Reina Mercedes, Isabela

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Reina Mercedes
Municipality
Municipality of Reina Mercedes
Flag of Reina Mercedes, Isabela.svg
Flag
Reina Mercedes,Isabela.svg
Seal
Ph locator isabela reina mercedes.png
Map of Isabela with Reina Mercedes highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Reina Mercedes, Isabela
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Reina Mercedes
Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°59′14″N121°49′38″E / 16.9872°N 121.8272°E / 16.9872; 121.8272
Country Philippines
Region Cagayan Valley
Province Isabela
District 2nd district
Founded January 20, 1886 [1]
Named after Mercedes of Orléans
Barangays 20 (see Barangays)
Government
  [2]
 • Type Sangguniang Bayan
 •  Mayor Maria Lourdes P. Respicio-Saguban
 •  Vice Mayor Anthony P. Respicio
 •  Representative Ed Christopher S. Go
 •  Electorate 17,780 voters (2025)
Area
[3]
 • Total
57.14 km2 (22.06 sq mi)
Elevation
49 m (161 ft)
Highest elevation
88 m (289 ft)
Lowest elevation
32 m (105 ft)
Population
 (2024 census) [4]
 • Total
28,222
 • Density490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
 •  Households
7,470
Economy
 •  Income class 4th municipal income class
 •  Poverty incidence
13.25
% (2021) [5]
 •  Revenue ₱ 381.3 million (2022)
 •  Assets ₱ 770.1 million (2022)
 •  Expenditure ₱ 152.3 million (2022)
 •  Liabilities ₱ 94.77 million (2022)
Service provider
 • ElectricityIsabela 1 Electric Cooperative (ISELCO 1)
Time zone UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code
3303
PSGC
0203125000
IDD  :  area code  +63 (0)78
Native languages Ilocano
Ibanag
Tagalog
Website www.reinamercedes-isabela.gov.ph

Reina Mercedes, officially the Municipality of Reina Mercedes (Ilocano : Ili ti Reina Mercedes; Tagalog : Bayan ng Reina Mercedes), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 27,900 people. [6]

Contents

Etymology

The town derived its name in honor of Mercedes of Orléans, Queen of Spain. Coupled with the province's name "Isabela", named after Isabella II, Queen Regnant of Spain, the town's address of "Reina Mercedes, Isabela" is the most regnant address in the Philippines (which was also named after King Philip II of Spain).

History

Reina Mercedes was founded in 1743 on the early Gaddang site of Abbag, which means "on the other side" (of the Magat River), before then being renamed to Calering, and Calanusian (from canusi, a species of white ebony). [7] The town was finally renamed in honor of Queen Mercedes of Orléans, the first consort of Alfonso XII, son of Isabela II. Mercedes died of tuberculosis on June 26, 1878, in the fourth year of Alfonso's reign. When the town was partitioned from Cauayan on January 20, 1886, the priest Pedro Jiménez named it after the late queen. [8]

Geography

Reina Mercedes is 26 kilometres (16 mi) from the provincial capital Ilagan, and 416 kilometres (258 mi) from the country's capital Manila.

Barangays

Reina Mercedes is politically subdivided into 20 barangays.  [9] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

  • Banquero
  • Binarsang
  • Cutog Grande
  • Cutog Pequeño
  • Dangan
  • District I (Poblacion)
  • District II
  • Labinab Grande
  • Labinab Pequeño
  • Mallalatang Grande
  • Mallalatang Tunggui
  • Nappacu Grande (Poblacion)
  • Nappacu Pequeño (Poblacion)
  • Salucong
  • Santiago
  • Santor
  • Sinippil (Poblacion)
  • Tallungan (Poblacion)
  • Turod
  • Villador

Climate

Climate data for Reina Mercedes, Isabela
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
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 days106551312151515171615144
Source: World Weather Online [10]

Demographics

Population census of Reina Mercedes
YearPop.±% p.a.
1903 2,271—    
1918 3,600+3.12%
1939 4,376+0.93%
1948 5,029+1.56%
1960 7,948+3.89%
1970 10,899+3.20%
1975 12,311+2.47%
1980 14,388+3.17%
1990 17,139+1.77%
1995 17,816+0.73%
2000 20,353+2.90%
2007 21,874+1.00%
2010 23,497+2.64%
2015 26,998+2.68%
2020 27,900+0.69%
2024 28,222+0.28%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

In the 2020 census, the population of Reina Mercedes, Isabela, was 27,900 people, [16] with a density of 490 inhabitants per square kilometre or 1,300 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Reina Mercedes

10
20
30
40
2000
33.88
2003
25.31
2006
23.50
2009
14.02
2012
16.24
2015
12.09
2018
14.99
2021
13.25

Source: Philippine Statistics Authority [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

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 Reina Mercedes 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

Members of the Reina Mercedes Municipal Council
(2022–2025) [25]
PositionName
District RepresentativeEd Christopher S. Go
Municipal MayorMaria Lourdes P. Respicio-Saguban
Municipal Vice-MayorAnthony P. Respicio
Municipal CouncilorsPaolo R. Addun
Julio B. Cutaran
Arnol M. Barangan
Salvador B. Apostol III
Albino B. Cuntapay
Agustin C. Valdez, Jr.
Domingo P. Baua, Jr.
Edwin M. Esteban

Congress representation

Reina Mercedes, belonging to the second legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Ed Christopher S. Go. [26]

Education

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system. [27] The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. [28] Reina Mercedes Schools District office governs the public elementary and high schools throughout the municipality. [29]

Elementary schools

  • Binarsang Elementary School
  • Bliss Elementary School
  • Cutog Grande Elementary School
  • Cutog Pequeño Elementary School
  • Dangan Elementary School
  • Mallalatang Elementary School
  • Nappacu Grande-Sinippil Elementary School
  • Nappacu Pequeño Elementary School
  • Reina Mercedes Central School (District 2)
  • Salucong Elementary School
  • Santiago Elementary School
  • Santor Elementary School
  • Tallungan Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Banquero Integrated School
  • Reina Mercedes National Highschool (Cutog Pequeno)
  • Reina Mercedes Vocational and Industrial School (Pan-Philippine Highway)
  • Turod Integrated School

References

  1. ↑ "Reina Mercedes Executive Summary 2016" (PDF). Commission on Audit - coa.gov.ph. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  2. ↑   Municipality of Reina Mercedes | (DILG)
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  7. ↑ Salgado, Pedro. "Formation of Christian Towns in Diffun (Southern Isabela)". Cagayan Valley and Easter Cordillera: 1581-1898, Volume I. Rex Publishing. pp. 532–534.
  8. ↑ "Executive Summary of Reina Mercedes" (PDF). Commission on Audit of the Philippines . Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  9. ↑ "Province:". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "Reina Mercedes, Isabela: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". World Weather Online. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  11. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Census of Population (2015). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority . Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "Province of". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "2024 Census of Population (POPCEN) Population Counts Declared Official by the President". Philippine Statistics Authority. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  17. ↑ "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
  19. ↑ "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
  20. ↑ "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
  21. ↑ "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
  22. ↑ "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  25. ↑ "Reina Mercedes, Isabela Election Results 2022". Rappler PH. ph.rappler.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  26. ↑ "House of Representatives: 19th Congress". Official Website of the House of Representatives PH. congress.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  27. ↑ "HISTORY OF DEPED-ISABELA". DepED Isabela | The official website of DepED Schools Division of Isabela. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  28. ↑ "DEPED REGIONAL OFFICE NO. 02". DepED RO2 | The official website of DepED Regional Office No. 02.
  29. ↑ "Masterlist of Schools" (PDF). Department of Education. January 15, 2025. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
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