Brstjjy

Isabela
Province
Province of Isabela[1]
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Queen Province of the Philippines Rice Bowl of the North Corn Capital of the Philippines Sentro ng AGRIkultura[2]
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°N 122°E / 17°N 122°E / 17; 122Coordinates: 17°N 122°E / 17°N 122°E / 17; 122
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley (Region II)
Founded	May 01, 1856
Capital	Ilagan
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Faustino G. Dy III (NPC)
• Vice Governor	Antonio T. Albano (Independent)
Area[3]
• Total	12,414.93 km2 (4,793.43 sq mi)
Area rank	2nd out of 81
	(Includes Santiago)
Highest elevation[4] (Dos Cuernos)	1,785 m (5,856 ft)
Population (2015 census)[5]
• Total	1,593,566
• Rank	15th out of 81
• Density	130/km2 (330/sq mi)
• Density rank	67th out of 81
	(Includes Santiago)
Demonym(s)	Isabeliño (m) Isabeliña (f) Isabelan
Divisions
• Independent cities	1 Santiago
• Component cities	2 Cauayan Ilagan
• Municipalities	34 Alicia Angadanan Aurora Benito Soliven Burgos Cabagan Cabatuan Cordon Delfin Albano Dinapigue Divilacan Echague Gamu Jones Luna Maconacon Mallig Naguilian Palanan Quezon Quirino Ramon Reina Mercedes Roxas San Agustin San Guillermo San Isidro San Manuel San Mariano San Mateo San Pablo Santa Maria Santo Tomas Tumauini
• Barangays	1,018 including independent cities: 1,055
• Districts	1st to 6th districts of Isabela (shared with Santiago City)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP code	3300–3336
IDD : area code	+63 (0)78
ISO 3166 code	PH
Spoken languages	Ilocano Ibanag Gaddang Tagalog English
Website	provinceofisabela.ph

Isabela is the second largest province of the Philippines, and the largest on the island of Luzon in land area. Its capital is the city of Ilagan. Situated within the Cagayan Valley region, 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.

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.^[6]

Isabela is the 10th richest province in the Philippines in 2011.^[7] The province has four trade centers in the cities of Ilagan, Cauayan, Santiago and the municipality of Roxas.

Etymology

The province got its name from Isabella II of Spain, who was the wife of a Spanish monarch during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. There have been proposals to change the name of the province into something that will better suit the indigenous roots of the country.

History

The province of Isabela used to be a vast rainforest where numerous indigenous ethno-linguistic 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.

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 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.^[8]

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. Isabela was re-organized as a province under the American military government through Act No. 210, passed August 24, 1901.^[9]

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. 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. Other ethnic groups followed that made Isabela the "Melting Pot of the Northern Philippines".^[8]

In 1995, Republic Act Number 7891 was passed legislating that Isabela be divided into two new provinces: Isabela del Norte and Isabela del Sur.^[10][11] A referendum was held on the same year with a slight majority voting against partitioning the province.^[12]

In 2012, the capital town of Ilagan officially became a city, after the move gained 96% of the votes in the plebiscite conducted on August 11, 2012.^[13][14] The night after the plebiscite, Ilagan was declared as a component city of the province.^[15]

Geography

Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 12,414.93 square kilometres (4,793.43 sq mi)^[16], 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.

View of the Sierra Madre from Cabagan

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. Isabela has 600,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) of Cagayan Valley’s 900,000 hectares (2,200,000 acres) of forest cover.^[17][18]

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).^[19]

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 Region 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 Isabela. The municipality of Roxas serves as the business center of the region. The Plains covers the municipalities of Quezon, Mallig, Quirino, Burgos, Aurora, San Manuel and Roxas.

Administrative divisions

Isabela is politically subdivided into thirty four (34) municipalities, two (2) component cities and one (1) independent component city. The province is represented in the Philippine House of Representatives with four (6) legislative districts.^[16]

The province has ten (10) first class municipalities, two (2) second class cities and one (1) 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.

Barangays

The 34 municipalities and 3 cities of the province comprise a total of 1,055 barangays, with Rizal in Santiago City as the most populous in 2010, and Catalina in Cauayan City 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.^[21]

Government

Governors

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. Afterwards, Isabela was ruled by the Dy family for 34 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 the provincial governor of Isabela for 22 years (1969–1992). He 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 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), she was defeated in the 2010 National Elections by Faustino "Bojie" G. Dy III, who is currently serving for his final term since 2010.

Republic Act No. 11080

On September 27, 2018, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11080 - An act reapportioning the province of Isabela into six (6) legislative districts.^[24] According to Republic Act 11080, the new legislative districts of the province of Isabela would now be as follows:

• First District: Ilagan City, Cabagan, Delfin Albano, Divilacan, 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: Santiago City, Cordon, Dinapigue, Jones and San Agustin
  


• Fifth District: Aurora, Burgos, Luna, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino, Roxas and San Manuel
  


• Sixth District: Cauayan City, Echague, San Guillermo, and San Isidro
  

The reapportioning will commence in the next national and local elections after the effectivity of the said Act, which means that in the 2019 elections, Isabela will be electing six (6) congressmen instead of four (4).

The law ordered the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to come up with the necessary rules and regulations for its implementation within thirty (30) days upon the effectivity of the said Act.

RA 11080 will take effect after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.^[25]

Demographics

The population of Isabela in the 2015 census was 1,593,566 people,^[5] making it the most populated province among the five provinces in Cagayan Valley (Region II). It had a density of 130 inhabitants per square kilometre or 340 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 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.^{[citation needed]} Other religions practiced are Aglipayan, United Methodist Church and various Christian churches such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Protestant churches Iglesia Ni Cristo, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, other Charismatic Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses. There are also small number of Muslims.

Economy

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.^[28]

Trade and industry

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)

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.^[29]

The cities of Cauayan and Santiago, the capital city of Ilagan and the municipality of Roxas are the principal commercial centers of Isabela. Metro Manila-based malls and fast food chains have recently opened in these key trading hubs. To date, 172 banking branches operate in the province, with most of the universal and commercial banks providing automated teller machines for the convenience of their clients.

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. in Reina Mercedes, SN Aboitiz Power- Magat Inc. in Ramon.

Universal Leaf Philippines has built a tobacco processing plant in Reina Mercedes. The Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc. subsidiary and San Miguel Corporation’s Cosmos division both operate bottling plants in Ilagan City, while RC Cola and Pepsi Cola have beverage operations in Cauayan City and Santiago City, respectively.

In the rice industry, substantial investments have been made by Valiant Rice Mills Corporation in San Mateo, Family Choice Grains Processing Center in Cabatuan, Golden Season Grains Center in Luna, Herco Agro Industries in Santiago City, JDT Silver Grains Center, New Cauayan Goldyluck Grains in Cauayan City and the La Suerte Rice Mill Corporation in San Manuel.

Retail giants SM and Robinsons have set up shops in the cities of Cauayan, Ilagan and Santiago and in the municipalities of Aurora, Cabagan, Cordon, Echague, Roxas and Tumauini with the opening of Savemore and Robinsons Supermarket, respectively. They are located in Isabela’s new malls, Northstar Mall, Primark Town Center, Talavera Square Mall and Xentro Mall; owned and operated by homegrown investors. Notable fast food and restaurant chains such as Jollibee, McDonald's, Greenwich, Chowking, Mang Inasal, KFC, Shakey's, Bonchon Chicken, Classic Savory, Kuya J Restaurant, Kenny Rogers Roasters, Max's, Gerry's Grill, Burger King, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, Zark’s Burgers, Goldilocks and Red Ribbon all have outlets in Isabela. Puregold, a large retail chain is currently operating supermarkets in Cauayan City, Ilagan City, Roxas, Santiago City and Tumauini while San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. have managed put up their field offices and plant in Santiago City, Reina Mercedes and Echague, respectively.

In 2014, two of the country's dominant players in the retail industry, SM Prime and Robinsons Land opened its pioneer malls in the region, the first SM Supermall in the province, the SM City Cauayan which opened on May 30, 2014 in Cauayan City and Robinsons Place Santiago which opened earlier on February 19, 2014^[30] in Santiago City, respectively. Robinsons Land is also set to launch its second mall in the province which will be in Cauayan City.

The "big three" oil companies- Shell, Petron and Chevron – have numerous gasoline stations in Isabela, as do new petroleum industry players Total, Eastern Petroleum, Flying V and SEAOIL Philippines. Land transportation operators Victory Liner, Five Star Bus Company, Dalin Liner, GV Florida Transport, EMC Transportation, Inc., Solid North Transit Inc., and Northern Luzon Bus Company (NELBUSCO) have terminals and depots in the province.

Leading car, motorcycle and truck manufacturers such as Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi Motors, Isuzu Motors, Kia Motors, Nissan, Ford, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Hyundai, Mazda, Foton, Peugeot, MAN SE, Yamaha and many other companies entered the province over the past years.

Telecom firms Globe, PLDT/Smart and Digitel/ Sun Cellular 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 and Camella Santiago in Santiago City, and Camella Cauayan and Lumina Isabela in Cauayan City.
Vista land is set to launch its first high end mall in Santiago City.First in Region 2.

The province of Isabela is the richest in Cagayan Valley. It is also the Top 10 Richest Province in the Philippines last 2011.^[31]

Agriculture

Agriculture is the biggest industry in Isabela. As the country’s top corn producing province, it contributes 21% 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.

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.

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. 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. 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.^[32]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.

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 forest.^{[citation needed]} Isabela's vast forest resources are now being ecologically manage to effect sustainable forest-based resource not only for the wood working industry but to secure a balanced ecosystem. Some 54% of the province`s total area is covered by forestland, of which 62% is part of the protected area while 38% is designated as production forest. The woodwork industry continues to operate under a regulated system, particularly the making 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. 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. Rich marine resources^[specify] could be found in Isabela’s coastal seaboard municipalities of Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan, and Dinapigue.

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.

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 planned online solar power plant in Cauayan City is capable supplying at least 20 megawatts while the biomass power plant in Alicia can produce another 20 megawatts. Both systems provide clean and renewable energy.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the P2 billion power facility established by the Isabela Biomass Energy Corporation (IBEC) would not only augment power supply in Cagayan Valley but would also help contribute to healthy environment.

According to the authorities, "The use of biomass as fuel makes the power plant carbon neutral and sustainable. The plant is also expected to produce 100 percent renewable energy that does not harm the environment."

The biomass power facility in province is the first in the region and is expected to provide economical source of energy as well as job opportunities to residents of the host town/city.

In Cauayan City, the city government is negotiating with Korean investors to put up the 20-megawatt solar power plant. This would augment energy produced from hydro-electric energy especially during summer and El Niño season when the rivers run dry and water provided by the dam is not enough to run the day’s water turbines. Also, some South Korean investors who visited the city recently had signified their intention to invest in a multimillion-dollar solar power plant here. The solar farm will be constructed in a 24-hectare land in the village of Tagaran in the said city.

Magat Dam in Ramon

As of now, authorities and investors are still on the process of finalizing the draft feasibility study and once it is completed, the construction is expected to start within the last quarter of 2015. The local government would also benefit in the proposed project as it is expected to supply continuous power to the city and other government installations such as health facilities and other future projects. Meanwhile, the government-administered irrigation agency is implementing a rotational irrigation water supply scheme in the Lower Magat irrigation system in the province as a result of the absence of rainfall in the hot summer days of 2015.

Officials of the National Irrigation Administration — Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MRIIS) said they are adopting the scheme due to the "continuous drop" of water level of Magat Dam which is now at 176 meters or one meter above the normal level.

On May 27, 2015, the service contract of the largest solar PV power plant in the country has been approved by the Department of Energy (DOE). According to some experts, the P7-billion worth 100 MW Solar PV project in the city of Ilagan will help reduce the current shortage in 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.

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 and Ilocos 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 road through the protected Sierra Madre mountains is on-going to open access to three coastal towns of the province, despite opposition from environmentalists and leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the province. The approved budget contract of the project amounting to P1.5B, will pass through the foothills of the 359,486-hectare Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges and will take three years to complete. The project will improve an old logging road used by the defunct Acme Logging Corp. until the 1990s. It will start in Barangay Sindon Bayabo in the capital city of Ilagan and will end in Barangay Dicatian in the coastal town of Divilacan.

Travel to the coastal towns of Divilacan, Palanan and Maconacon is often made by boat or by plane. There are no roads that links the capital city of Ilagan to the coastal areas, depriving villagers of basic necessities and social services, such as health. Only light planes and boats are the available modes of transportation there, making it difficult to reach the coastal towns in times of emergencies and calamities. Once completed, the road project is expected to boost the economies of the coastal areas, citing Divilacan’s 119-hectares beach and freshwater areas that have lured tourists. The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) issued Resolution No. 11, which reclassifies portions of the Sierra Madre as a special-use zone. The Agta and Dumagat in the area have also signed a memorandum of agreement with the provincial government, expressing their consent to the road project. At least 1,800 Agta and Dumagat have been staying in the park areas. But the impact of the road on the protected forest has alarmed the leaders of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, who feared that the project may damage its forests and ecosystems. Even a former climate change advocate has urged provincial officials to put up safeguards and ensure that the Sierra Madre will be protected while the road is being built. The project was delayed in the recent years due to concerns about the road’s potential impact on the environment. The Cagayan Valley Regional Development Council required the project’s proponents to study the full impact of the road on the area’s biodiversity.

Airports and sea ports

There are five airports in the province. The Cauayan Airport is the primary airport in the province serving a trip to Manila, Palanan, and Maconacon. The other two are the Palanan Airport in Palanan and Maconacon Airport in Maconacon. 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. 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 come 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 City, 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:

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 festival and fiestas, most famous of which is the Bambanti Festival annually celebrated every February, and the commemoration of the birth of the province during Isabela Day every May.

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 Nov. 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.


• 
  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. The feast of their patron, Saint Rose of Lima is celebrated every 23 August.


• 
  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 24 February 1989.


• 
  Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia was originally built by the Spaniards in the 18th century. Passing by Angadanan on 12 February 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 antique, 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.


• 
  Our Lady of the Pillar 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 has a beautiful 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 lots of interesting bas relief and portions of the bricks have numbers and symbols etched on it.


• 
  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. The church is dedicated to the patron saint of the Diocese of Ilagan, San Fernando.


• 
  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 City in January 24–26, 1986 have approved the petition of His Excellency, the late Most Rev. 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.


• 
  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 residents

Notes

Further reading

• 
  http://provinceofisabela.ph Official Website of the Province of Isabela. Retrieved October 3, 2014


• 
  http://www.tourism.gov.ph/sitepages/FestivitiesList.aspx?festivityCode=292&monthCode=05. 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&view=article&id=168&catid=95. Retrieved October 8, 2014


• 
  http://provinceofisabela.ph/index.php/tourism/festivals?showall=&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 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, 2016

External links

• 
  Media related to Isabela (province) at Wikimedia Commons


• 
  Geographic data related to Isabela (province) at OpenStreetMap
  


• Philippine Standard Geographic Code