Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya

Bagabag, officially the Municipality of Bagabag (Gaddang: Ili na Bagabag; Ilocano: Ili ti Bagabag; Tagalog: Bayan ng Bagabag), is a municipality in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 37,985 people.^[3]

Bagabag
Municipality
Municipality of Bagabag
Downtown area
Flag Seal
Nickname:  Buko Pie Center of the North
Map of Nueva Vizcaya with Bagabag highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Bagabag Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°36′16″N 121°15′08″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley
Province	Nueva Vizcaya
District	Lone district
Founded	1741
Barangays	17 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Benigno B. Calauad
• Vice Mayor	Johnny M. Sevillena
• Representative	Luisa L. Cuaresma
• Electorate	22,289 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	183.90 km2 (71.00 sq mi)
Elevation	269 m (883 ft)
Highest elevation	599 m (1,965 ft)
Lowest elevation	206 m (676 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	37,985
• Density	210/km2 (530/sq mi)
• Households	9,603
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	11.11 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 246.6 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 870.1 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 172.1 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 388.9 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3711
PSGC	0205003000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)78
Native languages	Gaddang Ilocano Tagalog
Website	www.lgu-bagabag.gov.ph

The main crops produced are rice, corn, coconut, mango, and pineapple. Bagabag is famous for its buko pie (coconut pie) in the Cagayan Valley region and it is the gateway to the world-famous Banaue Rice Terraces. It is considered the main pineapple producer of Nueva Vizcaya.^[5]

Bagabag has the largest tilapia farming in the region.^[6] Main resources include agriculture, livestock, and fruit-bearing trees plantation. Main industries include furniture, hollow block factory, tilapia farming, buko pie, pineapple vinegar, and meat processing.

History

Aerial view of Bagabag landing field, 1938

The natives of Bagabag are the Gaddangs whose ancestors originally came from Cagayan and Isabela provinces. At the coming of the Spaniards, the natives were mostly settled along the Magat River where they had small farms of vegetables and root crops as well as rice fields. Most of them, however, depended on fishing and hunting for their livelihood. The Spaniards found the Igorots along the Lanog and Lamut Rivers and in the hills, east of the Magat River, they found the Bugkalots.

The town was formed on October 7, 1741 by a Dominican friar, Antonio del Campo, at sitio "Nagcumventuan" a place now located between Pogonsino, Bagabag, and Bangar, Solano. The present name of the sitio bears proof to the fact that the Spanish priest constructed a church in the original town site.

Frs. Luis Sierra and Alejandro Vidal were among the first priests to settle in 1743. They organized the town in 1754. Due to the continuous erosion and flood from the Magat River and its increasing population, Fr. Vidal later transferred the town site to "Nassa" which is located between Barangays Lantap and Santa Lucia. The "Nassa" location was open and muddy throughout the year. Thus for the third time, Fr. Vidal transferred the town site to its present site where numerous buri palms were then growing. It was from this buri palm plant the name of Bagabag originated, the same being called by the natives as "bagbag". In 1753, the Spanish established a fortress at Bagabag to serve as a base of operations for conquering the Ifugaos and to defend the mountain pass leading to Isabela.^[7]

In 1945, the combined United States and the Philippine Commonwealth troops together with guerrillas attacked the Japanese Imperial forces in the Battle of Bagabag during World War II.

Geography

The Municipality of Bagabag is located in the northeastern part of Nueva Vizcaya with a total land area of 260 square kilometres (26,000 ha). The Magat River, which runs parallel to the Pan-Philippine Highway (AH 26), is situated in the eastern part of the town proper. Located in the northern part of the town is Bagabag Airport, the only airport of Nueva Vizcaya, which serves the province and its surrounding area.

Bagabag is situated 20.07 kilometres (12.47 mi) from the provincial capital Bayombong, and 312.47 kilometres (194.16 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

Bagabag is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.^[8] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Bakir
• Baretbet
• Careb
• Lantap
• Murong
• Nangalisan
• Paniki (Paniqui)
• Pogonsino
• San Geronimo (Poblacion)
• San Pedro (Poblacion)
• Sta. Cruz
• Sta. Lucia
• Tuao North
• Tuao South
• Villa Coloma (Poblacion)
• Villa Quirino (Poblacion)
• Villaros

Bordering Areas

• Lamut, Ifugao (north)
• Diadi (east)
• Villaverde (west)
• Quezon (south)
• Solano (southwest)

Climate

Climate data for Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	24 (75)	26 (79)	28 (82)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	28 (82)	27 (81)	24 (75)	28 (83)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	19 (66)	20 (68)	22 (72)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	20 (68)	22 (71)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	119 (4.7)	83 (3.3)	54 (2.1)	37 (1.5)	133 (5.2)	132 (5.2)	161 (6.3)	163 (6.4)	153 (6.0)	142 (5.6)	160 (6.3)	224 (8.8)	1,561 (61.4)
Average rainy days	18.4	13.6	11.6	9.4	19.3	21.9	23.9	23.4	21.1	16.3	18.1	21.4	218.4
Source: Meteoblue[9]

Demographics

Population census of Bagabag

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 1,907 —     1918 3,730 +4.57% 1939 10,702 +5.15% 1948 10,288 −0.44% 1960 13,805 +2.48% 1970 16,327 +1.69% 1975 19,188 +3.29% 1980 20,855 +1.68%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 26,028 +2.24% 1995 28,279 +1.57% 2000 30,652 +1.74% 2007 32,787 +0.93% 2010 35,462 +2.90% 2015 35,501 +0.02% 2020 37,985 +1.34%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13]

The natives of Bagabag are the Ga'dangs or Gaddangs whose ancestors originally came from the Cagayan and Isabela regions. The Gaddangs predominantly live in the town proper and they speak the Gaddang language. Many Ilocanos and Tagalogs have migrated and live in Bagabag.^[14]

Economy

Poverty incidence of Bagabag

5 10 15 20 2000 19.12 2003 17.39 2006 12.90 2009 13.36 2012 9.81 2015 8.71 2018 8.68 2021 11.11 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Tilapia Industry

On January 11, 2008, the Cagayan Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) stated that tilapia fish production grew and Cagayan Valley is now the Philippines' tilapia capital. Production supply grew 37.25% since 2003, with 14,000 metric tons (MT) in 2007. The recent aquaculture congress found that the growth of tilapia production was due to government interventions: provision of fast-growing species, accreditation of private hatcheries to ensure supply of quality fingerlings, establishment of demonstration farms, providing free fingerlings to newly constructed fishponds, and the dissemination of tilapia to Nueva Vizcaya (in Diadi town). Former cycling champion Lupo Alava is a multi-awarded tilapia raiser in Bagabag. Chairman Thompson Lantion of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, a retired two-star police general, has fishponds in La Torre, Bayombong. Also, Nueva Vizcaya Governor Luisa Lloren Cuaresma also entered into similar aquaculture endeavors in addition to tilapia production.^[23]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Bagabag Municipal Hall

Bagabag is part of the lone congressional district of the province of Nueva Vizcaya. It is governed by a mayor, designated as its local chief executive, and by a municipal council as its legislative body in accordance with the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and the municipal councilors are elected directly by the people in polls held every three years.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2022–2025)^[24]

Position	Name
Mayor	Benigno B. Calauad
Vice-Mayor	Johnny M. Sevillena
Councilors	Mario T. Afalla
	Martillano D. Dulay
	Ferdinand Douglas R. Inaldo
	Leodevico G. Jallorina
	Napoleon P. Logan
	Efren D.C. Reyes
	Byron C. Sevillena
	Elpidio A. Torio

Education

The Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.^[25] There are two schools district offices which govern all the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality.^[26]

Primary and elementary schools

• Amballo North Elementary School
• Amballo Resettlement Elementary School
• B. A. Bugayong Elementary School
• Bagabag Central School
• Bagabag Child Development Center
• Bagabag South Elementary School
• Baretbet Elementary School
• Careb Elementary School
• JP Castillo Elementary School
• Lantap Elementary School
• Lantap Kiddie Learning Center
• M. V. Duque Elementary School
• Murong Elementary School
• Murong UMC Learning Center
• Nangalisan Elementary School
• Palayan Elementary School
• Paniki Elementary School
• Pogonsino Annex Elementary School
• Pogonsino Elementary School
• Singian Elementary School
• Sta. Cruz Elementary School
• Sta. Lucia Elementary School
• Tabban Elementary School
• Tuao North Elementary School
• Tuao South Elementary School
• V. Coloma Memorial Elementary School
• Villaros Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Bagabag National High School
• Murong National High School
• Paniki High School
• St. Jerome's Academy of Bagabag
• Tuao High School

Notable personalities

• Stacey Sevilleja - Member of the Pinoy pop group Bini^[27]