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- This article is about the municipality in Isabela, Philippines. For the municipality in Zambales, Philippines, see Cabangan
Cabagan is a municipality of Isabela.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Cabagan is the oldest surviving municipality in Isabela, having been established by the Spanish in 1646 at a site now occupied by the neighboring town of San Pablo. In 1877, the town was moved to its present site, on the south side of the Pinacanauan de Cabagan River. In 1879, the town of Santa Maria, on the west bank of the Cagayan River, was split from Cabagan.
When the original settlement in San Pablo was reestablished in 1888, the Spanish renamed the site Cabagan Viejo (Old Cabagan) and called the 1877 town Cabagan Nuevo (New Cabagan). During the American period, the Nuevo was dropped while Cabagan Viejo was renamed San Pablo. In 1949, several barangays on the west bank of the Cagayan River were again separated to form the new municipality of Santo Tomas.
It is home to about 55,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
. Cabagan is the economic center of the northernmost parts of Isabela and forms a minor conurbation with Santa Maria, San Pablo and Santo Tomas. Hence this guide will also cover the said municipalities.
Talk
[edit | edit source]Unlike the rest of Isabela, Cabagan is a bastion of the Ibanag language, although most residents will understand Ilocano and Tagalog.
Get in
[edit | edit source]The nearest airport is in Tuguegarao.
Cabagan is along the Maharlika Highway (Pan-Philippine Highway, Asian Highway 26) to Tuguegarao, and there are buses passing here generally every hour all day. The main bus stops are at the XentroMall junction, where a road leads west to the neighboring town of Santa Maria, and in front of Milagros District Hospital. Both stops are shared with tricycles. Another bus stop in Barangay Cansan leads to Santo Tomas and has a tricycle stop. An alternate route is a secondary road from Delfin Albano.
Santa Maria is also traversed by the Tuguegarao-Roxas-Santiago Road, which is parallel to the Maharlika Highway, and is served by buses to Tuguegarao passing via Roxas. However, the town’s bus stop, located in a secluded junction marked by a claypot-shaped monument, is some way off from the town center and may not be the safest place to linger at night, although there are waiting tricycles.
Cabagan is also serviced by passenger vans plying the Tuguegarao-Santiago City route. The main van stops are at XentroMall and the Petron Gas Station in Barangay Ugad.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the main form of transport. Fares start at P20. To reach the barangays west of the Cagayan River, make a detour through Cansan and Santo Tomas or catch a ferry boat in the town center.
A unique, albeit slow way of travel in downtown Cabagan is through a “calesa” (horse-drawn cart). Fares start at P20. Note that calesas are only allowed on the inner roads and barred from Maharlika Highway.
See
[edit | edit source]
- 1 Cabagan Square Park, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro. Houses the largest carousel in the Philippines
- 2 Tulap Falls, Barangay Masipi East (From Maharlika Highway, enter the junction at Barangay Balasig leading to Masipi East. From Masipi East, a trail leads to the falls). Newly discovered waterfall, but access is still hard.
- 3 Biwag Shrine, Barangay Tallag. A makeshift shrine featuring a tacky statue of Biwag, a folklorical giant. Offerings of gin and cigarettes are commonly left at the shrine, while a celebration is also held to commemorate Biwag on the feast day of Barangay Tallag, also known alternately as Biwag, every May 6.
- 4 Malasi Lake Sanctuary, Barangay San Antonio. A sanctuary for the endangered Philippine Duck.
- 5 Horno, Saint Ferdinand College, Barangay Catabayungan (Enter the school compound and walk towards the back section. The structure is obscured by trees). The ruins of a towering structure that used to be an oven (horno) for making bricks during construction of the parish church during the Spanish era, which was not completed due to the Philippine Revolution. The present church is of a later 20th century construct.
- 6 Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Casibarag Norte. A multi-arched bridge that took nearly 10 years to build, only to collapse a month after its opening in 2025. After repairs, it reopened a year later to light vehicles. Despite this, the structure retains its imposing look and provides great views over the Cagayan River.
- 7 San Pablo Church (St. Paul the Apostle Parish Church, San Pablo Church Ruins), Barangay Poblacion, San Pablo. The oldest church in Isabela, built in a Baroque style during the 17th century.
- 8 Cabagan Triangle Park, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Ugad (in front of Iglesia ni Cristo). A small park in the middle of a road junction. It features a clock tower using LED screens and a statue of a horse-drawn cart (calesa), a monument to Cabagan being one of the few places in the country to retain this mode of transport.
- 9 Tupa, Barangay San Vicente, San Pablo. A stretch of rapids at the point where the Pinacanauan River leaves the Sierra Madre that is a favorite swimming spot for locals.
- 10 Cabagan Museum, Aggabao Hall, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro (inside the Municipal Hall complex), ☏ +63 927 703 4712, ilinacabagan@gmail.com. 8AM-5PM Mon-Fri. A one-room exhibition space on local history and culture, set inside the upper floor of the former municipal hall. Free.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Balay Rosalinda Resort, Mabini Avenue, Barangay Catabayungan. A recreational venue with swimming pool and karaoke in the town center.
- 2 Round Rock Resort, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Cansan (at the back of the CENRO building). A recreational venue with swimming pool and karaoke near Cansan junction. For those who are not squeamish, a cockfighting arena opened a few meters away in 2026.
- 3 Josefina T. Albano Sports and Cultural Complex (Cabagan Gymnasium), Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro. Said to be the largest municipal arena in Cagayan Valley at the time of inauguration, this hosted travelling matches of the Philippine Basketball Association in the 2000s. It now hosts barangay level leagues and pageants, while during vacant times, residents just play basketball in the court. ₱20 during basketball league matches.
- Kalesa, Kabayu, Kalaseru Festival (KKK Festival), Cabagan. January 15-25. Cabagan celebrates its patronal fiesta in honor of Saint Paul the Apostle on January 25. Starting January 15, a variety of events are held to celebrate the town's culture, including its pancit and especially the kalesas, hence the names Kalesa (cart), Kabayu (horse) and Kalaseru (coachman).
- Baka Festival, San Pablo. January 10-15. San Pablo's patronal fiesta is held on January 15 and celebrates the town's agrarian tradition, particularly the raising of cows. Highlights include rodeo and motorbike competitions.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Xentro Mall, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Ugad (beside the public market), ☏ +63 927 217 3950. 9AM-8PM. Has a Savemore grocery and a BDO bank branch with ATM.
- 2 Cabagan Public Market, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Ugad. Has a gift shop run by the municipal government selling local delicacies. Market day on Sundays, when there are more merchandise to be bought than usual.
Santa Maria is known for its production of pottery made from clay gathered from the banks of the Cagayan River. Roadside stalls selling them can be found along the highway in barangays Mozzozzin Norte and Quinagabian.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Cabagan is known nationally for its eponymous noodles (pansi) that features soy sauce, chopped fried pork belly, and shallots. There are multiple panciterias selling the dish in town. While there are imitation restaurants nationwide, residents say that authentic pancit Cabagan is made using Mor, a brand of soy sauce that is difficult to find outside Cabagan.
- 1 GM's Food House, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro, ☏ +63 927 350 9725, omabbayad15@gmail.com. 8AM-8PM. A restaurant serving Chinese-Filipino dishes. Also does bulk orders. ₱200-500.
- 2 Aling Kikay's Panciteria, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Anao (in front of Milagros District Hospital). The oldest surviving panciteria in Cabagan, founded by a descendant of a Chinese immigrant who invented pancit Cabagan during the American period. Aling Kikay's children also run adjacent panciterias. ₱100-200.
- 3 Mariloi's, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Cubag, ☏ +63 917 505 1269, marlontagao@yahoo.com. 7AM-10:30PM. Panciteria serving pancit Cabagan. Due to its popularity, an extension with more seating and menu items, along with a gift shop selling foodstuffs was opened a few meters down the highway. ₱100-200.
- 4 American Ribs & Wings, Antonio Luna Street, Barangay Centro (beside the municipal hall), ☏ +63 965 869 9694, nikkimaguliano0007@gmail.com. 10AM–8PM. A chicken wings and pork ribs restaurant offering meals paired with rice as well as pancit Cabagan. Group-sized platters are also available. ₱95-200.
- 5 Alfresco Pizzeria and Bistro, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Ugad, ☏ +63 953 325 8230. 10AM-10PM Sun-Tue, 1-10PM Wed, 10AM-10PM Thu, 10AM-11PM Fri-Sat. A rooftop Italian restobar serving pizza and pasta. Has live music on weekends. ₱200-400.
- 6 El Bistro, Barangay Centro. A restaurant serving Filipino and some Western cuisine. ₱200-500.
- 7 The Hood, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Catabayungan, ☏ +63 951 017 6794, majbagunu818@gmail.com. A restaurant set up in the yard of a private residence that also serves fried rice meals.
- 8 Hot Plate Steakhouse, Alfonso Binag Street, Purok 2, Barangay Anao, ☏ +63 915 182 9023, crichene@gmail.com. 10AM–9PM. A grill house with live music on weekends.
- 9 Sy Bakery (Uncle Jo, Beru), Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro. A bakery and food store run by the same Filipino-Chinese family since the 1950s, as evidenced by the interior displays and the old wood-fired oven used to make their breads. Among the highlights are the tasty bread (slang for loaf bread), pan de coco (buns filled with coconut jam) and egg (custard) pie.
- 10 Pin-tag Restobar, Mabini Avenue, Barangay Catabayungan, ☏ +63 955 083 2353, www.pintag350@yahoo.com.ph. closed Sat. A restaurant serving fried rice meals with meat, also fried.
- 11 Rollan's (Don Francisco Albano corner Antonio Luna Streets, Centro), beside Cabagan Church. A snackbar known in town for its halo-halo and empanadas.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- 1 Apayao Brew, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Cubag (beside Clean Fuel gasoline station). A coffeeshop that also serves a favorite hanging-out spot for residents. P80-200.
- 2 Cafe Eggspresso, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Ngarag (in front of Milagros District Hospital). 9AM–9PM. A cafe that also serves Korean egg drop sandwiches.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]- 1 Four J's Hotel and Inn, Maharlika Highway, Barangay Cubag (near the junction leading to Barangay Angancasilian). Each room has a carport, but the place may be infested with flies due to a nearby chicken farm.
- 2 Corazon Suits and Cuisine, Maharlika Highway, Cansan, ☏ +63 956 631 1323, admin@corazonsuites.com.
- 3 Roel's Garden Hotel & Resort, Maharlika Highway, Ugad (beside Flying V gas station), ☏ +63 936 496 7209.
Stay safe
[edit | edit source]Low-lying areas such as Santo Tomas, Barangays Pilig Abajo, Pilig Alto, and the barangays west of the Cagayan River are frequently inundated during the rainy season.
Violence frequently flares up in San Pablo and Santo Tomas during election season.
Connect
[edit | edit source]The town's postal code is 3328, while that of San Pablo, Santa Maria and Santo Tomas are 3329, 3330 and 3327 respectively.
- Cabagan Tourism and Socio-Cultural Office, Municipal Hall, Centro, ☏ +63 927 703 4712, ilinacabagan@gmail.com.
- 1 Cabagan Post Office, Cabagan-Santa Maria Road, Barangay Centro (inside the Municipal Hall complex).
Go next
[edit | edit source]| Routes through Cabagan |
| Tuguegarao ← San Pablo ← | N  S | → Tumauini → Ilagan |
| Tuguegarao/Santiago City ← Santa Maria ← | W  E | → END |