Abra (province)

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Abra.

Abra
Province
Province of Abra
Abra Provincial Capitol
Flag Seal
Location in the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°35′N 120°45′E
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region
Founded	10 March 1917
Capital	Bangued
Government
• Type	Sangguniang Panlalawigan
• Governor	Maria Jocelyn Acosta Valera-Bernos (NUP/HNP)
• Vice Governor	Ronald Stimson Balao-as (NUP)
Area
• Total	4,165.25 km2 (1,608.21 sq mi)
• Rank	29th out of 81
Highest elevation (Mount Bangbanglang)	2,454 m (8,051 ft)
Population  (2020 census)
• Total	250,985
• Rank	68th out of 81
• Density	60/km2 (160/sq mi)
• Rank	80th out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	27 Bangued Boliney Bucay Bucloc Daguioman Danglas Dolores La Paz Lacub Lagangilang Lagayan Langiden Licuan-Baay Luba Malibcong Manabo Peñarrubia Pidigan Pilar Sallapadan San Isidro San Juan San Quintin Tayum Tineg Tubo Villaviciosa
• Barangays	303
• Districts	Lone District of Abra
Time zone	UTC+8 (PHT)
ZIP code	2800–2826
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
ISO 3166 code	PH-ABR
Spoken languages	Ilocano Tinguian Isneg Tagalog English
Website	www.abra.gov.ph

Abra (Ilocano: Probinsia ti Abra; Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Abra) is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Bangued, and is bordered by Ilocos Norte on the northwest, Apayao on the northeast, Kalinga on the mid-east, Mountain Province on the southeast, and Ilocos Sur on the southwest.

History

Pre-colonial period

The first inhabitants of Abra were the ancestors of the Bontocs and the Ifugaos. These inhabitants eventually left to settle in the old Mountain Province. Other early inhabitants were the Tingguians, or Itnegs, as they are also known.

Spanish era

In 1598, a Spanish garrison was established in Bangued to protect Christian Ilocanos from Tingguian raids. Originally the area was called El Abra de Vigan ("The Opening of Vigan"). During the British Occupation of the Philippines, Gabriela Silang and her army fled to Abra from Ilocos and continued the revolt begun by her slain husband, Diego Silang. She was captured and hanged by the Spanish in 1763.

In 1818, the Ilocos region, including Abra, was divided into Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. In 1846, Abra was created as a political-military province with Lepanto as a sub-province. It remained so until the arrival of the Americans in 1899.

American period

In 1908, the Philippine Commission again annexed Abra to Ilocos Sur in an attempt to resolve Abra's financial difficulties. On March 9, 1917, the Philippine Assembly re-established Abra as a province.

World War II

In 1942, the Japanese forces occupied the Philippines and entered Abra.

Abra was liberated by the Philippine Commonwealth forces and local Cordilleran guerrillas during the Battle of Abra in 1945, at the end of the Second World War.

Modern history

The revolutionary Marxist priest, Conrado Balweg, who fought for the rights of the Cordillera tribes, began his crusade in Abra. After successfully negotiating a peace accord with Balweg's group in 1987, the Philippine government created the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes Abra.

Geography

Abra is situated in the mid-western section of the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. It is bordered by the provinces of Ilocos Norte on the northwest, Apayao on the northeast, Kalinga on the mid-east, Mountain Province on the southeast, and Ilocos Sur on the southwest. Abra has a total land area of 4,165.25 square kilometres or 1,608.21 square miles.

The province is hemmed in by the towering mountain ranges of the Ilocos in the west and the Cordillera Central in the east. The Abra River runs from the south in Benguet to the west and central areas, bisecting the whole Abra Valley. It is joined by the Tineg River originating from the eastern uplands at a point near the municipality of Dolores.

Administrative divisions

Abra comprises 27 municipalities, all encompassed by a single legislative district.

	Municipality		Population			±% p.a.	Area		Density (2015)		Barangay
			(2015)		(2010)		km2	sq mi	/km2	/sq mi
	Bangued	†	20.0%	48,163	43,936	+1.76%	105.70	40.81	460	1,200	31
	Boliney		1.5%	3,573	4,063	−2.42%	216.92	83.75	16	41	8
	Bucay		7.1%	17,115	17,126	−0.01%	107.17	41.38	160	410	21
	Bucloc		1.0%	2,501	2,176	+2.69%	63.77	24.62	39	100	4
	Daguioman		0.9%	2,088	1,715	+3.82%	114.37	44.16	18	47	4
	Danglas		1.7%	4,192	4,734	−2.29%	156.02	60.24	27	70	7
	Dolores		4.7%	11,315	11,499	−0.31%	47.45	18.32	240	620	15
	La Paz		6.4%	15,437	14,882	+0.70%	51.41	19.85	300	780	12
	Lacub		1.4%	3,403	2,977	+2.58%	295.30	114.02	12	31	6
	Lagangilang		5.9%	14,255	13,824	+0.59%	101.44	39.17	140	360	17
	Lagayan		1.9%	4,499	4,477	+0.09%	215.97	83.39	21	54	5
	Langiden		1.3%	3,198	3,170	+0.17%	116.29	44.90	28	73	6
	Licuan-Baay (Licuan)		1.9%	4,689	4,864	−0.70%	256.42	99.00	18	47	11
	Luba		2.6%	6,339	6,391	−0.16%	148.27	57.25	43	110	8
	Malibcong		1.4%	3,428	3,807	−1.98%	283.17	109.33	12	31	12
	Manabo		4.5%	10,761	10,756	+0.01%	110.95	42.84	97	250	11
	Peñarrubia		2.8%	6,640	6,544	+0.28%	38.29	14.78	170	440	9
	Pidigan		5.1%	12,185	11,528	+1.06%	49.15	18.98	250	650	15
	Pilar		4.2%	10,223	9,908	+0.60%	66.10	25.52	150	390	19
	Sallapadan		2.7%	6,622	5,985	+1.94%	128.62	49.66	51	130	9
	San Isidro		1.9%	4,574	4,888	−1.26%	48.07	18.56	95	250	9
	San Juan		4.1%	9,867	10,546	−1.26%	64.08	24.74	150	390	19
	San Quintin		2.3%	5,438	5,233	+0.73%	66.59	25.71	82	210	6
	Tayum		6.0%	14,467	13,940	+0.71%	61.14	23.61	240	620	11
	Tineg		2.1%	5,097	4,668	+1.69%	744.80	287.57	6.8	18	10
	Tubo		2.4%	5,699	5,719	−0.07%	409.87	158.25	14	36	10
	Villaviciosa		2.2%	5,392	5,377	+0.05%	102.93	39.74	52	130	8
	Total			241,160	234,733	+0.52%	4,165.25	1,608.21	56	150	303
		†  Provincial capital					Municipality

Barangays

The 27 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 303 barangays, with Poblacion in La Paz as the most populous in 2010, and Pattaoig in San Juan as the least.

Further information: List of barangays in Abra

Demographics

The population of Abra in the 2020 census was 250,985 people, with a density of 60 inhabitants per square kilometre or 160 inhabitants per square mile.

Abra's inhabitants are mostly descendants of Ilocano settlers and members of the Tingguian tribe. Based on the 2000 census survey, Ilocanos comprised 71.94% (150,457) of the total provincial population of 209,146. Tingguians came in second at 18.7% (39,115), while other ethnic groups in the province were the Ibanag at 4.46% (9,334), Itneg at 3.17% (6,624), and Tagalog at 0.42% (869).

The predominant languages are Ilocano and Itneg.

Population census of Abra

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	184,743	—
1995	195,964	+1.11%
2000	209,491	+1.44%
2007	230,953	+1.35%
2010	234,733	+0.59%
2015	241,160	+0.52%
Source: PSA

Population by ethnicity (2000)
Ethnicity				Number
Ilocano			150,457 (71.94%)
Tingguian			39,115 (18.70%)
Ibanag			9,334 (4.46%)
Itneg			6,624 (3.17%)
Tagalog			869 (0.42%)
Others			2,175 (1.04%)
Other foreign ethnicity			16 (0.01%)
Not Reported			556 (0.27%)

Santa Catalina de Alejandria Parish Church in Tayum

Economy

As of 1990, there were 743 cottage industries in Abra, of which 208 are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry. 59% are engaged in bamboo and rattan craft making, both leading industries in the area.

Abra's economy is agriculture-based. Its major crops are rice, corn, and vegetables, root crops; commercial products include coffee, tobacco, and coconut. Extensive grassland and pasture areas are used for livestock production.

External links

• Media related to Abra (province) at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Abra (province) at OpenStreetMap
• History articles and links on Bucay and Abra