Gonzaga, Cagayan


Gonzaga, officially the Municipality of Gonzaga, is a municipality located in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 41,994.
WWW sbgonzaga.ph

History

Pre-Colonial Period and Etymology

The earliest known inhabitants of Gonzaga were Negrito peoples, particularly Aeta tribes. The area was originally known as Gampao, an Aeta term meaning “mountainous.” This name was later changed to Wangag, meaning ''“river.”''

Spanish Era

During the eighteenth century, groups of Ilocano-speaking migrants arrived in several waves by both sea and land, gradually displacing the Aeta from the lowland areas.
Wangag received ecclesiastical recognition on February 23, 1869, when it was established as a barrio of Buguey. In 1917, the American-controlled Insular Government renamed the settlement Rumang-ay. The following year, it was renamed Gonzaga, in honor of Gracio P. Gonzaga, the first Filipino governor of Cagayan. The town was officially separated from Buguey on January 1, 1918, through an Executive Order issued by Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison.

World War II

Days after the Imperial Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Tanaka Detachment sailed south from Japanese Formosa as part of the main invasion force against the American-held Commonwealth of the Philippines. On December 10, 1941, Japanese forces landed along the northern coasts of Luzon, including Gonzaga, marking the outbreak of the Pacific War in the Philippines.

Geography

Gonzaga is located in the northeastern part of Cagayan. It is bordered by Santa Ana to the northeast, Santa Teresita to the west, and Lal-lo to the south.
The municipality lies approximately 123 kilometers from Tuguegarao, 604 kilometers from Manila, and 11 kilometers from Santa Teresita.
Gonzaga has a total land area of 56,743 hectares, most of which remains undeveloped. Large portions of the municipality are covered by virgin forests, particularly in the mountainous areas of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Its highest point is Mount Cagua in Barangay Magrafil, which rises to 1,130 meters above sea level.
The municipality has a coastline stretching approximately 40 kilometers, largely facing the Babuyan Channel to the north, while its southeastern boundary is influenced by the Pacific Ocean. The eleven coastal barangays encompass a combined total of 139 hectares of beaches, 69 hectares of mangrove forests, and 348 hectares of coral reefs.

Barangays

Gonzaga is politically subdivided into 25 barangays, including four urban barangays that make up the poblacion area. Each barangay is further divided into puroks, with some also containing sitios.
  • Amunitan
  • Batangan
  • Baua
  • Cabanbanan Norte
  • Cabanbanan Sur
  • Cabiraoan
  • Callao
  • Calayan
  • Caroan
  • Casitan
  • Flourishing
  • Ipil
  • Isca
  • Magrafil
  • Minanga
  • Rebecca
  • Paradise
  • Pateng
  • Progressive
  • San Jose
  • Santa Clara
  • Santa Cruz
  • Santa Maria
  • Smart
  • Tapel

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, Gonzaga had a population of 41,994, with a population density of 74 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Economy

Gonzaga is primarily an agricultural municipality, with more than half of its workforce employed as farmers or fishers. Approximately 5,500 hectares of agricultural land are currently under production, most of which is devoted to rice farming.

Government

Local government

Gonzaga is part of the first legislative district of the province of Cagayan. It 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 councillors are directly elected by constituents in polls held every three years.

Elected officials

PositionName
CongressmanRamon C. Nolasco
MayorRellie S. Dalmaceda
Vice-MayorSherryl Anne C. Gaspar
CouncillorsQuirino S. Jara
CouncillorsOscar G.Idmilao
CouncillorsFerdinand L.Baclig
CouncillorsAtty. Jun Alibania
CouncillorsJayson Joe Castillo
CouncillorsCecilia G. Morales
CouncillorsOrlando B. Rasos
CouncillorsNanding Solatre

In popular culture

The 2012 film The Mistress, starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, was partially filmed in the town.

Education

The Schools Division of Cagayan, a division and field office of the Department of Education in the Cagayan Valley region, is responsible for implementing the municipality’s education system. It ensures compliance with government-established educational standards to provide quality education for all students in both public and private elementary and secondary schools.
Within the municipality, the Gonzaga West District Office oversees the administration and supervision of all public and private elementary and high schools.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Amunitan Elementary School
  • Batangan Integrated School
  • Baua Central School
  • Cabanbanan Norte Elementary School
  • Cabanbanan Sur Elementary School
  • Cabiraoan Elementary School
  • C.Dela Cruz Elementary School
  • Calayan Elementary School
  • Callao Primary School
  • Caroan Elementary School
  • Casitan Elementary School
  • Gonzaga North Central School
  • Gonzaga South Central School
  • Isca Elementary School
  • Ipil Elementary School
  • Laoc Elementary School
  • Magrafil Elementary School
  • Minanga Elementary School
  • Pateng Elementary School
  • Rebecca Elementary School
  • San Francisco Elementary School
  • San Jose Elementary School
  • Sta.Cruz Elementary School
  • Sta. Clara Elementary School
  • Sta.Isabel Elementary School
  • Sta.Maria Elementary School
  • Tapel Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Baua National High School
  • Cabiraoan National High School
  • CFPJ National High School
  • Gonzaga National High School
  • Ipil National High School
  • RJDAMA Christian Academy
  • Rebecca National High School
  • St. Anthony's Academy

Higher educational institutions

Notable personalities