Alicia, Isabela
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Alicia, officially the Municipality of Alicia (; ; formerly known as Angadanan Viejo), is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of Isabela,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 73,874 people. Alicia, the old town of Angadanan, is known for the ''Pagay Festival Balitok Ti Alicia'' and its famous historical landmark, the Our Lady of Atocha Church completed and inaugurated in 1849 which was officially declared by the Philippine Department of Tourism as a national religious tourist destination in the Philippines.


Etymology

When
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Elpidio Quirino Elpidio Rivera Quirino (; November 16, 1890 – February 29, 1956) was a Philippine nationality law, Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 6th President of the Philippines from 1948 to 1953. A lawyer by profession, Quirino entered p ...
signed Executive Order No. 268 on 28 September 1949, Old Angadanan was formally created and renamed Alicia after his late wife, Doña Alicia Syquía Quirino. Along with three of their children (except Tomás, a soldier, and Victoria, who later became First Lady for her father), Doña Alicia was one of many civilians massacred by Japanese occupiers on 9 February 1945 during the Battle of Manila.


History

Alicia was the second site of the town of Angadanan, which was initially founded in the mid-18th century as a settlement in present-day Nueva Vizcaya, between the towns of Bagabag and Bayombong. The town took its name from the nearby Angaranan Creek. In 1776, the Spaniards decided to move the settlement further north to Alicia's present location along the Ganano river, a tributary of the
Cagayan River The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in ...
. In the 19th century, the Spaniards decided to move Angadanan again six kilometers further east along the Cagayan River to facilitate better transportation links and to secure the town from repeated raids by the Igorots and Gaddangs. The second site was subsequently known as Angadanan Viejo (Old Angadanan) to distinguish it from its third site called Angadanan Nuevo (New Angadanan), to which the former was a part of until Angadanan Viejo was converted into the separate municipality of Alicia in 1949. Part of the reason for the separation was that Alicia lay alongside the national highway network, which led to a more flourishing economy than its mother settlement. Both the second and third Angadanans were part of the
Cagayan Valley Cagayan Valley (; ), designated as Region II, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Provinces of the Philippines, Philippine provinces: ...
province. The entire Cagayan Valley was one large province which the
Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern Nation state, nation-state of Spain. Genetics, Genetically and Ethnolinguisti ...
s called ''La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan'', but divided into two new provinces in 1839 by the Spanish conquistadors. One retained the old name
Cagayan Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan (; ; ; isnag language, Isnag: ''Provinsia nga Cagayan''; ivatan language, Ivatan: ''Provinsiya nu Cagayan''; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Cag ...
which comprised all towns from
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
to Tumauini; while a new province of Nueva Vizcaya was created composed of all towns from Ilagan to the Caraballo del Sur. A
Royal Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...
was created on 1 May 1856 creating Isabela de Luzon to distinguish it from other Isabelas in the Philippines, to which both Angadanans were added. It was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor with the capital seat at Ilagan City, where it remains at the present.


Geography

Alicia has a total land area of 15,410 hectares. 71% of the total land area is an
agricultural land Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other organism, forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous ...
which makes Alicia primarily an agricultural municipality best suited for the intensive production of rice and corn. Farming is its major livelihood and rice its major product and resource. The municipality is located in an area of predominantly flat and fertile land in the
Cagayan Valley Cagayan Valley (; ), designated as Region II, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Provinces of the Philippines, Philippine provinces: ...
that is surrounded by the Caraballo Mountains to the south, the Great Sierra Madre to the east, and the Cordillera Mountain Range to the west. It is the largest rice producer in the entire Cagayan Valley and has the largest irrigated rice field in the whole Region II of the Philippines. Alicia is from the provincial capital Ilagan and from the capital
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.


Barangays

Alicia is politically subdivided into 34
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Each barangay consists of
purok A ''purok'' () is an informal division within a barangay in the Philippines. While not officially considered a local government unit (LGU), a ''purok'' often serves as a unit for delivering services and administration within a barangay. ''Pur ...
s while some have
sitios A ''sitio'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "site") in the Philippines is a territorial enclave that forms part of a barangay. Typically rural, a ''sitios location is usually far from the center of the barangay itself and could be its own bar ...
. There are seven barangays that are currently considered urban (highlighted in bold). * Amistad *Antonino (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Apanay *Aurora * Bagnos * Bagong Sikat * Bantug-Petines * Bonifacio *Burgos *Calaocan (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Callao * Dagupan * Inanama * Linglingay * M.H. del Pilar * Mabini *Magsaysay (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * Mataas na Kahoy *Paddad * Rizal * Rizaluna * Salvacion * San Antonio (
Poblacion ''Poblacion'' (from Spanish '' población'', meaning "population"), sometimes abbreviated as Pob., is a term used in the Philippines to refer to the administrative center, downtown, old town, or commercial area of a city or municipality. It ...
) * San Fernando * San Francisco * San Juan * San Pablo * San Pedro * Santa Cruz * Santa Maria * Santo Domingo * Santo Tomas *Victoria * Zamora


Climate


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Alicia, Isabela, was 73,874 people, with a density of .


Language

The population is a combination of different ethnic group dominated by Ilocano speaking people which make Ilocano the common language used in the municipality. English, being one of the official languages is used primarily in communication for government publications, local newsprints, road signs, commercial signs and in doing official business transactions. Tagalog, another official language and is also considered the national language is used as verbal communication channel between residents.


Economy

Alicia, as a suburb of a progressive city, Cauayan, Isabela, is also showing signs of progress. Various banking institutions like Landbank of the Philippines, Security Bank, etc. are already present in Alicia.


Tourism


Our Lady of Atocha Church

The Our Lady of Atocha Church in Alicia is known for having an old Spanish church architecture. It is one of the best churches to visit for a
pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
in the Philippines during the
Holy Week Holy Week () commemorates the seven days leading up to Easter. It begins with the commemoration of Triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, marks the betrayal of Jesus on Spy Wednesday (Holy Wednes ...
. The church was declared by the Philippine Department of Tourism as one of the national religious
tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...
s in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. The structure of the church was original built by the
Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern Nation state, nation-state of Spain. Genetics, Genetically and Ethnolinguisti ...
s in the 18th century, but not finished. Passing by Angadanan town on 12 February 1805, Fr. Manuel Mora, OP wrote that "Angadanan has a convent of bricks, though not totally finished. Its church is timber, wood, and bamboo. The number of inhabitants is 791." The church and convent as seen today in the town of Alicia, beautiful and antique, was built by Fr. Tomas Calderon, OP and inaugurated in 1849, with Fr. Francisco Gainza, OP, then vicar of Carig (now Santiago City). The church was dedicated to the
Nuestra Señora de Atocha ''Nuestra Señora de Atocha'' () was a Spanish treasure galleon and the most widely known vessel of a fleet of ships that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622. At the time of her sinking, ''Nuestra Señora de Atocha'' was heavily l ...
, more popularly known today as Our Lady of Atocha. The church is known for its antique Castilian architectural design and can be found along the Maharlika Highway and is accessible by land transport. The Catholic churches in Alicia, Gamu, and Cauayan, are examples of what is called as the "Cagayan Style" of Spanish churches that was inspired by the
Tuguegarao Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao (; ; ; ), is a 2nd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 ...
church.


Government


Local government

As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the town. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over most local transactions of the municipal government. The municipality of Alicia 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 through an election held every three years. Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain,
Barangay Council The Sangguniang Barangay, known in English as the Barangay Council is the local government of a barangay, the smallest administrative division in the Philippines. Each of the 42,004 barangays in the country has its respective Sangguniang Baran ...
, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.


Elected officials

The first municipal mayor of the town was Glicerio Acosta who was appointed to office by the
President of the Philippines The president of the Philippines (, sometimes referred to as ) is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-ch ...
upon the creation of Alicia as a municipality in 1949. The mayor and other elective officials are restricted to three consecutive terms, totaling nine years, although a mayor can be elected again after an interruption of one term.


Congress representation

Alicia, belonging to the third legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Ian Paul L. Dy.


Education

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in
Cagayan Valley Cagayan Valley (; ), designated as Region II, is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines. Located in the northeastern section of Luzon, it is composed of five Provinces of the Philippines, Philippine provinces: ...
region. The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality. Alicia has two school districts: Alicia North, and Alicia South.


Primary and elementary schools


Secondary schools

Private:
Odizee School of Achievers
* School of Our Lady of Atocha * Dalton Academy * Northeast Luzon Adventist College * Taps Alicia Private School * Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters Public: * Alicia National High School * Alicia Vocational School * Palayan Region High School * Rizal Region National High School, Alicia, Isabela


Higher educational institutions

Alicia has two higher educational institutions that cater to the people of the municipality and other neighboring municipalities and provinces. Alicia is also noted for having the most high-tech school in the region. These are governed by CHED. * Northeast Luzon Adventist College *
Philippine Normal University The Philippine Normal University (PNU; ) is a public university, public coeducational teacher education and research university in the Philippines. It was established in 1901 through Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission ''"for the education ...
- Northern Luzon Campus


Media

* 107.1 TAPS Radio.


References


External links


Local Government of Alicia Isabela

Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines

Alicia at the Isabela Government Website

Local Governance Performance Management System
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
Philippine Census Information
{{Authority control Municipalities of Isabela (province) Populated places on the Rio Grande de Cagayan Political divisions established by Philippine executive order