| Ilagan | |
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| — Municipality — | |
| Map of Isabela showing the location of Ilagan. | |
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Ilagan
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cagayan Valley (Region II) |
| Province | Isabela |
| District | 1st District of Isabela |
| Founded | May 4, 1686 |
| Barangays | 91 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dr. Jose Marie "Jay" Diaz |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,166.26 km2 (450.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 131,243 |
| • Density | 112.5/km2 (291.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 3300 |
| Income class | 1st Class, partially urban |
| Population Census of Ilagan | |||
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| Census | Pop. | Rate | |
| 1995 | 106,912 |
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| 2000 | 119,990 | 2.51% | |
| 2007 | 131,243 | 1.24% | |
Ilagan is a 1st-class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. It is the capital municipality and the largest town of Isabela (for land area and total population). According to the latest census, it has a population of 131,243 people in 24,085 households.
The conversion of Ilagan, Isabela on February 2, 1998 (RA 8474) into a city would have made it the largest city in the province. But the plebiscite held on March 14, 1999 turned down its bid for cityhood under the Administration of former Mayor Mercedes P. Uy. The majority of the people voted no in that historic event. It has 72,365 voters according to the 2007 elections.
After 13 years, the municipal learders of Ilagan lead by Isabela first district Rep. Rodolfo Albano has renewed the bid for its cityhood. Vice Gov. Rodito Albano said that, "the provincial government fully supports Ilagan’s renewed cityhood bid, considering that such goal is already long overdue." Former Department of Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III expressed support to the renewed move of the local officials of Ilagan, Isabela, headed by Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz, for the town’s conversion into a city.
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Ilagan, Isabela is politically subdivided into 91 barangays. Ilagan has the most number of barangays in the province of Isabela.
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Ilagan is located in the central portion of Isabela Province. It is bounded on the North by the Municipality of Tumauini, on the West by the Municipality of Quirino, Northwest by the Municipality of Divilacan and the Pacific Ocean, and on the Southeast by the Municipality of San Mariano. Ilagan is approximately 96 kilometers from Tuguegarao City and 397 kilometers from Metro Manila (linked by a national highway via Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya).
Of the total 1,166.26 km2 land area of Ilagan; 31% are agricultural, 36% are forest areas and the remaining 33% are build-up areas and open grassland areas that are available for industrial, commercial and residential uses.
As an agriculture-based municipality, Ilagan produces ample supply of corn, rice, vegetables and legumes. Fruits like the banana are year-round products especially in the mountainous areas of the municipality. Ilagan also produces seasonal fruits such as mangoes and pomelo.
Ilagan has rich forest resources. Hectares of forest land are strictly protected by authorities like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), several NGOs and the Local Government Unit.
The rapid increase of population in Ilagan is attributed to the current growth in economic activities especially in the sectors of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Housing.
Statistics from the National Statistics Office showed that Ilagan has a total population of 79, 336 in 1990 and 99, 120 in 1995 with an annual growth rate of 2.5%. At present, the total population of Ilagan is 121,390. Using the projected annual growth rate of 2.5%, the population is expected to be 121.097 in 1999, 126,606 in 2001 and 160,121 in 2008.
People who wish to make Ilagan their home could choose from a number of premium subdivisions that best suit their lifestyle.
One major industry in Ilagan is furniture making. Several furniture shops, located along the National Highway in Barangays Alinguigan 2nd & 3rd, manufacture and sell furniture made of quality narra wood. These barangays comprise the so-called Butaka City of Ilagan, where the Guinness Book of Records' entry for the biggest armchair in the world, the Butaka, was manufactured.
There are several food and beverage companies in the municipality. The largest of which are the Coca-Cola Company, which operates a softdrink bottling plant in Barangay Osmeńa, and Jack Confectionery, which operates a wine fermentation plant.
There are 15 bakeries/ bakeshops and 1 ice cream/ ice drop company.
Aside from a number of local cafes and restaurants, several fastfood chains opened their respective branch(es) in Ilagan: Cindys Bakery and Restaurant (Poblacion and Northstar Mall), Jollibee (Baligatan and Northstar Mall), Mang Inasal (Northstar Mall), Goldilocks (Talavera Square Mall), McDonalds (Northstar Mall) and Genaro's (Northstar Mall).
Most of the industries in the town are agri-based. For the past ten years, there has been a great number of local investment in poultry and hog raising. At present, there are seven poultry contract growers and 33 small and medium scale hog raisers in Ilagan.
Other support facilities, warehouses and small rice mills, strategically located in different barangays of Ilagan address the storage needs of farmers during the harvest season.
There are 9 motor vehicle assembly shops in Ilagan; 5 jeepney assembly shops and 4 tricycle sidecar makers. These motor vehicle assembly shops respond to the increasing need for transportation service in the municipality.
There are several hotels located in Ilagan. These hotels are mostly located in the town center. These are D'Infinity Hotel, San Antonio Hotel, Hotel Romansville, and Marjs Hotel.
In Barangay Alibagu, the Empress Garden Hotel (with 120 rooms and a convention center) is currently under construction.
The Northstar Resources Group of Companies, Inc. is a subsidiary of AM City Realty & Development Corp. located at Maharlika Highway, Alibagu, Ilagan, Isabela. They are accredited to market high-end properties from trusted real estate developers in Ilagan and in Isabela. These properties are residential (house and lot or lot only) and commercial estates located in masterplanned and exclusive properties in Ilagan. Among their properties are Cityhomes Subdivision, Capitol Hills Subdivision, Richmond Hills Subdivision and Northstar Commercial Complex which are all located in Alibagu, Ilagan, Isabela. These properties are fully developed, masterplanned, secure and comfortable places to live in with high class facilities and amenities.
The Brent-Nathan Realty and Development Corporation (BNRDC) nestled one of their projects in the foothills of Ilagan, Isabela. The most prestigious gated community now recognized and fondly called Francisca Village Phase I and Francisca Village Phase II, the Landmark of BNRDC’s contemporary standard of majestic homes that embody the ideal of comfort and convenience. It showcases beautiful homes with impressive split level configurations that offer an unparalleled view of the breathtaking natural environment and a perpetually cool and calm surrounding found in a 46-hectare site. These masterplanned communities have been duplicated in two other BNRDC Villages; the Brethan Subdivision in Marabulig 1, Cauayan City, and Pascual Village in Roxas, Isabela.
Ilagan has two major public markets; the old Pamilihang Bayan ng Ilagan located in the Poblacion and the newly constructed multi-million peso New Ilagan Public Market Complex in Baligatan. The increasing number of market goers, coming from within the town and adjacent municipalities, prompted municipal officials to facilitate the construction of the modern market.
The Northstar Resources is slowly rising in Alibagu. Located within the complex is the Northstar Mall, the flagship mall project of the Northstar Group through its local property subsidiary AM City Realty. The 400-million peso mall features cinemas, specialty shops, several restaurants (like Mang Inasal, McDonalds, Jollibee and Genaro's), an SM Savemore Store, a Pandayan Bookstore, a Watsons Pharmacy, an amusement center, a CD-R KING branch, clothing shops (like Bench, Penshoppe, RRJ and Blued), shoe stores (like Otto and Rusty Lopez), hardware stores (like Ace Hardware and DIY Shop), handicraft shop Unitan Handicraft, Metro Sun Department Store, CAC Store, travel agencies, and other specialty shops. This development aims to provide a one-stop center where people of Ilagan and near-by towns could shop, eat, and have fun.
Another mall in Ilagan is the Talavera Square Mall . The mall showcases a Robinsons Supermarket branch, a Hardware Store like Handyman Do-It-Best branch, Russ, Soon to open Department Store, Goldilocks, Ice Cream King, High Intensity Computer Store, My Phone Cellphone Garage, Best Picture Photo Center, Toy Stores, Katki and other specialty shops, and several entertainment establishments.
The third mall ilagan is the "8 shoppe mall",located in front of the provincial police office.
Mart One Ilagan is now open for shoppers featuring an integrated Expressions shop.
The second branch of SM Savemore in Ilagan is located along the Maharlika Highway in Baligatan.
The redevelopment of the old public market in Poblacion, Ilagan into a public mall is on-going.
There are 29.313 kilometers of concrete road out of 24.56 kilometers of national road that passes through the municipality. Other road networks are 33,005 km provincial roads, 8,909 municipal streets and 269,713 km of barangay roads.
Ilagan is accessible by all means of land transportation. From the Poblacion to the 91 barangays and five adjacent municipalities. Regular jeepney trips are from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. Tricycles are available 24 hours a day.
There are 5 bus companies in ilagan. Each company operates a fleet of air conditioned buses with daily trips to Manila through their respective terminals. Several bus companies also use the Ilagan route from Cagayan and Northern Isabela to Manila, Dagupan, Baguio City and other destinations.
PLDT and Digitel are the main Telecommunications service providers in Ilagan. They operate and maintain several telecommunications facilities and offices within the municipality. They offer various services such as telephony and broadband internet (DSL).
Mobile network operators in Ilagan include Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, SunCellular, Talk 'N Text, Touch Mobile, and Red Mobile.
Other companies providing various telecommunications services such as telegraph and fax services are PT&T, and RCPI now Universal Storefront Services Corporation.
The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPOst) is the major postal service provider in Ilagan.
Express delivery services are provided by LBC, FedEx (Air21),JRS Express, and EMS (through PhilPost).
There are 2 local broadsheets in circulation. In addition to these, several broadsheets, tabloids, and magazines from Manila are also available.
Ilagan residences and establishments source their energy needs through Isabela II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ISELCO II). Its main office is located at Barangay Alibagu, Ilagan, Isabela.
Based on MPDO record, 63 out of 91 barangays are energized.
Ilagan is the center of education in Isabela especially for neighboring municipalities of Tumauini, Gamu, Roxas, Quirino, Naguilian and Delfin Albano.
There are seven (7) Public Secondary Schools around the town, like Isabela National High School, Isabela School of Arts and Trades, Ilagan Sports High School, Ilagan West National High School, Rang-ayan Agro National High School, San Antonio National High School, Sta. Isabela High School. Other Private and Public schools are also located in the town like Saint Ferdinand College, Casa del Niño Montessori School, Montessori Education of Asia Pacific, the Central Isabela Christian Academy, STI, Chronicles Institute of Isabela, Colegio de Ilagan, Ilagan North Central School, Ilagan South Central School, Ilagan West Central School and Ilagan East Central School.
Provincial offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) are all located in Ilagan.
Every 30th of May the Municipality of Ilagan celebrates the Binallay Festival. Binallay is a native rice cake prepared year-round in Ilagan. Ilagan also celebrates the "Mammangui Festival". mammangui came from the ybanag word mangui or corn. The Isabela Provincial Museum (former location of The Isabela Provincial Capitol) houses a collection of artifacts, literature, and other historical elements that best describe the culture of the people of Isabela.
Ilagan was the host of the Palarong Pambansa (National Games) in 1993 and SCUAA National Olympics in 2011. It was held at the Isabela Sports Complex in barangay Alibagu. The sports complex was constructed during the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos. The complex is equipped with a Basketball court, Volleyball courts, a Swimming pool, Badminton courts, a Sepak Takraw court, an Oval and a Baseball field.
Table Tennis is also a popular sport in Ilagan. It is played regularly at Romansville Hotel at the Poblacion and hosted by Ilagan Table Tennis Club.
The only Golf course in Isabela is located in Ilagan. This Golf course has produced several World Junior Golf Champions.
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