Candon
Candon, officially the City of Candon, is a component city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the, it has a population of people.
Dubbed the "Tobacco Capital of the Philippines", the city is the country's largest producer of Virginia tobacco.
The town is known for making the world's heaviest and largest kalamay, a sweet and viscous snack made from sticky rice, coconut milk, and sugar. This city also has a rich historical background. In its legends, the name of the city is derived from the legendary "kandong" tree which is almost extinct in the area. Its patron saint is John of Sahagún whose feast day is celebrated on June 12.
Candon is the center of the 2nd district of Ilocos Sur and also the most populous city in that province. Government district offices are all located in the city, supporting more than 100,000 residents in terms of commercial and industrial services.
Etymology
The origin of the name of Candon is unknown. The name was rendered as Candón or Candon in old Spanish records. It might be named after the Spanish municipality of Candón in Huelva, Andalucia; or from a Hispanicization of Ilocano kandong, a native species of tree with very hard wood also known as agandong or urandong in other places in the Ilocos region.History
Historically, during the pre-colonial period, Candon was a coastal trading settlement frequented by trade ships of Austronesian, Arab, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese traders.The settlement also had a long history of trading ties with Cordillerans in the highlands of Luzon, which continued through the Spanish colonial period. The town of Candon features prominently in the accounts of Biag, the legendary 17th century folk hero and founder of Sagada. Candon also hosted missionaries who were converting the Itneg and other Cordilleran peoples in neighboring regions.
The history of Candon in the early Spanish period is hazy. The first church in the settlement was established by an Augustinian mission in 1591. According to modern folklore, this church was built near a kandong tree, which is supposedly the origin of the name of the city. The church was later replaced with the Candon Church in 1695. Candon Church was damaged by an earthquake in 1707 and was restored in 1713. The church graveyard located south of the Población was opened in 1797.
The settlement was organized into a municipality in 1780. The first civil government was established under the cabeza de barangay Don Juan P. Madarang by the Augustinian friar Mariano de Conquera. In the Diccionario geográfico, estadístico, histórico de las Islas Filipinas, Candon was described as being a city of around 3,000 households, with a port and a military fort named "San Martín de Tiagán". Candon was mainly agricultural. Its products consisted of rice, corn, sugarcane, vegetables, and fruits. It also had a cotton and indigo industry, as well as a livestock industry.
During the Philippine Revolution, Candon started forming local revolutionary groups in 1896. They planned to overthrow the local government by April 1, 1898. However, their plans were discovered when one of their members was captured by Spanish forces, forcing them to launch a premature assault. On March 25, 1898, the revolutionaries led by Isabelo Abaya attacked the Spanish garrison in Candon and managed to take the town. Abaya established the Republica de Filipinas Katipunan de Candon, a revolutionary government, and declared independence from the Spanish colonial government.
The Spanish colonial government retaliated by deploying the Cazadores, elite Spanish expeditionary troops. The better-trained and heavily armed Spanish forces retook Candon and the rebels were arrested and summarily executed.
During the Japanese Occupation in the Second World War, another revolution was staged. Several truckloads of Imperial Japanese forces and supplies perished along the national highway. However, the Japanese soldiers retaliated by burning the whole town in January 1942.
Despite the hardships that the townsfolk went through during the war, residents resolved to rebuild. Tall acacia trees at the town plaza and municipal buildings are testimonies to the people's steadfastness, with large trees up to 15 meters high and 20 feet in circumference now line the National Highway in the Población.
Cityhood
In the Charter of Candon City, Candon applied to become the second city in the province of Ilocos Sur so it can undertake government programs with additional funding from the national government. These were intended to benefit the people in the field of social services, economic growth, peace and order, health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure development.Like the "Kandong" tree of yore, Candon is just beginning to spread out its branches to reach out for the skies in its own bid to become the next city in Ilocos Sur. From the start of House Bill No. 7260 seeking to convert Candon into a component city was filed by then Congressman Eric D. Singson in the 10th Congress and later re-filed by Congresswoman Grace D. Singson in the 11th Congress. Owing to the merits and qualifications of Candon as the leading town in Southern Ilocos Sur, the bill easily got the approval of the Committees on Local Government in both House of Representatives and in the Senate.
Until recently, the aspiration for Candon to become a city remained a dream, but its destiny inevitable when the counterpart Senate Bill No. 2242 was sponsored by then Senate President Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel Jr., Senators Frank Drilon, Sergio Osmeña III, and all the members of the Senate Committee on Local Government. It was subsequently approved unanimously by the Senate in plenary session, and now it is up to the townspeople to embrace this honor with an equally unanimous "YES to Cityhood" vote.
Geography
The City of Candon is situated in the lower central portion of the province of Ilocos Sur. It has a C-shape with elevations ranging from 10 – 500 ft above sea level.Candon is situated from the provincial capital Vigan City, and from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays
Candon is politically subdivided into 42 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios. It is bordered by Santiago, Banayoyo, Lidlidda, and San Emilio to the north, Galimuyod to the northeast, Salcedo to the west, and Santa Lucia to the south.- Allangigan Primero
- Allangigan Segundo
- Amguid
- Ayudante
- Bagani Camposanto
- Bagani Gabor
- Bagani Tocgo
- Bagani Ubbog
- Bagar
- Balingaoan
- Bugnay
- Calaoaan
- Calongbuyan
- Caterman
- Cubcubboot
- Darapidap
- Langlangca Primero
- Langlangca Segundo
- Oaig-Daya
- Palacapac
- Paras
- Parioc Primero
- Parioc Segundo
- Patpata Primero
- Patpata Segundo
- Paypayad
- Salvador Primero
- Salvador Segundo
- San Agustin
- San Andres
- San Antonio
- San Isidro
- San Jose
- San Juan
- San Nicolas
- San Pedro
- Santo Tomas
- Tablac
- Talogtog
- Tamurong Primero
- Tamurong Segundo
- Villarica
Climate
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of Candon was 61,315 people, with a density of.Language
The dominant dialect spoken in Candon is Ilocano.Religion
Candon City, located in the province of Ilocos Sur, is predominantly Christian, reflecting its strong religious heritage rooted in Spanish colonial influence and diverse faith traditions.;Religious Demographics
According to the 2015 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Statistics Office, the religious composition of the city is as follows:
- Roman Catholicism – 82.11%
- Iglesia ni Cristo – 10.45%
- Protestantism – 4.12%
- Other Christian denominations – 3.32%
- Islam – 1–2%
- Indigenous or traditional beliefs – Less than 1%
Economy
Existing industries in Candon City are manufacturing, agro-industry and cottage industry. The manufacturing sector owns the Tobacco Stalk Cement Bonded Board Plant that produces particle boards for low cost housing and other construction needs. Other manufacturing establishments are based on kalamay-making, chichacorn, baked goods, ice cream, and vinegar; furniture making, concrete products manufacturing, and a coconut oil processing plant located at Barangay Talogtog. On the other hand, cottage industries include balut egg production, fish re-drying, salt making, native delicacies, woodcraft and handicraft.
The city is the center of trade and commerce in the 2nd district of Ilocos Sur. Urban growth has a linear pattern along major thoroughfares in the city center and the national highway.