Bangued

Bangued
Municipality
View of Abra Valley from Casamata Hill
Seal
Location within Abra province
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
Province	Abra
District	Lone District of Abra
Barangays	31 (see Barangays)
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Dominic "Nic" Busuego Valera
Area
• Total	105.70 km2 (40.81 sq mi)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	50,382
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2800
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
Income class	1st class
PSGC	140101000
Website	www.bangued.gov.ph

Bangued, officially the Municipality of Bangued (Template:Lang-ilo, Filipino: Bayan ng Bangued), is the capital municipality of the province of Abra in the Cordillera Administrative Region of the Philippines. The population was 50,382 at the 2020 census.

History

The name "Bangued" means "roadblock". It was established as a regular town in 1598 and was made the seat of the provincial government of Abra on July 25, 1861. The inauguration coincided with the feast day of Saint James the Great.

Bangued Cathedral

The early settlers were the Tingguians belonging to the Bago, Itneg, Masadiit, lbanao, and Indayas tribes, who latter intermarried with the immigrants from Ilocos Sur. The Tingguians opposed the Christianization introduced by the Spanish friars who penetrated the eastern settlements. The Tingguian residents prevented the Spaniards from penetrating their area of which they placed roadblocks on all roads leading to the place. They also cut large logs and threw them to the Abra River to prevent the incoming colonizers from entering the area with the use of their boats and bamboo rafts. These logs were made as obstacles and big rocks were placed along the roads which the natives called "banggen", meaning obstacles.

When the conquistadores, led by Juan de Salcedo, decided to penetrate the area, they proceeded eastward and saw for themselves the logs along the Abra River, and the stones placed there to block all roads leading to the community. Salcedo's subaltern happened to meet one of the natives and asked what was the name of the place. Thinking that the Spaniards were inquiring about the roadblocks, he answered "banggen" and the subaltern jotted down on his notebook about the word.

The Spaniards were successful in their attempt to penetrate the inner communities in the east by removing the obstacles, saying in Spanish "Abra esos obstáculos" and it was in that happening when they developed the area and established the towns and barangays. The place where they found many obstacles, they named it "Bangen" and the province they called it "Abra".

When the Americans colonized the country and established the civil government, the town's name was modified to "Bangued".

In 1692, Augustinians under Fray Columbo made Bangued an independent mission territory. Earlier in 1615, Juan Pareja organized Bangued as a mission center and baptized 3,000 Tingguians with the help of their chief, Manuel Dumawal.

Modern-day Bangued was formally organized in 1704 until it was decided to become the capital town of Abra in 1863. It has 31 barangays, seven of them in the town proper.

Conversion to cityhood

Cityhood for Bangued is being given a push in the 16th Congress. Abra Representative Ma. Jocelyn Bernos filed a resolution seeking congressional nod for the capital town’s cityhood.

Geography

Bangued is a landlocked municipality, located at 17°36'N, 120°37'E. It is elongated in shape towards the north and south, and bisected through the center by the large Abra River. It is situated in the western portion of the province with boundaries defined by the Province of Ilocos Norte and the Municipality of Danglas in the north; La Paz, Tayum and Peñarrubia in the east; San Isidro in the south, and Langiden and Pidigan in the west.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the town has a land area of 105.70 square kilometres (40.81 sq mi) constituting 2.54% of the 4,165.25-square-kilometre- (1,608.21 sq mi) total area of Abra. The town is generally mountainous from north to south; however, it is flat and rolling at the midsection. From here it has an elevation of 30 metres (98 ft) above mean sea level. In the north, which consists mostly of mountains, elevation ranges from 60 to 1,036 metres (197 to 3,399 ft). In the south, which is interspersed with mountain and hills, elevation ranges from 45 to 300 metres (148 to 984 ft). One such hill is Cassamata Hill which was declared a national park.

Bangued is accessible through the Abra-Ilocos Sur National Road from the west, Abra-Kalinga Road from the north-east, and Abra-Ilocos Norte Road from the North. It is 408 kilometres (254 mi) from Manila, 197 kilometres (122 mi) from Baguio and 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Vigan.

Climate

The climate falls under the first type of tropical climate, which is characterized by two pronounced seasons, dry from November to April and wet during the remaining months of the year. Prevailing wind blowing in the area is mostly in the direction from north-west to southeast. However, during summer in the absence of weather disturbance, wind blows from north to south or east to west.

Barangays

Bangued is politically subdivided into 31 barangays with 77 sitios, listed here with 2015 population.

• Agtangao — 2,295
• Angad — 2,464
• Bangbangar — 2,486
• Bañacao — 1,243
• Cabuloan — 1,028
• Calaba — 3,494
• Cosili East (Proper) — 908
• Cosili West (Buaya) — 1,336
• Dangdangla — 2,149
• Lingtan — 859
• Lipcan — 1,975
• Lubong — 699
• Macarcarmay — 667
• Macray — 749
• Malita — 401
• Maoay — 742
• Palao — 1,697
• Patucannay — 1,450
• Sagap — 863
• San Antonio — 878
• Santa Rosa — 1,997
• Sao-atan — 1,077
• Sappaac — 1,318
• Tablac (Calot) — 1,541
• Zone 1 Poblacion (Nalasin) — 2,212
• Zone 2 Poblacion (Consiliman) — 1,376
• Zone 3 Poblacion (Lalaud) — 1,927
• Zone 4 Poblacion (Town Proper) — 1,073
• Zone 5 Poblacion (Barikir) — 2,566
• Zone 6 Poblacion (Sinapangan) — 1,884
• Zone 7 Poblacion (Baliling) — 2,809

Demographics

Population census of Bangued

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 34,184 —     1995 35,450 +0.68% 2000 38,965 +2.05%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2007 46,179 +2.37% 2010 43,936 −1.80% 2015 48,163 +1.76%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, Bangued had a population of 50,382. The population density was 480 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,200/sq mi).

Economy

The economy of the municipality is heavily dependent on agriculture particularly palay and corn, followed by trade and industry. Chinese businessmen dominate trade and manufacturing as a common preoccupation of the populace.

The commercial activity of Bangued is confined in the urban core establishing a linear pattern of development along major thoroughfares. This is evident from Torrijos Street to Taft Street of Zone 5, McKinley Street to Santiago Street and Partelo Street of Zone 4, and Capitulacion Street of Zone 1 and Zone 2.

For the year 2000 there were 1,539 commercial/business enterprises classified as wholesale and retail trade, dry and wet markets, banking and finance, service and others. There were 9 large suppliers of lumber, hardware and other construction supplies and materials. Likewise there were also about 3 large contractors with undetermined number of small to medium scale. On the other hand, there were also a number of large to medium scale suppliers of general merchandise, groceries and various types of prime commodities.

As the economic center of Abra, small scale or cottage industries abound. The most common are hollow blocks and other concrete products manufacturing with gravel and sand readily available at the Abra River bank. Wood and bamboo craft are also promising business enterprises with raw materials available in the vicinity and in the hinterlands for narra and other species of hardwood, rattan, and bamboos. Metalcraft, tinsmithing, jewelry making is also expanding while a lot of households are now in the small scale processing or value adding activities appertaining to various food items.

Hospitals & clinics

• Bangued Christian Hospital, Lorben's Hill, Torrijos St., Zone 5 — Private
• Abra Provincial Hospital, Barangay Calaba — Public
• Seares Memorial Clinic, Zone 4 — Private
• Saint James Clinic, Zone 7 — Private
• Saint Jude Clinic, Zone 7 — Private
• Bobila Clinic, Zone 7 — Private

Education

The municipality has a total of 24 Educational Institutions at all levels. 21 belong to the government while the rest are private. Of the total public schools, 19 belongs to the elementary levels. Most of the educational institutions of higher levels secondary and tertiary are concentrated in the urban core, while elementary schools are strategically located in different barangays forming their own catchment areas.

Aside from these institutions there are at least 15 daycare centers located in different barangays, and 5 private institutions for pre-schoolers complementing that from the government.

The total number of elementary school teachers in the public sector is 218 giving a gross teacher pupil ratio of 1:30 (SY 1999-2000 DepEd), in the private there are 193 with a ratio of 1:28 in the same period. Two public libraries complement existing facilities, the Provincial Library located al Santiago St. Zone 3 and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Library located at the Municipal Trial Court.

Colleges

• Divine Word College of Bangued, Zone 6 — Private
• Abra Valley Colleges, Zone 4 — Semi-private
• Data Center College of the Phils., Zone 5 — Private
• Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, Zone 3 — Public

High schools

• Divine Word College of Bangued, Zone 6 — Private
• Abra Valley Colleges, Zone 4 — Private
• Holy Spirit Academy of Bangued, Zone 5 — Private;
• Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology, Zone 3 — Public
• Abra High School, Zone 3 — Public
• Saint Joseph Seminary
• Sacred Heart School of Bangued, Zone 6 — Private

Transportation

Passenger buses, mini-buses, jeepneys and tricycles including cargo are the major means of transportation in the town. Buses, mini-buses and jeepneys ply the longer routes covering the entire province of Abra and out, while tricycles serve only the inner arteries of the municipality's barangays including the adjacent towns of Pidigan, Tayum and Peñarrubia on a chartered ride basis.

Buses going to Manila have their own permanent station/terminal, while all the rest are accommodated and parked along various open lots, gasoline stations, etc.

There are jeeps that ply from Bangued to Narvacan.

List of Cultural Properties of Bangued

Cultural Property wmph identifier	Site name	Description	Province	City or municipality	Address	Coordinates	Image
	Bangued West Elementary School	Built in 1917.	Abra	Bangued	Zone 3, Bangued, Abra	17°36′02″N 120°36′57″E
	Crisologo Old Residence		Abra	Bangued	10 Magallenes St.	17°35′45″N 120°37′09″E
	Francisco T. Valera Residence	Ruins of an old brick structure within the Valera residence.	Abra	Bangued	Zamora St.	17°35′40″N 120°37′03″E
	Unknown Old Residence	An old brick structure now used as a commercial building.	Abra	Bangued	Rizal St.	17°35′50″N 120°37′09″E
	Holy Spirit Academy	This was an old convent adjoining St. James the Elder Cathedral Church.	Abra	Bangued	Taft Street, Zone 5, Bangued	17°35′45″N 120°37′01″E
	Jose Purugganan Residence		Abra	Bangued	Zamora St.	17°35′41″N 120°37′02″E
	Lizardo Ancestral House	A former Bishop's house.	Abra	Bangued		17°35′46″N 120°37′01″E
	Old Abra High School	A Gabaldon style school built in 1919.	Abra	Bangued		17°36′05″N 120°36′52″E
	Pamil Ancestral House		Abra	Bangued	66 corner McKinley St., Santiago St.	17°35′54″N 120°37′05″E
	Purugganan Old House		Abra	Bangued	322 Rizal St. Zone 5	17°35′49″N 120°37′08″E
	Quintin Paredes Ancestral House		Abra	Bangued		17°35′51″N 120°37′08″E
	San Lorenzo Ruiz Shrine		Abra	Bangued	Brgy. Zone 3	17°36′08″N 120°36′46″E
	Bangued Municipal Hall		Abra	Bangued		17°35′47″N 120°37′06″E
	Abra Capitol Building		Abra	Bangued		17°35′46″N 120°37′03″E
	Second Regional House in Bangued (Now St. James The Elder Cathedral Parish Rectory)		Abra	Bangued		17°35′44″N 120°37′02″E

Sister cities

• Vigan City

External links

• Official website of the municipal government of Bangued