Everything about Isabela Province totally explained
Isabela is the second largest
province of the
Philippines next to
Palawan. It is located in the
Cagayan Valley Region in
Luzon. Its capital is
Ilagan and borders, clockwise from the south,
Aurora,
Quirino,
Nueva Vizcaya,
Ifugao,
Mountain Province,
Kalinga, and
Cagayan. This primarily agricultural
province is the
rice and
corn granary of
Luzon.
People and culture
According to the Philippine Census in 2000,
Isabela was the most populated province among the five provinces in
Cagayan Valley (Region II). It has a population of 1,287,575 people and comprising 45.7 percent of the 2.8 people in the region. At the national level, the province contributed 1.7 percent to the total population of 76.5 million.
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 were more males than females below 50 years old.
Ilocano was the most prominent ethnic group in Isabela. Of the total household population, 68.71 percent classified themselves as Ilocanos. The next two prominent ethnic groups were
Ibanag (14.05 percent) and
Tagalog (10.02 percent). The remaining 7.22 percent were either Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, or were from other ethnic groups.
Economy and tourism
Agriculture, mainly
rice with a relatively large corn crop, is the biggest industry in
Isabela. Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated. With the presence of the
Isabela State University, joint ventures, other foreign assisted projects, and the
Magat Dam, agriculture has a high level of productivity. It is also the hub of trade, 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 have considerably declined. However, furniture making using narra and other indigenous forest materials continues.
Some potential investments are in fisheries and tourism.
Isabela has a fertile fishing ground on the
Pacific Coast. The reservoir of the
Magat Dam is utilized for fish cage operations, such as tilapia production for domestic markets.
Tourism is relatively a new industry being developed in the
province. Support services and accommodation facilities are likewise being developed. Tourism focuses mainly in and around Santiago City and can be noted by the presence of the only
McDonalds in the province.
Historical
Aguinaldo Shrine
Located in
Palanan, Isabela is the historical place where
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the American forces, thus ending the Philippine Revolution in 1901. It is accessible by aircraft, pumpboat and trekking thru
Sta. Ana, Cagayan, San Mariano/Cauayan and Ilagan, Isabela respectively.
Cultural
Isabela Museum and Library
The repository and custodian of the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Isabelinos. Features a gallery exhibit & collection of antiques such as artifacts, fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, visual arts (photographs, paintings, sculpture, graphic arts); historical and cultural dioramas, miniature models of provincial landmarks, among others. It was inaugurated on May 11, 1999 and is housed at the old capitol building in
Ilagan. Open from Mondays to Saturdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Natural
Bonsai Forest (Sumanget, Dinapigue)
The 200 km² area is accessible by land transport from
Baler in Aurora Province and by air from Cauayan Airport.
Sta. Victoria Caves and Environmental School at Fuyo National Park
It features naturally formed lattices and sparkling rock formations. Visitors are given lectures and allowed to plant their own seedlings, and those enrolled at the Environmental School are given certificates. Within the area is the Pinzal Falls conducive for swimming and other recreational facilities like carabao-drawn carts and horseback riding. The park is 15 kilometers from
Ilagan town proper.
Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (Palanan Rainforest)
The largest protected area in the country with more than 3,000 km² of rainforest, and the lowest at 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. Declared number one in biodiversity and also one of the top 10 biodiversity “hotspots” in the world. Research showed the existence of unknown and unnamed species of flora and fauna. A confirmed habitat of the
Philippine Eagle and the Cloud Rat. Its coastal areas host whales and dolphins and other cetaceans. Ideal for scuba diving and other water sports, and a mountaineering/trekking challenge. Accessible by light aircraft from
Cauayan Airport (Cyclone Airways), pumpboat from
Sta. Ana in
Cagayan and Baler in
Aurora Province, and trekking from
San Mariano,
Cauayan City and Ilagan in Isabela. Also accessible by air transport from
Tuguegarao City Domestic Airport through CHEMTRAD
Religious
Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation (Guibang, Gamu)
Guibang Church, which houses the Miraculous Lady of the Visitacion, is located along the national highway of Gamu, Isabela and frequented by travelers passing along Maharlika Highway. It is now as famous as the Shrine of Piat Basilica Minore as it comes alive in July every year when religious pilgrims come to offer prayers of thanks and to ask for another year of good fortune. The image of the miraculous Lady was canonically crowned on May 26, 1973 and acknowledged as a National Shrine on January 24-26.
Parish Church of St. Mathias (Tumauini)
Built in 1753 under Dominican Supervision and completed in 1805, it's an ultra-baroque church unique for its extensive use of baked clay both for wall finishing and ornamentation. Clay bricks come to life in concentric circles on the façade, spiral curves on the finial serpentine reliefs, and many finely molded details – flowers, foliage, surfaces, cherubs, and saints. Its architecture bears Chinese ancestry. This church of stone features a unique cylindrical bell tower that's the only one of its kind in the
Philippines. It was declared a National Historical Landmark on February 24, 1989.
Our Lady of Atocha Church (Alicia)
Passing by Angadanan town 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, beautiful and solid, was built by Fr. Tomas Calderon, OP and inaugurated in 1849, with Fr. Francisco Gainza, OP, then vicar of Carig (now
Santiago City). Famous for their antique Spanish architectural designs, these churches are found along the national highway and are accessible by land transport.
San Pablo Church
Built in 1624, it's said to be the oldest in the province. Its lofty bell tower of six layers including the circular apex made of adobe is the tallest in the
Cagayan Valley. San Pablo, the oldest town of Isabela, was founded by Padre de Sto. Tomas, 210 years before Isabela was made a province.
St. Rose de Lima Church (Gamu, Isabela)
Built in 1726, it's famous for its Spanish architectural design. The feast of the patronal saint of
Gamu is celebrated every August 23.
Artificial
World’s Biggest Butaka (
Ilagan,
Isabela)
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.
Magat Dam Tourism Complex (Magat Hydro Electric Power Plant)
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 44.5 km² has a great potential for water-based recreation like fishing, boating and water skiing, among others. The plant is accessible by passenger jeepney and bus from
Santiago City.
Special interest
Trekking, mountaineering, camping and exploration
at
Palanan,
Dinapigue,
Maconacon and
Divilacan forest area
Diving and snorkeling
at Dicotcotan Beach
River Cruise
at
Palanan River
Crocodile Watching (Crocodylus Mindorensis)
at
San Mariano at night.
Geography
Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 10,665 square kilometers, representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory. It is the largest
province inth island of
Luzon and the second largest
province in the
Philippines in terms of land area.
Isabela is subdivided into 35 municipalities and 2 cities.
Cities
Municipalities
Physical
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, while others are government reservations. The western area is a sprawling fertile valley hemmed by the
Central Cordillera. It is criss-crossed by the mighty
Cagayan River, Siffu river, and Magat River. Its mountains rise to a peak of about 8,000 feet, and are home to one of the world’s largest remaining low-altitude rainforests, with numerous unknown endemic species of
flora and
fauna and exceptional biological diversity. The area is popularly known as the
Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park.
History
Prior to 1856, there were only two provinces in the
Cagayan Valley Region:
Cagayan and
Nueva Vizcaya. The Province of Cagayan at that time consisted of all towns from
Tumauini to the north in
Aparri and all other towns from
Ilagan southward to
Aritao comprised the Province of Nueva Vizcaya. In order to facilitate the work of the missionaries in the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley, a royal decree was issued on
May 1,
1856 that created the Province of Isabela consisting of the towns of
Gamu,
Angadanan and Camarag (now
Echague), Carig (now
Santiago City) and
Palanan. The new province was named in honor of
Queen Isabela II of
Spain.
Although the province didn't play a major role in the revolt against Spain, it was in
Palanan that the final pages of the
Philippine Revolution was written when the American forces led by General
Frederick Funston finally captured
General Emilio Aguinaldo on
March 23,
1901.
The first Provincial Governor of Isabela was Rafael Maramag, a former Municipal President (then a term for Municipal Mayor) of the capital town
Ilagan. Rafael Maramag was also the first Municipal President of
Ilagan and was succeeded by his brother Gabriel. A son of Gabriel also served as the longest Municipal Treasurer of Ilagan and also served as the Deputy Provincial Treasurer for
Isabela.
The Americans built schools and other buildings and instituted changes in the overall political system. The province’s economy, however, remained particularly agricultural with rice replacing corn and tobacco as the dominant crop.
World War II stagnated the
province’s economic growth but it recovered dramatically after the war. In 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces occupied in Isabela. Continue in
1945, the liberation in
Isabela entering by the Philippine Commonwealth Troops together with the local guerrillas attacked by the Japanese Imperial forces in
World War II.
Isabela today is the premier province of the north, one of the most progressive in the country and
Santiago, the commercial center of Region 02 has been declared an independent city last
July 7,
1994.
In 1995, a bill was passed legislating that
Isabela be divided into two new provinces: Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur. A referendum was held on the same year with a strong majority voted not to separate the
province.
Politics
Isabela was most progressive during the term of former Governor Samuel F. Reyes. He paved the way for access to Isabela via leading the development for the airport of Isabela based in Cauayan. He lost to Faustino Dy Sr. during the 1971 elections. It is rumored that Faustino Dy Sr. cheated to take the seat away from Reyes. For almost 40 years the province was under administration of the Dy family. In 1992, Antonio C. Reyes, the son of former Governor Reyes ran for a seat in the House of Representatives but was again defeated by the Dy family and his cronies. Dy Sr. was a threatened by the act of the Reyes family and called for a meeting with Antonio C. Reyes for him to back out of the race and let incumbent House Representative, Dy crony, Ado Respicio finish a third term, the younger Reyes disagreed and was cheated of a win in the said election. However, this paved the way for oppressed townspeople and activists to stand up against the Dy regime. In the 2004 gubernatorial elections, the voting public favored local radio broadcaster
Maria Gracia Cielo Padaca against incumbent governor
Faustino Dy, Jr. Though the Dy Dynasty was ended by Padaca, the Dy family, still, has a very strong influence on politics in Isabela. Padaca is now on her second term.
Media
Isabela, being the largest province in Cagayan Valley pride itself as to having an extensive presence of media entities (radio, television and print).
AM Radio Stations
DZRH 648 khz in Santiago City owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
DZYI Sonshine Radio Ilagan 711 khz in Ilagan owned by ACQ Sonshine Media
DZNC Bombo Radyo Cauayan 801 khz in Cauayan City owned by Newsound Broadcasting System
DWSI Sonshine Radio Santiago 864 khz in Santiago City owned by ACQ Sonshine Media
DWRS Radyo Pilipino 981 khz in Santiago City owned by Radyo Pilipino
DWDY 1107 khz in Cauayan City
FM Radio Stations
DWND 88.5 mhz in Cauayan
DWHI Hot FM 89.7 mhz in Ilagan owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
DWHT Hot FM 92.5 mhz in Santiago City owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
DWYI Bay Radio 92.9 mhz in Cauayan City owned by Baycomms Broadcasting System
DWTR Yes FM 93.7 mhz in Santiago City owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
DWIP Love Radio 94.5 mhz in Santiago City owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
DWWC Big Sound FM 95.3 mhz in Cauayan City
DWIT Star FM 96.1 mhz in Cauayan City owned by Newsound Broadcasting System
DWMX The Mix 97.7 mhz in Santiago City owned by the Catholic Church
DWKB Light FM 99.3 mhz in Santiago City
DWYE Hot FM 101.7 mhz in Cauayan City owned by Manila Broadcasting Company
TV Stations
DZZN-TV NBN Channel 4 in Ilagan owned by National Broadcasting Network
DWAT-TV ABS-CBN Channel 11 in Santiago City owned by Lopez Group of Companies
Cable Television
North Star Cable Vision in Cauayan City
Polaris Cable Vision, Inc. in Ilagan
Digna Abad Galura (1888 Cable TV Network) in Ilagan
Antonio E. Diongzon (Parabola Enterprises) in Ilagan
Orlando N. Dalit, Sr. (Sta. Isabel Cable TV System) in Ilagan
Print Media
The Valley Times Press in Ilagan
Northern Sierra Madre Express
Notable Residents
General Mateo Noriel Luga
Ruthlane Uy Asmundson - Mayor of Davis, California, USA
Samuel Formoso Reyes - House of Representatives, Former Governor of Isabela
Bibliography
Further Information
Get more info on 'Isabela Province'.
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