Aritao
Municipality in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aritao, officially the Municipality of Aritao (Gaddang: Ili na Aritao; Ilocano: Ili ti Aritao; Tagalog: Bayan ng Aritao), is a municipality in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 45,000 people.[5]
Aritao | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Aritao | |
Downtown area | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map of Nueva Vizcaya with Aritao highlighted | |
 Interactive map of Aritao | |
.svg)  Aritao Location within the Philippines | |
| Coordinates: 16°17′50″N 121°02′02″E | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Cagayan Valley |
| Province | Nueva Vizcaya |
| District | Lone district |
| Barangays | 22 (see Barangays) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Sangguniang Bayan |
| • Mayor | Remelina M. Peros |
| • Vice Mayor | Jayson Ferrer. |
| • Representative | Luisa L. Cuaresma |
| • Electorate | 23,707 voters (2025) |
| Area | |
• Total | 265.60 km2 (102.55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 476 m (1,562 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 846 m (2,776 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 346 m (1,135 ft) |
| Population (2024 census)[3] | |
• Total | 45,000 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (440/sq mi) |
| • Households | 10,307 |
| Economy | |
| • Income class | 2nd municipal income class |
| • Poverty incidence | 11.15 |
| • Revenue | ₱ 292.2 million (2022) |
| • Assets | ₱ 493.8 million (2022) |
| • Expenditure | ₱ 205 million (2022) |
| • Liabilities | ₱ 59.06 million (2022) |
| Service provider | |
| • Electricity | Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (PST) |
| ZIP code | 3704 |
| PSGC | |
| IDD : area code | +63 (0)78 |
| Native languages | Gaddang Ilocano Isinai Kallahan Tagalog |
| Website | aritao |
The ethnic minority called Isinai (the same term for the local spoken dialect) were the original residents of this town.
Etymology
The name Aritao came from the Isinai phrase Ari Tau "which stands for "Our King" (ari means king and tau means our) which refers to the legendary Isinai Chieftain Mengal, a fierce and brave king who resisted the Spanish conquest of the Isinai territories around Ajanas and Ynordenan (the areas comprising what is now most of Aritao).
History
The town of Aritao was previously called Ajanas or Afanas. It was formerly the site of an Igorot fortress that was overrun by the Spanish in 1745 which was then further fortified by the colonists. Prior to that, the Spaniards had already established their first permanent settlement in Nueva Vizcaya in 1714 in the town of Buhay, now Barangay Santa Clara. Afanas was later renamedto Aritao, after an Isinay word "Ari-Tau". In January 1767, the intrepid Spanish Missionary Manuel Corripio succeeded in persuading an Igorot King called Ari Mengal and his tribe to live in the town. These people were later converted into Christianity by Fr. Tomas Gutierrez. In 1776, there was a merger of Aritao with the settlements of Buhay, Mabatu and Pahipahi into one pueblo under the name of Aritao, which was approved by the colonial authorities, with the town center being confirmed to be in the old Aritao.[6]
During the American Era on 30 June 1917, through the initiative of Councilor Jose Aleman, the application for township of Aritao to higher authorities was finally approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
During World War II, Japanese troops entered Aritao in 1942 and were pushed out by Allied forces in 1945 after heavy fighting in the village of Kirang, which lays on the foot of the Cordillera mountain trails leading to Baguio.
Geography
Aritao is situated 30.04 kilometres (18.67 mi) from the provincial capital Bayombong, and 263.30 kilometres (163.61 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays
Aritao is politically subdivided into 22 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.
- Banganan
- Beti
- Bone North
- Bone South
- Calitlitan
- Comon
- Cutar
- Darapidap
- Kirang
- Nagcuartelan
- Poblacion
- Sta. Clara
- Tabueng
- Tucanon
- Anayo
- Baan
- Balite
- Canabuan
- Canarem
- Latar-Nocnoc-San Francisco
- Ocao-Capiniaan
- Yaway
Climate
| Climate data for Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 26 (79) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
29 (84) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
28 (83) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 18 (64) |
18 (64) |
19 (66) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
21 (70) |
20 (68) |
18 (64) |
21 (69) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 21 (0.8) |
28 (1.1) |
34 (1.3) |
58 (2.3) |
160 (6.3) |
179 (7.0) |
226 (8.9) |
225 (8.9) |
215 (8.5) |
168 (6.6) |
59 (2.3) |
32 (1.3) |
1,405 (55.3) |
| Average rainy days | 7.5 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 14.9 | 23.9 | 25.7 | 26.7 | 25.3 | 24.9 | 18.6 | 11.8 | 8.9 | 207.6 |
| Source: Meteoblue[7] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Population census of Aritao | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[8][9][10][11][12] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Language
Ilocano is the dominant dialect of Aritao.
Economy
Government
Local government
Aritao is part of the lone congressional district of the province of Nueva Vizcaya. 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 municipal councilors are elected directly in polls held every three years.
Elected officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Congressman | Luisa L. Cuaresma |
| Mayor | Remelina M. Peros-Galam |
| Vice-Mayor | Jayson E. Ferrer |
| Councilors | Ariel M. Tubiera |
| Aura Bless Crisel F. Galindez | |
| Adonis J. Lejao | |
| Cyrus Will C. Cardenas | |
| Domingo B. Doculan Jr. | |
| Michael M. Villegas | |
| Bernel A. Prado | |
| Vincent L. Lopez |
Education
The Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region.[22] There are two schools district offices that govern all the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality. These are Aritao East District, and Aritao West District.[23]
Primary and elementary schools
- Anayo Primary School
- Aritao Central School
- Aritao Methodist Christian School
- Baan Elementary School
- Banganan Elementary School
- Baptist Christian Academy Comon Annex
- Baptist Christian Academy of Aritao
- Beti Elementary School
- Bone North Elementary School
- Bone South Elementary School
- Felix Saludo Elementary School
- Calitlitan Elementary School
- Canabuan Elementary School
- Canarem Primary School
- Comon Central School
- Cutar Elementary School
- Darapidap Elementary School
- Cesario M. Tubiera Elementary School
- Immaculate Conception Academy of Bone South (Elementary)
- Balite Elementary School
- Kirang Elementary School
- Kirang Elementary School Annex
- Latar Elementary School
- Nagcuartelan Elementary School
- Sta. Clara Elementary School
- Tabueng Elementary School
- Tucanon Elementary School
- Ukaw Elementary School
- Yaway Elementary School
Secondary schools
- Aritao National High School
- Immaculate Conception Academy of Bone South
- Nueva Vizcaya Institute
- Sta. Clara High School
- Southern Cagayan Valley School of Technology
- St. Teresita's Academy of Aritao
Gallery
St. Anthony de Padua Chapel
Nueva Vizcaya Institute
Twin (Skull and Salakot) mountains (visible from Aritao Townhall)
