Ilagan

The town was then called by its native Gaddang settlers as Bolo during the pre-Spanish conquest era. It is one of the populous settlements during that period and the site of the vast tobacco plantation in the region making it one of the most important economic areas in northern Luzon.

In 1581, Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa sent Capt. Juan Pablo Carreon to explore Cagayan Valley as well as to establish missions. Among the Spanish missionaries who penetrated deeply into the region was Pedro Jimenez, who founded Ilagan.

The town of Bolo was founded by the Dominicans in 1619 in honor of Saint Ferdinand of Castile. The old Bolo was situated on the western side of Cagayan River in what is known today as barangay Naguilian-Baculod. The cultural shock brought by the dominating social and economic regulations introduced by the Spanish authorities propelled the natives to dissent in the Mallig and the Ilagan-Tumauini territories in what was known as the Gaddang Revolution. The natives abandoned their settlement after burning their church and houses until 1622 when the Spanish government pardoned and exempted them from paying tribute within three years. After the Gaddang revolt, the natives re-established their settlement upon the efforts of Fr. Pedro Jimenez in 1678 on the east side of the river thereby giving the legendary name for Ilagan which is the reverse of the word nagali meaning move or transfer. The Dominicans accepted the settlement as an ecclesiastical mission given the name San Fernando de Ilagan in honor of its patron, Saint Ferdinand of Castile.

On May 4, 1686, Ilagan was founded and missionaries converted the natives to Christianity. Ilagan was made the capital town of Cagayan Valley when Brig. Manuel Sanchez Mira was then the governor of the whole territory.

In 1763, Ilagan was the scene of the revolt led by Dabo and Juan Marayag[18] against the collection of tribute, the enforcement of tobacco monopoly committed by the friars during the Spanish colonization.

On May 1, 1856, Ilagan became the capital town when Isabela de Luzon was founded.

Present-day Ilagan is an area that was detached from the old province of Nueva Vizcaya. The first municipal president of the town, Rafael Maramag, added luster to the history of his hometown by becoming the first governor of the province of Isabela after its reorganization by the Americans in 1901.

On August 4, 1901, the American occupation under the United States-Philippine Commission enacted the Provincial Government Act 210 that re-established Isabela and other provinces in the Philippines. Rafael Maramag, a former municipal president (mayor) of Ilagan was appointed as the first governor. The act then re-established Ilagan as the provincial capital.

On November 13, 1925, Gaffud approved a resolution filed by all Municipal Presidents of the Isabela (the counterpart of the present-day Mayors' League) following a four-day convention. The resolution called for the erection of a monument in honor of the country's National Hero José Rizal in Ilagan public plaza located in barangay Bagumbayan.

The fortunes of Isabela as a province and Ilagan as a town followed a similar path to the rest of the country's history as a commonwealth nation and as a free republic in 1942, the Japanese occupation, liberation, political and military independence to this day.

On June 19, 1945, Ilagan was liberated from the Japanese Army as part of the liberation campaign with the combined forces of 14th Infantry, United States Army Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon (USAFIP-NL), under the command of Lt Col. Romulo A. Manriquez, and the 37th Division of the U.S. Sixth Army against the Japanese.[19]

During this era, a man-made tunnel was constructed from the sweat and blood of detained Ilagueños and it is now a tourist destination in the city.[20] The tunnels are believed to have served as headquarters of the Japanese soldiers.[21]

By the turn of the 1950s, the new Poblacion was located uphill from the old Saint Ferdinand Parish Church, formerly known as Saint Ferdinand Cathedral in barangay Bagumbayan to barangay San Vicente, which is the site of the current City Hall.[22]

When Ferdinand Marcos' September 1972 declaration of Martial Law began 14 years of authoritarian rule, the province of Isabela - including Ilagan - became a center of both conflict and protest when Marcos cronies Danding Cojuangco and Antonio Carag managed to block a Spanish-era grant which was supposed to see the return of Hacienda San Antonio and Hacienda Santa Isabel in Ilagan to local farmers. Cojuangco and Carag purchased the two haciendas themselves, displacing tens of thousands of farmers who were supposed to get those lands back a hundred years after the Spanish acquired them.[23]

In its desire to serve its parishioners, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan hosted a Social Action Center which would help the farmers. In the Social Action Center's newsletter, the "Courier," researcher Sabino Padilla Jr. documented and exposed the ways by which Cojuangco, Carag, the provincial government, and the military harassed the farmers who were supposed to get the land. This all led to a protest march in joined by 12,000 protesters from all over Isabela, and eventually, for 4,000 farmers to finally get the titles to their land. But it also earned the ire of the administration.[23][24]

In 1982, Padilla and 12 others were arrested by the regime and jailed under poor conditions at the Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya Stockade of the Philippine Constabulary until almost the end of the Marcos regime.[23]

In 1983, soldiers went as far as to raid the residence of the Bishop of Ilagan, Miguel Purugganan, in search of alleged rebels and firearms. They found none but continued to keep Bishop Puruggananan and the church workers under him under military surveillance.[24]

Ilagan has attempted to gain cityhood status at least three times in its history:

• On February 2, 1998, congress passed Republic Act No. 8474 which sought to convert Ilagan into a city.[25] But the plebiscite[26] held on March 14, 1999, turned down its bid for cityhood. The majority of the people voted no in that event.[27]
• On March 2, 2005, House bill no. 3847 was filed and approved by the house and transmitted for the cityhood of Ilagan but remained pending concurrence in the senate.[28] The bill did not go through when mayor Delfinito Albano was gunned down by three unidentified men in the night of June 27, 2006, in Quezon City.[29][30] The campaign used the term C-U-DAD Ilagan for the cityhood status of Ilagan.
• On February 27, 2012, Ilagan renewed its bid for cityhood as sponsored by house bill no. 5917.[31] Local officials of the town expressed support for the town's conversion into a city.[32][33] On May 22, 2012, the congress approved the cityhood bill of Ilagan on its House Resolution No. 144 and was signed by then President Benigno Aquino III on June 21, 2012.[34] Plebiscite was held on August 11, 2012,[35] with a majority of votes voting yes. By virtue of Republic Act 10169,[36] Ilagan was then proclaimed as a new component city, the third in the province of Isabela and the fourth in Cagayan Valley on the same day by COMELEC Commissioner Armando Velasco.[37][38]

2012 Ilagan Cityhood Plebiscite

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	54,512	95.51
No	2,386	4.18
Valid votes	56,898	99.69%
Invalid or blank votes	177	0.31%
Total votes	57,075	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	83,511	68.34%
Source: Plebiscite result from the COMELEC via Inquirer.

On August 28, 2019, the city government created the Ilagan Development Authority (ILAGANDA)[39] which is aimed to transform Ilagan into a liveable city in the year 2030.[40]

Ilagan City is politically subdivided into 91 barangays, the highest number of barangays in the province. [41] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Currently, 13 barangays in the city are considered urban (highlighted in bold). Barangays are grouped into 4 clusters, namely Centro Poblacion Cluster, Northeastern Cluster, San Antonio Cluster, and Western Cluster.[42][43]

As of December 31, 2022,[44] the following barangays are considered urban: Alibagu, Baculud, Bagumbayan, Baligatan, Calamagui 1st, Calamagui 2nd, Centro Poblacion, Guinatan, Imelda Bliss Village, Osmeña, San Vicente, Santa Barbara, and Santa Isabel Sur.[45][43]

Ilagan River and Ilagan City from above.

Of the total 1,166.26 km² land area of Ilagan; 31% are agricultural, 36% are forest areas, and the remaining 33% are built-up areas and open grassland areas that are available for industrial, commercial and residential uses.[46] Of all cities in the country, Ilagan ranks as the top producer of corn.[47] As an agriculture-based city, it produces ample supply of corn, rice, vegetables, and legumes. Fruits like bananas are year-round products, especially in the mountainous areas of the city. Ilagan also produces seasonal fruits such as mangoes and pomelo. The Cagayan Valley Research Center (CVRC) is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that serves as the primary plant breeding institution in Cagayan Valley.[48] It is one of the Bureau of Agricultural Research’s active partners in research and development in the region.[49][50] It is located in barangay San Felipe along National Highway. Ilagan has rich forest resources. Hectares of forest land are strictly protected by authorities like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), several NGOs, and the Local Government Unit.

Ilagan has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) with consistently hot temperatures year-round, a dry season from January to April, and a wet season from May to December.

The rapid increase of the population in Ilagan is attributed to the current growth of economic activities especially in the sectors of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Housing. Ilagan is one of the 145 emerging cities in the Philippines with more than 100,000 residents.[56] Statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that Ilagan had a population 131,24311 in 2007, which increased to 135,174 people in the 2010 census making Ilagan as the most populous city in the province of Isabela and the second in Cagayan Valley after Tuguegarao. In the 2020 census, the population of Ilagan, was 158,218 people,[10] with a density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre or 360 inhabitants per square mile.

Ilagueños today reflect a combination of indigenous, Chinese, and Hispanic descent. The core community was composed of tribes notably the Agta, Ibanag, Gaddang, Yogad, and Kalinga which mirrors the habitation of the Philippines believed to have started 26,000 years ago with various strains of Aetas, then Indonesians coming 5,000 years ago and the Malays in droves starting 200 years B.C. up to 1500 A.D. Trade and cultural relations with Chinese preceded the 16th-century incursion of the Spaniards. Ilocanos who already developed their own distinct traits were recorded to have migrated massively in the 19th century owing to the accessibility of the land and vast opportunities in the area straddling the present-day provinces of Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya. It was proclaimed a province by a Royal Decree and Named Isabela de Luzon on the first day of May in 1856.

Ilagan is dominated by the use of Ibanag and Ilocano languages. Tagalog is also used as verbal communication channel between Ibanag and Ilocano speakers. English is used primarily in communication for government publications, local newsprints, road signs, and commercial signs and in doing official business transactions in the city.

Ilagan's population is predominantly Roman Catholic. The Diocese of Ilagan has 39 catholic churches all over the province of Isabela. Its former seat was in Saint Ferdinand Parish then it is now transferred to the Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel in Gamu, Isabela.

There are also Protestants, Baptist, Church of Christ, Adventists, Born Again groups, Victory Christian Fellowship, Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, and Philippine-based groups like Iglesia ni Cristo and Members Church of God International that accounts to the city's population. These religious organizations have their own temples and churches sparsely located in the city.

There are several food and beverage companies in the city. The largest of which is the Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI)[70] which operates a softdrink bottling plant in Barangay Guinatan. Another is a vinegar and soy sauce fermentation company locally known as 'Best Choice', which is operated and owned by Robelly's Food Products[71] and also the Jack Confectionery, which operates a wine fermentation plant. There are 15 bakeries/bakeshops and 1 ice cream/ice drop company. Aside from the increasing number of local cafés, restaurants, and several multi-national fast-food companies opened their respective branch[es] in the city.

One major industry in Ilagan is furniture making. Several furniture shops, located along the National Highway in barangays Alinguigan 2nd and Alinguigan 3rd, manufacture and sell furniture made of quality narra wood. These barangays were dubbed as "Butaka City" of Ilagan,[72][73] where the Guinness Book of Records' entry for the biggest lounge chair in the world, the Butaka, was manufactured.[74]

Ilagan became one of the largest producers of tobacco during the Spanish time. The tobacco monopoly caused the valley to languish in poverty from 1785 to 1797. The lifting of the monopoly was caused by the heavy loss incurred by the government. A royal decree was released in 1882 which aimed to abolish the monopoly and attracted foreign capitalists to invest in the country. In Ilagan, the Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas also known as La Tabacalera was established in 1881 and produced the famous La Flor de la Isabela[75] which was the largest company of its kind in the world at that time. The Tabacalera acquired two haciendas in Ilagan which were Hacienda San Antonio and Hacienda Santa Isabel. The majority of the western barangays of the city are planting tobacco other than rice, corn, and high-value crops.[76][77] The National Tobacco Administration is the attached agency under the Department of Agriculture that is mandated to conduct series of efficacy trials, scientific experiments and tests on new agricultural products, inputs, systems, and processes being introduced. They recommend and certify the applicability and efficacy of the recommended tobacco technologies. Its provincial field office is located at Barangay Osmeña.[78]

• Most of the industries in the city are agri-based. For the last ten years, there has been a great number of local investment in poultry and hog raising. There are seven poultry contract growers and 33 small and medium-scale hog raisers in Ilagan. Other support facilities, warehouses, and small rice mills, strategically located in different barangays of Ilagan address the storage needs of farmers during the harvest season.
• The Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 2 (DA-RFO2) and the city government of Ilagan had agreed to establish an I-Corn Complex worth P196.7 million. The agreement was reached after a consultation meeting led by the DA Region 2 officials and representatives from other concerned government agencies. The Department of Agriculture will provide P107 million while the city government of Ilagan will provide P89.7 million for the said complex that will serve as a one-stop agri-commercial center once completed. The I-Corn Complex will serve Ilagueño corn farmers including those from Isabela and the rest of Cagayan Valley. The establishment of the facility is also aimed to solve problems in corn production, particularly drying during the wet season. The construction of the corn complex is in support of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), which aims to strengthen the agri-fisheries sector in a modernized perspective to attain food security, poverty alleviation, income enhancement and profitability, global competitiveness, and sustainability. The complex is designed to be used as a post-harvest, processing, and research facility that will ensure product quality and thus boost the income of farmers. It is expected to be operational by February 2024 with the operation of the Corn Innovation Center whose construction and implementation started in January 2023. The mechanical drying facility as one of its components will help farmers cope with losses and damage during calamities. The said corn complex facility is located at Barangay Marana 1st, where the city government donated the lot for the construction.[79][80][81]

On June 23, 2023, the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI), Isabela State University (ISU) - City of Ilagan Campus, DOST - Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST PCIEERD), DOST Region II, City Government of Ilagan, and the Provincial Government of Isabela inaugurated the P40 million Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Center in the province of Isabela.[82] The production and innovation facility located at the Isabela State University (ISU) - City of Ilagan Campus is under the DOST-GIA project - DOST Inclusive Innovation Textiles Empowering Lives Anew or i2TELA Program, which is the first of its kind in Northern Luzon.[83][84][85] The establishment of the facility is aimed to strengthen the local textile ecosystem and bridge the gaps in textile supply chain by enabling the conversion of natural raw materials into spinnable fibers for yarns from blends of natural fibers including abaca, banana, bamboo and pineapple leaf, in combination with cotton. It is designed to operate as a micro-scale yarn-spinning facility that can produce 50 kilograms of yarn per day, which is equivalent to 270 meters of handloom fabrics.[86][87]

There are nine motor vehicle assembly shops in Ilagan; five jeepney assembly shops and four tricycle side-car makers. These motor vehicle assembly shops respond to the increasing need for transportation services in the city.

The city has various tourism sceneries, both natural and man-made, appealing to local and foreign tourists.[88][89][90]

• Ilagan Sanctuary[91][92] is a 200-hectare protected area located within the 819-hectare Fuyot Springs National Park along the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range in Barangay Santa Victoria, fifteen kilometers away from the city proper.[93] Attractions inside the park include prayer mountain, bird viewing, Butterfly park, animal kingdom (mini zoo), natural spring pool, boating & kayaking, wall-climbing & rappelling, cable car & tree-top adventure, 350-meter long & 700-meter high zipline,[94] 1.5-kilometer hike to Pinzal Falls, and the 400-meter limestone caves.[95][96][97] Some activities in the sanctuary will require you to ride on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).[98][99]
• Abuan River is the main river of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. It has an average elevation of 82 meters above sea level,[100] and feeds the Abuan watershed in the city. Tourists and visitors can explore the diverse animal and plant life in one of the country’s remaining lush virgin forests.[101][102]
• Burmurbur Falls is a small, newly discovered waterfall located in a secluded area within Barangay Sindon Bayabo.[90][103]

• Ilagan Japanese Tunnel is a former war tunnel located in Barangay Santo Tomas. It served as the headquarters of a military base built by the Japanese during World War II and is about 40 meters by 3.66 meters wide but has yet to be fully scaled and explored.[104][105]
• The Old Capitol Building, now the Isabela Museum and Library, is a museum and a library located in Barangay Calamagui 2nd. It displays artifacts that preserve and give insight into Isabela's natural and cultural history such as fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, photographs, paintings, sculptures, other visual arts, dioramas, and miniature models of provincial landmarks, among others.[90][106]
• Queen Isabela Park, also known as Skypark, is a park in Barangay Alibagu whose centerpiece is the Queen Isabela II Monument, a sculpture of Queen Isabela II of Spain surrounded by sculptures of deceased Isabelan leaders and heroes.[90][107]
• Bonifacio Park is a small park featuring the Giant Butaka, the largest wooden lounge chair in the world.[108][109]
• Ilagan's Rizal Park is a scaled-down version of the Rizal Park in Manila, located in Barangay Centro Poblacion. Aside from a replica of the Rizal Monument,[90] it also features three old church bells from Saint Ferdinand Parish Church, among others.
• Saint Ferdinand Parish is a parish church dating back to 1870 dedicated to Saint Ferdinand, Ilagan's patron saint. It is one of the oldest churches in Isabela, located beside Saint Ferdinand College and Rizal Park.[90][110]
• Balai na Ilagan, also known as Friendship Hall, is a multipurpose hall and former convent within the diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, set up by Stewards and Friends of Ilagan Inc. to give Ilagueños a communal space to nurture the artistic talents of Ilagan's residents. It celebrates art and culture in the province of Isabela.[111]

Aggaw na Ilagan or Ilagan Day is celebrated annually every May 4.[113][114] It was the date when Ilagan was founded as a town.[115][116]

A native rice cake prepared year-round in Ilagan.[117][118][119][120] It was during the administration of then Mayor Albano that Binallay Festival became the official festivity of Ilagan but was later replaced by the Mammangui Festival.[121]

Celebrated every August 11.[122][123] The city government celebrated the first anniversary of Ilagan's cityhood charter in 2013.[124] On August 11, 2015, marked another day in the history of Ilagan as the Department of Agriculture proclaimed the city as the new Corn Capital[125] of the Philippines during its third cityhood anniversary.[126]

Celebrated during the last week of May; Mammangi is an Ibanag word meaning the harvest or planting of corn. It honors the farmers who are the real foundation of Ilagan's economy and is celebrated as a thanksgiving activity for a good harvest. In 2011, General Ordinance No. 33 promulgated during the administration of then Mayor Diaz ordained Mammangui Festival as the official festivity of Ilagan to be celebrated on the month of May.[127][128][129]

As a predominantly Catholic nation, the culture of observing the feast days of the most venerated Roman Catholic icons is widespread in the Philippines. In Ilagan, the city celebrates the feast day of its patron, San Fernando, every May 30[130] including the celebration of the town fiesta.[131]

Film director Romm Burlat is set to produce Pira-Pirasong Pangarap, an upcoming film biography that will portray the interesting and inspiring story of the current mayor Josemarie L. Diaz as a political leader. Gabby Concepcion, popular drama actor will portray as the mayor in the upcoming movie.[132]

In 1993, Ilagan hosted the Palarong Pambansa[133] (National Games) and in 2011 the SCUAA National Olympics.[134][135] It was held at the Isabela Sports Complex.[136][137] The sports complex was erected by the National Government and local officials during the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos as a permanent facility for the province of Isabela, in barangay Alibagu, Ilagan, the capital. The impressive facility of 50 hectares, on which has built a stadium with a 39,000 seating capacity, likewise has an athlete's village for housing participants. Some of the houses for the athlete's village were donated by certain civic-minded citizens and organizations who were approached by the officials of the province through the initiative of the late former Isabela Governor Benjamin G. Dy. The complex is also equipped with a basketball court, volleyball courts, swimming pool, badminton courts, tennis courts, a sepak takraw court, an oval rubber track, and a baseball field.

Ilagan Sports Complex

The City of Ilagan Sports Complex (formerly called Paguirigan Memorial Athletic Stadium) is a sports facility equipped with modern rubber tracks, basketball, volleyball, badminton, and tennis courts, concrete bleachers, and a new swimming pool that was built to accommodate major sports and athletic events such as the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) meet held in 2016 and 2017.[138][139][140] It was the chosen venue by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), Inc. for the 2017, 2018[141] and 2019[142] Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships,[143] 12th[144] and 14th South East Asia Youth Athletics Championship[145][146] and the 2017 Philippine National Open Invitational Athletics Championship, where world class athletes from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Laos, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Fil-Am contingent, Philippine Team and the host City of Ilagan team participated in the said event.[147][148] It is the first city outside Metro Manila to have hosted the championships for 2 years in a row,[149] first and only Philippine city in this decade to have an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) certified track and field competition venue, first host city to stage the international format of athletics competition and the first host city to have organized the championships integrating entertainment and the thrill of sports competition.[150][151][152]

• On January 11, 2019, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that Ilagan will be hosting the 2019 Batang Pinoy Luzon qualifying leg sports competition; it was held on March 16–23, 2019.[153] Batang Pinoy is a national competition for athletes under fifteen years old and was established through Executive Order No. 44, which was signed by then President Joseph Estrada on December 2, 1998.[154][155][156]
• In May 2022, Ilagan hosted the Philta National Youth Tennis Circuit 2022 and the Little League North Luzon baseball championship national sports events. The delegates for baseball are from the city of Ilagan, the municipality of Divilacan in Isabela, the provinces of Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ilocos Norte, and Zambales. While for tennis, the delegates are from the city of Manila, provinces of Palawan, Nueva Ecija, and Quirino, the cities of Santiago and Cauayan, municipalities of Roxas and Alicia in Isabela. It was held on May 23–29, 2022 at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex.[157][158]
• In February 2023, Ilagan hosted the Baseball Little League Philippine Games.[159] An estimated number of 2,000 delegates composed of athletes, coaches and chairpersons from North and South Luzon including National Capital Region participated in the sports event held on February 5–12, 2023 at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex.[160][161] The 2023 Little League Philippines National Finals was also held in Ilagan on April 9–16, 2023.[162][163] The final leg of the 2023 Philippine Baseball Series was joined by 63 teams from regional tournaments in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.[164][165]
• In March 2023, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), Inc. management has chosen the City of Ilagan as the venue of the International Container Terminal Services Incorporated (ICTSI) - sponsored Philippine Athletic Championships where delegations from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Iraq converged in the city to compete for 165 medals in 80 athletic sports events.[166][167] The 5-day sports competition was held at the City of Ilagan Sports Complex on March 22–26, 2023.[168][169][170] The 2023 Cagayan Valley Regional Association of State Universities and Colleges (CaVRASUC) games and Socio-Cultural Festival was also held in Ilagan on March 27–30, 2023.[171][172][173] The annual sports event was participated by an estimate of 1,500 student athletes, coaches and officials from the different delegations of state universities and colleges in the Cagayan Valley region which included Isabela State University, Quirino State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University, Batanes State College and Philippine Normal University - North Luzon campus.[174][175]
• The 2023 Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association (CAVRAA) meet was held in Ilagan on April 23–28, 2023.[176][177] An estimate of almost 7,000 delegates and technical officials from the provinces of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan, Batanes and the cities of Ilagan, Santiago, Tuguegarao, and Cauayan participated in the annual sports event that was hosted by the DepEd Schools Division of the City of Ilagan and the city government.[178][179][180]

The City of Ilagan Community Center is a government facility that was built to accommodate indoor events such as basketball games, badminton and volleyball tournaments, cheerdance competitions, concerts, and other important activities.[181][182] The community center is now fully airconditioned. The SK Federation in Ilagan has a yearly basketball tournament for the youth of the city.[183] The facility is being used for meeting and serving as a vaccination site.[184]

Table tennis is also a popular sport in the city. It is played regularly in Ping-Pong Central in Francisca Village, Baligatan, and hosted by the Table Tennis Association of Ilagan (TATAC-Ilagan).[185] Regular ranking tournament is held monthly among residents of Ilagan. The open tournament is held annually.[186]

The only golf course[187] in Isabela is located in Ilagan. This golf course has produced several World Junior Golf Champions.

As a component city and the capital of the Province of Isabela, government officials at the provincial level are voted by the electorates of the city. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over the local transactions of the city government.

The city of Ilagan is governed by a city mayor designated as its local chief executive and by a city council as its legislative body per the Local Government Code. The mayor, vice mayor, and councilors are elected directly by the people through an election that is held every three years.

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

The city seal has an inscription of the city name "City of Ilagan" and the name of the province "Isabela" with the year 1686 as the foundation of the town and 2012 as the year of its cityhood declaration. Another inscription which is written in Latin words Vox populi, Vox Dei, meaning "the voice of the people, the voice of God". The mountain represents the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the longest mountain ranges in the Philippines. The rivers represent the Cagayan River and Ilagan River. The Ilagan River flows westward from the Sierra Madre, joining the Cagayan River. The buildings represent the urbanization of the city with the municipal logo. The corn represents the city as the corn capital of the Philippines which is one of the major agricultural products of the city. Barangays also have their own seals which represent themselves.

There were 28 municipal mayors during its municipal period since 1904. The first municipal mayor was Rafael Maramag who served the town from 1904 to 1906. Its first city mayor is Josemarie L. Diaz from 2012 to 2016.

Mayor of the City of Ilagan
Seal of the City of Ilagan
Incumbent Josemarie L. Diaz since June 30, 2019 (2nd term)
Appointer	Elected via popular vote (maximum of three consecutive terms)
Term length	3 years
Formation	1904
Website	www.ilagan-isabela.gov.ph

Ilagan belongs to the first legislative district of the province of Isabela. Currently, the city is represented by Antonio T. Albano in the House of Representatives.[190]

Ilagan is linked by a national highway called Maharlika Highway (designated as Asian Highway 26, AH26 by Asian Highway Network). Ilagan's longest bridge is the Malalam Bridge in barangay Malalam going north, which was inaugurated on December 8, 1995.[191]

Ilagan is the only place in the Cagayan Valley Region that considers jeepneys as one of the primary means of public transportation within its vicinity and neighboring municipalities.[192][193] There are 432 Jeepneys used as the major public transportation in Ilagan with corresponding routes from Centro-Calamagui-Alibagu-Upi junction-Guibang vice versa, Centro-Calamagui-Bliss Village-Salindingan vice versa, Centro-San Antonio region vice versa, Centro-Bintacan vice versa, and neighboring towns Ilagan-Gamu-Burgos-Roxas vice versa, plus 4,000 tricycle units and few bus companies. Each company operates a fleet of air conditioned buses with daily trips to Manila from their respective terminals. Several bus companies also use the Ilagan route from Tuguegarao City and Northern Isabela to Manila, Dagupan, Baguio and other destinations.

Victory Liner and GV Florida Transport have terminals within the city that offers daily trips to Kamias, Quezon City, Sampaloc, Manila, and Baguio City.[194] The Local Government Unit (LGU) inaugurated the Ilagan City Central Transport Terminal beside the Northstar Mall in Alibagu on November 28, 2011.

The city will soon adapt the Hybrid Electric Road Train (HERT)[195] which was developed by the DOST[196] as an alternative mode of transport for front-liners, community outreach activities, among others.[197][198] Each coach of the HERT can accommodate 220 passengers.[199]

On May 4, 2022, the city government launched eleven units of taxis as LTFRB issued 90-day provisional authority.[200][201] The transport service will ply across Cagayan Valley and it is the first in the region.[202] Additionally, the city launched 58 public utility vehicles that will service the city as part of its modernization program.[203][204]

• Baculud Overflow Bridge. In 2014, the city government inaugurated the Baculud Overflow Bridge that connects the Poblacion area to the northeastern barangays going to Tuguegarao.[205]
• In 2016, the structure was damaged by flood brought by the torrential rain when Typhoon Haima or locally known as Super Typhoon Lawin struck the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan.[206][207] The authorities had to close the bridge until the completion of its rehabilitation which began in 2017.[208] On May 4, 2019, the two-lane overflow bridge was reinaugurated by the city government during the 333rd founding anniversary of Ilagan.[209]
• Lullutan Bridge. In February 2015, the Lullutan Bridge was opened to the public local by the national and local governments. On April 8, 2015, then President Benigno S. Aquino[210] traveled to Isabela to lead the inauguration of the new bridge, which connects the east and west banks of the Cagayan River.[211][212] It connects the city's western barangays and nearby municipalities of Delfin Albano and Tumauini with the city. Before the construction of the new bridge, residents have to use barges to transport agricultural products to the market. Due to this, travel time between barangays on either side of the river has been cut short drastically.
• The bridge in Santa Maria (Cabisera 8) was completed and opened to the public in 2015.[213] Road concreting and widening, creation of diversion and circumferential roads and farm to market roads were prioritized by the national and city government to help mobilize the transportation goods and delivery of basic services within the city's jurisdiction and neighboring municipalities.[214][215][216][217]
• Malalam Bridge. The bridge connects barangay Malalam to Alinguigan 2nd going to Tuguegarao.

• National Road. There are 29.313 kilometres (18.214 mi) of concrete road out of 24.56 kilometres (15.26 mi) of national road that passes through the city.[218]
• Provincial Road. Other road networks are 33.005 kilometres (20.508 mi) provincial roads, 8,909 city streets and 269.713 kilometres (167.592 mi) of barangay roads. Ilagan is accessible by all means of land transportation. From the Poblacion to the 91 barangays and five adjacent municipalities. Regular jeepney trips are from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. Tricycles are available 24 hours a day.
• Ilagan-Divilacan Road. The construction of an 82-kilometer Ilagan-Divilacan Road through the protected Sierra Madre mountains is ongoing 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 and will take four years to complete. The project will improve an old logging road used by the defunct Acme Logging Corp.[219][220][221]

The city has a nuseveralernet cafés, and the majority of the country's Internet Service providers (ISPs) are available in Ilagan, such as Globe Broadband, Converge Fiber, PLDT Fiber, and Digitel. Cable TV provider Polaris Cable Vision also offers fiber Internet connection.[222]

• The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company provides fixed line services. Wireless mobile communications services are provided by Smart Communications and Globe Telecommunications. Dito Telecommunity is now available offering connectivity service.
• Postal and courier services. The Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPOst)[223] is the major postal service provider in Ilagan. Express delivery services are provided by LBC, FedEx (Air21),JRS Express,[224] and EMS (through PhilPost).
• Other companies providing various telecommunications services such as telegraph and fax services are PT&T, and RCPI now Universal Storefront Services Corporation.

• Isabela Electric Cooperative II, Inc. (ISELCO II). Residences and establishments can get their energy needs through the service provided by the Isabela Electric Cooperative II, Inc. (ISELCO II). Its main office is located in barangay Alibagu.[225] Based on MPDO record, 63 out of 91 barangays are energized.[226] As of 2011, Ilagan is now 100% energized. Also, a sub-station of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is located in barangay Baligatan.
• Freeway Lighting System. Ilagan is one of the few places in the Cagayan Valley Region that has a continuous freeway lighting system. The city government has managed to install incandescent highway lights along the national road from Barangay Alibagu in the south to Barangay San Juan in the north.
• Solar Power Plant. The Department of Energy (DOE) approved on May 27, 2015, the service contract of the largest solar PV power plant in the Philippines.[227] Cheap solar energy will be available for residents here soon after the proponents of the P7-billion solar power plant have already secured its funding. A twenty-five (25) year Service contract was signed between Living Project 4 People Philippines Inc. (LP4PP) and the Department of Energy. The signing will start the process of completion of the development, installation, construction, commissioning, and operation of a 100.0 MW Solar PV Project in the city. LP4PP said that the solar project will be constructed in 10 phases to install 10.0 MW for each phase that will start construction in August 2015. Accordingly, it is a pure solar PV Grid-connected installation that will avail of the privileges under the Renewable Energy Law of the country. The renewable energy to be generated will be sold directly to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) under the Feed-in-Tariff Scheme of the RE law. The 100.0 MW Solar PV project will help alleviate the current electricity shortage in the country that causes regular blackouts resulting in industry closures as well as inconvenience to the consumers. The solar power facility will be constructed on a 100-hectare land at barangay Cabannungan, several kilometers away from the city proper.[228][229]
• In December 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) has given the go signal to a Filipino-French joint venture to develop one of the biggest renewable energy projects in the Philippines - an ₱18-billion solar farm in Ilagan City. The project will be undertaken by San Ignacio Energy Resources Development Corporation, which is part of the Nextnorth Energy Group developing over 450 megawatts of solar and hydro projects in Northern Luzon, and French firm Total Eren S.A. The project will involve the development of a 440 MWp/336 MWac solar PV project to be built on around 400 hectares of available land located along the Northern Luzon high voltage transmission network of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). The project is scheduled to start construction in 2024 and start feeding electricity into the grid in 2025.[230][231]

• City of Ilagan Water District (CIWD). It is a government-owned and controlled corporation that is mandated to supply all the water needs of its concessionaires. It has managed to put up several pumping stations throughout the city to cater to the increasing demand of Ilagan's growing population and economy. Some residents and privately owned business entities have their own electric water pumps and some can up their own traditional deep wells for their own water needs and irrigation systems especially those residents from far-flung barangays who are not able to avail the service provided by the water district. Its main office is located in barangay Osmeña. Several water refilling stations have opened to serve as an alternative for the residents for their water needs. Also, the city government is continuously implementing solutions in line with the water and sewerage problems of the city such as the construction of deep wells in every barangay and the construction of drainages and canals in those areas affected by floods during the rainy and stormy season.[232][233][234]
• Pasa Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (PSRIP). The irrigation project is a $21.7 million government project in barangay Pasa, a joint undertaking between the South Korean government, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), and the Philippines, through the National Irrigation Administration and the local government of Isabela. The project entailed the construction of a 34-meter high earth-filled dam across the Pasa River, a reservoir with an active storage of 3.90 million cubic meters, with 5.93 kilometers of a main canal and 16.20 kilometers of lateral canals. According to authorities and government officials, the project is said to be under South Korea's five-year program under the East Asia Climate Change Partnership to address climate change and to bolster Green Growth in Asia. It was built to help mitigate floods with its small water impounding or catchment basin features aside from irrigating more farmlands in the province, the project is also aimed at reducing the impact of climate change and promoting water management in rural areas. The dam is expected to irrigate eight hundred (800) hectares of farmlands, covering the barangays of Pasa, Santa Victoria, Fuyo, Morado, and Minabang, all within Ilagan City, and should benefit seven hundred forty-seven (747) families in the province of Isabela. Also, the authorities added that the Pasa Dam project would further fortify Isabela as the country's leading agriculture province, which has kept the title as a top corn producer and second in rice production.[235][236][237]

On February 21, 2021, the City Government of Ilagan spearheaded the groundbreaking of a P250 million worth multi-purpose commercial and convention center with a total maximum capacity of up to 8,000 seats.[238][239] The huge facility is situated in the newly established 10-hectares civic center in Barangay Alibagu wherein field offices of the different national government agencies were built upon since its establishment in 2020.[240] These agencies include the Technical Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) Isabela Provincial Field Office,[241][242][243] Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-Isabela),[244] Department of Science and Technology (DOST-Isabela),[245] New Ilagan City District Jail and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP-Isabela),[246][247] Social Security System (SSS) Regional Office, Department of Education (DepEd - Division of the City of Ilagan), PNP Highway Patrol Group Regional Office, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-Isabela)[248] and the new Ilagan City Hotel.[249] On January 24, 2023, the city government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for a housing project that will provide shelter to almost 5,000 beneficiaries from the city itself.[250][251] These joint ventures of the city government and other attached agencies were all carefully planned in accordance with the vision of making Ilagan a liveable city by the year 2030.[252]

• City Health Office I (San Vicente)[273]
• City Health Office II (Marana 1st)[274]
• City of Ilagan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center[275][276]

• City of Ilagan Medical Center[277][278][279]
• Gov. Faustino N. Dy, Sr. Memorial Hospital[280][281]
• San Antonio City of Ilagan Hospital[282][283][284]

• Isabela Doctors General Hospital[285][286]
• Dr. Victor S. Villaroman Memorial Hospital[287][288]

Overall, the city has three public and two private hospitals and three City Health Units. There are also dozens of dental clinics, maternity and pediatric clinics, derma clinics and pharmacies scattered around the city. As of 2022, Citimed of Ilagan is still under construction.[289][290][291]

The Schools Division of the City of Ilagan governs the city's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.[292] The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the city.

There are six integrated high schools, ten secondary public schools, and three other private secondary schools. There are 88 elementary schools throughout Ilagan, while the most populated are located in the Poblacion area.[293]

Ilagan has formerly three districts namely: Ilagan East District, Ilagan West District, and Ilagan South District when it was under the Division of Isabela, the mother school division. These districts have clusters of schools geographically located.

On January 21, 2013, the Schools Division of the City of Ilagan was created following the success of its cityhood bid in 2012. Denizon Domingo was installed as the first city school division superintendent.[294]

On June 17, 2013, the new school division reorganized the three existing school districts: Ilagan East District, Ilagan West District, and Ilagan South District to establish additional three school districts: Ilagan North District, Ilagan Northwest District, and San Antonio District. There are now six school districts in the city.

• Ilagan East District
• Ilagan North District
• Ilagan Northwest District
• Ilagan West District
• Ilagan South District
• San Antonio District

On July 8, 2019, the Local School Board was reorganized through executive order of the City Mayor.[295] Currently, the schools division is headed by Dr. Eduardo C. Escorpiso, Jr. since April 3, 2023.[296][297][298]

There are also technical schools in the city which is being governed by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). These institutions offer short, one or two-year courses.

• Chronicles Institute of Isabela
• Colegio de Ilagan
• Far East Computer Technology - Ilagan
• Isabela Provincial Training Center
• Isabela School of Arts and Trades (ISAT)[299]
• Isabela State University also offers two year courses
• Saint Ferdinand College also offers TESDA courses[300][301]
• TESDA Regional Technical Vocational Education and Training Innovation Center[302][303]

Ilagan also has two higher educational instructions which are accredited by CHED. They offer undergraduate and graduate programs to the public. The local government also supports scholarship grants to deserving students for college degree programs.

• Isabela State University[304]
• Saint Ferdinand College

In 2023, the City Government of Ilagan had already completed all the necessary and pertinent documents as mandated by the Commission on Higher Education Regional Office 2 (CHED RO2) for the creation of the City of Ilagan College (CIC).[305] The proposed higher educational institution is expected to offer health allied courses which include Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Optometry and more. On May 4, 2023, the city government spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony in Barangay Lullutan to officially mark the start of its construction which is expected to be completed by 2024.[306][307][308]

On June 13, 2021, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the Philippine National Police and the City Government of Ilagan for the establishment of a PNP Training Facility situated in a 3-hectares property that was purchased by the city government from Tabacalera in Barangay Santa Barbara. The newly inaugurated facility is expected to serve as PNP’s Recruitment and Training Center that will cater to police trainees all over Luzon including the National Capital Region.[309][310]

• 711 kHz DZYI[311] under Swara Sug Broadcasting Corporation / SonShine Radyo
• 900 kHz DZSE 900 Radyo Alerto Asean - AM Ilagan
• 101.7 MHz under Pacific Broadcasting Service[312]

The following Television stations are present:[313]

• Channel 4 - People’s Television Network
• Channel 7 - GMA Network, Inc.
• Channel 41 - Interactive Broadcast Media, Inc.

• New Valley Times Press[314]
• Squiggy Printing Services

• Silvestre Bello III - former secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment.[315]

• Miguel Purugganan - Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan honored at the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani for fighting against the Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship.[24]

• Ricci Rivero - a basketball player of the UAAP, actor, and TV host.[316]
• Hezy Val B. Acuña II - is a Filipino professional basketball player for the MJAS Zenith–Talisay Aquastars of the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup.
• Jackson Corpuz - is a Filipino professional basketball player for Magnolia Hotshots of Philippine Basketball Association.

• Gamu, Isabela, since 2023
• Quezon City, Metro Manila
• Makati, Metro Manila
• Taguig, Metro Manila

• Taipei, Taiwan

• CITY OF ILAGAN - Corn Capital of the Philippines

• Isabela Government Website
• Economic Profile of the City of Ilagan
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Ilagan Profile - Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (dti.gov.ph)
• City Profile at the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines Archived October 26, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Philippine Census Information
• The Road to Cityhood
• Speech of President Aquino at the inauguration of the Lullutan Bridge
• Philippines’ Largest Solar Power Plant to Rise in Ilagan City, Isabela
• P7-B solar power plant to rise in Isabela