madre region, which heralded the beginning of widescale deforestation and other environmental problems that affect the province since then, despite Marcos creating the Palanan Wilderness Area in 1978 which was later expanded by President Fidel V. Ramos to become the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park in 1997.

In 1975, construction began on the Magat Dam on the boundary of Ramon, Isabela with neighboring Ifugao Province, becoming a catchbasin for 8 rivers upstream in Ifugao[17] and serving multiple functions, including: irrigating of agricultural lands; flood control; and power generation. The construction was protested by the Ifugao people due to the flooding of their ancestral lands,[18] but the dam was eventually completed in 1982, partially funded through a loan from the World Bank.[19]

Around 1987, former mayor of Santiago, Mayor Dodo Miranda planned to run as governor of Isabela but was ambushed by an unidentified gunman in Reina Mercedes. The reason Santiago City is independent from Isabela was because of that incident[citation needed]. On May 5, 1994, President Fidel V. Ramos signed Republic Act 7720, making Santiago the first city in Cagayan Valley. This was followed in 2001 by Cauayan, which attained component cityhood status by virtue of Republic Act 9017 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on February 28, 2001, and ratified in a plebiscite on March 30 of that year.[20]

Dy Sr. was succeeded by his son, Benjamin G. Dy, in the gubernatorial seat from 1992 to 2001. Another Dy took over the gubernatorial seat in 2001 when Faustino Dy Jr. won the 2001 elections after having served as the district representative of the 2nd Legislative District of the province from 1992 to 2001. It was only in the 2004 elections that the family's control of the gubernatorial seat ended when Grace Padaca, a former journalist, won over Faustino Dy Jr. She was the first woman to serve as the governor of the province. After serving for six years (2004-2010), Padaca was defeated in the 2010 National Elections by Faustino "Bojie" G. Dy III who served as governor of the province for three consecutive terms (2010-2019). He was then succeeded by Rodolfo "Rodito" Albano III, a member of the Albano dynasty that dominates Isabela's 1st congressional district.

Contemporary

In 1995, Republic Act 7891 was passed, legislating that Isabela be divided into two new provinces: Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur.[21][22] A referendum was held on the same year with a slight majority voting against partitioning the province.[23]

In 2012, the capital town of Ilagan officially became a city, after the move gained 96% of the votes in a plebiscite conducted on August 11, 2012.[24][25] The night after the plebiscite, Ilagan was declared as a component city of the province.[26]

Geography

Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 12,414.93 square kilometres (4,793.43 sq mi),[27] representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory. It is the largest province in the island of Luzon and the second largest province in the Philippines by land area. Occupying the central section of the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon, Isabela is bordered by Cagayan to the north, Kalinga to the northwest, Mountain Province to the central-west, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya to the southwest, Quirino to the south, and Aurora to the south. To the east lies the Philippine Sea, making Isabela one of the typhoon-prone provinces in the country.[28][29]

 
View of the Sierra Madre

The province is divided into three physiographic areas. The eastern area, straddled by the Sierra Madre mountain range, is rugged and thickly forested. A substantial portion is uncharted. These unexplored hinterlands are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, and some are under government reservations. It is home to one of the world's largest remaining low-altitude rainforests, with numerous unknown endemic species of flora and fauna and biological diversity in the protected area known as the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park.[30] Isabela has 600,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) of Cagayan Valley’s 900,000 hectares (2,200,000 acres) of forest cover.[31][32][33]

The highest point of the province is located near the border with Cagayan. Mount Dos Cuernos peak has an elevation of 1,785 metres (5,856 ft) located in San Pablo near the border with Maconacon. Other notable peaks in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park is Mount Cresta in Divilacan with an elevation of 1,672 metres (5,486 ft).[34]

The western area is a fertile valley hemmed by the Central Cordillera. It is crisscrossed by the mighty Cagayan River, Siffu River, and Magat River.

Mallig Plains region

Mallig Plains is a region in the western section of the province. Its name was derived from the rolling terrains or kilometers of plain lands in western part of Isabela. The municipality of Roxas serves as the business center of the region. The Plains encompassing the municipalities of Quezon, Mallig, Quirino, Burgos, Aurora, San Manuel and Roxas.

Administrative divisions

 

Isabela is politically subdivided into thirty-four (34) municipalities, two component cities and one independent component city. The province is represented in the Philippine House of Representatives with six legislative districts.[27]

The province has ten first class municipalities, two second class cities and one first class independent component city. Ilagan City, which became a city thirteen years after its failed cityhood proposal in 1998, it is now Luzon’s largest and the country’s fourth biggest city after Davao City, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga City by land area.

  •  †  Provincial capital and component city
  •  ^  Independent component city
  •  ∗  Component city
  •   Municipality

Barangays

The 34 municipalities and 3 cities of the province comprise 1,055 barangays, with Rizal in Santiago City as the most populous in 2010, and Catalina in Cauayan as the least. If cities are excluded, Bugallon Proper (Poblacion) in Ramon has the highest population, and Uauang-Tuliao in Santo Tomas has the lowest. [39]

Further information: List of barangays in Isabela

Government

 
Isabela Provincial Capitol

Governors

Main article: List of governors of Isabela

After Isabela was re-organized as a province under the American regime in 1901, its first provincial governor was Rafael Maramag, a former Municipal President and also the first Municipal President of the capital town Ilagan. He was succeeded by his brother, Gabriel. Since 1969, the position has been occupied mostly by members of the Dy family, a political dynasty based in Cauayan that has expanded to neighboring municipalities. The current governor is Rodolfo "Rodito" Albano III, a member of the Albano dynasty that dominates Isabela's 1st congressional district and is an ally of the Dys.

Legislative districts

On September 27, 2018, Republic Act No. 11080, an act reapportioning the province of Isabela into six legislative districts from four, was signed into law and the reapportioned districts elected its representatives starting in the 2019 midterm elections.[41][42] Accordingly, the six districts[43] are as follows:

Demographics

Population census of Isabela
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 76,431—    
1918 112,960+2.64%
1939 219,864+3.22%
1948 264,495+2.07%
1960 442,062+4.37%
1970 648,123+3.90%
1975 730,386+2.43%
1980 870,604+3.57%
1990 1,080,341+2.18%
1995 1,160,721+1.35%
2000 1,287,575+2.25%
2007 1,401,495+1.18%
2010 1,489,645+2.24%
2015 1,593,566+1.29%
2020 1,697,050+1.24%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [36] [39] [44][45]

The population of Isabela in the 2020 census was 1,697,050 people, [6] making it the most populated province among the five provinces in Cagayan Valley (Region II). It had a density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre or 360 inhabitants per square mile.

In 2010, Isabela had a population of 1,489,645 people: 46 percent of the 3.2 million people in the region at that time. At the national level, the province contributed 1.58 percent to the total population of 88.57 million. There were 254,928 households in the province in 2007.

For all ages, the sex ratio in Isabela was about 105 with 660,627 males and 626,948 females in the 2000 Census of Population and Housing (Census 2000). There are more males than females below 50 years old.

Ilocanos are the most prominent group in the province. Of the total household population, 68.71 percent classified themselves as Ilocanos, followed by the Ibanags (14.05 percent), and Tagalogs (10.02 percent). The majority ethnic group were the Ibanags, who were first seen by the Spanish explorers and converted to Christianity by missionaries, the reason why the Ibanag language had spread throughout the valley region prior to the arrival of the migrating Ilocanos. The remaining 7.22 percent are either Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, or from other ethnic groups who have assimilated into the Ibanag-Ilocano culture. More recently,[when?] a new group from the south, the Muslim Filipinos, have migrated to this province and have made a community for themselves. In addition to this, Tagalog-speaking peoples from Central Luzon (mostly from Nueva Ecija and Aurora) and Southern Luzon have also settled in the area, as well as a few Pangasinans and Kapampangans from the Central Luzon.

Major languages spoken are Ilocano followed by Ibanag, Yogad, and Gaddang. Ilocanos and Ibanags speak Ilocano with an Ibanag accent, as descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Isabela who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag; same situation with Ilocano tinged by Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, and Itawis accents when descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Isabela who lived within Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, and Itawis populations learned their languages. People especially in the capital and commercial centers speak and understand English and Tagalog. Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and Ibanags speak Tagalog with an Ibanag accent, as descendants of Tagalogs from first generation in Isabela who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the predominant faith followed by about 80% of the people.[46] Other religions practiced are Aglipayan, United Methodist Church and various Christian churches such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Iglesia ni Cristo,and Protestant Churches Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, other Charismatic Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are also small number of Muslims.

Economy

Poverty Incidence of Isabela
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[47][48]
[49][50][51][52][53]

In terms of income classification, Isabela is rated as first-class province and considered among the richest and most progressive province in the Philippines and the most progressive in Region 02 courtesy of the three key cities strategically located in the province.[54]

Trade and industry

Strategically located at the center of Cagayan Valley region, Isabela is acknowledged to have demonstrated strengths in business and industry. Thus, it has come to be known as the Regional Trade and Industrial Center of north-eastern Luzon.[55]

The province of Isabela is the richest in Cagayan Valley. It is also the 9th Richest Province in the Philippines last 2021.[56][57]

The cities of Cauayan, Ilagan, Santiago and the town of Roxas are the principal commercial centers of the province. Metro Manila-based malls and fast food chains have recently opened in these key trading hubs. To date, 192 banking branches operate in the province, with most of the universal and commercial banks providing automated teller machines for the convenience of their clients.[58]

Since the start of the 21st century, a growing number of foreign and local investors have selected Isabela as site of their business ventures. Heading the list are Isabela's top investors, namely: Mindanao Grains Processing Company, Inc., SN Aboitiz Power- Magat Inc., Universal Leaf Philippines, Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc., San Miguel Corporation, RC Cola and Pepsi Cola.[59][60][61][62][63][64]

In the rice industry, substantial investments have been made by Valiant Rice Mills Corporation, Family Choice Grains Processing Center, Golden Season Grains Center, Herco Agro Industries, JDT Silver Grains Center, New Cauayan Goldyluck Grains and the La Suerte Rice Mill Corporation.[65][66]

Retail giants like SM Prime, Robinsons and Puregold Price Club, Inc. have set up shops like Savemore, Robinsons Supermarket and Puregold, respectively. In 2014, these retail companies opened its pioneer malls in the region, the SM City Cauayan and Robinsons Place Santiago.[67][68][69]

Land transportation operators Victory Liner, Five Star Bus Company, Dalin Liner, GV Florida Transport, EMC Transportation, Inc., Solid North Transit Inc., Partas[70] and Northern Luzon Bus Company (NELBUSCO) have terminals and depots in the province.[71]

Leading car, motorcycle and truck manufacturers such as Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Isuzu Motors, Kia Motors, Nissan, Ford, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Hyundai, Mazda, Geely Philippines, Foton, Peugeot, MAN SE, Yamaha and many other companies entered the province over the past years.[72][73][74][75][76][77][78]

Telecom firms Globe, PLDT/Smart and Dito Telecommunity operate cellular sites and fixed telephony facilities throughout Isabela.

Big real estate developers like Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. entered the province with the opening of Camella Isabela, Camella Santiago, Camella Santiago Trails and Lessandra Santiago in Santiago City, and Camella Cauayan and Lumina Isabela in Cauayan. Vista Malls is set to launch its first high end mall in Santiago City.[79][80]

Agriculture

Agriculture is the biggest industry in Isabela. As the country's top corn producing province, it contributes 13.02% of the annual national yellow corn production. Asia's largest post-harvest corn processing facility, the Mindanao Grains, is located in the town of Reina Mercedes.[81][82]

As second highest rice-growing province nationwide, Isabela produces 15% of the aggregate national rice production on an annual basis. Being a surplus producer of the Filipinos’ staple crop, the province's rice sufficiency rate is at 224%, which means that Isabelinos produce more than they consume and are in fact responsible for supplying the rice requirements of Metro Manila and many other provinces. The unprecedented increase in palay production of Isabela made the province the Hybrid Rice Champion of the Philippines.[83]

High-value agricultural crops grown in Isabela include monggo, tobacco, coffee, banana, and mango. Its livestock and poultry industries are also on the rise, especially dairy processing, hog production, cattle breeding, and commercial poultry raising.

Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated.[84][85] With the presence of the Isabela State University, joint ventures and other foreign assisted projects and the Magat Dam contribute to the high productivity in agriculture.[86][87][88] It is also the hub of trade and commerce and other economic activities due to its central location in the region. The wood industry used to be a top earner for the province but due to the logging ban imposed in the Cagayan Valley Region, activities in this industry considerably declined. However, furniture making using narra wood and other indigenous forest materials continue to exist.

Isabela is one of the most progressive provinces of the Philippines having been adjudged as the most outstanding province on food security in the Gawad Sapat Ani Awards 2000. For corn production, Isabela ranks first among the top ten corn producing provinces for cy 2004, contributing 15.70% to national production. In 2013, the Department of Agriculture declared Isabela as the Best Corn-Quality Awardee.[89] Ilagan City was proclaimed as the Corn Capital of the Philippines for being the top corn producer among the 34 municipalities and 2 cities of the province as well as in the whole country.[90]

Forestland

 
Forests in Palanan

Forestland covers 54.37% or 579,819 hectares (1,432,760 acres) of Isabela's total land area of which 62% is protected forest and 38% is production forest. The best quality of timber resources in the Philippines are found in Isabela's forests.[91][92] Isabela's vast forest resources are now being ecologically managed to effect sustainable forest-based resource not only for the wood working industry but to secure a balanced ecosystem. The woodwork industry continues to operate under a regulated system, particularly the making of furniture using indigenous materials.

Fisheries

 
Isabela's coast in Divilacan

Isabela has a fertile fishing ground on the Pacific Coast. The Magat Dam reservoir is utilized for fish cage operations for tilapia production for domestic markets.[93][94] Another thriving industry in the province is aquaculture, sustained by inland fishing through 1,108 hectares of developed freshwater fishponds and 450 hectares of fish cage culture at Magat Dam Reservoir.[95][96] There are 238 marine fish species that were identified by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Isabela's coastal seaboard municipalities of Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, and Dinapigue.[97][98]

Mineral and energy

Large deposits of copper, gold, zinc and chromite, manganese and nickel have been found in Isabela. It also has extensive deposits of non-metallic minerals such as limestone, clay, marbles, guano, sand and gravel, and boulders. Indigenous energy sources such as natural gas and hydroelectric capabilities have been found to be abundant in the valley. Many of its mineral reserves have yet to be fully tapped.[99][100]

Power

Solar and biomass power plants in the city of Cauayan and in the town of Alicia have started operating in 2015 to supplement the region's high energy demand. The online solar power plant in Cauayan is capable of supplying at least 20 megawatts while the biomass power plant in Alicia can produce another 20 megawatts. Both systems provide clean and renewable energy. The P2 billion power facility established by the Isabela Biomass Energy Corporation (IBEC) was built to augment power supply in the Cagayan Valley region.[101][102] The use of biomass as fuel makes the power plant carbon neutral and sustainable. This biomass power facility is the first in the region and is designed to provide economical source of energy as well as job opportunities to residents of the host town/city.[103]

On 27 May 2015, the service contract of the largest solar PV power plant in the country has been approved by the Department of Energy (DOE). The P7-billion worth 100 MW Solar PV project in the city of Ilagan is designed to reduce the current shortage of electricity that causes regular blackouts that results to industry closures as well as inconvenience to the consumers. The solar power facility will be constructed at a 100-hectare land at Barangay Cabannungan, several kilometers away from the city proper.[104][105]

In December 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) has given the go signal to a Filipino-French joint venture to develop one of the biggest renewable energy projects in the Philippines - an P18-billion solar farm in Ilagan City. The project will be undertaken by San Ignacio Energy Resources Development Corporation, which is part of the Nextnorth Energy Group developing over 450 megawatts of solar and hydro projects in Northern Luzon, and French firm Total Eren S.A. The project will involve the development of a 440 MWp/336 MWac solar PV project to be built on around 400 hectares of available land located along the Northern Luzon high voltage transmission network of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). The project is scheduled to start construction in 2024 and start feeding electricity into the grid in 2025.[106]

Transportation

 
A road in Ramon

Isabela is accessible by all means of transportation. Almost 180-kilometers of the Pan-Philippine Highway pass through the different towns and cities of the province. Several bus companies offer daily trips to different routes like Manila, Dagupan, Baguio, Ilocos, and vice versa. Public utility vans and small-time bus operators ply daily trips from Tuguegarao in Cagayan to Santiago City vice versa, while jeepneys and tricycles are commonly used as the basic mode of transportation within the province's jurisdiction.

Ilagan-Divilacan Road

The construction of an 82-kilometer route across the Sierra Madre National Park is intended to improve access to the province's three coastal communities. The project's authorized budget contract, worth P1.5 billion, will traverse across the foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges, which cover 359,486 hectares. The idea is to rehabilitate an ancient logging route that was utilized until the 1990s by a defunct logging firm. It will begin in Barangay Sindon Bayabo in Ilagan City and end at Barangay Dicatian in Divilacan's seaside town. The project is scheduled to conclude in 2021.[107][108]

The secluded coastal settlements of Divilacan, Palanan, and Maconacon are frequently accessible only by boat or plane, making them difficult to reach at times of emergencies and calamities. There are no highways connecting Ilagan's capital city to the coastal districts, denying locals access to basic commodities and social services such as health care. Once completed, the route is projected to bolster coastal economies, citing Divilacan's 119-hectare beach and freshwater areas that have attracted tourists. Resolution No. 11 of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) reclassifies areas of the Sierra Madre as a special-use zone. Additionally, the Agta and Dumagat communities in the vicinity have signed a memorandum of understanding with the provincial administration expressing their support for the road project. At least 1,800 Agta and Dumagat have made their homes in park areas. However, the road's impact on the protected forest has upset neighbors, who believe the project will harm the region's woods and ecosystems. The project has been delayed in recent years due to worries about the road's possible environmental impact. The Cagayan Valley Regional Development Council required that the road's proponents conduct a comprehensive analysis of the road's impact on the area's biodiversity.[109]

Airports and sea ports

See also: Cauayan Airport

There are three airports in the province. The Cauayan Airport[110] is the primary airport in the province serving a trip to Manila, Palanan, and Maconacon.[111] The other two are the Palanan Airport in Palanan and Maconacon Airport in Maconacon.[112][113] The country's leading passenger airline Cebu Pacific services the Cauayan-Manila-Cauayan Route. Light planes operated by Cyclone Airways and WCC Aviation's Sky Pasada Have flights from Cauayan Domestic Airport to the community airports in Palanan and Maconacon.[114] The province has two minor seaports, the Divilacan Port and Palanan Port in the coastal towns of Divilacan and Palanan. The trade going to the ports comes primarily from major seaports in Cagayan such as Port of Aparri in Aparri, Cagayan, and Port of San Vicente and Port Irene, both in Santa Ana, Cagayan. The other two airstrips are found in Divilacan, and in Magat River Management Project Site.

Education

Isabela is one of the primary centers of education in the Cagayan Valley Region. There are several public and private educational institutions, the most notable being the Isabela State University, a government-owned and controlled public university. Its main campus is located in Echague and satellite campuses in Cauayan, Ilagan City, Angadanan, Cabagan, Jones, Palanan (extension), Roxas, San Mariano, San Mateo and Santiago City (extension).

Colleges and universities

Among the most notable higher educational institutions found in the province of Isabela are the following:

  • AMA Computer College (City of Santiago Campus)
  • Cagayan Valley Computer and Information Technology College, Inc. (City of Santiago Campus)
  • East Asia International System College (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Honorato Guzman Baquiran College (HGB College; Tumauini Campus)
  • International Technological Institute of Arts and Tourism (City of Ilagan Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Angadanan Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Echague; Main Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Cabagan Campus)
  • Isabela State University (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Jones Campus)
  • Isabela State University (City of Ilagan Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Roxas Campus)
  • Isabela State University (San Mariano Campus)
  • Isabela State University (San Mateo Campus)
  • Isabela State University (Palanan Extension Campus)
  • Isabela State University (City of Santiago Extension Campus)
  • Isabela College of Arts and Technology (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Mallig Plains Colleges (Mallig Campus)
  • National Police College Regional Training School (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Northeastern College (City of Santiago Campus)
  • Northeast Luzon Adventist College (Alicia Campus)
  • Our Lady of the Pillar College (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Our Lady of the Pillar College (San Manuel Campus)
  • La Patria College (City of Santiago Campus)
  • Philippine Normal University (Alicia, Isabela Campus)
  • Saint Clare College of Region 2 (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Saint Ferdinand College (Cabagan Satellite Campus)
  • Saint Ferdinand College (City of Ilagan; Main Campus)
  • Santiago City Colleges
  • Santiago City Polytechnic College
  • STI College (City of Cauayan Campus)
  • Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (City of Ilagan; TESDA Accredited Competency Assessment Center)
  • University of La Salette (City of Santiago Campus)
  • University of Perpetual Help System (City of Cauayan, Isabela Campus)

Tourism

Since the early 2000s, tourism has become an income-generating industry for Isabela. New hotels and resorts have opened, mostly in the cities of Ilagan, Cauayan and Santiago, and the towns of Tumauini, Gamu, Roxas, Alicia, Burgos, Ramon, San Mariano and Cordon. Top tourist attractions are the centuries-old churches; Magat Dam Tourism Complex, which houses Southeast Asia's biggest dam; Santa Victoria Caves, Pinzal Falls and Ilagan Sanctuary at Fuyot National Park; the white sand beaches in the coastal municipalities of Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, Dinapigue and islands of coastal Isabela; the world's biggest wooden lounge chair or butaka in Ilagan City; and various festivals and fiestas, including the Bambanti Festival annually celebrated every February, and the commemoration of the birth of the province during Isabela Day every May.[115][116][117][118][119]

Places of interest

Churches

Churches in Isabela
 
San Pablo de Cabigan Church Ruins in San Pablo that was started in 1735
 
The Church of Saint Rose of Lima in Gamu
 
The St. Mathias Parish Church in Tumauini with its wedding cake-style bell tower
 
Our Lady of Atocha Church in Alicia
 
Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Cauayan
  • San Pablo Church in San Pablo, the oldest town of Isabela founded by Padre de Santo Tomas on November 30, 1646 (about 210 years before Isabela was made a province). Its six-level bell tower including the circular apex is made of adobe. It is said to be the oldest in Isabela and the tallest in Cagayan Valley.[120]
  • Saint Rose of Lima Church in Gamu is known for its Spanish architectural design. Built in 1726 during the Spanish time, the church façade was made of layered bricks and stones dating back during the 17th century and considered a pilgrimage church because of its antiquity.[121] The feast of their patron, Saint Rose of Lima is celebrated every August 23.[122]
  • Parish Church of St. Mathias in Tumauini was first built of light materials by Fray Francisco Muńez, O.P., and dedicated to Patron Saint Matthias, 1707. Separated from Cabagan and became regular parish, 1751. The church of stone with a unique cylindrical bell tower. The only of its kind in the Philippines was constructed by Father Domingo Forto in 1783 and completed, 1805. The town became the capital of Isabela for a short time in the 1890s. It is an ultra-baroque church unique for its extensive use of baked clay both for wall finishing and ornamentation and bears Chinese ancestry. Partly damage during World War II and repaired into its original form by the faithful of Tumauini. This church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure on February 24, 1989.[123][124]
  • Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia was originally built by the Spaniards in the 18th century. Passing by Angadanan on February 12, 1805, Fr. Manuel Mora, OP wrote that "Angadanan has a convent of bricks, though not totally finished. Its church is timber, wood, and bamboo. The number of inhabitants is 791." The church and convent as seen today in the town of Alicia, was built by Fr. Tomas Calderon, OP and inaugurated in 1849, with Fr. Francisco Gainza, OP, then vicar of Carig (now Santiago City). The church was dedicated to the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, more popularly known today as Our Lady of Atocha. The church is known for its antique Castilian architectural design and can be found along the Maharlika Highway and is accessible by land transport.[125][126]
  • Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church in Cauayan was constructed by Fray Juan Prieto with the first class materials with galvanized roofing and a ceiling of bricks, dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Pilar. It had a tower which was later destroyed by a violent earthquake. Now, only the façade of the Cauayan Church remains in its original form. The original belfry is in ruins while a new nave and belfry was constructed and like the St. Mathias Church in the town of Tumauini, the facade has much interesting bas relief and portions of the bricks have numbers and symbols etched on it.[127][128]
  • Saint Ferdinand Parish Church (Ilagan City) — This church can't be seen on the highways or the main national road as it was located in the center of the city of Ilagan. The church features very high ceilings and walls made of bricks. It was around 1696 and 1700 that Fr. Miguel Matos, OP, built the church of stone and bricks. A typhoon in 1866 destroyed the roof of the church. Desiring to make the church bigger, Fr. Pablo Almazan, OP, demolished the solid walls of the church, which, unfortunately, was never built. The walls of the church today are of modern make. It is known to house one of the oldest bells in the region.[129][130] The church is dedicated to the patron saint of the Diocese of Ilagan, San Fernando.[131]
  • National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang is located in town of Gamu, frequented by travelers passing by the Maharlika Highway. It comes alive every year on the month July when religious pilgrims visit to offer prayers during its feast day. The image of the Our Lady of the Visitation was canonically crowned by the Most Rev. Carmine Pocco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines on May 26, 1973, at the former St. Ferdinand Cathedral (now St. Ferdinand Parish Church) in Ilagan City. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at its 52nd Annual Bishop's Meeting held in Tagaytay on January 24–26, 1986 have approved the petition of Miguel Purugganan, former Bishop of the Diocese of Ilagan for the Church of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang to be called a National Shrine.[132][133]
  • Saint James the Apostle Parish Church (Santiago City)
  • Poor Saint Clare Monastery (Gamu)
  • Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel (Gamu)
  • Our Lady of La Salette Parish Church (Roxas)
  • Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church (Echague)
  • San Isidro Labrador Parish Church (San Isidro)
  • San Roque Parish Church (The only Parish Church in the province that entrusted in the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette) (Ramon)

Festivals

Notable personalities

Notes

  1. ^ (Ilocano: Probinsia ti Isabela; Ibanag: Provinsia na Isabela; Gaddang: Probinsia na Isabela; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Isabela)
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  11. ^ "| Official Website of the Province of Isabela - The Province of Isabela Reigns... by chance or by choice?". provinceofisabela.ph. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
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Further reading

External links

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May 07, 2023
isabela, province, isabela, officially, province, isabela, ilocano, probinsia, isabela, ibanag, provinsia, isabela, tagalog, lalawigan, isabela, second, largest, province, philippines, land, area, located, cagayan, valley, region, capital, largest, local, gove. Isabela officially the Province of Isabela Ilocano Probinsia ti Isabela Ibanag Provinsia na Isabela Tagalog Lalawigan ng Isabela is the second largest province in the Philippines in land area located in the Cagayan Valley region Its capital and the largest local government unit is the city of Ilagan It is bordered by the provinces of Cagayan to the north Kalinga to the northwest Mountain Province to the central west Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya to the southwest Quirino and Aurora to the south and the Philippine Sea to the east IsabelaProvinceProvince of Isabela 1 from top left to right Pacific coast in Dinapigue Sierra Madre Mountains Magat Dam Cagayan River in Jones Aerial view of Divilacan and Cabigan Church Ruins in San Pablo FlagSealNicknames Queen Province of the NorthRice Bowl of the NorthTop Corn Producer of the Philippines 2 Sentro ng AGRIkultura 3 Location in the PhilippinesOpenStreetMapCoordinates 17 N 122 E 17 N 122 E 17 122 Coordinates 17 N 122 E 17 N 122 E 17 122CountryPhilippinesRegionCagayan ValleyFoundedMay 1 1856Named forIsabella II of SpainCapitaland largest cityIlaganGovernment TypeSangguniang Panlalawigan GovernorRodolfo T Albano III PDP Laban Vice GovernorFaustino Dy III NPC LegislatureIsabela Provincial BoardArea 4 Total12 414 93 km2 4 793 43 sq mi Rank2nd out of 81 includes Santiago Highest elevation 5 Mount Dos Cuernos 1 736 m 5 696 ft Population 2020 census 6 7 Total1 697 050 Rank15th out of 81 Density140 km2 350 sq mi Rank67th out of 81 Includes Santiago DemonymsIsabelino m Isabelina f IsabelanDivisions Independent cities1 Santiago Component cities2 CauayanIlagan Municipalities34 AliciaAngadananAuroraBenito SolivenBurgosCabaganCabatuanCordonDelfin AlbanoDinapigueDivilacanEchagueGamuJonesLunaMaconaconMalligNaguilianPalananQuezonQuirinoRamonReina MercedesRoxasSan AgustinSan GuillermoSan IsidroSan ManuelSan MarianoSan MateoSan PabloSanta MariaSanto TomasTumauini Barangays1 018including independent cities 1 055 DistrictsLegislative districts of Isabela shared with Santiago City Time zoneUTC 8 PHT ZIP code3300 3336IDD area code 63 0 78ISO 3166 codePH ISASpoken languagesIlocano Ibanag Gaddang Tagalog Yogad EnglishWebsiteprovinceofisabela wbr phThis primarily agricultural province is the rice and corn granary of Luzon due to its plain and rolling terrain In 2012 the province was declared as the country s top producer of corn with 1 209 524 metric tons 8 Isabela was also declared the second largest rice producer in the Philippines and the Queen Province of the North 9 10 11 Isabela is the 9th richest province in the Philippines as of 2021 12 The province has four trade centers in the cities of Ilagan Cauayan Santiago and the municipality of Roxas Santiago City is considered to have the fastest growing local economy in the entire Philippines 13 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Spanish colonial period 2 2 American invasion era 2 3 Japanese occupation era 2 4 Philippine independence 2 5 Contemporary 3 Geography 3 1 Mallig Plains region 3 2 Administrative divisions 3 3 Barangays 4 Government 4 1 Governors 4 2 Legislative districts 5 Demographics 5 1 Religion 6 Economy 6 1 Trade and industry 6 2 Agriculture 6 3 Forestland 6 4 Fisheries 6 5 Mineral and energy 6 6 Power 7 Transportation 7 1 Ilagan Divilacan Road 7 2 Airports and sea ports 8 Education 8 1 Colleges and universities 9 Tourism 9 1 Places of interest 9 2 Churches 9 2 1 Festivals 10 Notable personalities 11 Notes 12 Further reading 13 External linksEtymology EditThe province was named after Isabella II who was queen regnant of Spain from September 29 1833 until September 30 1868 when she was deposed in the Glorious Revolution and her formal abdication two years later 14 There have been proposals to change the name to something more indigenous but these were rejected by the people of Isabela History EditThe province of Isabela used to be a vast rainforest where numerous indigenous ethnolinguistic groups lived Many of the same ethnic groups still live in the province Shell midden sites and other archaeological sites throughout the province constitute the material culture of those groups during the classical era Spanish colonial period Edit During the Spanish era prior to 1856 the Cagayan Valley was divided into only two provinces Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya The Province of Cagayan at that time consisted of all towns from Tumauini to Aparri in the north All other towns from Ilagan southward to Aritao comprised the Province of the old Nueva Vizcaya In order to facilitate the work of the Catholic missionaries in the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley a royal decree was issued on May 1 1856 creating the Province of Isabela consisting of the towns of Gamu Old Angadanan now Alicia Bindang now Roxas and Camarag now Echague Carig now Santiago City and Palanan all detached from the Province of Nueva Vizcaya while Cabagan and Tumauini were taken from the Province of Cagayan The province was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor Lieutenant Colonel of Cavalry Francisco Contreras y Urtasun with Ilagan as the capital where it remains up to present It was initially called Isabela de Luzon to differentiate from other places in the Philippines bearing the name of Isabela The new province was named after Queen Isabella II of Spain 15 During that time the Spanish controlled only the areas along the Cagayan River leaving the Mallig Plants the Magat River and the Sierra Madre Mountains to Gaddang tribes American invasion era Edit Although the province did not play a major role in the revolt against Spain it is in Palanan that the final pages of the Philippine Revolution were written when United States troops led by General Frederick Funston finally captured General Emilio Aguinaldo in the area on March 23 1901 To commemorate this historical event Dr Philip S Chua MD FACS FPCS now a cardiac surgeon in Las Vegas Nevada and Munster Indiana USA then a 26 year old medical missionary volunteer to the Work A Year With The People s project of then Senator Raul S Manglapus Manuel Quezon Jr and Ramon Magsaysay Jr in 1962 while ministering to the health needs of the people in Palanan in his medical office at the Carmelite Convent succeeded in convincing the town officials to construct a marker a monument by the Palanan City Hall right on the spot where General Aguinaldo was captured to memorialize the historical event The monument was inaugurated on June 12 1962 Philippine Independence Day and still stands today Isabela was re organized as a province under the American military government through Act No 210 passed August 24 1901 16 The Americans built schools and other buildings and instituted changes in the overall political system However the province s economy remained particularly agricultural with rice replacing corn and tobacco as the dominant crop Japanese occupation era Edit World War II stagnated the province s economic growth but it recovered dramatically after the war In 1942 Imperial Japanese occupied Isabela In 1945 the liberation of Isabela commenced with the arrival of the Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Army Constabulary and USAFIP NL units and recognized guerrillas attacked by the Japanese Imperial forces in World War II further explanation needed A new wave of immigration began in the late 19th and 20th centuries with the arrival of the Ilokano who came in large numbers They now constitute the largest group in the province and it was only in this large scale Ilocano immigration amp settlement that made Ilocano language replaced Ibanag as the lingua franca of the province Other ethnic groups followed that made Isabela the Melting Pot of the Northern Philippines 15 Philippine independence Edit In the years after the Second World War Isabela was ruled by the Dy family for 35 years 1969 2004 The dynasty was started by the patriarch of the family Faustino N Dy Sr who served as the Mayor of Cauayan from 1965 to 1969 and sat as provincial governor for 22 years 1969 1992 surviving the initial attempts of President Ferdinand Marcos to remove him for being a member of the political opposition during the imposition of Martial Law in 1972 and winning reelection in 1988 after his removal by President Corazon Aquino after he had sided with Marcos in 1986 During the Marcos era era Isabela became one of the first strongholds of the New People s Army with events such as the discovery of the Taringsing Documents in Cordon outlining plans for a communist takeover and the botched landing of arms bound for the NPA in Palanan during the MV Karagatan incident in 1972 being cited as one of the justifications for the declaration of Martial Law by Marcos that year It was also during the dictatorship that Marcos began awarding logging concessions to his cronies in the areas of the Sierra Madre region which heralded the beginning of widescale deforestation and other environmental problems that affect the province since then despite Marcos creating the Palanan Wilderness Area in 1978 which was later expanded by President Fidel V Ramos to become the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park in 1997 In 1975 construction began on the Magat Dam on the boundary of Ramon Isabela with neighboring Ifugao Province becoming a catchbasin for 8 rivers upstream in Ifugao 17 and serving multiple functions including irrigating of agricultural lands flood control and power generation The construction was protested by the Ifugao people due to the flooding of their ancestral lands 18 but the dam was eventually completed in 1982 partially funded through a loan from the World Bank 19 Around 1987 former mayor of Santiago Mayor Dodo Miranda planned to run as governor of Isabela but was ambushed by an unidentified gunman in Reina Mercedes The reason Santiago City is independent from Isabela was because of that incident citation needed On May 5 1994 President Fidel V Ramos signed Republic Act 7720 making Santiago the first city in Cagayan Valley This was followed in 2001 by Cauayan which attained component cityhood status by virtue of Republic Act 9017 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on February 28 2001 and ratified in a plebiscite on March 30 of that year 20 Dy Sr was succeeded by his son Benjamin G Dy in the gubernatorial seat from 1992 to 2001 Another Dy took over the gubernatorial seat in 2001 when Faustino Dy Jr won the 2001 elections after having served as the district representative of the 2nd Legislative District of the province from 1992 to 2001 It was only in the 2004 elections that the family s control of the gubernatorial seat ended when Grace Padaca a former journalist won over Faustino Dy Jr She was the first woman to serve as the governor of the province After serving for six years 2004 2010 Padaca was defeated in the 2010 National Elections by Faustino Bojie G Dy III who served as governor of the province for three consecutive terms 2010 2019 He was then succeeded by Rodolfo Rodito Albano III a member of the Albano dynasty that dominates Isabela s 1st congressional district Contemporary Edit In 1995 Republic Act 7891 was passed legislating that Isabela be divided into two new provinces Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur 21 22 A referendum was held on the same year with a slight majority voting against partitioning the province 23 In 2012 the capital town of Ilagan officially became a city after the move gained 96 of the votes in a plebiscite conducted on August 11 2012 24 25 The night after the plebiscite Ilagan was declared as a component city of the province 26 Geography EditIsabela comprises an aggregate land area of 12 414 93 square kilometres 4 793 43 sq mi 27 representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory It is the largest province in the island of Luzon and the second largest province in the Philippines by land area Occupying the central section of the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon Isabela is bordered by Cagayan to the north Kalinga to the northwest Mountain Province to the central west Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya to the southwest Quirino to the south and Aurora to the south To the east lies the Philippine Sea making Isabela one of the typhoon prone provinces in the country 28 29 View of the Sierra Madre The province is divided into three physiographic areas The eastern area straddled by the Sierra Madre mountain range is rugged and thickly forested A substantial portion is uncharted These unexplored hinterlands are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna and some are under government reservations It is home to one of the world s largest remaining low altitude rainforests with numerous unknown endemic species of flora and fauna and biological diversity in the protected area known as the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park 30 Isabela has 600 000 hectares 1 500 000 acres of Cagayan Valley s 900 000 hectares 2 200 000 acres of forest cover 31 32 33 The highest point of the province is located near the border with Cagayan Mount Dos Cuernos peak has an elevation of 1 785 metres 5 856 ft located in San Pablo near the border with Maconacon Other notable peaks in the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park is Mount Cresta in Divilacan with an elevation of 1 672 metres 5 486 ft 34 The western area is a fertile valley hemmed by the Central Cordillera It is crisscrossed by the mighty Cagayan River Siffu River and Magat River Mallig Plains region Edit Mallig Plains is a region in the western section of the province Its name was derived from the rolling terrains or kilometers of plain lands in western part of Isabela The municipality of Roxas serves as the business center of the region The Plains encompassing the municipalities of Quezon Mallig Quirino Burgos Aurora San Manuel and Roxas Administrative divisions Edit Isabela is politically subdivided into thirty four 34 municipalities two component cities and one independent component city The province is represented in the Philippine House of Representatives with six legislative districts 27 The province has ten first class municipalities two second class cities and one first class independent component city Ilagan City which became a city thirteen years after its failed cityhood proposal in 1998 it is now Luzon s largest and the country s fourth biggest city after Davao City Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga City by land area Provincial capital and component city Independent component city Component city Municipality City or municipality District 35 Population p a Area 27 Density Barangay Coordinates A 2020 6 2015 36 km2 sq mi km2 sq miAlicia 3rd 4 4 73 874 71 504 0 62 154 10 59 50 480 1 200 34 16 46 44 N 121 41 57 E 16 7789 N 121 6992 E 16 7789 121 6992 Alicia Angadanan 3rd 2 7 44 977 43 061 0 83 204 40 78 92 220 570 59 16 45 24 N 121 44 53 E 16 7568 N 121 7480 E 16 7568 121 7480 Angadanan Aurora 5th 2 2 36 621 35 017 0 86 115 56 44 62 320 830 33 16 59 26 N 121 38 21 E 16 9906 N 121 6392 E 16 9906 121 6392 Aurora Benito Soliven 2nd 1 8 29 752 29 624 0 08 197 52 76 26 150 390 29 16 59 05 N 121 57 41 E 16 9847 N 121 9615 E 16 9847 121 9615 Benito Soliven Burgos 5th 1 5 26 040 23 784 1 74 73 10 28 22 360 930 14 17 04 05 N 121 41 37 E 17 0680 N 121 6937 E 17 0680 121 6937 Burgos Cabagan 1st 3 2 53 897 50 174 1 37 430 40 166 18 120 310 26 17 25 35 N 121 45 54 E 17 4263 N 121 7649 E 17 4263 121 7649 Cabagan Cabatuan 3rd 2 4 39 990 39 413 0 28 72 00 27 80 560 1 500 22 16 57 15 N 121 40 11 E 16 9542 N 121 6698 E 16 9542 121 6698 Cabatuan Cauayan 1 6th 8 5 143 403 129 523 1 96 336 40 129 88 430 1 100 65 16 56 03 N 121 46 00 E 16 9343 N 121 7666 E 16 9343 121 7666 Cauayan Cordon 4th 2 7 46 477 42 926 1 52 144 00 55 60 320 830 26 16 40 26 N 121 27 58 E 16 6739 N 121 4662 E 16 6739 121 4662 Cordon Delfin Albano 1st 1 8 29 928 26 614 2 26 189 00 72 97 160 410 29 17 18 16 N 121 46 44 E 17 3044 N 121 7788 E 17 3044 121 7788 Delfin Albano Dinapigue 4th 0 3 5 821 5 005 2 92 1 031 93 398 43 5 6 15 6 16 31 29 N 122 15 47 E 16 5248 N 122 2631 E 16 5248 122 2631 Dinapigue Divilacan 1st 0 3 5 827 5 687 0 46 889 49 343 43 6 6 17 12 17 19 47 N 122 17 46 E 17 3297 N 122 2961 E 17 3297 122 2961 Divilacan Echague 6th 5 2 88 410 79 094 2 14 648 38 250 34 140 360 64 16 43 00 N 121 41 00 E 16 7168 N 121 6832 E 16 7168 121 6832 Echague Gamu 2nd 1 8 30 655 29 904 0 47 129 40 49 96 240 620 16 17 02 50 N 121 50 00 E 17 0472 N 121 8333 E 17 0472 121 8333 Gamu Ilagan 2 1st 9 3 158 218 145 568 1 60 1 166 26 450 30 140 360 91 17 08 39 N 121 53 20 E 17 1442 N 121 8889 E 17 1442 121 8889 Ilagan Jones 4th 2 7 45 628 45 666 0 02 670 14 258 74 68 180 42 16 33 33 N 121 42 13 E 16 5593 N 121 7036 E 16 5593 121 7036 Jones Luna 5th 1 2 20 697 19 326 1 31 44 94 17 35 460 1 200 19 16 58 06 N 121 43 45 E 16 9683 N 121 7293 E 16 9683 121 7293 Luna Maconacon 1st 0 2 3 977 4 253 1 27 538 66 207 98 7 4 19 10 17 23 21 N 122 14 23 E 17 3893 N 122 2398 E 17 3893 122 2398 Maconacon Mallig 5th 1 9 32 208 30 459 1 07 158 55 61 22 200 520 18 17 12 41 N 121 36 40 E 17 2114 N 121 6112 E 17 2114 121 6112 Mallig Naguilian 2nd 2 0 33 788 31 902 1 10 169 81 65 56 200 520 25 17 01 23 N 121 50 06 E 17 0231 N 121 8350 E 17 0231 121 8350 Naguilian Palanan 2nd 1 0 17 684 17 260 0 46 880 24 339 86 20 52 17 17 03 46 N 122 25 45 E 17 0628 N 122 4292 E 17 0628 122 4292 Palanan Quezon 5th 1 6 27 037 25 860 0 85 207 07 79 95 130 340 15 17 18 41 N 121 36 21 E 17 3114 N 121 6059 E 17 3114 121 6059 Quezon Quirino 5th 1 5 25 023 24 501 0 40 126 20 48 73 200 520 21 17 09 10 N 121 45 19 E 17 1529 N 121 7554 E 17 1529 121 7554 Quirino Ramon 3rd 3 3 56 523 52 707 1 34 135 17 52 19 420 1 100 19 16 46 53 N 121 32 06 E 16 7815 N 121 5351 E 16 7815 121 5351 Ramon Reina Mercedes 2nd 1 6 27 900 26 998 0 63 57 14 22 06 490 1 300 20 16 59 15 N 121 49 07 E 16 9875 N 121 8186 E 16 9875 121 8186 Reina Mercedes Roxas 5th 3 9 65 839 61 773 1 22 139 95 54 03 470 1 200 26 17 07 18 N 121 37 11 E 17 1218 N 121 6198 E 17 1218 121 6198 Roxas San Agustin 4th 1 3 22 096 22 880 0 66 278 40 107 49 79 200 23 16 30 24 N 121 44 51 E 16 5067 N 121 7474 E 16 5067 121 7474 San Agustin San Guillermo 6th 1 2 20 915 20 200 0 66 457 35 176 58 46 120 26 16 43 11 N 121 48 31 E 16 7198 N 121 8087 E 16 7198 121 8087 San Guillermo San Isidro 6th 1 6 27 044 24 861 1 62 71 90 27 76 380 980 13 16 44 03 N 121 38 01 E 16 7343 N 121 6337 E 16 7343 121 6337 San Isidro San Manuel 5th 2 0 34 085 31 896 1 27 112 77 43 54 300 780 19 17 01 20 N 121 37 54 E 17 0223 N 121 6318 E 17 0223 121 6318 San Manuel San Mariano 2nd 3 5 60 124 55 370 1 58 1 459 16 563 38 41 110 36 16 59 01 N 122 00 46 E 16 9835 N 122 0127 E 16 9835 122 0127 San Mariano San Mateo 3rd 3 9 66 663 64 505 0 63 120 60 46 56 550 1 400 33 16 52 52 N 121 35 16 E 16 8812 N 121 5878 E 16 8812 121 5878 San Mateo San Pablo 1st 1 6 26 320 25 384 0 69 637 90 246 29 41 110 17 17 26 54 N 121 47 43 E 17 4483 N 121 7952 E 17 4483 121 7952 San Pablo Santa Maria 1st 1 5 25 758 25 382 0 28 124 90 48 22 210 540 20 17 28 17 N 121 45 09 E 17 4713 N 121 7524 E 17 4713 121 7524 Santa Maria Santiago 3 4th 8 8 148 580 134 830 1 87 255 50 98 65 580 1 500 37 16 41 15 N 121 32 41 E 16 6875 N 121 5446 E 16 6875 121 5446 Santiago Santo Tomas 1st 1 4 24 528 23 005 1 23 80 58 31 11 300 780 27 17 23 59 N 121 45 57 E 17 3998 N 121 7658 E 17 3998 121 7658 Santo Tomas Tumauini 1st 4 2 70 743 67 650 0 85 471 68 182 12 150 390 46 17 16 26 N 121 48 35 E 17 2739 N 121 8098 E 17 2739 121 8098 Tumauini Total B 1 697 050 1 593 566 1 21 13 102 05 5 058 73 130 340 1 055 see GeoGroup box Coordinates mark the city town center and are sortable by latitude Total figures include the independent component city of Santiago 1 Became a component city on March 30 2001 under Republic Act 9017 2 Became a component city on August 11 2012 under Republic Act 10169 37 38 3 Became an independent component city on July 6 1994 under Republic Act 7720 Barangays Edit The 34 municipalities and 3 cities of the province comprise 1 055 barangays with Rizal in Santiago City as the most populous in 2010 and Catalina in Cauayan as the least If cities are excluded Bugallon Proper Poblacion in Ramon has the highest population and Uauang Tuliao in Santo Tomas has the lowest 39 Further information List of barangays in IsabelaGovernment Edit Isabela Provincial Capitol Governors Edit Main article List of governors of Isabela After Isabela was re organized as a province under the American regime in 1901 its first provincial governor was Rafael Maramag a former Municipal President and also the first Municipal President of the capital town Ilagan He was succeeded by his brother Gabriel Since 1969 the position has been occupied mostly by members of the Dy family a political dynasty based in Cauayan that has expanded to neighboring municipalities The current governor is Rodolfo Rodito Albano III a member of the Albano dynasty that dominates Isabela s 1st congressional district and is an ally of the Dys Members of the Isabela Provincial Council 2022 2025 40 Position Provincial OfficialProvincial Governor Rodolfo T Albano IIIProvincial Vice Governor Faustino G Dy IIIDistrict Representatives Rep Antonio T Albano 1st District Rep Ed Christopher S Go 2nd District Rep Ian Paul L Dy 3rd District Rep Joseph S Tan 4th District and Santiago City Rep Faustino Michael Carlos T Dy III 5th District Rep Faustino A Dy V 6th District Provincial Board Members Delfinito Emmanuel L Albano 1st District Emmanuel Joselito B Anes 1st District Ed Christian S Go 2nd District Edgar R Capuchino 2nd District Mary Grace A Arreola 3rd District Ramon Juan N Reyes 3rd District Clifford R Raspado 4th District Victor G Dy 4th District Manuel Faustino Dy 5th District Edward S Isidro 5th District Marco Paolo A Meris 6th District Amador A Gaffud Jr 6th District Legislative districts Edit On September 27 2018 Republic Act No 11080 an act reapportioning the province of Isabela into six legislative districts from four was signed into law and the reapportioned districts elected its representatives starting in the 2019 midterm elections 41 42 Accordingly the six districts 43 are as follows First District Cabagan Delfin Albano Divilacan Ilagan City Maconacon San Pablo Santa Maria Santo Tomas and Tumauini Second District Benito Soliven Gamu Naguilian Palanan Reina Mercedes and San Mariano Third District Alicia Angadanan Cabatuan Ramon and San Mateo Fourth District Cordon Dinapigue Jones Santiago City and San Agustin Fifth District Aurora Burgos Luna Mallig Quezon Quirino Roxas and San Manuel Sixth District Cauayan Echague San Guillermo and San Isidro Demographics EditPopulation census of IsabelaYearPop p a 190376 431 1918112 960 2 64 1939219 864 3 22 1948264 495 2 07 1960442 062 4 37 1970648 123 3 90 1975730 386 2 43 1980870 604 3 57 19901 080 341 2 18 19951 160 721 1 35 20001 287 575 2 25 20071 401 495 1 18 20101 489 645 2 24 20151 593 566 1 29 20201 697 050 1 24 Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues Source Philippine Statistics Authority 36 39 44 45 The population of Isabela in the 2020 census was 1 697 050 people 6 making it the most populated province among the five provinces in Cagayan Valley Region II It had a density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre or 360 inhabitants per square mile In 2010 Isabela had a population of 1 489 645 people 46 percent of the 3 2 million people in the region at that time At the national level the province contributed 1 58 percent to the total population of 88 57 million There were 254 928 households in the province in 2007 For all ages the sex ratio in Isabela was about 105 with 660 627 males and 626 948 females in the 2000 Census of Population and Housing Census 2000 There are more males than females below 50 years old Ilocanos are the most prominent group in the province Of the total household population 68 71 percent classified themselves as Ilocanos followed by the Ibanags 14 05 percent and Tagalogs 10 02 percent The majority ethnic group were the Ibanags who were first seen by the Spanish explorers and converted to Christianity by missionaries the reason why the Ibanag language had spread throughout the valley region prior to the arrival of the migrating Ilocanos The remaining 7 22 percent are either Gaddang Paranan Yogad or from other ethnic groups who have assimilated into the Ibanag Ilocano culture More recently when a new group from the south the Muslim Filipinos have migrated to this province and have made a community for themselves In addition to this Tagalog speaking peoples from Central Luzon mostly from Nueva Ecija and Aurora and Southern Luzon have also settled in the area as well as a few Pangasinans and Kapampangans from the Central Luzon Major languages spoken are Ilocano followed by Ibanag Yogad and Gaddang Ilocanos and Ibanags speak Ilocano with an Ibanag accent as descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Isabela who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag same situation with Ilocano tinged by Gaddang Paranan Yogad and Itawis accents when descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Isabela who lived within Gaddang Paranan Yogad and Itawis populations learned their languages People especially in the capital and commercial centers speak and understand English and Tagalog Tagalogs Ilocanos and Ibanags speak Tagalog with an Ibanag accent as descendants of Tagalogs from first generation in Isabela who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag Religion Edit Roman Catholicism is the predominant faith followed by about 80 of the people 46 Other religions practiced are Aglipayan United Methodist Church and various Christian churches such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints Iglesia ni Cristo and Protestant Churches Baptist Seventh day Adventist other Charismatic Christians and Jehovah s Witnesses There are also small number of Muslims Economy EditPoverty Incidence of Isabela Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues Source Philippine Statistics Authority 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 In terms of income classification Isabela is rated as first class province and considered among the richest and most progressive province in the Philippines and the most progressive in Region 02 courtesy of the three key cities strategically located in the province 54 Trade and industry Edit This section focuses too much on specific examples without explaining their importance to its main subject Please help improve this article by citing reliable secondary sources that evaluate and synthesize these or similar examples within a broader context June 2016 This section contains information of unclear or questionable importance or relevance to the article s subject Please help improve this section by clarifying or removing indiscriminate details Non important content should likely be moved to another article pseudo redirected or removed June 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Strategically located at the center of Cagayan Valley region Isabela is acknowledged to have demonstrated strengths in business and industry Thus it has come to be known as the Regional Trade and Industrial Center of north eastern Luzon 55 The province of Isabela is the richest in Cagayan Valley It is also the 9th Richest Province in the Philippines last 2021 56 57 The cities of Cauayan Ilagan Santiago and the town of Roxas are the principal commercial centers of the province Metro Manila based malls and fast food chains have recently opened in these key trading hubs To date 192 banking branches operate in the province with most of the universal and commercial banks providing automated teller machines for the convenience of their clients 58 Since the start of the 21st century a growing number of foreign and local investors have selected Isabela as site of their business ventures Heading the list are Isabela s top investors namely Mindanao Grains Processing Company Inc SN Aboitiz Power Magat Inc Universal Leaf Philippines Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc San Miguel Corporation RC Cola and Pepsi Cola 59 60 61 62 63 64 In the rice industry substantial investments have been made by Valiant Rice Mills Corporation Family Choice Grains Processing Center Golden Season Grains Center Herco Agro Industries JDT Silver Grains Center New Cauayan Goldyluck Grains and the La Suerte Rice Mill Corporation 65 66 Retail giants like SM Prime Robinsons and Puregold Price Club Inc have set up shops like Savemore Robinsons Supermarket and Puregold respectively In 2014 these retail companies opened its pioneer malls in the region the SM City Cauayan and Robinsons Place Santiago 67 68 69 Land transportation operators Victory Liner Five Star Bus Company Dalin Liner GV Florida Transport EMC Transportation Inc Solid North Transit Inc Partas 70 and Northern Luzon Bus Company NELBUSCO have terminals and depots in the province 71 Leading car motorcycle and truck manufacturers such as Honda Toyota Mitsubishi Motors Isuzu Motors Kia Motors Nissan Ford Chevrolet Suzuki Hyundai Mazda Geely Philippines Foton Peugeot MAN SE Yamaha and many other companies entered the province over the past years 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 Telecom firms Globe PLDT Smart and Dito Telecommunity operate cellular sites and fixed telephony facilities throughout Isabela Big real estate developers like Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc entered the province with the opening of Camella Isabela Camella Santiago Camella Santiago Trails and Lessandra Santiago in Santiago City and Camella Cauayan and Lumina Isabela in Cauayan Vista Malls is set to launch its first high end mall in Santiago City 79 80 Agriculture Edit This section may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia s quality standards You can help The talk page may contain suggestions June 2016 Agriculture is the biggest industry in Isabela As the country s top corn producing province it contributes 13 02 of the annual national yellow corn production Asia s largest post harvest corn processing facility the Mindanao Grains is located in the town of Reina Mercedes 81 82 As second highest rice growing province nationwide Isabela produces 15 of the aggregate national rice production on an annual basis Being a surplus producer of the Filipinos staple crop the province s rice sufficiency rate is at 224 which means that Isabelinos produce more than they consume and are in fact responsible for supplying the rice requirements of Metro Manila and many other provinces The unprecedented increase in palay production of Isabela made the province the Hybrid Rice Champion of the Philippines 83 High value agricultural crops grown in Isabela include monggo tobacco coffee banana and mango Its livestock and poultry industries are also on the rise especially dairy processing hog production cattle breeding and commercial poultry raising Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated 84 85 With the presence of the Isabela State University joint ventures and other foreign assisted projects and the Magat Dam contribute to the high productivity in agriculture 86 87 88 It is also the hub of trade and commerce and other economic activities due to its central location in the region The wood industry used to be a top earner for the province but due to the logging ban imposed in the Cagayan Valley Region activities in this industry considerably declined However furniture making using narra wood and other indigenous forest materials continue to exist Isabela is one of the most progressive provinces of the Philippines having been adjudged as the most outstanding province on food security in the Gawad Sapat Ani Awards 2000 For corn production Isabela ranks first among the top ten corn producing provinces for cy 2004 contributing 15 70 to national production In 2013 the Department of Agriculture declared Isabela as the Best Corn Quality Awardee 89 Ilagan City was proclaimed as the Corn Capital of the Philippines for being the top corn producer among the 34 municipalities and 2 cities of the province as well as in the whole country 90 Forestland Edit Forests in Palanan Forestland covers 54 37 or 579 819 hectares 1 432 760 acres of Isabela s total land area of which 62 is protected forest and 38 is production forest The best quality of timber resources in the Philippines are found in Isabela s forests 91 92 Isabela s vast forest resources are now being ecologically managed to effect sustainable forest based resource not only for the wood working industry but to secure a balanced ecosystem The woodwork industry continues to operate under a regulated system particularly the making of furniture using indigenous materials Fisheries Edit Isabela s coast in Divilacan Isabela has a fertile fishing ground on the Pacific Coast The Magat Dam reservoir is utilized for fish cage operations for tilapia production for domestic markets 93 94 Another thriving industry in the province is aquaculture sustained by inland fishing through 1 108 hectares of developed freshwater fishponds and 450 hectares of fish cage culture at Magat Dam Reservoir 95 96 There are 238 marine fish species that were identified by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Isabela s coastal seaboard municipalities of Maconacon Divilacan Palanan and Dinapigue 97 98 Mineral and energy Edit Large deposits of copper gold zinc and chromite manganese and nickel have been found in Isabela It also has extensive deposits of non metallic minerals such as limestone clay marbles guano sand and gravel and boulders Indigenous energy sources such as natural gas and hydroelectric capabilities have been found to be abundant in the valley Many of its mineral reserves have yet to be fully tapped 99 100 Power Edit This section reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage Please expand this article with properly sourced content to meet Wikipedia s quality standards event notability guideline or encyclopedic content policy June 2016 Magat Dam in Ramon Solar and biomass power plants in the city of Cauayan and in the town of Alicia have started operating in 2015 to supplement the region s high energy demand The online solar power plant in Cauayan is capable of supplying at least 20 megawatts while the biomass power plant in Alicia can produce another 20 megawatts Both systems provide clean and renewable energy The P2 billion power facility established by the Isabela Biomass Energy Corporation IBEC was built to augment power supply in the Cagayan Valley region 101 102 The use of biomass as fuel makes the power plant carbon neutral and sustainable This biomass power facility is the first in the region and is designed to provide economical source of energy as well as job opportunities to residents of the host town city 103 On 27 May 2015 the service contract of the largest solar PV power plant in the country has been approved by the Department of Energy DOE The P7 billion worth 100 MW Solar PV project in the city of Ilagan is designed to reduce the current shortage of electricity that causes regular blackouts that results to industry closures as well as inconvenience to the consumers The solar power facility will be constructed at a 100 hectare land at Barangay Cabannungan several kilometers away from the city proper 104 105 In December 2022 the Department of Energy DOE has given the go signal to a Filipino French joint venture to develop one of the biggest renewable energy projects in the Philippines an P18 billion solar farm in Ilagan City The project will be undertaken by San Ignacio Energy Resources Development Corporation which is part of the Nextnorth Energy Group developing over 450 megawatts of solar and hydro projects in Northern Luzon and French firm Total Eren S A The project will involve the development of a 440 MWp 336 MWac solar PV project to be built on around 400 hectares of available land located along the Northern Luzon high voltage transmission network of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines NGCP The project is scheduled to start construction in 2024 and start feeding electricity into the grid in 2025 106 Transportation Edit A road in Ramon Isabela is accessible by all means of transportation Almost 180 kilometers of the Pan Philippine Highway pass through the different towns and cities of the province Several bus companies offer daily trips to different routes like Manila Dagupan Baguio Ilocos and vice versa Public utility vans and small time bus operators ply daily trips from Tuguegarao in Cagayan to Santiago City vice versa while jeepneys and tricycles are commonly used as the basic mode of transportation within the province s jurisdiction Ilagan Divilacan Road Edit The construction of an 82 kilometer route across the Sierra Madre National Park is intended to improve access to the province s three coastal communities The project s authorized budget contract worth P1 5 billion will traverse across the foothills of the Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges which cover 359 486 hectares The idea is to rehabilitate an ancient logging route that was utilized until the 1990s by a defunct logging firm It will begin in Barangay Sindon Bayabo in Ilagan City and end at Barangay Dicatian in Divilacan s seaside town The project is scheduled to conclude in 2021 107 108 The secluded coastal settlements of Divilacan Palanan and Maconacon are frequently accessible only by boat or plane making them difficult to reach at times of emergencies and calamities There are no highways connecting Ilagan s capital city to the coastal districts denying locals access to basic commodities and social services such as health care Once completed the route is projected to bolster coastal economies citing Divilacan s 119 hectare beach and freshwater areas that have attracted tourists Resolution No 11 of the Protected Area Management Board PAMB reclassifies areas of the Sierra Madre as a special use zone Additionally the Agta and Dumagat communities in the vicinity have signed a memorandum of understanding with the provincial administration expressing their support for the road project At least 1 800 Agta and Dumagat have made their homes in park areas However the road s impact on the protected forest has upset neighbors who believe the project will harm the region s woods and ecosystems The project has been delayed in recent years due to worries about the road s possible environmental impact The Cagayan Valley Regional Development Council required that the road s proponents conduct a comprehensive analysis of the road s impact on the area s biodiversity 109 Airports and sea ports Edit See also Cauayan Airport There are three airports in the province The Cauayan Airport 110 is the primary airport in the province serving a trip to Manila Palanan and Maconacon 111 The other two are the Palanan Airport in Palanan and Maconacon Airport in Maconacon 112 113 The country s leading passenger airline Cebu Pacific services the Cauayan Manila Cauayan Route Light planes operated by Cyclone Airways and WCC Aviation s Sky Pasada Have flights from Cauayan Domestic Airport to the community airports in Palanan and Maconacon 114 The province has two minor seaports the Divilacan Port and Palanan Port in the coastal towns of Divilacan and Palanan The trade going to the ports comes primarily from major seaports in Cagayan such as Port of Aparri in Aparri Cagayan and Port of San Vicente and Port Irene both in Santa Ana Cagayan The other two airstrips are found in Divilacan and in Magat River Management Project Site Education EditIsabela is one of the primary centers of education in the Cagayan Valley Region There are several public and private educational institutions the most notable being the Isabela State University a government owned and controlled public university Its main campus is located in Echague and satellite campuses in Cauayan Ilagan City Angadanan Cabagan Jones Palanan extension Roxas San Mariano San Mateo and Santiago City extension Colleges and universities Edit This section reads like a directory Wikipedia policy generally considers directories in articles to be unencyclopedic and potential spam Please improve this article to conform to a higher standard of quality and to make it neutral in tone If it cannot be properly modified the article is likely to be merged redirected or deleted September 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Among the most notable higher educational institutions found in the province of Isabela are the following AMA Computer College City of Santiago Campus Cagayan Valley Computer and Information Technology College Inc City of Santiago Campus East Asia International System College City of Cauayan Campus Honorato Guzman Baquiran College HGB College Tumauini Campus International Technological Institute of Arts and Tourism City of Ilagan Campus Isabela State University Angadanan Campus Isabela State University Echague Main Campus Isabela State University Cabagan Campus Isabela State University City of Cauayan Campus Isabela State University Jones Campus Isabela State University City of Ilagan Campus Isabela State University Roxas Campus Isabela State University San Mariano Campus Isabela State University San Mateo Campus Isabela State University Palanan Extension Campus Isabela State University City of Santiago Extension Campus Isabela College of Arts and Technology City of Cauayan Campus Mallig Plains Colleges Mallig Campus National Police College Regional Training School City of Cauayan Campus Northeastern College City of Santiago Campus Northeast Luzon Adventist College Alicia Campus Our Lady of the Pillar College City of Cauayan Campus Our Lady of the Pillar College San Manuel Campus La Patria College City of Santiago Campus Philippine Normal University Alicia Isabela Campus Saint Clare College of Region 2 City of Cauayan Campus Saint Ferdinand College Cabagan Satellite Campus Saint Ferdinand College City of Ilagan Main Campus Santiago City Colleges Santiago City Polytechnic College STI College City of Cauayan Campus Technical Education and Skills Development Authority City of Ilagan TESDA Accredited Competency Assessment Center University of La Salette City of Santiago Campus University of Perpetual Help System City of Cauayan Isabela Campus Tourism EditSince the early 2000s tourism has become an income generating industry for Isabela New hotels and resorts have opened mostly in the cities of Ilagan Cauayan and Santiago and the towns of Tumauini Gamu Roxas Alicia Burgos Ramon San Mariano and Cordon Top tourist attractions are the centuries old churches Magat Dam Tourism Complex which houses Southeast Asia s biggest dam Santa Victoria Caves Pinzal Falls and Ilagan Sanctuary at Fuyot National Park the white sand beaches in the coastal municipalities of Maconacon Divilacan Palanan Dinapigue and islands of coastal Isabela the world s biggest wooden lounge chair or butaka in Ilagan City and various festivals and fiestas including the Bambanti Festival annually celebrated every February and the commemoration of the birth of the province during Isabela Day every May 115 116 117 118 119 Places of interest Edit Tourist attraction LocationAbuan River Ilagan CityAguinaldo Shrine Historic capture and heroism of General Emilio Aguinaldo PalananAncient Burial Site Archaeological Site PalananAntagan Caves TumauiniBalai na Ilagan Ilagan CityBalay Segundo Museum RamonBalay na Santiago Santiago CityBonifacio Park Ilagan CityBonsai No Sato Park Cauayan CityBonsai Park DinapigueBorubor Falls RoxasBountiful Flower Garden AliciaBurmurbur Falls Ilagan CityCabagan Santa Maria Landmark Bridge Santa MariaCabagan Square Park CabaganCamp Samal Eco Park and Training Center TumauiniCamp Vizcarra RamonCrocodile Sanctuary San MarianoDepartment of Agriculture Cagayan Valley Research Center Agro Eco Tourism Farm Ilagan CityDesert Island DivilacanDibulo Falls DinapigueDiminalno Lake PalananDicangrayan Falls PalananDicotcotan Beach PalananDigoyo Cave PalananDigoyo Point PalananDilaknadanum is the home Agta people a minority group on the coast of Isabela Features forests beaches rivers and small farmsteads uprivers PalananDimanek Falls Palanan San Mariano boundary ridgeDinapigue Sea Wall DinapigueDisadsad Falls PalananHacienda De San Luis CauayanHagdan na Bato PalananHanging Bridge MaconaconHoneymoon Island DivilacanIlagan Sanctuary Ilagan CityIlagan Japanese Tunnel Ilagan CityIsabela Museum and Library Ilagan CityIsabela Provincial Capitol Grounds Ilagan City Isabela Thy Will Be Done Marker CordonKagumatan Falls TumauiniKuweba Danum TumauiniLa Rizalina Orchard Garden and Farm Reina MercedesLa Salette Shrine located in Balintocatoc Hills contains life sized statues of religious icons Santiago CityMaconacon Falls MaconaconMagat High Rise Dam Asia s biggest dam project at the time of its construction It serves the primary function of power generation and irrigation Its reservoir area of 4 450 hectares has a great potential for water based recreation like fishing boating and water skiing among others RamonMagoli Eco Park and Natural Resort TumauiniMammangi Park Ilagan CityMeraki Garden Reina MercedesMororan TumauiniMuseo de Pattaraday Santiago CityMushroom Center Cauayan CityObelisk JonesPasa Dam Ilagan CityPaseo De Paraiso Leisure Park BurgosPayong na Bato PalananPinzal Falls Ilagan CityPunta Amelita Resort CordonQueen Isabela II Monument and Park Ilagan City in front of the Isabela Provincial Capitol Rizal Park Ilagan CitySierra Madre Natural Forest Park Isabela s eastern coastSinavulluan Caves TumauiniSpring Garden Resort Santiago CitySanta Maria Triangular Park Santa MariaSanta Victoria Caves Ilagan CitySisangkilan Falls PalananSitio Binongbong San AgustinTorre de Hardin NaguilianTumauini Watershed and Natural Park TumauiniVilla Diana Resort CordonWater Impounding Dam RoxasWaterworld Grand Resort RamonWhite Sand Beaches Typical of coastal areas along the Sierra Madre mountains of Cagayan Valley Dinapigue Palanan and Divilacan coastal townsWorld s Largest Butaka It is 11 feet 4 inches high 20 feet 8 inches long and 9 feet 7 inches wide It weighs 2 368 kilos and was constructed by 25 workers in 29 days Ilagan CityChurches Edit Churches in Isabela San Pablo de Cabigan Church Ruins in San Pablo that was started in 1735 The Church of Saint Rose of Lima in Gamu The St Mathias Parish Church in Tumauini with its wedding cake style bell tower Our Lady of Atocha Church in Alicia Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Cauayan San Pablo Church in San Pablo the oldest town of Isabela founded by Padre de Santo Tomas on November 30 1646 about 210 years before Isabela was made a province Its six level bell tower including the circular apex is made of adobe It is said to be the oldest in Isabela and the tallest in Cagayan Valley 120 Saint Rose of Lima Church in Gamu is known for its Spanish architectural design Built in 1726 during the Spanish time the church facade was made of layered bricks and stones dating back during the 17th century and considered a pilgrimage church because of its antiquity 121 The feast of their patron Saint Rose of Lima is celebrated every August 23 122 Parish Church of St Mathias in Tumauini was first built of light materials by Fray Francisco Munez O P and dedicated to Patron Saint Matthias 1707 Separated from Cabagan and became regular parish 1751 The church of stone with a unique cylindrical bell tower The only of its kind in the Philippines was constructed by Father Domingo Forto in 1783 and completed 1805 The town became the capital of Isabela for a short time in the 1890s It is an ultra baroque church unique for its extensive use of baked clay both for wall finishing and ornamentation and bears Chinese ancestry Partly damage during World War II and repaired into its original form by the faithful of Tumauini This church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure on February 24 1989 123 124 Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia was originally built by the Spaniards in the 18th century Passing by Angadanan on February 12 1805 Fr Manuel Mora OP wrote that Angadanan has a convent of bricks though not totally finished Its church is timber wood and bamboo The number of inhabitants is 791 The church and convent as seen today in the town of Alicia was built by Fr Tomas Calderon OP and inaugurated in 1849 with Fr Francisco Gainza OP then vicar of Carig now Santiago City The church was dedicated to the Nuestra Senora de Atocha more popularly known today as Our Lady of Atocha The church is known for its antique Castilian architectural design and can be found along the Maharlika Highway and is accessible by land transport 125 126 Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church in Cauayan was constructed by Fray Juan Prieto with the first class materials with galvanized roofing and a ceiling of bricks dedicated to Nuestra Senora del Pilar It had a tower which was later destroyed by a violent earthquake Now only the facade of the Cauayan Church remains in its original form The original belfry is in ruins while a new nave and belfry was constructed and like the St Mathias Church in the town of Tumauini the facade has much interesting bas relief and portions of the bricks have numbers and symbols etched on it 127 128 Saint Ferdinand Parish Church Ilagan City This church can t be seen on the highways or the main national road as it was located in the center of the city of Ilagan The church features very high ceilings and walls made of bricks It was around 1696 and 1700 that Fr Miguel Matos OP built the church of stone and bricks A typhoon in 1866 destroyed the roof of the church Desiring to make the church bigger Fr Pablo Almazan OP demolished the solid walls of the church which unfortunately was never built The walls of the church today are of modern make It is known to house one of the oldest bells in the region 129 130 The church is dedicated to the patron saint of the Diocese of Ilagan San Fernando 131 National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang is located in town of Gamu frequented by travelers passing by the Maharlika Highway It comes alive every year on the month July when religious pilgrims visit to offer prayers during its feast day The image of the Our Lady of the Visitation was canonically crowned by the Most Rev Carmine Pocco Papal Nuncio to the Philippines on May 26 1973 at the former St Ferdinand Cathedral now St Ferdinand Parish Church in Ilagan City The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at its 52nd Annual Bishop s Meeting held in Tagaytay on January 24 26 1986 have approved the petition of Miguel Purugganan former Bishop of the Diocese of Ilagan for the Church of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang to be called a National Shrine 132 133 Saint James the Apostle Parish Church Santiago City Poor Saint Clare Monastery Gamu Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel Gamu Our Lady of La Salette Parish Church Roxas Saint Joseph the Worker Parish Church Echague San Isidro Labrador Parish Church San Isidro San Roque Parish Church The only Parish Church in the province that entrusted in the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette Ramon Festivals Edit Festival 134 135 City town Notes 136 Baka Festival San Pablo A survey revealing quite number of ranches in San Pablo led to the establishment of the Baka Festival Held every 15 January it aims to promote the local cattle industry The festival also showcases cowboys of San Pablo displaying skills reminiscent of the American Wild West 137 Balatong Festival 138 San Mateo In San Mateo mungo beans are packed with economic potential that it is referred to as black gold 139 140 In previous years the annual town fiesta promoted duck related products during the Pato Festival Bambanti Festival 141 Province of Isabela Celebrated annually by the entire province to honor the province s bountiful harvest and its emerging agro industrial prowess 142 The festivity showcases the scarecrow dancing spectacles and agricultural booths The municipalities and cities exhibit their respective culture beliefs traditions origins and products 143 Annually the event can drew at least 250 000 crowds all over the Cagayan Valley region the biggest in the history of annual festivities in the region 144 It has become Isabela s showcase of its rich cultural heritage and pristine natural beauty Bambanti is an iluko word for scarecrow 145 146 147 148 Binallay Festival Ilagan City Ilaguenos have made the binallay a symbol of the noble characteristics they aspire to have These include being masipag hardworking matiyaga patient matalino intelligent and makadiyos God fearing According to them they are patient because the process of preparing binallay 149 is tedious and involves steaming the rice cake twice hardworking because it is difficult to prepare the rice cake the glutinous grains are ground the traditional way with a stone mill intelligent because it requires a special technique to peel the wrapper off so that none of the cake is wasted and God fearing because it is a delicacy associated with the Holy Week 150 They regard the white cake as a representation of the body of Christ and the laro as his blood As part of their penitence during Holy Week Binallay is the only food that Ilaguenos eat 151 Every May their signature product takes center stage twice once during the festival itself and during the Isabela Day celebrations earlier in the month when it usually has a wider audience 152 Binnadangan Festival Roxas A yearly celebration of Pagay Festival Palay Festival held every July 4 The Festival was popularly known as the Araw ng Roxas Celebration but it was declared formally as Pagay Festival during the reign of Mayor Benedict Calderon It is celebrated because of the rich agricultural bounty of Roxas being one of the towns that produce large stocks of rice The festival features a parade mostly of politicians and participating schools from different parts of Roxas kuliglig contest and cooking of the biggest rice cake that was also featured in the national television citation needed Major events include a Street Dance Competition from different schools and Palarong Bayan Due to a conflict in the name of the festival by which the town of Alicia celebrates the same It was changed to Binnadangan Festival by then Mayor Harry Soller The Binnadangan comes from an Ilocano word meaning bayanihan and was also derived from the former name of the town during the 1600s The festival ends with a long Pyromusical Dikit Festival Aurora Known for being an agricultural municipality Aurora annually celebrates its Dikit Festival every April 28 to 30 Dikit is an Ilocano term for glutinous rice The festival is celebrated to showcase this delicacy and its by products which are bibingka muriecos inangit tupig kalamay and tinudok among others Farmers in Aurora plant this glutinous rice served to guests during special occasions Gakit Festival Angadanan An annual festival held at the Cagayan River Participants of the festival offer fruits vegetables poultry and livestock as thanksgiving for their abundant bounty The practice also reminds Angadanians of their tradition of planting crops and raising poultry in their own backyards for their own consumption The Gakit Festival also aims to show Angadanians that progress can only be achieved if they are united as one A key detail of the festival is the hand made bamboo rafts which are used by the participants Each bamboo pole if alone has no value It cannot float reliably on a river nor can it be used to transport anything But if many bamboo poles are tied together as one it can be made into a raft which can float and sail on calm or rough waters while transporting people and products 153 154 Gawagaway yan Festival Cauayan The City Fiesta and the Feast of Our lady of the Pillar are celebrated annually on April 10 13 and October 10 12 respectively Since its conversion into a component city on March 30 2001 the City Government started to celebrate its founding anniversary with the conduct of Gawagaway yan Festival aimed to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the city It is highlighted by street dancing beauty contest trade fair cultural parade parlor games free concert band exhibition and other variety shows performed by local and Manila based talents as well 155 156 157 Isabela Day Province of Isabela Anniversary of the establishment of the civil government of Isabela in honor of Queen Isabella II of Spain Activities like agro industrial trade and tourism fairs parades sports events are conducted to entertain visitors Also one of the highlights of the celebration is the Miss Isabela an extravagant colorful pageant featuring the candidates from each town city of the province who exemplify Isabela s youth and vibrancy A grand fusion of fashion music and dance with particular focus on Isabela s tourism attractions and its leader 158 Kankanen Festival Cabatuan Celebrated in Cabatuan showcasing native delicacies made of glutinous rice Mayor Alma Dayrit and the Rural Improvement Club started this annual tradition in 2003 and done on the Foundation Day rites of every year 159 Mammangui Festival Ilagan City Celebrated by Ilagueno farmers as a thanksgiving activity for a bountiful harvest Mammangui is an Ybanag word which means to harvest corn the primary crop in the city 160 Since the assumption in office of Mayor Josemarie L Diaz Mammangui Festival was proclaimed as the official festivity of the city During the celebration different activities such as parlor games cultural and trade fairs colorful street dance cook fest sports events cheerdance competitions float parade and many others are conducted by the city government to showcase the past to present day transition of Ilagan s rich tradition and cultural heritage Highlights of the celebration are the annual beauty pageants namely Little Miss Mammangui Miss Gay Mammangui and the Miss Mammangui which is one of the most prestigious of its kind in the valley 161 and a free concert featuring local celebrities It is annually celebrated every May 29 31 162 Mangi Festival Tumauini Corn Zea mays was one of the plants that came aboard the Spanish galleons to become one of the primary crops of the Philippines The late National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan traced the origins of a traditional dance inspired by the crop to Tumauini Thus a corn inspired festival seemed especially appropriate for Tumauini 163 164 Nateng Festival MalligCariada Festival San ManuelNuang Festival San Agustin The carabao Bubalus Bubalis Carabanesis which remains a farmer s indispensable helpmate in the fields is honoured in the Nuang Festival of San Agustin as are the products the carabao enables farmers to produce The town boasts of over 300 heads and farmers bring them over to the poblacion town center for the festival To get the cattle there they either guide the animals onto the ferry and keep them quiet for the short river crossing or find the shallowest point of the river take off their clothes then lead them across San Agustin supplies carabao milk to other towns where carabao milk candy is produced The festival also serves as a venue for promoting other major products such as maize Zea mays and bananas Musa paradisiaca L 165 166 167 Pagay Festival Alicia Held annually every September 28 in conjunction with the founding anniversary of the town of Alicia It used to be called Alicia Town Festival but was redefined and renamed to Pagay Festival in 2010 by Mayor Cecilia Claire N Reyes The festival aims to uphold the town s cultural identity and heritage and to promote the municipality s primary agricultural product called pagay Ilocano word for rice the municipality s major livelihood economy and trade mark The festival is widely participated by the community which features various competitions e g rice planting harvesting and cooking among others street dance showdown beauty pageant Mutya ng Alicia battle of the bands and exhibits However the Pagay Parade is the main highlight of the festival that features decorated carabaos various rice crop floats and people marching with colorful costumes Pansi Festival Cabagan Pansi Festival is the official festivity of Cabagan Pansi is an Ybanag word for pansit a noodle dish topped with chopped karajay or lechon kawali in Tagalog The town became noted for its well known local product the Pansit Cabagan 168 169 170 171 Pattaraday Festival Santiago City From pattaraday an Ybanag word for unity the festival is celebrated in the city of Santiago to honor its founding anniversary and the unity of the ethnolinguistic groups that have merged in the city to make it the melting pot of culture of Region II and contributed to the city s progress and development unity in action Highlighted with the presentation of the Comedia a moro moro dance made famous by the Spaniards to stress the power of Christian Religion over the Moorish non believers other activities include beauty pageant grand batalla presentations and a grand street dancing parade and exhibition with performers from other cities provinces and regions 172 173 Pinilisa Festival JonesSabutan Festival Palanan Held every March in Palanan the festival is named after the local name for pandan Pandanus tectorius which is plentiful in the town The people of Palanan are fine craftsmen who weave dyed and natural colored strips into a variety of bags hats and placemats among other items that have both traditional and contemporary designs For the festival the sabutan products are not only sold these are also used as a theme and are fashioned into costumes and decor Sinag Banga Festival San IsidroBalamban Dance Festival Santiago City On the year 2014 a new festival was conceptualized by the city government to celebrate Santiago s cityhood anniversary Balamban which means butterfly is a cultural dance of lowland Christians that originated in Santiago City The dance depicts the graceful movement and fluttering of butterflies that throng Dariuk Hills scented gardens It is usually danced during wedding celebrations in Santiago Notable personalities EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message General Mateo Noriel Luga Tumauini Isabela War veteran revolutionary Florence Finch Santiago Isabela Filipino American member of the World War II resistance against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines Heherson Alvarez Santiago Isabela former Senator 174 and Secretary of Agrarian Reform Grace Padaca former Governor of Isabela and former Commissioner of the Commission on Elections recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 2008 Bishop Miguel Purugganan Ilagan Isabela Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan who protested the Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship and is honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani 175 Freddie Aguilar Santo Tomas Isabela Singer composer Jejomar Binay Cabagan Isabela 13th Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines Ruthlane Uy Asmundson Gamu Isabela Mayor of Davis California USA Silvestre Bello III Ilagan Isabela Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment Gilbert Teodoro former secretary of the Department of National Defense Michael Mangaoang Santiago City Singer Mutya Datul Santa Maria Isabela Miss Supranational 2013 and Binibining Pilipinas Supranational 2013 Rogemar Menor Roxas Isabela PBA Player Ricky Calimag Echague Isabela PBA player Mark Telan PBA Player Coco Martin Actor Singer MRLDNotes Edit Ilocano Probinsia ti Isabela Ibanag Provinsia na Isabela Gaddang Probinsia na Isabela Tagalog Lalawigan ng Isabela HISTORY OF ISABELA The Golden Isabela goldenisabela weebly com Retrieved February 27 2023 Isabela Sentro ng AGRIkultura Facebook com Isabela PIO Retrieved May 31 2018 List of Provinces PSGC Interactive Makati City Philippines National Statistical Coordination Board Archived from the original on January 11 2013 Retrieved January 8 2014 U S Corps of Engineers 1953 Ilagan topography map University of Texas in Austin Library Retrieved on September 28 2014 a b c Census of Population 2020 Region II Cagayan Valley Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay PSA Retrieved July 8 2021 POPULATION PROJECTIONS BY REGION PROVINCE CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES 2020 2025 www doh gov ph Department of Health August 27 2020 Retrieved October 16 2020 Isabela top producer of corn Bureau of Agricultural Statistics Department of Agriculture Philippines Retrieved February 27 2013 A Review of the Agriculture Sector in Cagayan Valley Philippine Statistical Authority Government Website Retrieved April 1 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Cagayan Valley remains number 1 corn producer 2nd in rice RDC2 Retrieved April 1 2021 Official Website of the Province of Isabela The Province of Isabela Reigns by chance or by choice provinceofisabela ph Retrieved April 1 2021 Isabela 10th richest province in the Philippines in 2011 Inquirer PH Inquirer October 19 2014 Retrieved October 19 2014 Fastest Growing Cities in Cagayan Valley PDF NEDA GOV PH Retrieved April 1 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link The Province of Isabela Reigns by chance or by choice Official Website of the Province of Isabela provinceofisabela phh Retrieved December 31 2016 a b Brief History of Isabela Fly Philippines Retrieved June 18 2011 Act No 210 passed August 24 1901 Ropero Gillan November 15 2020 Cagayan Isabela residents warned of Magat Dam water release NIA ABS CBN News Retrieved November 16 2020 Delina Laurence L July 1 2020 Indigenous environmental defenders and the legacy of Macli ing Dulag Anti dam dissent assassinations and protests in the making of Philippine energyscape Energy Research amp Social Science 65 101463 doi 10 1016 j erss 2020 101463 ISSN 2214 6296 Magat River Multipurpose Project 02 World Bank Retrieved November 16 2020 Republic Act No 9017 An Act Converting The Municipality of Cauayan Province of Isabela Into a Component City To Be Known as The City of Cauayan Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines Republic of the Philippines February 28 2001 Retrieved June 22 2020 Republic of the Philippines Commission on Elections May 26 1995 Resolution No 2796 Manila Standard Today Retrieved June 19 2011 Robles Chan Republic Act No 7891 An Act Dividing the Province of Isabela Into Two Provinces Namely Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur Philippine Laws Statutes amp Codes and Republic Acts Chan Robles Virtual Law Library Retrieved June 19 2011 Catindig Raymund February 28 2011 Marcos Mania still alive in Isabela 25 years after EDSA Valley Journal News Online Archived from the original on May 14 2011 Retrieved June 19 2011 Isabela s Ilagan now a component city Archived September 25 2015 at the Wayback Machine Philippine Star Retrieved August 15 2012 Ilagan now 4th city in Cagayan Valley Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved August 15 2012 Ilagan Kicks Off Cityhood Bid Manila Bulletin Retrieved August 11 2012 dead link a b c Province Isabela province PSGC Interactive Quezon City Philippines Philippine Statistics Authority Retrieved January 8 2016 23 provinces high risk for disaster World Bank ABS CBN News news abs cbn com Retrieved June 27 2013 Philippine provinces among areas at most risk from climate damage Gaea Katreena Cabico Philstar com philstar com Retrieved March 1 2023 The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park Department of Environment and Natural Resources PH USAID forestry denr gov ph Retrieved December 31 2022 Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and outlying areas inclusive of the buffer zone UNESCO World Heritage Convention whc unesco org Retrieved January 14 2021 gmanews tv story Isabela gov sees big job ahead vs illegal logging iWitness Si GOB at ang mga BUGADOR 08 25 2008 Mount Cresta Divilacan Cagayan Valley Philippines Google Maps Retrieved on September 28 2014 House Bill No 4692 An act reapportioning the current four legislative district of the province of Isabela to six legislative districts PDF www congress gov ph House of Representatives Republic of the Philippines December 14 2016 Retrieved February 27 2017 a b Census of Population 2015 Region II Cagayan Valley Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay PSA Retrieved June 20 2016 Republic Act No 10169 An Act Converting the Municipality of Ilagan in the Province of Isabela into a Component City to be Known as the City of Ilagan PDF Senate of the Philippines June 21 2012 Retrieved January 16 2016 Ilagan cityhood gets Senate nod Archived June 5 2016 at the Wayback Machine Philippine Star Retrieved April 11 2012 a b Census of Population and Housing 2010 Region II Cagayan Valley Total Population by Province City Municipality and Barangay NSO Retrieved June 29 2016 Isabela Election Results 2022 COMELEC Rappler com Retrieved February 25 2023 Republic Act No 11080 An act reapportioning the second largest province of the Philippines into six legislative districts Inquirer PH Inquirer Net September 27 2018 Retrieved September 29 2018 Republic Act No 11080 Inquirer PH Inquirer Net September 27 2018 Retrieved September 29 2018 AN ACT REAPPORTIONING THE PROVINCE OF ISABELA INTO SIX 6 LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS PDF Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines July 23 2018 Retrieved October 8 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Censuses of Population 1903 2007 Region II Cagayan Valley Table 1 Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province Highly Urbanized City 1903 to 2007 NSO Philippines Census Of Population of all LGUs 1903 2007 archive org Philippine Statistics Authority Retrieved February 14 2017 Majority were Roman Catholics Philippine Statistics Authority psa gov ph Retrieved February 27 2023 Poverty incidence PI Philippine Statistics Authority Retrieved December 28 2020 Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Error Unable to display the reference properly See the documentation for details Isabela Top 10 richest province in the Philippines in 2011 Inquirer PH Inquirer October 19 2014 Retrieved October 19 2014 Isabela the Regional Trade and Industrial Center of north eastern Luzon Inquirer PH Inquirer October 19 2014 Retrieved October 19 2014 Top 10 Highest earning Philippine province Nobert Bermosa website Retrieved June 17 2012 Richest Cities and Provinces in PH 2021 CNN PH cnnphilippines com Retrieved October 18 2022 Isabela banks catalog statex ph statex info Retrieved February 27 2023 Aquino opens P750 million corn processing plant in Isabela Charlie Lagasca Philstar com philstar com Retrieved October 9 2010 Reina Mercedes Corn Processing Center wikimapia wilimapia org Retrieved February 27 2023 SN Aboitiz Power secures EPC contract for Magat energy storage project Aboitiz Power aboitizpower com Retrieved April 5 2022 Cagayan Valley now prime source of quality Tobacco Inquirer net newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved May 14 2011 Soft drink firm opens plant in Isabela Inquirer net business inquirer net Retrieved September 1 2011 Isabela Economic Profile Official Website of the Provincial Government of Isabela province of Isabela ph Retrieved February 27 2023 Rice Mill Companies in Isabela infobepro use infobel pro Retrieved February 27 2023 Manufacturing Companies In Isabela Philippines DNB dnb com Retrieved February 27 2023 Robinsons Place Santiago Grand Opening Invitation Flickr Retrieved January 18 2014 SM City Cauayan now open inquirer net lifestyle inquirer net Retrieved October 19 2014 Robinsons opening malls in Roxas and Santiago cities inquirer net business inquirer net Retrieved February 3 2014 More buses to ply Cagayan Manila routes Villamor Visaya Jr of the Philippine News Agency pna gov ph Retrieved February 20 2020 2021 Isabela Bus Routes and Schedule escapemanila escapemanila com Retrieved February 28 2022 Suzuki Breaks Ground On Isabela Dealership Car Guide PH carguide ph Retrieved November 18 2022 Geely PH Opens its 22nd Dealership at Santiago Isabela Geely PH geelyph com Retrieved November 29 2021 Honda Cars opens 37th dealership in Isabela Autofun autofun ph Retrieved October 3 2022 Toyota Motor Philippines Now at 43 Dealerships Strong Car Guide PH carguide ph Retrieved June 22 2014 Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation Expands its Dealer Network in Cordon Isabela Mitsubishi Motors PH mitsubishi motors com ph Retrieved September 28 2021 IPC CELEBRATES THE REOPENING OF ISUZU ISABELA WITH NEW IOS DESIGN Isuzu PH isuzuphil com Retrieved August 19 2021 FORD ISABELA OPENING Laus Ford Group lausfordgroup com ph Retrieved April 17 2019 Vista Land Plans to Adds 7 New Malls to its Portfolio by 2020 Orissa International orissa international com Retrieved January 1 2019 Vista Land to build seven new malls in next 2 years Manila Standard Business manilastandard net Retrieved January 6 2019 Linking Corn Production Climate Information and Farm Level Decision Making A Case Study in Isabela Philippines Climate Policy Watcher climate policy watcher org Retrieved December 17 2022 CORN VOLUME OF PRODUCTION DROPPED BY 3 13 PERCENT IN 2021 PDF Philippine Statistics Authority rsso02 psa gov ph Retrieved February 11 2022 Region 2 posts high rice corn yield Department of Agriculture da gov ph Retrieved February 3 2022 NIA 2 eyes to irrigate 91 558 hectares in Isabela Philippine Information Agency pia gov ph Retrieved October 7 2022 MORE FARMERS TO PLANT RICE IN ISABELA THANKS TO NEW IRRIGATION STRUCTURE National Irrigation Administration PH nia gov ph Retrieved September 16 2014 Magat Dialogues with NIA DOST leads partnership with ISU Isabela State University isu edu ph Retrieved May 7 2019 Solar power irrigation system installed in Isabela Department of Agrarian Reform PH dar gov ph Retrieved September 13 2021 More partnerships drawn for ISU s Smart Water Center Isabela State University isu edu ph Retrieved March 17 2022 P3 M premyo ng Isabela bilang Best Corn Quality Awardee Bombo Radyo Archived from the original on October 19 2013 Retrieved October 19 2013 The Corn Capital of the Philippines ILAGAN CITY AGRICULTURIST OFFICIAL WEBSITE agriculture cityofilagan com Retrieved August 11 2015 FOREST COVER OF CAGAYAN VALLEY DENR Forest Management Bureau forestry denr gov ph Retrieved December 31 2010 Major Industries in Isabela Official Website of the Province of Isabela rdc2 gov ph Retrieved February 27 2023 Fish caging flourishes anew in Magat Dam Max Prudencio Philippine News Agency pna gov ph Retrieved September 12 2018 Multi species hatchery opens in Isabela LIEZLE BASA INIGO Manila Bulletin mb com ph Retrieved September 16 2022 Tilapia farmers cope with climate change in Isabela Agriculture Magazine agriculture com ph Retrieved January 22 2021 Isabela fish farm reels in success with LANDBANK support Landbank of the Philippines landbank com Retrieved July 7 2022 Isabela has enough fish to feed Cagayan Valley study says Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved February 27 2018 Isabela waters can augment fish supply in Cagayan Valley Leander C Domingo of The Manila Times manilatimes net Retrieved February 22 2018 Isabela Nickel Project PDF Good Earth Mining and Development Inc eia emb gov ph Retrieved January 6 2018 Isabela Natural Resources Official Website of the Province of Isabela rdc2 gov ph Retrieved February 27 2023 Renewable energy plant to rise in Isabela The Manila Times manilatimes net Retrieved March 30 2015 Biomass Industry in the Philippines Asean Briefing aseanbriefing com Retrieved May 19 2017 BoI okays P410 m Isabela biomass power plant Manila Standard manilastandard net Retrieved May 5 2017 440 MW solar energy project to rise in Isabela The Manila Times manilatimes com Retrieved December 18 2022 Philippines Largest Solar Power Plant to Rise in Ilagan City Isabela Greenergy Solutions Inc energy xprt com Retrieved June 1 2015 DOE clears P18 billion solar power project in Isabela province Philstar Global philstar net Retrieved December 18 2022 P1 6 B Isabela road to open soon The Manila Times October 2 2019 Retrieved September 4 2021 REGION II CAGAYAN VALLEY Upgrading of Ilagan Divilacan Road SubayBayan subaybay dev dilg gov ph Retrieved September 4 2021 Martin Victor P2 billion highway near Benham Rise to open before end of 2018 Philstar com Retrieved September 4 2021 DoTr awards contracts for 4 regional airport projects Business World bworldonline com Retrieved January 12 2023 Isabela s Cauayan Airport to reopen November 2 CAAP Inquirer net newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved November 1 2018 Maconacon Airstrip metar taf metar taf com Retrieved March 1 2023 Coastal Isabela SPCICDO and Isabela Provincial Tourism Office spcicd wixsite com Retrieved December 31 2016 Palanan Community Airport metar taf metar taf com Retrieved March 1 2023 About Isabela Province Cagayan Valley amp Northern Philippine Islands region2fun ph Retrieved February 17 2023 Eco Tourism in Isabela Province SPCICDO amp Isabela Provincial Tourism Office spcicd wixsite com Retrieved February 17 2016 Isabela is Region 2 s favorite tourism destination for the last 3 years Mark Djeron Tumabao of Philippine Information Agency pia gov ph Retrieved June 23 2022 Puyat eyes Isabela as top agro ecotourism destination Department of Tourism PH beta tourism gov ph Retrieved January 31 2020 Have you ever been to Isabela If not this is the time Carol RH Malasig of Manila Bulletin mb com ph Retrieved March 29 2023 San Pablo Church Weathering the test of time at 300 The Northern Forum northernforum net Retrieved November 5 2016 Sta Rosa de Lima in Gamu Isabela needs help inquirer net lifestyle inquirer net Retrieved May 13 2012 St Rose of Lima Catholic News Agency catholicnewsagency com Retrieved August 23 2012 Tumauini Church of Isabela stands proud amid fragile heritage scene Constantino Tejero of Inquirer net lifestyle inquirer net Retrieved May 18 2015 List of National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Properties of the Philippines Official Gazette PH officialgazette gov ph Retrieved December 31 2022 Alicia Isabela Our Lady of Atocha Church Beautiful Churches in the Philippines beautifulchurchesinthephilippines wordpress com Retrieved March 21 2014 Discover the beauty of Isabela Our Lady of Atocha Church Isabela Philippines Tumblr isabelaphilippines tumblr com Retrieved March 21 2014 The Story of Our Lady of Pillar Church and Cauayan City Jane Dacumos of Vigattin Tourism vigattintourism com Retrieved August 23 2012 Our Lady of Pillar Church Cauayan City Isabela boyplakwatsa boyplakwatsa com Retrieved July 7 2017 List of Jubilee Churches and Decree of Papal Blessing with Attached Plenary Indulgence 500yoc 500yoc com Retrieved December 31 2022 CHURCHES IN ISABELA Ilagan Tumauini Cabagan and San Pablo beachanatic blogspot beachanatic blogspot com Retrieved December 22 2014 Ilagan Isabela celebrates feast day of St Ferdinand of Castille on May 30 Josephine Darang of inquirer net lifestyle inquirer net Retrieved May 27 2012 Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang Kheem Caparas of Vigattin Tourism vigattintourism com ph Retrieved June 22 2012 Papal nuncio dedicates newly rebuilt national shrine in Isabela CBCP News interaksyon philstar com Retrieved February 17 2023 TOWN FIESTA FESTIVAL OF VARIOUS CITIES MUNICIPALITIES IN ISABELA PROVINCE Official Website of Isabela Province rdc2 gov ph Retrieved February 17 2023 List of Festivals in Isabela Province SPCICDO and Isabela Provincial Tourism Office spcicd wixsite com Retrieved December 31 2016 Festivals in Isabela Province Official Website of the Province of Isabela provinceofisabela ph Retrieved January 31 2022 BAKA FESTIVAL OF SAN PABLO The Queen Province of the Philippines luzonisabela wordpress com Retrieved January 31 2022 Discover mung bean desserts in Isabela s Balatong Festival ABS CBN News news abs cbn com Retrieved May 20 2016 Utilizing Cagayan Valley s Black Gold as the Ultimate cash Crop PDF Bureau Agricultural Research PH bar gov ph Retrieved January 31 2022 San Mateo starts reaping black gold Julio P Yap Jr of Agriculture Magazine agriculture com ph Retrieved June 8 2019 Bambanti Festival 2019 From Aliw Awards to a Guinness World Record Business World bworldonline com Retrieved February 11 2019 Bambanti Festival to reveal hidden magic in Isabela province GMA News Online gmanetwork com Retrieved December 13 2012 Isabela s Bambanti festival is not just about scarecrows Alex Villano of Rappler rappler com Retrieved February 5 2018 Isabela celebrates 2023 Bambanti Festival Jessica M Bacud of ManilaStandard net manilastandard net Retrieved January 27 2023 Isabela to celebrate Bambanti Festival in January next year Liezle Basa Inigo of Manila Bulletin mb com ph Retrieved November 23 2022 WATCH Isabela beauty pageant highlights agricultural issues Halee Andrea Alcaraz of Philstar Global philstar com Retrieved February 2 2023 Isabela s Bambanti Festival returns Business World Online bworldonline com Retrieved February 3 2023 Bambanti Festival under way in Isabela Liezle Basa Inigo of Manila Bulletin mb com ph Retrieved January 24 2023 Binallay Chaynieee Blogspot chaynieee home blog Retrieved April 10 2019 More than a rice cake How Itawits embrace spirituality through Sinipian Jap Tobias Philstar com philstar com Retrieved March 31 2021 Cagayan Valley Rice Cakes and Delicacies Jan Karl Coballes of the Philippine Information Agency pia gov ph Retrieved June 7 2022 Binallay Lesser known suman is much loved in Isabela Nino Angelo Comsti of Inquirer net lifestyle inquirer net Retrieved February 20 2020 Gakit Festival is a Thanksgiving Celebration for Bountiful Harvest Travel to the Philippines blogspot traveltothephilippines info Retrieved September 23 2018 Dalawang Araw na Gakit Festival ng Angadanan Sinimulan Na Susan Mapa of RMN Network rmn ph Retrieved April 7 2018 PH city breaks record for longest parade of motorcycles with sidecars ABSCBN News news abs cbn com Retrieved April 9 2015 Cauayan City celebrates 12th cityhood anniversary Gawagaway yan festival Regional Development Council rdc rdc2 gov ph Retrieved March 30 2022 Gawagaway yan Festival sa Cauayan City Isabela Balita net balita net ph Retrieved April 24 2017 Proclamation No 108 s 1999 Official Gazette PH officialgazette gov ph Retrieved May 10 2003 Pagdiriwang ng Kankanen Festival 2019 ng Cabatuan Isabela star studded at tampok ang maraming aktibidad Bombo Gina Marquez bomboradyo com Retrieved November 5 2019 Isabelinos praise Mammangi advocacy film Villamor Visaya Jr of the Philippine News Agency pna gov ph Retrieved August 19 2019 Mammangui IsabelaExpress Wordpress isabelaexpress wordpress com Retrieved February 5 2018 Mammangi Festival ng Ilagan na May 4 hanggang May 8 Isang Ordinansa Na Susan Mapa of RMN Network rmn ph Retrieved March 8 2018 Mangi Festival 2019 Official Facebook Page of Ernie Garcia Photography facebook com Retrieved December 31 2019 School proms shelved in Isabela Mangi fest postponed Villamor Visaya Jr of the Philippine News Agency pna gov ph Retrieved February 21 2020 San Agustin Isabela showcases upgraded carabaos in Nuang Festival Rowena G Bumanlag of the Philippine Carabao Center pcc gov ph Retrieved October 4 2012 440 carabaos paraded during annual Nuang Festival in San Agustin Isabela Ma Cecilia C Irang of the Philippine Carabao Center pcc gov ph Retrieved October 1 2018 Carabaos in spotlight as Nuang Festival marks 70th Araw ng San Agustin ManilaStandard net manilastandard net Retrieved September 29 2019 Isabela residents feast on giant Pancit Cabagan Vince Jacob Visaya of the Manila Times manilatimes net Retrieved January 23 2023 Without giant noodles annual Pansi Festival goes virtual in Isabela town Villamor Visaya Jr of Inquirer net newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved January 23 2021 Isabela town cooks up giant pancit at festival in honor of noodles Villamor Visaya Jr of Inquirer net newsinfo inquirer net Retrieved January 23 2020 2K villagers share noodle dish in Isabela town s Pansi Festival Villamor Visaya Jr of Philippine News Agency pna gov ph Retrieved January 23 2020 Santiago City s Pattaraday Festival Michaed Dax G Barlaan Philstar com philstar com Retrieved June 2 2012 Pattaradday Festival Theme is Unity in Diversity Travel to the Philippines Blogspot traveltothephilippines info Retrieved December 31 2022 Lirio Gerry April 20 2020 Heherson Sonny Alvarez Keeper of the flame ABS CBN Corporation Archived from the original on June 24 2021 PURUGGANAN Miguel Gatan Bantayog ng mga Bayani October 9 2015 Retrieved September 4 2020 Further reading Edithttp provinceofisabela ph Official Website of the Province of Isabela Retrieved October 3 2014 http www tourism gov ph sitepages FestivitiesList aspx festivityCode 292 amp monthCode 05 Archived March 17 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 8 2014 http www philstar com nation 2014 02 01 1285254 isabelas bambanti festival lures thousands Bambanti Festival Retrieved October 8 2014 http provinceofisabela ph index php option com content amp view article amp id 168 amp catid 95 Retrieved October 8 2014 http provinceofisabela ph index php tourism festivals showall amp limitstart Retrieved October 8 2014 https web archive org web 20141014040136 http www rogerswebpoint com historyofcabatuan htm Retrieved October 8 2014 http www spcicdtourism com festival ccp2 Archived November 28 2020 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 10 2014 http www manilatimes net renewable energy plant to rise in isabela 172957 Renewable energy plant to rise in Isabela Retrieved June 15 2015 https web archive org web 20150630234413 http news pia gov ph article view 481433287402 p7 b solar power plant to rise in isabela P7 B solar power plant to rise in Isabela Retrieved June 15 2015 http newsinfo inquirer net 742119 construction of p2 28 b road thru sierra madre starts amid protests ixzz3xK3EqC2O P2 28B road project for Ilagan Divilacan Road Retrieved January 18 2016External links EditMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML Media related to Isabela province at Wikimedia Commons Geographic data related to Isabela province at OpenStreetMap Philippine Standard Geographic Code Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Isabela province amp oldid 1151658767, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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