Jones, Isabela
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Jones, officially the Municipality of Jones (; ), 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 45,628 people.


Etymology

The town derived its named in honor of
William Atkinson Jones William Atkinson Jones (March 21, 1849 – April 17, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1891 to 1918 from the Virginia's 1st congressional district, first district of the ...
, an American legislator who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916. The town was inaugurated on January 1, 1921. It was initially divided into 21 barrios with virgin forests and wide fertile plains, with Cabanuangan serving as the Municipal Government's seat.


History

The southern portion of
Echague Echague, officially the Municipality of Echague, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Isabela (province), Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,410 peo ...
separated by 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 ...
was created into a municipality named Jones in honor of an American Legislator,
William Atkinson Jones William Atkinson Jones (March 21, 1849 – April 17, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1891 to 1918 from the Virginia's 1st congressional district, first district of the ...
, who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, and was inaugurated on January 1, 1921. It was originally composed of 21 barrios of virgin forests 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; Chief of Police - Zoilo Gadingan; and Modesto Payuyo, Antonio Pintang, Gregorio Santos, Dionicio Cristobal, Valentin Torio, and Damaso Leano as councilors. The first proposed townsite of Jones was in barrio 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. Transportation was then a big problem as there were no good roads, the barrios being connected only by narrow roads and trails suited for hiking, for horses and carabaos, and for sleds and carts. 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 through almost all the barrios, using raft and boats. It was only after decades that motor vehicles began to ply between Jones and nearby Echague. The vast virgin forests and fertile soil of the place were populated and harnessed and cultivated by the indigenous Pugots (
Aeta Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...
s) and Ilongots (
Bugkalot The Bugkalot (also Ilongot or Ibilao) are an indigenous peoples inhabiting the southern Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountains, on the east side of Luzon in the Philippines, primarily in the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija and along t ...
s), and the Yogads who are natives of southern Isabela, particularly the towns of Echague, Angadanan and
San Guillermo San Guillermo (Spanish language, Spanish for Saint William), officially the Municipality of San Guillermo, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Isabela (province), Isabela, Philippines. Accor ...
, and the enterprising Ilocanos who migrated overland for a couple of centuries all the way from the Ilocos region in northwestern Luzon. Other ethnic groups followed like the Gaddangs, Ifugaos and Ibanags, and later, the Tagalogs from Central Luzon. The
Aglipayan Church The Philippine Independent Church (; ), officially referred to by its Philippine Spanish name (IFI) and colloquially called the Aglipayan Church, is an independent catholic Christian denomination, in the form of a nationalist church, in the ...
(Philippine Independent Catholic Church) was the first established church in the area, followed later by the Roman Catholic Church and various Protestant denominations. 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, corn and peanuts as primary crops. Revenue principally came from the real property tax, cedula tax and sled tax. The town was then greatly dependent on national aid. When the
Japanese Imperial Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...
invaded the Philippines in 1941, Jones became a shelter for the national and provincial officials and for evacuees from other places until 1942. The town likewise became the seat of the provincial government from 1941 to 1943. It was subsequently occupied by the Japanese forces, but its forested areas continued to be a stronghold of Filipino guerillas and American soldiers who for a while were under the command of Brigadier General Guillermo Nakar. In 1945, Filipino troops of the 11th Infantry Regiment,
Philippine Commonwealth Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...
, USAFIP-NL are liberated and recaptured Jones from the Japanese forces. The liberating forces united the scattered guerrilla units who helped in attacking and defeating Japanese forces toward the end of the war. Jones was the home of Silvino M. Gumpal who led Isabela as governor from 1946 to 1951; earlier, Gumpal represented Isabela in Congress from 1934 to 1935. In 1959, the name of barrio Mangaratungot was changed to San Vicente.


Geography

Jones is situated from the provincial capital
Ilagan Ilagan, officially the City of Ilagan (; ; ), is a component city and capital of the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 158,218 people making it the most populous city in the province and ...
, and from the country's capital city of
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

Jones is politically subdivided into 42
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 ...
. The barangays are: * Abulan * Addalam * Arubub * Bannawag * Bantay * Barangay I (Poblacion - Centro) * Barangay II (Poblacion - Centro) * Barangcuag * Dalibubon * Daligan * Diarao * Dibuluan * Dicamay I * Dicamay II * Dipangit * Disimpit * Divinan * Dumawing * Fugu * Lacab * Linamanan * Linomot * Malannit * Minuri * Namnama * Napaliong * Palagao * Papan Este * Papan Weste * Payac * Pungpongan * San Antonio * San Isidro * San Jose * San Roque * San Sebastian * San Vicente * Santa Isabel * Santo Domingo * Tupax * Usol * Villa Bello


Climate


Demographics

In the 2020 census, the population of Jones, Isabela, was 45,628 people, with a density of . There was originally a population of
Agta Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...
ugot/Aetaliving in the vicinity of Jones, along the Dicamay River. The Agta are one of the many groups known as '
Negritos The term ''Negrito'' (; ) refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, th ...
' and who are descended from the pre-Austronesian population of the islands. The Dicamay Agta, who combined hunter-gathering with swidden agriculture, have been severely impacted by the influx of other ethnic groups who took up hillside and farm lands, resulting in there being no Agta living in the area today. There are numerous reports of the Agta having been driven off their lands, and in some cases of having been killed by immigrant groups of farmers.


Languages

Jones is dominantly using these languages: Ilocano, Yogad, Bugkalot/Ilongot, Dicamay Agta. 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 among residents.


Economy

Jones is primarily an agricultural municipality best suited for the intensive production of rice and corn as evidence by its topographic map which shows that 73% of the agricultural area of 16,848 hectares is under 0-3 slope category.


Culture

;Pinilisa Festival The Pinilisa Festival is an acknowledgment of the culture of Jonesians and celebrated every March 17 to rejoice over the bountiful harvests of Pinilisa, a unique organic plum-colored rice known not only in the region but also in other countries, due to its unique fragrance and flavor compared to ordinary rice. Unlike other varieties that rely on synthetic commercial fertilizer to grow healthy, this rare rice variety can thrive on rainwater and the rich alluvial soil in the area. Its gustatory features make it a favorite staple food and primary ingredient for native rice cakes and other products. The success of the first Pinilisa Festival was conceptualized by the initiative of the administration of Florante A. Raspado, its first festival director-general. The festival was easily produced and marked the history of the town of Jones and one among the line-up of the Department of Tourism Wow! Philippines Program, making Pinilisa Festival is recognized not only in the Philippines but as well as on the world. The famous product “Pinilsa Rice” of Jones has given birth to the now famous Pinilisa Festival of Jones and is now identified and included in the list and calendar of the famous festival in the country maintained and documented by the Department of Tourism. Tourism Regional Director Blessida G. Diwa is among the patrons of the Pinilisa Festival, showing consistent support for the promotion of the Festival. ;Saba Festival Dicamay people also celebrates the Banana “Saba” festival in the month of May. In this month people choose a day where they gather to the Barangay center for celebration, “Thanksgiving mass” is held in the morning and other activities in the evening where each purok/zone members shall have presentations for people enjoyment.


Tourism

Sibsib falls is the known tourist spot in Dicamay 2 which is 4 km from the barangay proper. It is a great place for bonding. Many visitors from other towns and barangays enjoy the beauty and freshness of air and water in the falls.


Infrastructure

The municipality is 370 kilometres north from
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
and about 90 kilometres from Ilagan City, the province's capital, 44 kilometres from
Santiago, Isabela Santiago, officially the City of Santiago (; ; ; ), is an Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, independent component city in the Cagayan Valley region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 148,580 ...
and 31 kilometers from a junction at Barangay Ipil in the municipality of
Echague Echague, officially the Municipality of Echague, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Isabela (province), Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,410 peo ...
. GV Florida Transport is one of the biggest bus transportation in Northern Philippines, particularly
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: ...
is currently serving the town & that serves Executive Deluxe Buses (with restroom) - (Jones, Isabela -
Sampaloc, Manila Sampaloc is a district of Manila, 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 is ...
via TPLEX. Jones is accessed by UV Express Vans from
Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
to San Agustin. Jones has two steel bridges, the Dalibubon bridge, now known as Jones I Bridge, which serves as the northern boundary between Jones and Echague, and the Embarcadero bridge, now known as Jones II Bridge, which leads to San Agustin, the southeastern-most town of Isabela.


Government


Local government

As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials at the provincial and municipal levels are voted by the town. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over most local transactions of the municipal government. The municipality of Jones 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 elections 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


Congress representation

Jones, belonging to the fourth legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Joseph S. Tan.


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. Jones has two school district offices namely, Jones East, and Jones West, that govern both the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality.


Primary and elementary schools

* A.C. Ruiz Elementary School * Addalam Primary School * Arubub Primary School * Bannawag Elementary School * Bantay Primary School * Barangcuag Primary School * Dalibubon Elementary School * Daligan Elementary School * Diarao Elementary School * Dicamay I Elementary School * Dicamay II Elementary School * Dicamay National High School * Dipangit Primary School * Disimpit Elementary School * Divinan Elementary School * Dumawing Elementary School * Fugu Elementary School * Graceway Baptist Academy * Jones East Central School * Jones Rural School - Main * Jones Rural School - Malannit Annex * Jones West Central School-Campus 1 * Jones West Central School-Campus 2 * JT Sebastian Primary School * La Salette of Jones, Inc. * Lacab Primary School * Linamanan Elementary School * Linomot Elementary School * Malannit Elementary School * Minuri Elementary School - Annex * Minuri Elementary School - Main * Namnama Elementary School * Papan Elementary School * Papan Weste Primary School * Payac Elementary School * Pungpongan Primary School * San Antonio Elementary School * San Isidro Elementary School * San Isidro PS - Annex (Bliss), LSB * San Jose Primary School * San Sebastian Integrated School * San Vicente Elementary School * Sta. Isabel Elementary School * Sto. Domingo Elementary School - Main * Sto. Domingo ES - Annex (LSB) * Tubar Elementary School * Usol Elementary School * Villa Bello Elementary School * Villa Saruccad Tribal Elementary School


Secondary schools

* Addalam Region HS - Main * Addalam Region HS - Divinan Annex * Dibuluan National High School * Sgt. Prospero Bello HS - Main * Sgt. Prospero G. Bello HS - Dumawing Annex


References


External links


Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines

Jones at the Isabela Government WebsiteLocal Governance Performance Management System
*
Philippine Standard Geographic Code The Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC) is a systematic classification and coding for geographic areas in the Philippines. It classifies areas based on the country's four levels of administrative divisions: regions, provinces, municipalities ...
br>Philippine Census InformationMunicipality of Jones
{{Authority control Municipalities of Isabela (province) Populated places on the Rio Grande de Cagayan