| Jones | |
|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |
| Map of Isabela showing the location of Jones. | |
|
Jones
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cagayan Valley (Region II) |
| Province | Isabela |
| District | 4th District, Isabela |
| Founded | |
| Barangays | 42 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Florante A. Raspado |
| Area | |
| • Total | 670.14 km2 (258.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 41,237 |
| • Density | 61.5/km2 (159.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC+8) |
| ZIP code | 3313 |
| Income class | 2nd class; rural |
| Population Census of Jones | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | Rate | |
| 1995 | 34,669 |
|
|
| 2000 | 39,001 | 2.56% | |
| 2007 | 41,237 | 0.77% | |
Jones is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 41,237 people in 8,171 households.
Contents |
The southern portion of Echague separated by Cagayan River was created into a municipality named Jones in honor of an American Legislator, William Atkinson Jones, who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, and was inaugurated on January 1, 1921. It was originally composed of 21 barrios of virgin forest and wide fertile plains with Cabanuangan as the seat of the Municipal Government.
The house of one Tirso Mateo served as the first town hall with the following as the first municipal officials; President;Don Antonio Vallejo, Vice President; Benito Tiburcio, Secretary; Francisco Gumpal; Treasurer Pio Tomines; Justice of Peace Daniel Apostol; Zoilo Gadingan, Chief of Police; and Modesto Payuyo, Antonio Pintang, Gregorio Santos, Dionicio Cristobal, Valentin Torio; and Damaso Leano as Councilors.
The first proposed town site of Jones was in Barangay Daligan, but due to the insistence of the Municipal President Don. Antonio Vallejo who voluntarily donated two hectares of land for the municipal hall and public market site, he also later donated the vast fertile land area of Jones Rural School and Jones North Central School hence the present site of Barangay I and II.
Transportation was then a big problem as there were no good roads, the barrios being only connected by narrow roads and trails suited for hiking, for horse and carabao and for sled and cart. During rainy days, these roads and trails easily turned into knee-deep mud fit only for wallowing carabaos. The principal means of transportation was the Cagayan River passing almost all the barrios, using raft and boats. It was only after about eight years of existence that more vehicles applied between Jones and Echague.
The vast virgin forest and fertile soil of the place was pioneered by enterprising Ilocanos from the Ilocos Province, particularly from Ilocos Norte and some Yogads who are natives of Cagayan Valley. Other ethnic groups followed like the Ibanags and some Tagalogs from Central Luzon.
The Aglipayan Church (Philippine Independent Catholic Church) was the first established church. There were very few primary schools, all hinged to an intermediate school called Jones Farm School at the Poblacion. The early inhabitants concentrated on agriculture with tobacco and corn as the chief crop. Revenue principally came from the real property tax, cedula and sled tax. The town was greatly dependent on national aid.
Endowed by God with fertile soil, industrious and peace-loving people and the mighty Cagayan River, Jones, despite numerous disasters, rapidly and tremendously progressed. This commendable stride is greatly attributed to its chief executives who served zealously.
The town holds a special place in the history of Isabela. When the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the Philippines in 1914, JONES was a shelter for the National and Provincial officials and evacuees from other places up to 1942.
The town likewise became the provincial seat of the Provincial Government during the wartorn years from 1941 to 1942. It was subsequently occupied by the Japanese forces but it continued to be a stronghold of Filipino and American Guerillas led by the brave soldiers under the command of the Brigadier General Guillermo Nakar.
On 1945, Filipino troops of the 2nd, USAFFE 11th, 12th and 13th Infantry Division and the USAFIP-NL 11th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was liberated and recaptured the entering towns in Jones, Isabela and helping recognized guerrilla units and defeated and attacking Japanese Imperial Army forces and ended in World War II.
Jones is the home of Silvino M. Gumpal, who ably led the Province as Provincial Governor from 1946 to 1951 and who represented Isabela in Congress from 1934 to 1935.
In 1959, the name of barrio Mangaratungat was changed to San Vicente.[1]
Jones has two new steel bridges worth P300M.
Jones is politically subdivided into 42 barangays.
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||