The province borders Aurora to the southeast, Nueva Vizcaya to the west, and Isabela to the north. Quirino used to be part of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, until it was separated in 1966.
History
Early history
Long before its formal creation as an independent province, Quirino was the forest region of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, inhabited by tribal groups known as the Negritos. They roamed the hinterlands and built their huts at the heart of the jungle. Aside from the Negritos, the area was also inhabited by Ilongot people, who were feared for their headhunting raids against enemy tribes and Spanish-controlled settlements. Throughout the period of Spanish colonization, the province was one of the few remaining unconquered areas in the Philippines due to its remoteness, having only seen a Spanish military expedition in 1848 and the brief presence of Spanish missionaries in 1891.[3] During the American period, the territory of Quirino was administered by the province of Isabela before Congressman Leon Cabarroguis of Nueva Vizcaya pushed for its return to Nueva Vizcaya by authoring Republic Act No. 236, which was signed into law in 1948.
An old map showing the current territories of Quirino as part of Nueva Vizcaya
Philippine independence
On June 18, 1966, Republic Act No. 4734 was enacted, constituting the municipalities of Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay, and Maddela, all from Nueva Vizcaya province, into a new sub-province to be known as "Quirino", named after the late Philippine President Elpidio Quirino.[4][5]
On June 21, 1969, Republic Act No. 5554 was enacted, amending RA 4734, and creating the municipality of Cabarroguis (now the provincial capital town), which was taken from portions of Diffun, Saguday, and Aglipay.[5][6]
Republic Act No. 6394, authored by then-Congressman Leonardo B. Perez (Nueva Vizcaya–Lone), was passed on September 10, 1971, further amending RA 5554 and separating the sub-province of Quirino from its mother province, Nueva Vizcaya, constituting it into a regular province.[5][7]
The province of Quirino was formally established on February 10, 1972, upon the assumption to office of the first elected provincial and municipal officials headed by Dionisio Sarandi as Provincial Governor.
On February 25, 1983, Batas Pambansa Blg. 345 was enacted, creating within Quirino the municipality of Nagtipunan, a division of the municipality of Maddela.[8]
Geography
A section of the Cagayan River (lower river in the picture) beside the town of Maddela
Quirino covers a total area of 3,323.47 square kilometers (1,283.20 sq mi)[9] occupying the southeastern section of the Cagayan Valley region. A landlocked province, it is situated within the upper portion of the Cagayan River basin and bounded by Isabela on the north, Aurora on the east and southeast, and Nueva Vizcaya on the west and southwest.
The Sierra Madre mountain range provides a natural barrier on the eastern and southern border of the province and the Namamparang Range on the western part. The province is generally mountainous, with about 80 percent of the total land area covered by mountains and highlands. A large portion of the province lies within the Quirino Protected Landscape.
Climate
The province has a mean annual temperature of 33.6 °C (92.5 °F).[citation needed] June is generally the warmest month and the wettest months are March to August,[citation needed] with the rest of the year being neither too dry nor too wet. Heavy, sustained rainfall occurs from September to November.
The 6 municipalities of the province comprise a total of 132 barangays, with Gundaway (Poblacion) in Cabarroguis as the most populous in 2010, and Rang-ayan in Aglipay as the least.[12]
The population of Quirino in the 2020 census was 203,828 people,[2] with a density of 61 inhabitants per square kilometre or 160 inhabitants per square mile.
The major languages are Ilocano and Ifugao. Other languages are Bugkalot, Pangasinan, Kankana-ey, Tagalog, and English. As Quirino was part of Provincia de Cagayan which is the predecessor of Cagayan Valley, a few residents speak Ibanag, which was the lingua franca of Provincia de Cagayan before it was replaced by Ilocano.
The province also has the largest Igorot population next to its mother province Nueva Vizcaya outside the Cordillera region.
Religion
Quirino is predominantly Roman Catholic with 54 percent adherence[13] while Evangelicals and United Methodist Church serve as significant minorities with up to 20% of the population.[14] Some people still practice indigenous beliefs. Other religions such as the Iglesia ni Cristo (forming more than 9% of the province population),[15] mainline Protestant and Aglipanyan are also well represented. Other religious groups are also have some minor adherents such as Islam.
Economy
Poverty Incidence of Quirino
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Agriculture is the main industry in the province, with rice and corn as major crops.[23] These supply the demand of neighboring provinces and the metropolis. It is the leading producer of banana in the Cagayan Valley region.[23] Banana as well as banana chips are major products sold in Metro Manila and Pampanga. Small scale industries like furniture making, basketry, rattan craft, and dried flower production are prevalent.
Government
Elected Officials of Quirino Provincial Council (2022–2025)
^"List of Provinces". PSGC Interactive. Makati, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
