Aparri (Ibanag: Ili nat Aparri; Ilocano: Ili ti Aparri; Tagalog: Bayan ng Aparri), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 68,839 people.[3]
It sits at the mouth of the Cagayan River, the longest river in the Philippines. Aparri is 101 kilometres (63 mi) from Tuguegarao and 582 kilometres (362 mi) from Manila.
Aparri is a bustling municipality and the primary growth center of Northern Cagayan. It serves as the center of education, commerce and culture in the northern part of the Region which includes towns of the first and second districts of Cagayan as well as the towns of Apayao and some towns of Ilocos Norte. It serves as the show window of commerce and finance,economic transformation, information technology, livelihood development, fashion and culture, leisure and entertainment, agricultural modernization, and course good local governance.
Aparri has an approximate income of ₱250 million. The valley has been one of the largest tobacco-producing sections in the Philippines, and the town has a considerable coastwise trade.[5]
It has a meteorological station located in Barangay Punta where the Cagayan River meets the Babuyan Channel.
It also administers Fuga Island, which is part of the Babuyan Group and is much closer to Claveria. In the near future, it will become the next city in the province of Cagayan.
Etymology
The origin of the name Aparri has been disputed. One version says that the town was named by Spanish conquistador Juan Pablo Carreron, who upon landing there in 1581, named the town after the colloquial word for supper in his hometown. Another version claims that the name comes from the Spanish word aparte, or "separate", referring to the town's separation from Camalaniugan and Buguey in 1680. Yet another version says that the town's name comes from the Ibanag word apparian, a place where there are many priests.[6]
History
Aerial view of Aparri, 1923
Aparri was formerly Japanese trading post because of its location at the northern tip of Luzon at the mouth of the Cagayan River. It was the main area for trade for Japan on the island of Luzon. Much of the area was once home to the native Ibanag people, who were at the time in alliance with Japan as an early form of an informal protectorate city-state. It was formally established under Spanish rule in 1605 after the Spanish Crown seized the Philippines and made it part of the Spanish East Indies. The river where Aparri is in was the site of the famed 1582 Cagayan battles, the only major skirmish between Spanish Tercios and Japanese ronin (masterless samurai). Since it was on the route of Spanish Galleons during the great tobacco monopoly in the 16th to the 17th centuries, Aparri was therefore made one of the major Spanish ports of the Galleon Trade on May 11, 1680. The original inhabitants of this town were the Ybanags. Later, as the Spaniards settled and because of its strategic location, Ilocanos and Chinese people settled in the area. In 1771 it was raided by Moro vessels from Jolo. Towards the end of the Spanish occupation and in 1901, at the start of the American occupation, attempts were made to make Aparri the provincial capital of Cagayan, all of which were unsuccessful.[7]
In 11 May 1926 Joaquín Loriga and Eduardo Gallarza landed on his first-ever long way in autogyro from Spain to Manila. Before the outbreak of World War II, it became a transshipment point for smuggled goods from China, Taiwan, and other neighboring Southeast Asian nations. Aparri was one of the first places occupied by the Japanese in their invasion of the Philippines during the war, landing there on December 10, 1941. Donald Blackburn's guerrilla forces and the local troops of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and Philippine Constabulary supported the Sixth United States Army Force B, in the capture of Aparri on 20 June 1945.[8]: 295–304
On February 19, 2023, Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda was shot and killed along with five others in an ambush in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya.[9]
Geography
Barangays
Aparri is politically subdivided into 42 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
In the 2020 census, the population of Aparri, was 68,839 people,[3] with a density of 240 inhabitants per square kilometre or 620 inhabitants per square mile.
Economy
Poverty Incidence of Aparri
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary
Aparri is known for its foods such as the "bulung-unas", or Ribbon Fish (aka Belt Fish), which are in abundance during January and early February. "Kilawin naguilas-asan" is a fillet of smaller "bulung-unas" which are leftover baits, soaked in Ilocos vinegar, seasoned with salt and pepper, finely cut onions and ginger. Ludong, a variety of Pacific salmon, is the Philippines' most expensive fish, ranging from 4,000 pesos to 5,000 per kilo. Because of its price and its distinct taste and smell, it is also nicknamed "President Fish". Caught only in the Aparri delta when, after a heavy rainfall, these fish are washed down by the fast raging water from the south, down to the mouth of the Cagayan River where it meets the Babuyan Sea. Freshwater fish by nature, the salt water contributes to their super delicious taste. Ludong is available only in the rainy months of October and early November.
Aparri's attractions also include its sandy beaches and town fiesta. May 1 to 12 of every year, the town's fiesta celebrates the patron saint San Pedro Gonzales of Thelmo with nightly festivities at the auditorium, crowning of Miss Aparri beauty pageant and the "Comparza."
It is home to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary and the Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila. Holy Week is celebrated in Aparri with the observance of Holy Thursday and Good Friday in the town churches. On the early hours of Easter Sunday, the "Domingo Sabet" celebrates the meeting of Jesus and the Holy Mother after the resurrection.
Aparri, belonging to the first legislative district of the province of Cagayan, 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 councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.
The Schools Division of Cagayan governs the town's public education system.[24] The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.[25] The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.
Aparri East National High School
Cagayan State University (Aparri Campus)
Aparri West National High School
Aparri East Central School
Aparri South Central School
Aparri School of Arts and Trades
Lyceum of Aparri
Cagayan Valley Institute Incorporated
St. Paul School of Aparri
Aparri Kete Chinese School
Maura Elementary School
Punta Elementary School
San Antonio Elementary School
Dodan Elementary School
Backiling Elementary School
Bulala Sur Elementary School
Paruddun Norte Elementary School
Minanga Elementary School
Sanja Elementary School
Gaddang Elementary School
Linao Elementary School
Navagan Elementary School
Aparri West Central School
Caroronan Primary School
Binalan Elementary School
Bangag Elementary School
Nanappatan Elementary School
Zinarag Elementary School
Plaza Primary School
Bukig National Agricultural and Technical School
Media
Aparri's main media outlet is radio. The following are radio and TV stations in the town
Aparri as a birthplace has produced a number of famous personalities of various fields (e.g. Filipino actress, Filipino diplomat (1939-2016), Filipino actor and comedian):
Maja Ross Andres Salvador - is a Filipino actress, endorser, dancer, singer, host, producer, and talent manager.
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