Calayan, Cagayan

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Calayan

Municipality

Smith Volcano (aka Mount Babuyan) on Babuyan Island

Map of Cagayan showing the location of Calayan

Calayan

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates:

1916N 12129ECoordinates:

Country

Philippines

Region

Cagayan Valley (Region II)

Province

Cagayan

District

2nd District

Barangays

12

1916N 12129E

Government[1]
Mayor

Alfonso M. Llopis

Area[2]
Total

494.53 km2 (190.94 sq mi)

Population (2010)[3]
Total

16,200

Density

33/km2 (85/sq mi)

Demonym

Calayanos

Time zone

PST (UTC+8)

ZIP code

3520

Dialing code

78

Income class

3rd class

Calayan (Ibanag language, meaning "where laya (ginger) abounded") is a municipality in

the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,200
people in an area of 49,453 hectares (122,200 acres).
[2][3]

It is located in the South China Sea, in Luzon Strait north of Luzon Island. The town is composed of
four of the five major islands of the Babuyan Islands namely: Calayan, Camiguin, Dalupiri
and Babuyan Island. Calayan Island is the largest of the Babuyan Islands. Fuga Island, the fifth
island within the Babuyan Islands, is part of Aparri municipality. Calayan is home to the Calayan
Rail, a flightless bird identified as a separate species in 2004 and endemic to Calayan Island.
[4]

[5]

Contents
[hide]

1 History
2 Geography

o
o

2.2 Climate

3 Demographics
4 Nature

o
o
o

2.1 Barangays

4.1 Flora
4.2 Fauna
4.3 Avifauna

5 Attractions
6 References
7 External links

History[edit]
A mission headquarters was established on Calayan Island in 1722. During the Spanish colonial
administration regime, the administrators were Don Licerio Duerme in 1896, Don Pedro Abad in
1897, and Don Angel Escalante during 1898-1902.
[6]

Administratively, the Calayan island was part of the Batanes group of islands. From 1902, Calayan
was brought under Cagayan Province. However, this change of administrative control resulted in
isolation of the islanders as transport communications were lacking. In 1916, Fray Andres Sanchez
and Fray Geronimo Morer, Dominican Fathers, visited this island and gave the island its name. It
was only in 1954 that the Governor of Cagayan, Jose P. Carag, came to Calayan. The next visit by a
governor was only in 1981, by Justiniano P. Cortez, when a mobile government was organized to
improve the health conditions of the people and to distribute medicine and food items such as rice,
canned goods, and seeds. A repeat of this mission occurred in 1982.
[7]

[7]

In 1940, during World War II, American Forces, who came by the USS Princeton, occupied the
island. This was welcomed by the people of Calayan as it ushered prosperity to the island as well as
provision of medicine, clothing and other items of utility. Schools were established by the American
forces and they also functioned as teachers with English as the medium of instruction. They also
introduced adult education programmes. In return, the Calayanos offered gifts to the soldiers such
as ancient jars, sea shells and handicrafts. On 8 December 1941, the Calayan group of islands
became occupied by Japanese Imperial Forces. During the early liberation period in 1944, the
American Forces seized the Japanese garrison, and moved the Japanese prisoners to concentration
camps in Luzon.
[7]

[7]

Rocky northern shore of Calayan Island with the capsized Philippine frigate during the typhoon Clara (September 1981)

The rocky northern coast line of the Calayan Island was the scene of a disaster when the
warship Datu Kalantiaw, which had served during the World War II and subsequently under the
Philippine flag, was hit by Typhoon Clara. The ship ran aground on 21 September 1981. Rescue and
recovery operations were launched by the ammunition shipUSS Mount Hood together with
the Philippine Navy units "in a most adverse weather environment," and could recover only 49
bodies of the 79 who perished (presumably other 30 bodies were not recovered) which were taken
to Manila to be handed over to the next of kin of the dead.
[8]

Calayan experienced an earthquake shock of 5.1 magnitude on 23 December 2012.

Itsepicenter was located at 42 kilometres (26 mi) to the west of Calayan at a depth of 16 kilometres
(9.9 mi), and no damage or deaths were reported.
[9]

Geography[edit]
Calayan Island is located about 24 miles (39 km) west-southwest of Babuyan Island off the north
coast of the Philippines and belongs to the Babuyan Islands group in the China Sea. The island is
hemmed between Aparri and Batanes islands and it is larger than the Fuga Island, which is 25 miles
(40 km) away. It is the second district in the province of Cagayan and its 29th municipality.
[10]

The land area of the island is 494.53 square kilometres (190.94 sq mi). It has a rough rectangular
shape with rolling hills, spread over a length of 23 kilometres (14 mi). The island consists mainly of
mountainous and uneven land, with the highest land in the centre, with low gaps in places. The hill
ridge runs through the middle of the island and is heavily forested. The Mt. Calayan which was once
an active volcano is the highest peak here. The island is of volcanic origin and has rich deposits
of perlite, a greyish white rock which is called as the "wonder rock". There are rocky shores and
white sand beaches. Four rivers drain the island. Coral limestones are seen at both the higher and
lower levels of the island. The eastern part of the island has basaltic columns, which are seen in a
good state of preservation.
[7]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

The populated areas on the island are Calayan town (Centro) and Magsidel on the south coast.
Calayan town is the largest among the Babuyan Island group and it is a small fishing center. The
port of Calayan is used for shipping goats, hogs, cattle and timber.
[14]

There are three floodplains where rice is cultivated. Tidal coral flats that protect the sandy beaches
between the settlements of Dilam and Dibay are also a distinct feature. The present access is by
outrigger boats locally called lampitaw, which takes the islanders from Calayan to the port
of Aparri and Claveria on the west coast of the Cagayan Province where an airport to operate small
aircraft is also under construction.
[15]

[16]

Barangays[edit]
Calayan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.

[7][17]

Babuyan Claro

Balatubat
Cabudadan
Centro II
Dadao
Dalupiri
Dibay
Dilam
Magsidel
Minabel
Naguilian
Poblacion/Centro I

Climate[edit]
Weather conditions are generally wet with heavy rainfall occurring during November and December.
The cold winds are the northerly and northeasterly winds. The island is also affected
by typhoons. Calayan Island publishes tide tables and solunar tables, daily forecasts for high tides
and low tides, other fishing-related data such as the lunar phase,tidal coefficient, sun and moon
rising and setting times, hours of maximum fish activity and weather conditions. This data is also
useful for all fishing operations in the Calayan Island, apart from navigation of other commercial and
transport vessels.
[13]

[18]

Demographics[edit]
Population census of Calayan

Year

Pop.

% p.a.

1990

17,276

1995

12,243

6.25%

2000

14,309

+3.40%

2007

16,233

+1.76%

2010

16,200

0.07%

Source: National Statistics Office[3]