# San Pablo, Isabela

San Pablo, officially the Municipality of San Pablo (Ibanag: Ili nat San Pablo; Ilocano: Ili ti San Pablo; Tagalog: Bayan ng San Pablo), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,320 people.
San Pablo is 52 kilometres (32 mi) from Ilagan and 450 kilometres (280 mi) from Manila.

## History
### Spanish occupation

San Pablo is the oldest pueblo in the Province of Isabela. The town was founded on 1646 as Maquila by Fr. Pedro de Santo Tomas, making it the oldest town in Isabela and existing before the province's creation. The original name literally means sparkling. It was then renamed to Cabagan, loosely interpreted as the place where people wear "ba-ag" when the Spaniards arrived at the Philippine Islands.
Mengal Baladdon and his troops, disturbed by Fray Pedro Jimenez's success in establishing Christian communities in the Irraya, devastated Cabagan in 1683, killing twelve people and forcing the locals to escape to the mountains. The hamlet was on the point of collapse when the alcalde-mayor of Cagayan rescued it by killing some accomplices and capturing seventy. Their property was confiscated and given to the army.
In 1709, a fire destroyed the Cabagan Church and the convent.

### American occupation

In the 1900s, Cabagan was subdivided into three divisions, namely: Cabagan Viejo, Cabagan Nuevo, and Santa Maria. Cabagan Viejo was then renamed to San Pablo, after its patron saint Paul the Apostle whose feast day is celebrated every January 15. Meanwhile, Cabagan Nuevo became the modern-day Cabagan, while Santa Maria retained its name.

### Japanese occupation

The seat of administration for San Pablo town was moved to Barrio Auitan in 1944, then to Barrio Minanga at the request of the Japanese.

### Philippine independence

In 1959, Mayor Calixtro B. Cauan returned the government center to its former location, which is now the current location.

## Geography
### Barangays

San Pablo is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.  Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
* Annanuman
* Auitan
* Ballacayu
* Binguang (Baculud)
* Bungad
* Dalena
* Caddangan (Limbauan)
* Calamagui
* Caralucud
* Guminga
* Minanga Norte
* Minanga Sur
* San Jose
* Poblacion
* Simanu Norte
* Simanu Sur
* Tupa (San Vicente)

### Climate

Climate data for San Pablo, Isabela :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 32 (90) | 35 (95) | 35 (95) | 35 (95) | 34 (93) | 33 (91) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 28 (82) | 32 (90) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19 (66) | 20 (68) | 21 (70) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 20 (68) | 22 (71) |
| 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: World Weather Online ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1903 | 3,899 | — |
| 1918 | 4,994 | +1.66% |
| 1939 | 6,241 | +1.07% |
| 1948 | 5,700 | −1.00% |
| 1960 | 8,349 | +3.23% |
| 1970 | 11,539 | +3.28% |
| 1975 | 12,402 | +1.46% |
| 1980 | 13,764 | +2.11% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1990 | 16,680 | +1.94% |
| 1995 | 17,122 | +0.49% |
| 2000 | 19,090 | +2.36% |
| 2007 | 20,561 | +1.03% |
| 2010 | 22,040 | +2.56% |
| 2015 | 25,384 | +2.73% |
| 2020 | 26,320 | +0.71% |
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority :
In the 2020 census, the population of San Pablo, Isabela, was 26,320 people, with a density of 41 inhabitants per square kilometre or 110 inhabitants per square mile.

## Economy

Poverty incidence of San Pablo
* 10
* 20
* 30
* 40
* 50
* 2000 46.83
* 2003 33.26
* 2006 24.90
* 2009 19.69
* 2012 24.38
* 2015 20.73
* 2018 18.78
* 2021 19.47
* Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

## Culture

The Baka (Cow) Festival, inaugurated in 2004, is held annually on January 15.

## Government
### Local government

As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials at the provincial and municipal levels are voted by the town. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over most local transactions of the municipal government.
The municipality of San Pablo 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 municipal councilors are elected directly in polls 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 San Pablo Municipal Council (2022-2025) :
| Position | Name |
| District Representative | Antonio T. Albano |
| Municipal Mayor | Antonio N. Miro Jr. |
| Municipal Vice-Mayor | Antonio Jose T. Miro III |
| Municipal Councilors | Jannina P. Rance |
| Municipal Councilors | Roman Sebastian S. Lim-Gollayan |
| Municipal Councilors | Cherry S. Cureg |
| Municipal Councilors | William Carl C. Valdepeñas |
| Municipal Councilors | Samson B. Cammayo |
| Municipal Councilors | Mark Joseff Serrano |
| Municipal Councilors | Allan C. Malayao |
| Municipal Councilors | Leo Yule C. Balabbo |

#### Past chief executives

According to accessible documents, the three Capitan Municipals of San Pablo served in the latter half of Spanish administration when Cabagan Viejo was re-established. These were the Municipal Presidents during the American period.
* Don Juan S. Gollayan (1884-1889)
* Don Salvador Cauan (1890-1895)
* Don Agripino Cammayo (1896-1899)
* Don Antonio Pagulayan (1900-1903)
* Don Thomas Gollayan (19041907)
* Don Ventura Santos Guzman (1908-1910)
* Don Salvador Tumaliuan (19111914)
* Don Agustin Miro (1915-1918)
* Don Angel Cammayo (1919-1922)
* Don Valeriano Palattao (1923-1925)
* Don Anacleto Pagulayan (1926-1931)
* Don Antonio Cauan (1932-1936)
* Don Agustin Mesa (1937-1938)
San Pablo's municipal mayors during the Commonwealth period, Japanese occupation, and the Third Republic include
* Hon. Manuel Masigan (1938–1940)
* Hon. Marciano Nolasco Castañeda (1941-1942 and 1945-1946)
* Hon. Melecio Antonio (1942–1943 appointed)
* Hon. Jose Guzman (1943–1944 appointed)
* Hon. Jesus Gollayan (1946–1947 appointed)
* Hon. Jose L. Tumaliuan (1948–1950)
* Hon. Hon. Aniceto Palattao (born 1951)
* Calixtro B. Cauan (1952-1955, 1956-1959 and 1960-1963)
* Hon. Cayetano N. Cauan (1964-1967, 1968-1971, 1972-1980, and 1980–1986)
These were the municipal mayors during the Fifth Republic, under the 1987 constitution:
* Hon. Antonio N. Miro, Jr. (1986-1987 OIC, 2004-2007, 2007-2010, 2010-2013, and 2016–present)
* Hon. Roy Umayam (1987–1988)
* Hon. Cayetano A. Cauan, Jr. (1988-1992; 1992-1995)
* Hon. Edwardson B. Tumaliuan (1995-1998, 1998-2001)
* Hon. Celia M. Aragon (2001–2004)
* Hon. Antonio Jose T. Miro III (2013–2016).

### Congress representation

San Pablo, belonging to the first legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Antonio T. Albano.

## Education

The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system. 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.