Enrile, officially the Municipality of Enrile (Itawis: Babalay yo Enrile; ; ; ), is a municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.

The town is predominantly an agricultural town where the majority of its population derive their income from farming. Its main products are rice, corn, peanut, tobacco, and vegetables.

Etymology

Cabug was the original name of Enrile when it was a barrio of Tuguegarao. It was established as a separate town in September 1849 and named in honor of Spanish Governor-General Pasqual Enrile y Alcedo. So the place was named after him. The name "Cabug" is engraved on the town's first church bell which is still found in the steeple.

In 1724, the Dominican Friars thought of giving the barrios their Patron Saint. Cabug was given "Nuestra Señora de las Caldas". The prominent residents of the barrio had chosen the sixth day of August as her feast day. As years went by, the land area and population of the barrio increased with surprising figures. The Cagayan River which flowed close to the barrio site gradually changed its course and moved towards Cataggaman as flood plains were formed. The non-Christian inhabitants called Kalingas gradually deserted the barrio and migrated westward to the Mountain Province. As a result, more agricultural lands were cleared and cultivated. Tobacco and corn were the chief crops of the people.

In September 1849, the colonial government ordered the separation of Cabug from the Municipality of Tuguegarao to become a town by itself. The new town was named Enrile in honor of Governor Pascual Enrile who was responsible for building roads in the northern part of Luzon during those days. The separation of Enrile from Tuguegarao led to a change of its patron saint. The population unanimously adopted "Nuestra Señora de las Nieves" as its patron Saint. The fifth day of August was chosen as her feast day.

| date = November 3, 2018

Land Area

Enrile has a land area of 18,451.3 hectares unevenly distributed to the 22 barangays of the municipality and predominantly agricultural where the majority of its inhabitants derive their income from farming.

Topography

Enrile is bounded by hills and mountains both to the north and to the west. Area with low elevation is about 20 meters above sea level at the Eastern part which lies close to the river boundaries. The highest elevation is found Northwest which is approximately 800 meters above sea level.

Demographics

In the 2024 census, the population of Enrile was 36,481 people, with a density of .

Enrile's citizens are called Itawes because they speak the Itawis dialect. Ilocanos and Tagalogs have settled at the western barangays and have blended very well in the mainstream of Itawes life.

Economy

Enrile is predominantly an agricultural town where the majority of its population derive their income from farming. It has a land area of 18,451.3 hectares unevenly distributed to the 22-barangays of the municipality. Its main products are rice, corn, peanut, tobacco and vegetables.

Peanut Production

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has declared the town of Enrile in Cagayan as the "peanut capital of the Philippines" for its "noteworthy contribution" to the development of the local peanut industry, with experts citing the soil suitability of the town – sandy to sandy-loam – and its unique ability to produce peanut year-round. One estimate of the town's production places a volume of 1,800 metric tons per year or 8 to 10 percent of the national supply.

Enrile is home to 800 peanut farmers cultivating 700 hectares of farmlands with a potential expansion area of another 800 hectares. "With improved production and yield, Enrile may be able to fill up a portion, if not all, of the import requirement for peanut of 15,060 metric tons," Alviar added.

Transportation

Passenger jeepneys, tricycles and other private transportation vehicles service all routes within and outside Enrile. Kalesa is also driven within the poblacion and some barangays only.

Government

Local government

Enrile is part of the third legislative district of the province of Cagayan. It 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.

Elected officials

<!--NOTE: Update needed by June 30, 2022 after oath-taking of the declared winners in the May 9, 2022 local elections.-->

{| class="wikitable" style="line-height:1.20em; font-size:100%;"

|+ Members of the Municipal Council<br>(2022-2025)

|-

! Position

! Name

|-

| Congressman

| style="text-align:left;" | Joseph L. Lara

|-

|Governor

|Manuel N. Mamba

|-

| Mayor

| style="text-align:left;" | Miguel B. Decena, Jr.

|-

|Vice-Mayor

| style="text-align:left;" | Christina G. Magbitang

|-

|rowspan=8| Councilors

| style="text-align:left;" | Jay Ann O. Aguirre

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Maria Rosabell R. Herrera

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Jacinto T. Tuddao

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Peter B. Decena

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Romeo B. Battung

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Sergio B. Turingan

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Agapita C. Macarubbo

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | Juan B. Carag, Jr.

|-

|}

Education

The Schools Division of Cagayan governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. There are two schools district offices that govern both the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality. These are Enrile East District, and Enrile West District.

Primary and elementary schools

  • Alibago Elementary School
  • Batu Elementary School
  • Divisoria Elementary School
  • Don Jose Paulino Elementary School
  • Enrile East Central School (Magalalag)
  • Enrile North Central School
  • Enrile West Central School
  • Inga Elementary School
  • Lanna Elementary School
  • Lemu Elementary School
  • Little Jesus Christian Academy Liwan Branch
  • Liwan Norte Elementary School
  • Liwan Sur Elementary School
  • Maddarulug Norte Elementary School
  • Maddarulug Sur Elementary School
  • Maracuru Elementary School
  • Mother Therese Learning Center
  • Our Lady of Snows Academy
  • Roma Norte Elementary School
  • Roma Sur Elementary School
  • Sabino Acorda Central School
  • San Antonio Elementary School

Secondary schools

  • Enrile Vocational High School
  • Lemu National High School
  • Magalalag National High School
  • Our Lady of Snows Academy
  • Western Enrile Vocational High School

References

  • [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
  • Philippine Census Information