# Solana, Cagayan

Solana, officially the Municipality of Solana (Ibanag: Ili nat Solana; Itawit: Ili yo Solana; Ilocano: Ili ti Solana; Tagalog: Bayan ng Solana), is a municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,445 people.
The Awidon Mesa Formationa Paleolithic Sites of the municipality, along with the Callao Limestone Formation Paleolithic Sites in neighboring Penablanca, are included in the tentative list of the Philippines for future UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription under the name of Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in Cagayan Valley. The Awidon Mesa Formation has at least 68 Paleolithic sites in which stone tools and fossils of extinct animals that include stegodons, elephants, rhinoceros, and large tortoise were discovered.

## History

Formerly part of Tuguegarao, Solana was formally made an independent town on 18 August 1852. It was named after Governor General Juan Antonio de Urbiztondo, Marquis of La Solana. Prior to that it was called Marague, after a rich widower named Francisco Marague who settled in the area and built a stone house. During the Second World War, the barrio of Andarayan was bombed by American planes on 13 June 1945, killing 50 people.

## Geography

Solana is surrounded by the following: to the east by the Cagayan River, to the north by Amulung, to the south by Enrile, to the southwest by Kalinga province, and to the northwest by Piat and Tuao. Solana is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Tuguegarao and 492 kilometres (306 mi) from Manila.

### Topography

Solana is mostly flat with mountainous terrain on the central area from Barangay Madarallug going north to Barangay Iraga due to the Barung Anticline and Liwan Syncline.
The municipality is bounded by the Cagayan River to the East, Amulung to the North, Enrile to the South and Municipality of Tuao and Piat to the West.
With its proximity in the Cagayan River, it is usually flooded during typhoon season where the river is usually swollen thus providing a fluvial soil good for farming.

### Barangays

Solana is politically subdivided into 38 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
* Andarayan North
* Andarayan South
* Bangag
* Bantay
* Basi East
* Basi West
* Bauan East
* Bauan West
* Cadaanan
* Calamagui
* Calillauan
* Carilucud
* Cattaran
* Centro Northeast (Poblacion)
* Centro Northwest (Poblacion)
* Centro Southeast (Poblacion)
* Centro Southwest (Poblacion)
* Dassun
* Furagui
* Gadu
* Gen. Eulogio Balao
* Iraga
* Lanna
* Lannig
* Lingu
* Maddarulug (Santo Domingo)
* Maguirig
* Malalam-Malacabibi
* Nabbotuan
* Nangalisan
* Natappian East
* Natappian West
* Padul
* Palao
* Parug-parug
* Pataya
* Sampaguita
* Ubong

### Climate

Just like the general climatic conditions of the Philippines, the municipality of Solana's climate is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall.
Based from the Climate Map of PAGASA, the municipality belongs to the Type III Climate with no very pronounced maximum rain period with a dry season lasting only from one to three monthse either from December to February or from March to May.
Climate data for Solana, Cagayan :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25 (77) | 26 (79) | 28 (82) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 28 (82) | 27 (81) | 25 (77) | 29 (84) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21 (70) | 21 (70) | 22 (72) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 23 (74) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 155 (6.1) | 113 (4.4) | 89 (3.5) | 58 (2.3) | 127 (5.0) | 131 (5.2) | 154 (6.1) | 184 (7.2) | 151 (5.9) | 247 (9.7) | 221 (8.7) | 292 (11.5) | 1,922 (75.6) |
| Average rainy days | 19.6 | 14.8 | 13.4 | 12.0 | 19.4 | 19.8 | 23.0 | 25.0 | 23.0 | 19.4 | 19.1 | 21.6 | 230.1 |
| Source: Meteoblue ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1903 | 8,064 | — |
| 1918 | 11,760 | +2.55% |
| 1939 | 17,166 | +1.82% |
| 1948 | 18,758 | +0.99% |
| 1960 | 27,631 | +3.28% |
| 1970 | 34,172 | +2.14% |
| 1975 | 40,553 | +3.49% |
| 1980 | 46,064 | +2.58% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1990 | 56,366 | +2.04% |
| 1995 | 60,346 | +1.29% |
| 2000 | 67,512 | +2.43% |
| 2007 | 71,475 | +0.79% |
| 2010 | 76,596 | +2.55% |
| 2015 | 82,502 | +1.42% |
| 2020 | 88,445 | +1.38% |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority :
In the 2020 census, the population of Solana, Cagayan, was 88,445 people, with a density of 380 inhabitants per square kilometre or 980 inhabitants per square mile.

## Economy

Poverty incidence of Solana
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 50
* 2000 49.76
* 2003 46.74
* 2006 32.80
* 2009 22.52
* 2012 22.72
* 2015 11.91
* 2018 10.72
* 2021 12.23
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

## Government
### Local government

Solana is part of the third 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 Sangguniang Bayan is composed of the (Municipality) Vice Mayor as Presiding Officer, regular Sanggunian members (Councilors), the President of the Association of Barangay Captains and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan. They shall exercise and perform the legislative powers and duties as provided for under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991. Shall consider and conduct thorough study all matters brought to their attention and consequently pass resolutions, enact ordinances and to introduce recommendations.

### Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council (2019–2022) :
| Position | Name |
| Congressman | Joseph L. Lara |
| Mayor | Jennalyn P. Carag |
| Vice-Mayor | Meynard Z. Carag, CPA |
| Councilors | Francsica F. de Asis |
| Councilors | Atty. Carlo Paolo G. Lasam |
| Councilors | Amelia P. Carag |
| Councilors | James C. Mallillin |
| Councilors | Ronald C. Cristobal |
| Councilors | Edilberto A. Edillo |
| Councilors | Angelina L. Fernandez |
| Councilors | Atty. Domingo A. Lagundi Jr. |

### Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council (2022-2025) :
| Position | Name |
| Congressman | Joseph L. Lara |
| Mayor | Jennalyn P. Carag |
| Vice-Mayor | Meynard Z. Carag, CPA |
| Councilors | Ronald C. Cristobal |
| Councilors | Edilberto A. Edillo |
| Councilors | James C. Mallillin |
| Councilors | Francisca F. De Asis |
| Councilors | Atty. Carlo Paolo G. Lasam |
| Councilors | Angelina L. Fernandez |
| Councilors | All B. Ubina |
| Councilors | Amelia P. Carag |

## Education

The Schools Division of Cagayan governs the town's public education system.
It is also in Solana where the SDO office transfer its location after it the division office building located near the Boy Scout of the Philippines – Cagayan Chapter Office and the Cagayan National High School was razed by fire on August 10, 2012. Immediately on the following day, the Office of the Division of Cagayan was temporarily transferred to the defunct DPWH Building at Lingu, Solana, Cagayan until November 15, 2017.
The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.
Solana is currently divided into 3 district namely Solana North, Solana South and Solana West Educational Zone. According to SDO Cagayan, it has 10 public elementary schools in Solana North, 10 public elementary in Solana South and 14 in Solana West Educational Zone
The High school students from the Municipality is also catered by 6 public secondary schools namely Solana Freshwater Fisheries School, Dassun NHS, Andarayan NHS, Solana NHS, Gadu NHS and Sampaguita NHS.
The only Catholic School that serves the area is Saint Vincent Ferrer Institute (SVI) under Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish which offers basic education from elementary to senior high school.
Cagayan State University has also established another campus in the area. By the virtue of Republic Act 11858, the extension campus was converted into a regular campus to be known at Cagayan State University - Solana Campus. The said higher education institution will offer academic programs in Teacher Education, Agriculture, Fisheries, Information and Computing Sciences, and Criminology.

## Gallery

* Old Solana Church
* New Solana Church
* Solana Public Market
* Solana Junction