Quirino

This article is about the Philippine province. For other uses, see Quirino (disambiguation).

"Kirino" redirects here. For other uses, see Kirino (disambiguation).

Quirino
Province
Quirino Provincial Capitol
{{#property:P41}} Flag Official seal of Quirino Seal
Nickname(s): Forest Heartland of Cagayan Valley
{{#property:P242}} Location within the Philippines
Coordinates:
Country	[[{{#property:P17}}]]
Region	[[{{#property:P131}}]] (Region II)
Founded	June 18, 1966
Capital	Cabarroguis
Government
• Type	Province of the Philippines
• Governor	Junie E. Cua (LP)
• Vice Governor	May G. Calaunan (LP)
Area
• Total	3,323.47 km2 (1,283.20 sq mi)
Area rank	55th out of 81
Population ()
• Total	{{#property:P1,082}}
• Rank	73rd out of 81
• Density rank	72nd out of 81
Divisions
• Independent cities	0
• Component cities	0
• Municipalities	6
• Barangays	132
• Districts	Lone district of Quirino
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3400 to 3405
Dialing code	{{#property:P473}}
ISO 3166 code	{{#property:P300}}
Spoken languages	Ilocano, Ifugao, Bungkalot, Pangasinan, Kankana-ey, Tagalog, English
Website	{{#property:P856}}

Quirino is a landlocked province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon and named after Elpidio Quirino, the sixth President of the Philippines. Its capital is Cabarroguis.

The province borders Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Vizcaya to the west, and Isabela to the north. Quirino used to be part of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, until it was separated in 1966.

History

Long before its formal creation as an independent province, Quirino was the forest region of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, inhabited by tribal groups known as the Negritos. They roamed the hinterlands and built their huts at the heart of the jungle.

On June 18, 1966, Republic Act 4734 was enacted, constituting the municipalities of Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay, and Maddela (all of Nueva Vizcaya province) into a new sub-province to be known as "Quirino", named after the late Philippine president Elpidio Quirino.

An old map showing the current territories of Quirino as part of Nueva Vizcaya

On June 21, 1969, Republic Act 5554 was enacted, amending RA 4734 and creating the municipality of Cabarroguis (now the provincial capital town), which was taken from portions of Diffun, Saguday, and Aglipay.

Republic Act 6394, authored by former Congressman Leonardo B. Perez, was passed on September 10, 1971 further amending RA 5554 and separating the sub-province of Quirino from its mother province, Nueva Vizcaya, constituting it into a regular province.

The province of Quirino was formally established on February 10, 1972 upon the assumption to office of the first elected provincial and municipal officials headed by Dionisio A. Sarandi as Provincial Governor.

On February 25, 1983, Batas Pambansa Blg. 345 was enacted, creating within Quirino the municipality of Nagtipunan, a division of the municipality of Maddela.

Geography

Quirino lies in the southeastern portion of Cagayan Valley. It is situated within the upper portion of the Cagayan River basin and bounded by Isabela on the north, Aurora on the east and southeast, and Nueva Vizcaya on the west and southwest.

Physical

The Sierra Madre mountain range provides a natural barrier on the eastern and southern border of the province and the Mamparang Range on the western part. The province is generally mountainous, with about 80 percent of the total land area covered by mountains and highlands. A large portion of the province lies within the Quirino Protected Landscape.

The province has a mean annual temperature of 33.6 °C (92.5 °F). May is generally the warmest month and the wettest months are March to August, with the rest of the year being neither too dry nor too wet. Heavy, sustained rainfall occurs from September to November.

Administrative divisions

Quirino is subdivided into 6 municipalities, all encompassed by a lone legislative district.

Municipality Area (km²) Population (2010) Density (per km²) No. of barangays ZIP code Income class Coordinates Aglipay 161.7 26,187 161.9 25 3403 3rd Cabarroguis † 260.2 29,395 113 17 3400 3rd Diffun 320.1 48,501 151.5 33 3401 2nd Maddela 918.57 35,634 38.8 32 3404 1st Nagtipunan 607.4 22,473 37 16 3405 1st Saguday 55.5 14,596 263 9 3402 5th  †  Provincial capital Coordinates mark the town center vicinity, and are sorted according to latitude.

Political map of Quirino

Barangays

The 6 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 132 barangays, with Gundaway (Poblacion) in Cabarroguis as the most populous in 2010, and Rang-ayan in Aglipay as the least.

Further information: List of barangays in Quirino

Demographics

Population census of Quirino
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	114,132	—
1995	131,119	+2.63%
2000	148,575	+2.72%
2007	163,610	+1.34%
2010	176,786	+2.86%
Source: National Statistics Office

The population of the province as of the year 2010 census of population was 176,786 with a density of roughly 76 persons per square kilometer of land. The major language is Ilocano, which is widely spoken in the lowlands by 71.46 percent of the total populace. Ifugao is predominant in the uplands. Other languages are Bungkalot, Pangasinan, Kankana-ey, Tagalog, and English.

Religion

Quirino is predominantly Roman Catholic with 70 percent adherence while Aglipayan serves as a significant minority religion. Some people still practice indigenous beliefs. Other Christians are also well represented.

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in the province, with rice and corn as major crops. These supply the demand of neighboring provinces and the metropolis. Banana as well as banana chips are major products sold in Metro Manila and Pampanga. Small scale industries like furniture making, basketry, rattan craft, and dried flower production are prevalent.

Tourist attractions

The quiet province has numerous natural attractions such as waterfalls and caves. It also offers several souvenir-worthy products such as native delicacies, which include Kamias prunes, peanut products, tamarind candy and ginger tea (in the municipality of Saguday), and wooden furniture.

• Nagbukel Cave at Diffun, Quirino is a place for retreats. Local tourists usually visit during the holy week for picnic, hiking, and communing with nature. The place is being maintained and developed by the Lamplighter, a religious sect. The cave is four kilometers away from the capital town.
• Aglipay Caves and Provincial Forest Park is a venue for communing with nature. A series of 38 caves, seven of which have been developed as tourist spots. Located in the midst of rolling hills and verdant forest, the caves boast of peculiar characteristics of their own such as an underground spring and well-preserved stalagmites and stalactites. The caves interlink with each other and run to a depth of about 20 meters.
• Governor Rapids is known for its gigantic perpendicular walls of limestone jutting out from one side of the Cagayan River framing the Sierra Madre Mountains and its swift turbulent deep blue waters is a venue for kayaking, white river rafting, swimming and fishing. The riverside offers a suitable picnic ground with a magnificent view of the river. This part of the region is also home to Agtas or Negritos.
• Aglipay Town is a historic town having patterned its named from Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, a Philippine Independent Church priest who rebelled against the Spanish Colonizers in his time and settled at the banks of Addalam River in Aglipay.
• Nagtipunan Town is the home of lush virgin forest and is being developed as a gateway to Aurora Province through Barangay Sangbay. About 54 kilometers from Cabarroguis, the town is a venue for camping and eco-tourism activities. It is also home to the famous rock formation called Bimmapor, a rock formation similar to a ship’s stern which is about to sink. The area is recommended for rock climbing trekking, swimming, rafting, excursion and fishing, among others. It is less than an hour’s drive from the Municipal Hall where overnight accommodation is available. The Cagayan River this part of the town is suitable for white water rafting, kayaking and fly-fishing.
• Bisangal Falls in Maddela rests on a virgin forestland. The place serves as a sanctuary for endangered species of wildlife and is located 35 kilometers from Cabarroguis, the capital town. The falls offers several drop basins for bathing and picnic huts are available for excursion.
• Mactol Falls/San Pugo Falls - towering falls about 50 meters high spills into a shimmering basin about twenty-two meters deep.
• Jose Ancheta Falls - located at Barangay Jose Ancheta in Maddela, towering at about 30 feet. Located 18 kilometers from the town center and about 10 minutes trek to the falls.
• Casecnan Protected Landscape

External links

• Geographic data related to Quirino at OpenStreetMap
• Official Website of the Provincial Government of Quirino
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Local Governance Performance Management System

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