Divilacan

Divilacan
Municipality
Municipality of Divilacan
Aerial view of Divilacan after Typhoon Megi (Juan) in October 2010
Flag Seal
Map of Isabela with Divilacan highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Divilacan Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°20′N 122°18′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley
Province	Isabela
District	1st district
Founded	June 21, 1969[1]
Barangays	12 (see Barangays)
Government  [2]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Venturito C. Bulan
• Vice Mayor	Alfredo P. Custodio
• Representative	Antonio T. Albano
• Electorate	4,053 voters (2022)
Area [3]
• Total	889.49 km^2 (343.43 sq mi)
Elevation	46 m (151 ft)
Highest elevation	344 m (1,129 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[4]
• Total	5,827
• Density	6.6/km^2 (17/sq mi)
• Households	1,449
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	24.60 % (2021)[5]
• Revenue	₱ 224.1 million (2020)
• Assets	₱ 424.7 million (2020)
• Expenditure	₱ 164.7 million (2020)
• Liabilities	₱ 66.2 million (2020)
Service provider
• Electricity	Isabela 2 Electric Cooperative (ISELCO 2)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3335
PSGC	023111000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)78
Native languages	Ibanag Ilocano Kasiguranin Paranan Tagalog

Divilacan [ˌdiviˈlakan], officially the Municipality of Divilacan (Ibanag: Ili nat Divilacan; Ilocano: Ili ti Divilacan; Tagalog/Kasiguranin: Bayan ng Divilacan), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 5,827 people.^[4]

Etymology

Divilacan was derived from the native Casiguran Dumagat Agta compound word vilacan, meaning "fish and shell." The word di implies origin. Therefore, Divilacan literally means “where fish and shells abound.”

History

Divilacan was a former barrio of Tumauini. It became a separate municipality on June 21, 1969, by virtue of Republic Act No. 5776.^[6]

On April 12, 2024, the town is declared an insurgency-free municipality from the influence of CPP, NPA, and NDF, along with Maconacon.^[7]

On October 24, 2024, Severe Tropical Storm Trami (Kristine) made landfall to this town causing big destruction along with other cities/municipalities.

Geography

Divilacan is one of the four coastal municipalities of the province of Isabela facing the Philippine Sea to the east.

The town is bounded to the north by Maconacon, Tumauini to the west, Ilagan to the southwest, Palanan to the south and the Philippine Sea to the east.

Barangays

Divilacan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays. ^[8] Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Dicambangan
• Dicaruyan
• Dicatian
• Bicobian
• Dilakit
• Dimapnat
• Dimapula (Poblacion)
• Dimasalansan
• Dipudo
• Dibulos
• Ditarum
• Sapinit

Climate

Climate data for Divilacan, Isabela
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28.1 (82.6)	29.5 (85.1)	30.7 (87.3)	32.4 (90.3)	33.8 (92.8)	33.8 (92.8)	33.1 (91.6)	32.8 (91.0)	32.3 (90.1)	31.3 (88.3)	29.6 (85.3)	28.3 (82.9)	31.3 (88.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	19.9 (67.8)	20.0 (68.0)	21.9 (71.4)	23.1 (73.6)	24.1 (75.4)	24.4 (75.9)	24.3 (75.7)	24.2 (75.6)	23.9 (75.0)	23.5 (74.3)	22.1 (71.8)	21.0 (69.8)	22.7 (72.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	31.2 (1.23)	23 (0.9)	27.7 (1.09)	28.1 (1.11)	113.5 (4.47)	141.4 (5.57)	176.4 (6.94)	236.6 (9.31)	224.9 (8.85)	247.7 (9.75)	222.9 (8.78)	178 (7.0)	1,651.4 (65)
Average rainy days	10	6	5	5	13	12	15	15	15	17	16	15	144
Source: Climate-Data.org (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[9]

Demographics

Population census of Divilacan

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1970	563	—
1975	1,207	+16.53%
1980	1,859	+9.02%
1990	2,479	+2.92%
1995	2,593	+0.85%
2000	3,413	+6.07%
2007	4,602	+4.21%
2010	5,034	+3.32%
2015	5,687	+2.35%
2020	5,827	+0.48%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13]

In the 2020 census, the population of Divilacan was 5,827 people,^[4] with a density of 6.6 inhabitants per square kilometre or 17 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Divilacan

10 20 30 40 50 2006 25.30 2009 23.58 2012 45.72 2015 26.15 2018 47.58 2021 24.60 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Divilacan Bay with Divilacan in the background and Maconacon in the foreground.

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials in the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the town. The provincial government have political jurisdiction over local transactions of the municipal government.

The municipality of Divilacan 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 the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.

Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.

Elected officials

Members of the Divilacan Municipal Council
(2022-2025)^[22]

Position	Name
District Representative	Antonio T. Albano
Municipal Mayor	Venturito C. Bulan
Municipal Vice-Mayor	Alfredo P. Custodio
Municipal Councilors	Melvin Dan C. Bulan
	Olegario S. Cortez
	Hercleo T. Limboy
	Cesar P. Tabbada
	Fredirick O. Custodio
	Marina G. Equias
	Antonio b. Singueo
	Erlinda C. Factora

Congress representation

Divilacan, belonging to the first legislative district of the province of Isabela, is currently represented by Antonio T. Albano.^[23]

Education

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system.^[24] The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley.^[25] The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.

Infrastructure

Divilacan is accessible via sea and air. The town is served by the Maconacon Airport in the neighboring town of Maconacon which connects this isolated town to Cauayan Airport, in Cauayan.

The construction of an 82-kilometer Ilagan–Divilacan Road through the protected Sierra Madre mountains is on-going to open access to the coastal towns of Divilacan, Palanan, and Maconacon. The approved budget contract of the project amounting to P1.5B, will pass through the foothills of the 359,486-hectare Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The project will improve an old logging road used by a defunct logging company until the 1990s. It will start in Barangay Sindon Bayabo in Ilagan City and will end in Barangay Dicatian in this town. The project is started in March 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2024.^[26]

References

1. "Divilacan Executive Summary 2021" (PDF). Commission on Audit - coa.gov.ph. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
2.  Municipality of Divilacan | (DILG)
3. "2015 Census of Population, Report No. 3 – Population, Land Area, and Population Density" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Quezon City, Philippines. August 2016. ISSN 0117-1453. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
4. Census of Population (2020). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
5. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
6. "Republic Act No. 5776, June 21, 1969: An Act Creating Certain Municipal Districts in the Province of Isabela". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
7. Felina, Jayson (April 15, 2024). "Mga residente ng Coastal Towns ng Isabela ikinatuwa ang pagiging insurgency free na ng kanilang bayan". Bombo Radyo. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
8. "Province: Isabela". PSGC Interactive. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
9. "Divilacan, Isabela: Average Temperatures and Rainfall". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
10. Census of Population (2015). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
11. Census of Population and Housing (2010). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)" (PDF). Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
12. Censuses of Population (1903–2007). "Region II (Cagayan Valley)". Table 1. Population Enumerated in Various Censuses by Province/Highly Urbanized City: 1903 to 2007. National Statistics Office.
13. "Province of Isabela". Municipality Population Data. Local Water Utilities Administration Research Division. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
14. "Poverty incidence (PI):". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
15. "Estimation of Local Poverty in the Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 29 November 2005.
16. "2003 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 23 March 2009.
17. "City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates; 2006 and 2009" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 3 August 2012.
18. "2012 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. 31 May 2016.
19. "Municipal and City Level Small Area Poverty Estimates; 2009, 2012 and 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 10 July 2019.
20. "PSA Releases the 2018 Municipal and City Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
21. "PSA Releases the 2021 City and Municipal Level Poverty Estimates". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
22. "Divilacan, Isabela Election Results 2022". Rappler PH. ph.rappler.com. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
23. "House of Representatives: 19th Congress". Official Website of the House of Representatives PH. congress.gov.ph. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
24. "HISTORY OF DEPED-ISABELA". DepED Isabela. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
25. "DEPED REGIONAL OFFICE NO. 02". DepED RO2. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12.
26. "P2.3-B Isabela road link completed soon". The Manila Times. January 4, 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.

External links

• Municipal Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines Archived 2017-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
• Divilacan at the Isabela Government Website
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information