Jones, Isabela

Jones
Municipality
Aerial view of Jones, Isabela along the Cagayan River
Seal
Map of Isabela showing the location of Jones
Jones Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 16°33′29″N 121°42′25″E / 16.55806°N 121.70694°ECoordinates: 16°33′29″N 121°42′25″E / 16.55806°N 121.70694°E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley (Region II)
Province	Isabela
District	4th District of Isabela
Barangays	42
Government[1]
• Mayor	Leticia T. Sebastian
Area[2]
• Total	670.14 km^2 (258.74 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	44,218
• Density	66/km^2 (170/sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3313
Dialing code	78
Income class	1st class; rural

Jones is a first class municipality in the province of Isabela on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 44,218 people.^[3] It is one of only two towns in the Philippines named after William Atkinson Jones who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, the other being Banton, Romblon, which was renamed Jones in 1918 but reverted to its original name in 1959.

History

The southern portion of Echague separated by Cagayan River was created into a municipality named Jones in honor of an American Legislator, William Atkinson Jones, who authored the Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, and was inaugurated on January 1, 1921. It was originally composed of 21 barrios of virgin forest and wide fertile plains with Cabanuangan as the seat of the Municipal Government.

The house of one Tirso Mateo served as the first town hall with the following as the first municipal officials; President;Don Antonio Vallejo, Vice President; Benito Tiburcio, Secretary; Francisco Gumpal; Treasurer Pio Tomines; Justice of Peace Daniel Apostol; Zoilo Gadingan, Chief of Police; and Modesto Payuyo, Antonio Pintang, Gregorio Santos, Dionicio Cristobal, Valentin Torio; and Damaso Leano as Councilors.

The first proposed town site of Jones was in Barangay Daligan, but due to the insistence of the Municipal President Don. Antonio Vallejo who voluntarily donated two hectares of land for the municipal hall and public market site, he also later donated the vast fertile land area of Jones Rural School and Jones North Central School hence the present site of Barangay I and II.

Transportation was then a big problem as there were no good roads, the barrios being only connected by narrow roads and trails suited for hiking, for horse and carabao and for sled and cart. During rainy days, these roads and trails easily turned into knee-deep mud fit only for wallowing carabaos. The principal means of transportation was the Cagayan River passing almost all the barrios, using raft and boats. It was only after about eight years of existence that more vehicles applied between Jones and Echague.

The vast virgin forest and fertile soil of the place was pioneered by enterprising Ilocanos from the Ilocos Province, particularly from Ilocos Norte and some Yogads who are natives of Cagayan Valley. Other ethnic groups followed like the Ibanags and some Tagalogs from Central Luzon.

The Aglipayan Church (Philippine Independent Catholic Church) was the first established church. There were very few primary schools, all hinged to an intermediate school called Jones Farm School at the Poblacion. The early inhabitants concentrated on agriculture with tobacco and corn as the chief crop. Revenue principally came from the real property tax, cedula and sled tax. The town was greatly dependent on national aid.

The town holds a special place in the history of Isabela. When the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the Philippines in 1914, JONES was a shelter for the National and Provincial officials and evacuees from other places up to 1942.

The town likewise became the provincial seat of the Provincial Government during the wartorn years from 1941 to 1942. It was subsequently occupied by the Japanese forces but it continued to be a stronghold of Filipino and American Guerillas led by the brave soldiers under the command of the Brigadier General Guillermo Nakar.

On 1945, Filipino troops of the 2nd, USAFFE 11th, 12th and 13th Infantry Division and the USAFIP-NL 11th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the 1st Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary was liberated and recaptured the entering towns in Jones, Isabela and helping recognized guerrilla units and defeated and attacking Japanese Imperial Army forces and ended in World War II.

Jones is the home of Silvino M. Gumpal, who ably led the Province as Provincial Governor from 1946 to 1951 and who represented Isabela in Congress from 1934 to 1935.

In 1959, the name of barrio Mangaratungat was changed to San Vicente.^[4]

Jones has two new steel bridges worth P300M.

Barangays

Jones is politically subdivided into 42 barangays.^[2]

• Abulan
• Addalam
• Arubub
• Bannawag
• Bantay
• Barangay I (Pob - Centro)
• Barangay II(Pob - Centro)
• Barangay III(Pob - Cemetery)
• Barangcuag
• Dalibubon
• Daligan
• Diarao
• Dibuluan
• Dicamay I
• Dicamay II
• Dipangit
• Disimpit
• Divinan
• Dumawing
• Fugu
• Lacab
• Linamanan
• Linomot
• Malannit
• Minuri
• Namnama
• Napaliong
• Palagao
• Papan Este
• Papan Weste
• Payac
• Pungpongan
• San Antonio
• San Isidro
• San Jose
• San Roque
• San Sebastian
• San Vicente
• Santa Isabel
• Santo Domingo
• Tupax
• Usol
• Villa Bello

Brgy. Dicamay 2 is one of the most wonderful places which can be found in Jones Isabela. It is situated in the forest region, 35 kilometres away from Jones proper. There are more or less 700 family heads of inhabitants in the barangay and they are classified into four ethnic groups which are the Ilokos, Ifugaos, Igorots and Gaddangs. Agricultural products such as corn, cassava, banana and rice are the source of income of the Dicamay people.

Sibsib falls is the known tourist spot in Dicamay 2 which is 4 km from the barangay proper. It is a great place for bonding. Many visitors from other towns and barangays enjoy the beauty and freshness of air and water in the falls.

Dicamay people also celebrates the Banana “Saba” festival in the month of May. In this month people choose a day where they gather to the Barangay center for celebration, “Thanksgiving mass” is held in the morning and other activities in the evening where each purok/zone members shall have presentations for people enjoyment.

Demographics

Population census of Jones, Isabela
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1990	34,373	—
1995	34,669	+0.16%
2000	39,001	+2.56%
2007	41,237	+0.77%
2010	44,218	+2.57%
2015	45,666	+0.62%
Source: National Statistics Office[3]

There was originally a population of Agta living in the vicinity of Jones, along the Dicamay River. The Agta are one of the many groups known as 'Negritos' and who are descended from the pre-Austronesian population of the islands. The Dicamay Agta, who combined hunter-gathering with swidden agriculture, have been severely impacted by the influx of other ethnic groups to take up farming land in the area, resulting in there being no Agta living in the area today. There are numerous reports of the Agta having been driven off their lands, and in some cases of having been killed by immigrant groups of farmers.^[5][6]

Culture

Pinilisa Festival

The “Pinilisa Festival” is an acknowledgment of all Jonesian and celebrated every 17th day of March for the bountiful harvest of rice Pinilisa product, a unique organic plum colored rice known not only in the region but as well as on other country, due to its unique fragrant and unique flavor compared to other ordinary rice. Unlike other varieties that rely on synthetic commercial fertilizer to grow healthy, it is rare breed of rice thrives only rainwater and natural features to make it a favorite food for consumers.

The success of the first Pinilisa Festival was conceptualized by the initiative of the administration of Hon. Florante A. Raspado, he was the first Director-General of the Pinilisa Festival. The festival was easily produced and marked the history of the town of Jones and one among the line-up of the Department of Tourism Wow! Philippines Program, making Pinilisa Festival is recognized not only in the Philippines but as well as on the world. The famous product “Pinilsa Rice” of Jones has given birth to the now famous Pinilisa Festival of Jones and is now identified and included in the list and calendar of the famous festival in the country maintained and documented by the Department of Tourism. Tourism Regional Director Blessida G. Diwa is among the patrons of the Pinilisa Festival, showing consistent support for the promotion of the Festival.

Economy

Land Capability and Agricultural Land Quality

Jones is primarily an agricultural municipality best suited for the intensive production of rice and corn as evidence by its topographic map which shows that 73% of the agricultural area of 16,848 hectares is under 0-3 slope category.

References

1. "Official City/Municipal 2013 Election Results". Intramuros, Manila, Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC). 11 September 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
2. "Province: ISABELA". PSGC Interactive. Makati City, Philippines: National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
3. "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
4. "R.A. No. 2099, An Act Changing the Name of Barrio Mangaratungat in the Municipality of Jones, Province of Isabela, to San Vicente". LawPH.com. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
5. Lobel, Jason William (2013). PHILIPPINE AND NORTH BORNEAN LANGUAGES: ISSUES IN DESCRIPTION, SUBGROUPING, AND RECONSTRUCTION (PDF). University of Hawai'i at Manoa. pp. 96–99. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
6. Headland, Thomas. "Controversies: Agta human rights violations". Retrieved 12 January 2015.

8. http://www.lets-go-philippines.com/the-first-famous-pinilisa-festival-jones-isabela/

External links

• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Municipality of Jones
• Local Governance Performance Management System