Echague, officially the Municipality of Echague, is a 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 is 57 kilometres (35mi) from Ilagan and 341 kilometres (212mi) from Manila.
Etymology
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, transferring the seat of the provincial government to Bayombong in 1865.
History
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. On 1863, Camarag was renamed after Rafael de Echagüe y Bermingham, a former Spanish governor-general.
Geography
Echague is situated 63.11 kilometres (39.21mi) from the provincial capital Ilagan, and 375.49 kilometres (233.32mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays
Former flag of Echague
Echague is politically subdivided into 64 barangays.[5] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
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.
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 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 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, 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
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
Echague, belonging to the sixth legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Faustino A. Dy V.[21]
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] There are currently three school district offices, namely: Echague East, Echague South, and Echague West. These offices govern the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.[24]
Primary and elementary schools
Annafunan Elementary School
Aromin Elementary School
Bacradal Elementary School
Benguet Elementary School
Buneg Elementary School
Busilelao Elementary School
Carulay Elementary School
Dammang East Elementary School
Dammang Malitao Elementary School
Diasan Elementary School
Dicaraoyan Elementary School
Dugayong Elementary School
Echague East Central School
Echague South Central School
Echague West Central School
First Echague United Methodist School
First Echague United Methodist School
InterActive Children Learning School (Pre-School and Grade School)
Mabbayad Elementary School
Madadamian Elementary School
Malitao Elementary School
Narra Elementary School
Pag-asa Elementary School
Precious Gift Learning School, Inc.
Rumang-ay Elementary School
Salay Elementary School
Salvacion Elementary School
San Miguel Elementary School
San Salvador Elementary School
Santo Domingo Elementary School
School of Saint Joseph the Worker
Soyung Elementary School
St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI)
St. Joseph Vineyard Montessori School
Villa Campo Elementary School
Villa Rey Elementary School
Secondary schools
Don Mariano Marcos National High School
Doña Magdalena H. Gaffud High School
Echague National High School
Highway Region National High School
Imelda R. Marcos High School - Annex
Imelda R. Marcos High School - Main
Isabela State University Senior High School
Pangal Sur High School
School of St. Joseph the Worker
St. Dominic Human Development Center, Inc. (SDHDCI)
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