Apayao (province)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Apayao, officially the Province of Apayao ( ilo, Probinsia ti Apayao; fil, Lalawigan ng Apayao), is a landlocked province in the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon.
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
serves as its capital. The provincial capitol and its associated offices are located at the New Government Center in Luna. The province borders Cagayan to the north and east, Abra and Ilocos Norte to the west, and Kalinga to the south. Prior to 1995, Kalinga and Apayao comprised a single province named ''
Kalinga-Apayao Kalinga-Apayao () was a province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. It was formed, along with Benguet, Ifugao, and the new Mountain Province, from the earlier Mountain Province, with the passage of ...
'', which was partitioned to better service the needs of individual ethnic groups. With a population of 124,366 (as of the 2020 census) covering an area of , Apayao is the least densely-populated province in the Philippines.


History

By 20th century, Apayao is predominated by the Isneg people. They are located primarily in the highland municipalities of
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
and
Calanasan Calanasan, officially the Municipality of Calanasan, ( ilo, Ili ti Calanasan; tl, Bayan ng Calanasan), (formerly known as Bayag, meaning "slow") is a 1st class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
. Majority of them live in scattered settlements along the upper reaches of the Apayao-Abulug River; while some along a major tributary of the Matalag River in
Conner Conner or Conners may refer to: Fictional characters * Ratonhnaké꞉ton, Conner, the protagonist of ''Assassin's Creed III'' * Conner (Titans character), Conner (''Titans'' character) Media * ''The Conners'', an American TV series, spin-off ...
.


Spanish period

Although Apayao which was then part of Cagayan, was among the earliest areas penetrated by the Spaniards in the Cordilleras, the region, inhabited by the Isneg tribe, remained largely outside Spanish control until late in the 19th century. As early as 1610, the Dominican friars established a mission in what is now the town of
Pudtol Pudtol, officially the Municipality of Pudtol, ( ilo, Ili ti Pudtol; tl, Bayan ng Pudtol), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,491 people. History Pudtol, t ...
. In 1684, the friars again made attempts to convert the people and established a church in what is now
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
. The Spanish authorities were then able to establish in Cagayan the ''comandancia''s of Apayao and Cabugaoan in 1891, which covered the western and eastern portions of what is now Apayao. The ''comandancia''s, however, failed to bring total control and the Spanish government only maintained a loose hold over the area.


American period

Apayao was established through '' Act No. 1642'' on May 9, 1907 as a sub-province of Cagayan province. The Americans established the
Mountain Province Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc. Mountain Province was formerly referred to as ''Mountain'' in some foreign references. The name is usually short ...
on August 13, 1908, with the enactment of ''Act No. 1876''. Apayao was incorporated; and along with
Amburayan Amburayan was an administrative division of the Philippines, existing as a politico-military ''comandancia'' from 1890 to 1902, and a sub-province from 1902 to 1920. Its territory encompassed most of the Amburayan River watershed, initially predo ...
,
Benguet Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
, Bontoc,
Ifugao Ifugao, officially the Province of Ifugao ( ilo, Probinsia ti Ifugao; tl, Lalawigan ng Ifugao), is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Lagawe and it borders Benguet to the wes ...
, Kalinga, and Lepanto, became sub-provinces of this new province. In the early years, the sub-province underwent series of territorial changes: * Part of Apayao was transferred to the Province of Ilocos Norte ('' Executive Order 21'', 1920). * 1922: A ''barrio'' of municipal district of Bayag (now
Calanasan Calanasan, officially the Municipality of Calanasan, ( ilo, Ili ti Calanasan; tl, Bayan ng Calanasan), (formerly known as Bayag, meaning "slow") is a 1st class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
) was transferred to ''Namaltugan''. * 1927: Parts of the municipal district of
Pinukpuk Pinukpuk, officially the Municipality of Pinukpuk is a 1st class municipality in the province of Kalinga, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,275 people. It is in the northern part of Kalinga province, which is a ...
in Kalinga were annexed to
Conner Conner or Conners may refer to: Fictional characters * Ratonhnaké꞉ton, Conner, the protagonist of ''Assassin's Creed III'' * Conner (Titans character), Conner (''Titans'' character) Media * ''The Conners'', an American TV series, spin-off ...
. * Through ''EO 200'', approved on September 6, 1929, ''barrios'' in ''Tauit'' were organized into a separate municipal district, Luna, effective October 1. * Through ''EO 13'', approved on January 21, 1936, ''Tauit'' was abolished and was annexed as a single ''barrio'' to Luna, effective February 1. * Through ''EO 78'', approved on December 23, 1936, ''Namaltugan'' was abolished and was annexed to Bayag and
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
, effective January 1, 1937. In the early years, Apayao as a sub-province was divided into seven municipal districts, all Isneg predominated. While the Isneg clashed with the Philippine Constabulary in the early years, the families attempted to escape the area and go into the mountains of Ilocos Norte and Abra. They were involved in an attack in Tauit in 1913.


World War II

In 1942,
Japanese Imperial forces The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868,"One can date the 'restoration' of imperial rule from the edict of 3 January 1868." p. 334. they ...
entered Apayao, starting a three-year occupation of the province during the Second World War. Local Filipino troops of the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th, and 16th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the military forces of the USAFIP-NL 11th and 66th Infantry Regiment, supported by the Cordilleran guerrillas, drove out the Japanese in 1945. During the Second World War,
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
was occupied for a year by the Japanese; an Isneg guerilla force was organized under a United States Army captain who had escaped the Fall of Bataan. Little fighting occurred in the sub-province, but a number of Isneg fought with the American and Filipino forces in the Cagayan Valley and in the neighboring areas. The war and the post-war era seen development among the Isnegs, although slowly.


Kalinga-Apayao creation and splitting

On June 18, 1966, the huge
Mountain Province Mountain Province is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bontoc. Mountain Province was formerly referred to as ''Mountain'' in some foreign references. The name is usually short ...
was split into four provinces with the enactment of '' Republic Act No. 4695''. The four provinces were Benguet, Bontoc (renamed "Mountain Province"),
Kalinga-Apayao Kalinga-Apayao () was a province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the island of Luzon. It was formed, along with Benguet, Ifugao, and the new Mountain Province, from the earlier Mountain Province, with the passage of ...
and Ifugao. Kalinga-Apayao, along with Ifugao, became one of the provinces of the Cagayan Valley region in 1972. On July 15, 1987, the Cordillera Administrative Region was established and Kalinga-Apayao was made one of its provinces. Finally, on February 14, 1995, Kalinga-Apayao was split into two independent provinces with the passage of ''Republic Act No. 7878''.


Biodiversity and biosphere reserve

Apayao is biologically diverse. The province is sanctuary to 139 bird species, 61 of which are endemic and 4 threatened. It also has 43 species of wild food plants eaten by the indigenous people and 50 species of medicinal plants. The province is home to critically endangered
rufous hornbill The rufous hornbill (''Buceros hydrocorax''), also known as the Philippine hornbill and locally as kalaw (pronounced KAH-lau), is a large species of hornbill endemic to the Philippines (the largest hornbill in the country). The are referred by lo ...
s, ''
lawaan Lawaan, officially the Municipality of Lawaan ( war, Bungto han Lawaan; tl, Bayan ng Lawaan), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 13,003 people. It is h ...
'' or dipterocarp trees, Raflesia flowers, and the white-winged flying fox. The Philippine Eagle Foundation began its search of eagles in Apayao in 2011 after reports of huge eagles were roaming the area for centuries. On March 22, 2013, scientists discovered the stronghold of critically endangered Philippine eagles, the country's national bird, in Luzon island within the vicinity of the Calanasan Lowland Forest. In January 2015, the town of Calanasan initiated a program which protected 3,000 hectares of forests under its jurisdiction. Additionally, the province of Apayao is one of the very few in the country that has an approved forest land use plan (FLUP). The first active Philippine eagle nest in Apayao was discovered in July 2015. On 9 July 2018, the provincial government of Apayao announced their intent for the province to be a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The province, which possesses more than 286,000 hectares of virgin forests, also noted that they have sent four of their personnel to train in the United States under the US Foreign Service to hasten the declaration of the site. On January 16, 2019, the provincial government announced that they were doing "legwork for the inscription."


''Tauit''

Tauit (or Tawit), an Isneg settlement along the lower Apayao-Abulug River, was a former municipal district and Apayao's first sub-provincial capital (1907–1915) until the capital was moved to
Kabugao Kabugao, officially the Municipality of Kabugao, ( ilo, Ili ti Kabugao; tl, Bayan ng Kabugao), is a 1st class municipality and ''de jure'' capital of the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 16,2 ...
in August 1915 by virtue of '' Executive Order No. 45''.
—''Executive Order 45 (1915):''
—''Executive Order 68 (1927):''
It had been existed by the time of creation of the sub-province of Apayao. Tauit is said to be the forerunner of the present-day
Pudtol Pudtol, officially the Municipality of Pudtol, ( ilo, Ili ti Pudtol; tl, Bayan ng Pudtol), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 15,491 people. History Pudtol, t ...
.
"Brief History of Pudtol"
' Municipality of Pudtol. Retrieved Aug. 1, 2022.
Its seat of government at Barrio Tawit was later divided into four barangays in the municipality. In 1913, a band of Isneg attacked Tauit, as they were infuriated by the large number of Ilocano settling in the territory under the protection of the local government. In 1926,
Allacapan Allacapan, officially the Municipality of Allacapan ( ilo, Ili ti Allacapan; fil, Bayan ng Allacapan), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,234 people. Allac ...
was founded as its municipal district. In July 1927, the area was separated from Tauit and was organized into an independent one with the same name by virtue of ''EO No. 68''. It was ceded to the province of Cagayan in 1928. In 1929, a separate municipal district taken from Tauit, ''Macatel'' (later renamed Luna through a resolution), was organized through ''EO No. 200''.History and government of Luna, Apayao
(via Department of the Interior and Local Government–CAR). Retrieved July 28, 2022.
Difficulties in transportation led to the decision to abandon Tauit as a municipal district and to be represented by Luna. Tauit was abolished through ''EO No. 13'', issued on January 21, 1936 and effective February 1, with remaining territories annexed as a single ''barrio'' to Luna.
"Executive Order No. 13, s. 1936"
' Official Gazette. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
These territories were established as the municipal district of Pudtol upon its creation on December 3, 1956 through ''EO No. 217''. Parts of the territories of Pudtol and Luna were later established as the municipalities of Flora and Santa Marcela; meanwhile, Tauit also comprised some parts of
Lasam Lasam, officially the Municipality of Lasam ( ibg, Ili nat Lasam; ilo, Ili ti Lasam; tl, Bayan ng Lasam), is a third class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 41,225 people. ...
in Cagayan. At present, remnants of Tauit are located in northeastern Apayao and in few parts of Cagayan.Pudtol - A Brief History
Retrieved July 26, 2022.


Geography

Apayao is basically situated within the
Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands. Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges: * Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America ** ...
mountains, traversed by many rivers. The province covers an area of forming the northern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region, and is bounded on the north and east by Cagayan, west by Ilocos Norte, southwest by Abra and south by Kalinga. The province is geographically subdivided into ''Upper Apayao'' (composed of the upland municipalities: Calanasan, Conner and Kabugao) and ''Lower Apayao'' (the lowland municipalities: Luna, Pudtol, Flora and Sta. Marcela). Plains and valleys are used for farming. Apayao is basically composed of farmlands.


Climate

The prevailing climate in the province falls under Corona's Type III Classification. It is characterized by relatively dry and wet seasons, from November to April, and wet during the rest of the year. Heaviest rain during December to February while the month of May is the warmest.


Administrative divisions

Apayao comprises 7 municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.


Barangays

The 7 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 133 barangays, with Barangay Malama in
Conner Conner or Conners may refer to: Fictional characters * Ratonhnaké꞉ton, Conner, the protagonist of ''Assassin's Creed III'' * Conner (Titans character), Conner (''Titans'' character) Media * ''The Conners'', an American TV series, spin-off ...
as the most populous in 2015, and Eleazar in
Calanasan Calanasan, officially the Municipality of Calanasan, ( ilo, Ili ti Calanasan; tl, Bayan ng Calanasan), (formerly known as Bayag, meaning "slow") is a 1st class municipality in the province of Apayao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
as the least.


Demographics

The population of Apayao in the 2020 census was 124,366 people, with a density of . Based on the 2000 census survey,
Ilocanos The Ilocanos ( ilo, Tattao nga Iloko/), Ilokanos, or Iloko people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group and mostly reside within the Ilocos Region in the northwestern seaboard of Luzon, Philippines. The native language of the Ilo ...
comprised of the total provincial population of 97,058, while almost 1/3 of the population were
Isnag The Isnag people (also referred to as the Isneg and Apayao) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Apayao Province in the Philippines' Cordillera Administrative Region. Their native language is Isneg language, Isneg (also called Isnag), ...
at . Other ethnic groups in the province were the
Malaueg Malaweg (Malaueg) is spoken by the Malaweg people in the northern part of the Philippines. As per ''Ethnologue'', it is a dialect of the Itawis language.Hammarström (2015) Ethnologue 16/17/18th editions: a comprehensive review: online appendice ...
at , Isneg at , Kalinga at , Kankanaey at ,
Bontoc Bontoc may refer to: * Bontoc, Mountain Province, Philippines * Bontoc, Southern Leyte, Philippines * Bontoc people, an ethnic group from Central Luzon, Philippines * Bontoc language Bontoc (Bontok) (also called Finallig) is the native language ...
at , and Ibaloi at .


Economy

Apayao is devoted to agricultural production, particularly food and industrial crops such as
palay Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticated ...
,
corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
, coffee, root crops and vegetables. Fruits produced include lanzones, citrus,
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
s and pineapples,
durian The durian (, ) is the edible fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus ''Durio''. There are 30 recognised ''Durio'' species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. ''Durio zibethinus'', native to Borneo and Sumatra, is the onl ...
, santol, rambutan,
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
and mangosteen. Rice production totaled 98,489 metric tons in 2011. Parts of Apayao are home to rice terraces. Economic activity is also based on livestock and poultry breeding such as swine, carabao, cattle, goat and sheep. Other additional investment includes manufacturing, food processing, furniture, crafts and house wares making. Updated records of the Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Office reveal that existing industries in the province are furniture, garment craft, food processing, gifts and house wares, and agricultural support. The people of Apayao also have a rich tradition of basket, handicraft, and textile weaving.


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Provinces of the Philippines Former sub-provinces of the Philippines States and territories established in 1995 1995 establishments in the Philippines