Luna, Apayao

Luna, officially the Municipality of Luna (Ilocano: Ili ti Luna; Tagalog: Bayan ng Luna), is a municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,297 people.^[4] It currently serves as the de facto capital of Apayao where the provincial capitol and related offices is located the New Apayao Government Center. Kabugao remains as the de jure capital.

Luna
Municipality
Municipality of Luna
Flag Seal
Map of Apayao with Luna highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Luna Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 18°19′52″N 121°22′21″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region
Province	Apayao
District	Lone district
Established	October 1, 1929[1]
Barangays	22 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Josephine M. Bangsil (NPC)
• Vice Mayor	Manolito M. Bullaoit (NPC)
• Representative	Eleanor Bulut-Begtang
• Municipal Council	Members Emmanuel Dave C. Verzola Cecile A. Caluya Edgar S. Bangsil Elena B. Bullaoit Eduardo O. Galleon Samuel R. Calilan Clayford Sherwin L. Ballesteros Edmon S. Cabrera
• Electorate	12,891 voters (2025)
Area [3]
• Total	606.04 km2 (233.99 sq mi)
Elevation	41 m (135 ft)
Highest elevation	349 m (1,145 ft)
Lowest elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[4]
• Total	21,297
• Density	35/km2 (91/sq mi)
• Households	5,047
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	14.42 % (2021)[5]
• Revenue	₱ 292.5 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 456.7 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 175.1 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 26.77 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Kalinga - Apayao Electric Cooperative (KAELCO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3813
PSGC	1408105000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
Native languages	Isnag Ilocano Tagalog

Etymology

Its former name was Macatel then it was changed to Luna by the town's founding father, the Ilocano explorer Antonino Barroga from Dingras, Ilocos Norte.^[6]

Geography

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 606.04 square kilometres (233.99 sq mi) ^[7] constituting 13.73% of the 4,413.35-square-kilometre- (1,704.00 sq mi) total area of Apayao.

Luna is 109 kilometres (68 mi) from Kabugao, 683 kilometres (424 mi) from Manila, and 37 kilometres (23 mi) from Allacapan.

Barangays

Luna is politically subdivided into 22 barangays.^[8] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2020[4]		2010[9]
148105001	Bacsay	4.3%	910	850	▴	0.68%
148105016	Cagandungan	3.7%	785	618	▴	2.42%
148105017	Calabigan	2.2%	478	532	▾	−1.06%
148105018	Cangisitan	3.7%	784	683	▴	1.39%
148105002	Capagaypayan	2.9%	615	468	▴	2.77%
148105003	Dagupan	11.9%	2,539	2,038	▴	2.22%
148105004	Lappa	4.1%	872	667	▴	2.72%
148105019	Luyon	2.1%	444	350	▴	2.41%
148105006	Marag	3.6%	766	557	▴	3.24%
148105007	Poblacion	5.8%	1,235	1,107	▴	1.10%
148105008	Quirino	6.8%	1,458	1,228	▴	1.73%
148105009	Salvacion	1.8%	389	395	▾	−0.15%
148105010	San Francisco	4.5%	951	840	▴	1.25%
148105020	San Gregorio	2.8%	600	529	▴	1.27%
148105011	San Isidro Norte	3.9%	833	750	▴	1.05%
148105021	San Isidro Sur	8.0%	1,708	1,326	▴	2.56%
148105012	San Sebastian	2.0%	435	355	▴	2.05%
148105013	Santa Lina	5.4%	1,153	1,026	▴	1.17%
148105022	Shalom	3.4%	725	666	▴	0.85%
148105014	Tumog	7.6%	1,611	1,285	▴	2.29%
148105023	Turod	5.6%	1,190	1,064	▴	1.13%
148105015	Zumigui	3.8%	816	695	▴	1.62%
	Total		21,297	21,297		0.00%

Climate

Climate data for Luna, Apayao
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)	26 (79)	24 (75)	28 (83)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19 (66)	19 (66)	20 (68)	22 (72)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	120 (4.7)	77 (3.0)	62 (2.4)	40 (1.6)	118 (4.6)	138 (5.4)	162 (6.4)	173 (6.8)	143 (5.6)	198 (7.8)	185 (7.3)	248 (9.8)	1,664 (65.4)
Average rainy days	16.9	12.2	11.5	10.6	18.7	20.1	21.2	23.3	20.8	16.9	16.5	20.0	208.7
Source: Meteoblue[10]

Demographics

Population census of Luna

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1918	2,202	—
1939	6,353	+5.17%
1948	9,150	+4.14%
1960	8,430	−0.68%
1970	9,980	+1.70%
1975	11,301	+2.52%
1980	13,668	+3.88%
1990	10,550	−2.56%
1995	12,126	+2.64%
2000	14,154	+3.37%
2007	16,431	+2.08%
2010	18,029	+3.44%
2015	19,063	+1.07%
2020	21,297	+2.20%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][9][12][13]

In the 2020 census, Luna had a population of 21,297.^[4] The population density was 35 inhabitants per square kilometre (91/sq mi).

Economy

Poverty incidence of Luna

10 20 30 40 2000 32.25 2003 19.42 2006 16.80 2009 28.76 2012 33.42 2015 17.38 2018 13.87 2021 14.42 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Luna, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Apayao, 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 councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2019–2022)^[22]

Position	Name
Congressman	Elias C. Bulut Jr.
Mayor	Josephine M. Bangsil
Vice-Mayor	Manolito M. Bullaoit
Councilors	Emmanuel Dave C. Verzola
	Ellarne B. Turingan
	Cecile A. Caluya
	Elena B. Bullaoit
	Edgar S. Bangsil
	Samuel R. Calilan
	Edmon S. Cabrera
	Johnmark Lhuilier C. Bautista