Isabela

Isabela is the largest province in Cagayan Valley, and the second largest in the country. It is comprised of two cities — Cauayan and Santiago — and thiry-five municipalities: Alicia, Angadanan Aurora, Benito Soliven, Burgos, Cabagan, Cabatuan, Cordon, Delfin Albano (Magsaysay), Dinapigue, Divilacan, Echague, Gamu, Ilagan, Jones, Luna, Maconacon, Mallig, Naguilian,  Palanan, Quezon, Quirino, Ramon, Reina Mercedes, Roxas, San Agustin, San Guillermo, San Isidro, San Manuel, San Mariano, San Mateo, San Pablo, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas and Tumauini.

The biggest industry in the province is agriculture. Its main crops being rice and corn, the province is dubbed as the rice and corn granary of Luzon.

A big area of the province is forested. Owning 2/3 of the Cagayan Valley’s 900,000-hectare forest cover, the province is home to unknown endemic species of flora and fauna.

With a total population of 1,287,575 as of 2007 census, Isabela is the most populated province in Cagayan Valley, contributing 45.7 percent of the region’s total population.

Majority of the Isabelans are of Ilocano descent (68.71 percent). Other prominent ethnic groups are Ibanag (14.05 percent) and Tagalog (10.02 percent). Other minority groups include the Gaddangs, Paranans, Yogads, and others.