Palanan

Municipality in Isabela, Philippines

Municipality in Cagayan Valley, Philippines

Palanan

Municipality

Municipality of Palanan

Aerial view of Palanan after Super Typhoon Megi (PAGASA name:Juan)

Flag

Seal

Map of Isabela with Palanan highlighted

OpenStreetMap

Palanan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates: 17°03′32″N 122°25′48″E﻿ / ﻿17.0589°N 122.43°E﻿ / 17.0589; 122.43
Country| Philippines
Region| Cagayan Valley
Province| Isabela
District|  2nd district
Founded| 1823
Barangays| 17 (see Barangays)
Government

[1]

• Type| Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor| Angelo A. Bernardo
• Vice Mayor| Elizabeth B. Ochoa
• Representative| Ed Christopher S. Go
• Electorate| 12,460 voters (2025)
Area

[2]

• Total

| 880.24 km2 (339.86 sq mi)
Elevation

| 52 m (171 ft)
Highest elevation

| 273 m (896 ft)
Lowest elevation

| 0 m (0 ft)
Population

(2024 census)[3]

• Total

| 18,091
• Density| 21/km2 (53/sq mi)
• Households

| 4,537
Economy

• Income class| 1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence|

29.55

% (2021)[4]
• Revenue| ₱ 342.7 million (2022)
• Assets| ₱ 457.8 million (2022)
• Expenditure| ₱ 266.3 million (2022)
• Liabilities| ₱ 11.73 million (2022)
Service provider

• Electricity| Isabela 2 Electric Cooperative (ISELCO 2)
Time zone| UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code|

3334

PSGC|

0203121000

IDD : area code | +63 (0)78
Native languages| Paranan
Ibanag
Ilocano
Paranan Agta
Tagalog
Website| www.palanan-isabela.gov.ph

Palanan [pɐˈlanan], officially the Municipality of Palanan (Ibanag: Ili nat Palanan; Ilocano: Ili ti Palanan; Tagalog: Bayan ng Palanan), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. It also served as the final capital of the First Philippine Republic from 1900 until the capture of President Emilio Aguinaldo by the Americans during the Philippine-American War in 1901. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,684 people.[5]

## Etymology

[edit]

Since the location was surrounded by Aetas, the Ibanags from the lowland Isabela would warn their close friends with the term "Palanammu" which indicates uneasiness or caution. Similarly, some vagabond Tagalogs who arrived there either as a sanctuary during difficult sailing or pure adventure, dubbed the site "Palatanan" which is suggestive of the character of the residents. Eventually, the word transformed into its modern name "Palanan".[6]

## History

[edit]

Unlike other towns in the Cagayan Valley, Palanan was established in 1625 by Spanish forces who arrived by boat from the Pacific coastal town of Baler in Tayabas province (now part of Aurora). As such, Palanan was initially a part of Pampanga[7] before being transferred to Laguna, Tayabas (now Quezon Province; Tayabas became independent from Laguna), Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and finally Isabela. Also, unlike the rest of Cagayan Valley, it was served by Franciscan missionaries rather than the Dominicans. The population of the town was natively Paranan, then subsequently augmented by local Negritos, migrants from Baler who are Tagalogs, and outlaws from Cagayan Valley, with the lingua franca of the settlement being Tagalog as opposed to Ilocano or Ibanag.[8][6][9]

General Emilio Aguinaldo became President of the First Philippine Republic in 1900. He was captured on March 23 when Col. Frederick Funston led the Americans in 1901. It was in Palanan that one of the final chapters of the Philippine–American War was written on March 23, 1901, when General Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by American forces led by General Frederick Funston, who had gained access to Aguinaldo's camp by pretending to surrender to the Filipinos.[6]

In 1978, the area around Palanan was proclaimed by President Ferdinand Marcos to be part of the Palanan Wilderness Area, a protected nature conservation area that was later expanded by President Fidel V. Ramos to become the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park in 1997.

In the May 9, 2016 elections, Angelito A. Bernardo won a three-way mayoral campaign. However, due to his unexpected death shortly after the polls, Rodolfo M. Bernardo, the Municipal Vice Mayor-elect and first-elected Sangguniang Bayan member, and Elizabeth B. Ochoa took the oath of office as Municipal Mayor. On July 1, 2016, the Municipal Vice Mayor and other winning candidates attended the ceremony in Ilagan City, which serves as the provincial capital. Mayor Rodolfo M. Bernardo served as the local chief executive for five months and fifteen days before passing away in a car accident. According to the rules of succession, Vice Mayor Elizabeth B. Ochoa took the oath of office as Municipal Mayor and has remained in charge as the local Chief Executive ever since.[6]

## Geography

[edit]

Northern Sierra Madre Mountain Range

Palanan is one of the four remote and isolated coastal towns of Isabela facing the Philippine Sea on the east and separated from the rest of the province by the Sierra Madre Mountains.

### Barangays

[edit]

Palanan is politically subdivided into 17 barangays. [10] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

* Alomanay
* Bisag
* Centro East (Poblacion)
* Centro West (Poblacion)
* Culasi
* Dialaoyao
* Dibewan
* Dicadyuan
* Dicotkotan
* Diddadungan
* Didyan
* Dimalicu-licu
* Dimasari
* Dimatican
* Ditambali
* Maligaya
* Marikit

### Climate

[edit]

Climate data for Palanan, Isabela

Month  | Jan  | Feb  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | Jun  | Jul  | Aug  | Sep  | Oct  | Nov  | Dec  | Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)  | 27
(81)  | 27
(81)  | 29
(84)  | 28
(82)  | 27
(81)  | 25
(77)  | 26
(79)  | 27
(81)  | 31
(88)  | 29
(84)  | 27
(81)  | 27
(81)  | 28
(82)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)  | 20
(68)  | 20
(68)  | 21
(70)  | 20
(68)  | 21
(70)  | 20
(68)  | 21
(70)  | 22
(72)  | 23
(73)  | 23
(73)  | 21
(70)  | 21
(70)  | 21
(70)
Average precipitation mm (inches)  | 162
(6.4)  | 156
(6.1)  | 90
(3.5)  | 60
(2.4)  | 144
(5.7)  | 201
(7.9)  | 159
(6.3)  | 108
(4.3)  | 111
(4.4)  | 237
(9.3)  | 276
(10.9)  | 171
(6.7)  | 1,875
(73.9)
Average rainy days  | 14  | 12  | 11  | 11  | 16  | 19  | 16  | 14  | 16  | 18  | 18  | 15  | 180
Source: World Weather Online (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[11]

## Demographics

[edit]

Population census of PalananYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

1903 | 1,080| —
1918 | 2,410| +5.50%
1939 | 3,109| +1.22%
1948 | 4,045| +2.97%
1960 | 5,599| +2.75%
1970 | 7,518| +2.99%
1975 | 8,930| +3.51%
1980 | 10,295| +2.88%
1990 | 11,431| +1.05%
1995 | 13,220| +2.76%
2000 | 15,317| +3.21%
2007 | 16,254| +0.82%
2010 | 16,094| −0.36%
2015 | 17,260| +1.34%
2020 | 17,684| +0.51%
2024 | 18,091| +0.55%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[12][13][14][15][16]

In the 2020 census, the population of Palanan, Isabela, was 17,684 people,[17] with a density of 20 inhabitants per square kilometre or 52 inhabitants per square mile.

## Economy

[edit]

Poverty incidence of Palanan

2000
61.04

2003
48.20

2006
21.30

2009
19.75

2012
48.60

2015
27.20

2018
31.30

2021
29.55

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

## Government

[edit]

### Local government

[edit]

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

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 Palanan 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 in elections 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

[edit]

Members of the Palanan Municipal Council
(2022-2025)[26] Position  | Name

|

District Representative  | Ed Christopher S. Go
Municipal Mayor  | Angelo A. Bernardo
Municipal Vice-Mayor  | Elizabeth B. Ochoa
Municipal Councilors  | Theo Angelo A. Garcia
Justin Kerby S. Bernardo
Eden S. Bernardo
Pacita Q. Atanacio
Ronnie A. Atienza
Michael John D. Bernardo
Ronaldo M. Bernardo
Rhoena O. Corpuz

### Congress representation

[edit]

Palanan, belonging to the second legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Ed Christopher S. Go.[27]

## Education

[edit]

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system.[28] The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.[29] The Palanan Schools District Office governs the public elementary and high schools throughout the municipality including schools located in Dinapigue, Divilacan, and Maconacon.[30]

### Primary and elementary schools

[edit]

Although some elementary schools are located outside Palanan, these are being managed by Palanan School District Office.

* Alomanay Elementary School
* Bicobian Elementary School (located in Divilacan)
* Bisag Elementary School
* Bucal Sur Elementary School (located in Dinapigue)
* Centro West Primary School
* Culasi Elementary School
* Dialawyao Elementary School
* Dibungko Primary School
* Dibutarek Elementary School
* Diddadungan Elementary School
* Didiyan Elementary School
* Dikadyuan Elementary School
* Dikaruyan Primary School (located in Divilacan)
* Dimalicu-licu Primary School
* Dimasalansan Elementary School (located in Divilacan)
* Dimasari Elementary School
* Dimatican Elementary School
* Dinapigue Central School (located in Dinapigue)
* Dipadsanjan Primary School
* Disukad Elementary School
* Ditambali Elementary School
* Divilacan Central School (located in Divilacan)
* Maconacon Central School (located in Maconacon)
* Marikit Elementary School
* Palanan Central School
* San Isidro Elementary School
* Sapinit Primary School (located in Divilacan)
* Taknalan Primary School

### Secondary schools

[edit]

Although some secondary schools are located outside Palanan, these are being managed by Palanan School District Office.

* Ayod Integrated School (located in Dinapigue)
* Dibewan Integrated School (located in Dinapigue)
* Dibulo Integrated School (located in Dinapigue)
* Dinapigue National High School (located in Dinapigue)
* Divilacan National High School (located in Divilacan)
* Isabela School of Fisheries
* Maconacon National High School (located in Maconacon)
* Palanan National High School
* Palanan School of Agriculture and Trades
* Reina Mercedes Integrated School (located in Maconacon)

## Infrastructure

[edit]

Emilio Aguinaldo boarding USS Vicksburg in Palanan Bay, facing the Philippine Sea

The most common forms of transportation in Palanan are by horses, motorcycles, tricycles, or an improvised motorcycles called kuligligs.[31][32] Due to its isolation, the town can be reached quickest by a 23-30 minute flight in a six-seater, single-engine Cyclone Air Cessna commuter plane from Cauayan. Palanan is served by Palanan Airport.[31][32]

By water, a boat ride from the neighboring town of Divilacan or in the towns of Dingalan and Baler in Aurora province in the south usually takes about two to three hours and six to seven hours, respectively.[32]

There are no roads that connect Palanan to the rest of province as the town can only be reached by a plane or boat ride, or a multi-day hike over the Sierra Madres from the neighboring town of San Mariano, which could take about three to five days.[33] However, there is a construction of an 82-kilometer Ilagan–Divilacan Road through the protected Sierra Madre mountains is on-going to open access to the coastal towns of Divilacan, Palanan and Maconacon. The approved budget contract of the project amounting to P1.5B, will pass through the foothills of the 359,486-hectare Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The project will improve an old logging road used by a defunct logging company until the 1990s. It will start in Barangay Sindon Bayabo in Ilagan City and will end in Barangay Dicatian in Divilacan. The project is started in March 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2024.[34]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Municipality of Palanan |  (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. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
4. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
5. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
6. ^ a b c d "History of Palanan". Municipality of Palanan - palanan.gov.ph. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
7. ^ "Tantingco: The Kapampangan in Us". Archived from the original on 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-01-23. "At one point, Pampanga’s borders extended all the way to Palanan, Isabela in the north and to Infanta, Quezon in the south, with the Pacific Ocean on its east side and the China Sea on its west side." (Baler which was the origin of Spanish forces and Tagalog settlers who settled Palanan was part of Pampanga along with Casiguran.)
8. ^ Salgado, Pedro. "Other Missions in Isabela". Cagayan Valley and Easter Cordillera: 1581-1898, Volume I. Rex Publishing. pp. 496–499.
9. ^ Province of Isabela website
10. ^ "Province:". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
11. ^ "Palanan, Isabela: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". World Weather Online. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
12. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
13. ^ Census of Population (2015). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
14. ^ 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.
15. ^ 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.
16. ^ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
17. ^ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
18. ^ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
19. ^ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
20. ^ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
21. ^ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
22. ^ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
23. ^ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
24. ^ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
25. ^ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
26. ^ "Palanan, Isabela Election Results 2022". Rappler PH. ph.rappler.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
27. ^ "House of Representatives: 19th Congress". Official Website of the House of Representatives PH. congress.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
28. ^ "HISTORY OF DEPED-ISABELA". DepED Isabela | The official website of DepED Schools Division of Isabela. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
29. ^ "DEPED REGIONAL OFFICE NO. 02". DepED RO2 | The official website of DepED Regional Office No. 02. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
30. ^ "Masterlist of Schools" (PDF). Department of Education. January 15, 2025. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
31. ^ a b Christian (2011-06-13). "Palanan and Maconacon". Off the Beaten Track in the Philippines. Retrieved on 2023-03-16.
32. ^ a b c Jay (2013-01-09). "Palanan - Isabela's Best Kept Secrets". Lets Go Philippines. Retrieved on 2014-09-28.
33. ^ "The Palanan Trails". Waypoint.PH. Retrieved on 2023-03-16.
34. ^ "P2.3-B Isabela road link completed soon". The Manila Times. January 4, 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palanan.

* Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines Archived 2017-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
* Palanan at the Isabela Government Website
* Local Governance Performance Management System
* Philippine Standard Geographic Code
* Philippine Census Information
* Municipality of Palanan

Places adjacent to Palanan

| Ilagan | Divilacan |

|
|

|  |
San Mariano |

Palanan

| Philippine Sea
|  |
| Dinapigue |

* v
* t
* e

Province of Isabela

Ilagan (capital and largest city)

Municipalities|

* Alicia
* Angadanan
* Aurora
* Benito Soliven
* Burgos
* Cabagan
* Cabatuan
* Cordon
* Delfin Albano
* Dinapigue
* Divilacan
* Echague
* Gamu
* Jones
* Luna
* Maconacon
* Mallig
* Naguilian
* Palanan
* Quezon
* Quirino
* Ramon
* Reina Mercedes
* Roxas
* San Agustin
* San Guillermo
* San Isidro
* San Manuel
* San Mariano
* San Mateo
* San Pablo
* Santa Maria
* Santo Tomas
* Tumauini

Component Cities|

* Cauayan
* Ilagan

Independent Component City|

* Santiago (Administratively independent from the province but grouped under Isabela by the Philippine Statistics Authority.)

Barangays|

See: List of barangays in Isabela

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[PSGC]: Philippine Standard Geographic Code
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±% p.a.]: Per annum growth rate. Executive Order 135 §6 states that for "census years" (years divisible by 10) the reference date would be May 1st, but for all other years, the reference date is to be the "middle of the year". This means that growth rates, although correct, are not necessarily simple year-on-year comparisons.
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template