Echague, officially the Municipality of Echague, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,410 people.[3] The town is known for the indigenous and endangered Yogad language, which is spoken and conserved by its locals.

Echague
Municipality of Echague
Flag of Echague
Official seal of Echague
Nickname(s): 
Queen Town of Isabela
Home of the Mengals
Map of Isabela with Echague highlighted
Map of Isabela with Echague highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Map
Echague is located in Philippines
Echague
Echague
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°42′20″N 121°40′34″E / 16.7056°N 121.6761°E / 16.7056; 121.6761
CountryPhilippines
RegionCagayan Valley
ProvinceIsabela
District 6th district
Founded1752
Named forRafaél de Echagüe y Bermingham
Barangays64 (see Barangays)
Government
[1]
 • TypeSangguniang Bayan
 • MayorFrancis Faustino A. Dy
 • Vice MayorAllan P. Tupong
 • RepresentativeFaustino A. Dy V
 • Municipal Council
Members
 • Electorate58,472 voters (2022)
Area
 • Total
680.80 km2 (262.86 sq mi)
Elevation
70 m (230 ft)
Highest elevation
101 m (331 ft)
Lowest elevation
47 m (154 ft)
Population
 (2020 census)[3]
 • Total
88,410
 • Density130/km2 (340/sq mi)
 • Households
23,536
Economy
 • Income class1st municipal income class
 • Poverty incidence
13.41
% (2021)[4]
 • Revenue₱ 377.4 million (2020)
 • Assets₱ 1,411 million (2020)
 • Expenditure₱ 454.6 million (2020)
 • Liabilities₱ 680 million (2020)
Service provider
 • ElectricityIsabela 1 Electric Cooperative (ISELCO 1)
Time zoneUTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
3309
PSGC
IDD:area code+63 (0)78
Native languagesYogad
Ilocano
Tagalog
Websitewww.echague-isabela.gov.ph

Echague is 57 kilometres (35 mi) from Ilagan and 341 kilometres (212 mi) from Manila.

Etymology

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Fr. Pedro Salgado, the Dominican writer, in volume I of his "Cagayan Valley and Eastern Cordillera (1581-1898)," wrote that Echague formerly used to be called Camarag, the name of a big tree then common in the place. Before it separated from Nueva Vizcaya, Camarag was Nueva Vizcaya's first capital, before Bayombong was declared such in 1865.

History

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The town was founded in 1752 and ecclesiastically placed under the patronage of St. Joseph on May 12, 1753.

Prior to 1856, there were only two provinces in the Cagayan Valley Region: Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya. The province of Cagayan at that time consisted of all towns from Tumauini to the north in Aparri and all other towns from Ilagan southward to Aritao comprised the Province of Nueva Vizcaya. In order to facilitate the work of the missionaries in the evangelization of the Cagayan Valley, a royal decree was issued on May 1, 1856, that created the Province of Isabela consisting of the towns of Gamu, Angadanan, Bindang (now Roxas) and Camarag (now Echague), Carig (now Santiago City) and Palanan. The new province was named in honor of Queen Isabela II of Spain.

Missionaries wanted to transfer the town from the banks of the Cagayan River to the Ganano River 10 kilometers away. The people rebelled because the soil was more fertile along the Cagayan River. But in 1776, they were forcibly transferred. Some 72 years later, the people returned to Camarag, later renamed after Rafael de Echagüe y Bermingham, a former Spanish governor-general.

Geography

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Barangays

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Former flag of Echague

Echague is politically subdivided into 64 barangays.[5] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

  • Angoluan
  • Annafunan
  • Arabiat
  • Aromin
  • Babaran
  • Bacradal
  • Benguet
  • Buneg
  • Busilelao
  • Cabugao (Poblacion)
  • Caniguing
  • Carulay
  • Castillo
  • Dammang East
  • Dammang West
  • Diasan
  • Dicaraoyan
  • Dugayong
  • Fugu
  • Garit Norte
  • Garit Sur
  • Gucab
  • Gumbauan
  • Ipil
  • Libertad
  • Mabbayad
  • Mabuhay
  • Madadamian
  • Magleticia
  • Malibago
  • Maligaya
  • Malitao
  • Narra
  • Nilumisu
  • Pag-asa
  • Pangal Norte
  • Pangal Sur
  • Rumang-ay
  • Salay
  • Salvacion
  • San Antonio Ugad
  • San Antonio Minit
  • San Carlos
  • San Fabian
  • San Felipe
  • San Juan
  • San Manuel (formerly Atelan)[6]
  • San Miguel
  • San Salvador
  • Santa Ana
  • Santa Cruz
  • Santa Maria
  • Santa Monica
  • Santo Domingo
  • Silauan Sur (Poblacion)
  • Silauan Norte (Poblacion)
  • Sinabbaran
  • Soyung (Poblacion)
  • Taggappan (Poblacion)
  • Tuguegarao
  • Villa Campo
  • Villa Fermin
  • Villa Rey
  • Villa Victoria

Climate

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Climate data for Echague, Isabela
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 29
(84)
30
(86)
32
(90)
35
(95)
35
(95)
35
(95)
34
(93)
33
(91)
32
(90)
31
(88)
30
(86)
28
(82)
32
(90)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19
(66)
20
(68)
21
(70)
23
(73)
23
(73)
24
(75)
23
(73)
23
(73)
23
(73)
22
(72)
21
(70)
20
(68)
22
(71)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 31.2
(1.23)
23
(0.9)
27.7
(1.09)
28.1
(1.11)
113.5
(4.47)
141.4
(5.57)
176.4
(6.94)
236.6
(9.31)
224.9
(8.85)
247.7
(9.75)
222.9
(8.78)
178
(7.0)
1,651.4
(65)
Average rainy days 10 6 5 5 13 12 15 15 15 17 16 15 144
Source: World Weather Online[7]

Demographics

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Population census of Echague
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 9,403—    
1918 17,104+4.07%
1939 16,249−0.24%
1948 16,311+0.04%
1960 28,919+4.89%
1970 36,180+2.26%
1975 36,834+0.36%
1980 41,390+2.36%
1990 51,916+2.29%
1995 56,119+1.47%
2000 61,101+1.84%
2007 67,553+1.39%
2010 74,680+3.72%
2015 79,094+1.10%
2020 88,410+2.21%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11]

In the 2020 census, the population of Echague, Isabela, was 88,410 people,[3] with a density of 130 inhabitants per square kilometre or 340 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

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Poverty incidence of Echague

5
10
15
20
25
30
2006
20.40
2009
15.16
2012
17.48
2015
15.77
2018
14.99
2021
13.41

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Government

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Local government

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As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the town. The provincial government have political jurisdiction over local transactions of the municipal government.

The municipality of Echague 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.

Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, 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

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Members of the Echague Municipal Council (2022-2025)[20]
Position Name
District Representative
(6th Legislative District of the Province of Isabela)
Faustino A. Dy V
Chief Executive of the Municipality of Echague Francis Faustino A. Dy
Presiding Officer of the Municipal Council of Echague Allan P. Tupong
Councilors of the Municipality of Echague Alfredo V. Alili
Walter C. Uy
Nemesio S. Castillo
Rodolfo Acosta, Jr.
Hector Domingo
Nolito D. Panganiban
Edgardo G. Baccay
Josephine Rivera

Congress representation

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Echague, belonging to the sixth legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Faustino A. Dy V.[21]

Education

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Vicinity of the Isabela State University

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system.[22] The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.[23] The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.

Main elementary schools

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  • Echague East Central School
  • Echague West Central School
  • Echague South Central School
  • First Echague United Methodist School
  • St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI)
  • School of Saint Joseph the Worker
  • First Echague United Methodist School
  • InterActive Children Learning School (Pre-School and Grade School)
  • St. Joseph Vineyard Montessori School
  • Precious Gift Learning School, Inc.
  • Annafunan Elementary School
  • Buneg Elementary School
  • Santo Domingo Elementary School
  • Carulay Elementary School
  • Dugayong Elementary School
  • Salay Elementary School
  • Soyung Elementary School

Forest Region elementary schools

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  • Narra Elementary School
  • Aromin Elementary School
  • Salvacion Elementary School
  • Pag-asa Elementary School
  • Villa Rey Elementary School
  • Villa Campo Elementary School
  • Diasan Elementary School
  • Mabbayad Elementary School
  • Madadamian Elementary School
  • Benguet Elementary School
  • San Miguel Elementary School
  • Dicaraoyan Elementary School
  • Dammang Malitao Elementary School
  • Dammang East Elementary School
  • Malitao Elementary School
  • Busilelao Elementary School
  • Rumang-ay Elementary School
  • Bacradal Elementary School
  • San Salvador Elementary School

Main secondary schools

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  • School of St. Joseph the Worker
  • Ugad High School
  • Isabela State University Senior High School
  • St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI)
  • Echague National High School
  • Don Mariano Marcos National High School
  • Imelda R. Marcos High School - Main
  • Imelda R. Marcos High School - Annex
  • Doña Magdalena H. Gaffud High School
  • Highway Region National High School
  • Pangal Sur High School

Universities

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References

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  1. ^ Municipality of Echague | (DILG)
  2. ^ "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Census of Population (2020). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Province: Isabela". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  6. ^ "An Act Changing the Name of Barrio Atelan, in the Municipality of Echague, Province of Isabela, to San Miguel". LawPH.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  7. ^ "Echague, Isabela: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". World Weather Online. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  8. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  9. ^ Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ^ Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
  11. ^ "Province of Isabela". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  12. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  13. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  14. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  15. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  16. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  18. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  19. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Echague, Isabela Election Results 2022". Rappler PH. ph.rappler.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  21. ^ "House of Representatives: 19th Congress". Official Website of the House of Representatives PH. congress.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  22. ^ "HISTORY OF DEPED-ISABELA". DepED Isabela | The official website of DepED Schools Division of Isabela. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  23. ^ "DEPED REGIONAL OFFICE NO. 02". DepED RO2 | The official website of DepED Regional Office No. 02.
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