Welcome to the rice and corn granary of the north! Centrally located in the region of Cagayan Valley in Northeastern Luzon, Isabela is the second largest province after Palawan in terms of land area (see comparison). It is bounded on the north by Cagayan Province, on the east by the Philippine Sea, on the south by Aurora and Quirino, and on the west by the provinces of Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Kalinga of Cordillera region and Nueva Vizcaya province. It is accessible by land, air, and sea. Its terrain consists of the hills and mountains of Sierra Madre in the east side and the great river valley in the west side of the province. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year in the eastern side covering the Sierra Madre mountain range. On the other hand, seasons are not very pronounced in the lowland, relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Isabela Provincial Capitol

The population of Isabela is the 17th largest in 2007. Majority are Ilocanos. Other cultural groups are the Ibanags, Gaddangs, Ifugaos, Kalingas, Bontocs, and the Dumagats. There are also Tagalog migrants in the province.

1. Freddie Aguilar - Singer whose song 'Anak' was a hit worldwide
2. Ma. Gracia Cielo Padaca - Governor, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for govt service, Broadcaster
3. Dy family - members are long time politicians in Isabela
4. Heherson Alvarez - Senator, Congressman, Cabinet Member
5. Albano Family - members are prominent politicians

Isabela is one of the few provinces whose annual income exceed the billion mark. Poverty incidence is highest though in the region. Main economic activity is farming. Agricultural production in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand metric tons, rank among 79 provinces)

Animal inventory of Isabela in 2007 are as follows (figure in thousand, rank among 79 provinces)

Other farm products include tobacco, peanut, and root crops. Manufacturing is limited to rice and and corn milling and a few automotive and furniture shops. Ethanol production is being planned in the town of San Mariano. Magat Dam, found in Ramon town is one of Asia's largest. It does not only generates power and provides water for irrigation, its water reservoir has become a rich fishing ground and a destination for travellers and field trips. Tourism is still in its infancy. There were 120 banks in the province with total deposits of 16 billion pesos in 2007.

Isabela has a lot to offer in agribusiness. With its extensive crop lands, there are opportunites for rice and corn milling and trading, feed milling, fertilizer production, and food processing. Production of cash crops such as cacao, coffee, mushroom, sorghum, and even orchids are encouraged. Goat and cattle raising should be expanded to include development of dairy industry. The establishment of a modern cold storage terminal is needed to support agricultural modernization. The province has many other rivers awaiting development for hydroelectricity and irrigation. Its forests provide raw materials such as rattan, nito, bamboo, and wood for the development of a furniture and woodcraft industries. Tourism-related projects can be very profitable.

1. Northern Sierra Madre National Park - a spectacular eco-sanctuary covering 350,000 hectares, the largest in the country
2. Palanan - a historic town where Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans. Also a wilderness area where the Disadsad Waterfalls is located
3. St. Mathias Parish Church - a heritage structure in Tumauini
4. Church of Alicia
5. Magat Dam in Ramon Town
6. World's Largest Butaka (armchair) in Ilagan
7. Isabela Museum and Library

Capitol photo credit to panoramio.com

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