Paracelis

Paracelis, officially the Municipality of Paracelis is a municipality in the province of Mountain Province, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,168 people.^[3]

Paracelis
Municipality
Municipality of Paracelis
Flag
Map of Mountain Province with Paracelis highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Paracelis Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°10′52″N 121°24′13″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region
Province	Mountain Province
District	Lone district
Founded	1962
Barangays	9 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Marcos G. Ayangwa
• Vice Mayor	Lister M. Carlos
• Representative	Maximo Y. Dalog Jr.
• Municipal Council	Members Ruben T. Vicente Lito B. Basungit Marcelo T. Ambatali Victorino S. Bannaue John B. Banggolay Ateneo B. Gusimat Gaston G. Todco Marciano O. Lappao Jr.
• Electorate	22,269 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	570.16 km2 (220.14 sq mi)
Elevation	324 m (1,063 ft)
Highest elevation	989 m (3,245 ft)
Lowest elevation	159 m (522 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[3]
• Total	31,168
• Density	55/km2 (140/sq mi)
• Households	7,159
Economy
• Income class	2nd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	9.30 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 296 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 526.2 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 260.3 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 234.7 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Mountain Province Electric Cooperative (MOPRECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2625
PSGC	1404406000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
Native languages	Ga'dang Balangao Bontoc Ilocano Tagalog
Website	www.paracelis.gov.ph

Paracelis' population distribution is 37 percent urban and 63 percent rural. Urban settlement is on the west side of the town, a basin of low-level hilly-to-flat lands surrounded by mountains.

History

Paracelis was first settled by the Ga'dang (Gaddang) ethnic group, who were migrants from Cagayan Valley. Through the years, Paracelis has become the main entry point to the rest of Mountain Province.

The name Paracelis came into existence as early as the 1900s as part of the territorial barangays of Natonin within the District of Kalao. Paracelis became a regular town named Paracales with the enactment of Republic Act 3488^[5] on June 16, 1962. The town was renamed Paracelis on June 18, 1966^[6] under Republic Act 4738. The first appointed mayor was Benito Rafael.

The first official site of the civil government was at Natta'longan, now currently within Barangay Bantay. The pre-World War II government was short-lived and administration lasted under three local managements from 1917 to 1921.

In 1962, the government center at Natta'longan was transferred to Anangka within the Rafael compound. The site was again transferred to a lot in Marat donated by the Gawwan family. In 1991, the officials of the municipal government transferred the government center to its current site in Poblacion. The government used to occupy a one-hectare lot that housed all the units.

On December 25, 2007, the town's mayor, Cesar Rafael, was killed in an ambush in sitio Sinigpit, Barangay Butigue.^[7]

Paracelis is currently a melting pot of migrants from different areas, such as the Gaddang, Balangao, Majukayong, Kalinga, and Ifugao tribes, including Ilokanos. This migration has been instrumental on the fast rising urbanization of Paracelis in the last two decades. The town's current administration is introducing an urbanization plan for the municipality.

Geography

The Municipality of Paracelis is a border town of Mountain Province where it shares borders with Kalinga, Isabela and Ifugao provinces. In the north, its borders with the city of Tabuk and the town of Tanudan. In the south, it is bordered by Alfonso Lista. In the north-east, it shares a border with Quezon, in the east with Mallig and Roxas in Isabela. In the west, it borders with Natonin.

Due to hilly terrain, Paracelis has numerous zigzag roads in most parts, including access roads that connect the municipality to other border towns. On both sides of its zigzag roads, travelers can view the vast cornfield plantations alongside.

Paracelis is situated 98.75 kilometres (61.36 mi) from the provincial capital Bontoc, and 430.33 kilometres (267.39 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

Paracelis is politically subdivided into 9 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

• Anonat
• Bacarri
• Bananao
• Bantay
• Bunot
• Buringal
• Butigue
• Palitod
• Poblacion

Climate

Climate data for Paracelis, Mountain Province
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	25 (77)	26 (79)	28 (82)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	29 (84)	29 (84)	28 (82)	27 (81)	25 (77)	28 (83)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20 (68)	20 (68)	21 (70)	22 (72)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	22 (72)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	78 (3.1)	60 (2.4)	49 (1.9)	51 (2.0)	194 (7.6)	197 (7.8)	209 (8.2)	226 (8.9)	185 (7.3)	180 (7.1)	143 (5.6)	183 (7.2)	1,755 (69.1)
Average rainy days	15.6	12.5	11.8	12.5	21.0	23.3	25.2	26.1	22.6	17.1	16.7	19.6	224
Source: Meteoblue (modeled/calculated data, not measured locally)[8]

Demographics

Population census of Paracelis

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 5,666 —     1975 7,679 +6.29% 1980 9,729 +4.84% 1990 13,027 +2.96%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1995 15,882 +3.78% 2000 18,985 +3.90% 2007 24,705 +3.70% 2010 26,476 +2.55%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2015 28,121 +1.15% 2020 31,168 +2.04%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[9][10][11][12]

Language

The town of Paracelis is home to three indigenous languages, the Balangaw language and the Ga'dang language (similar to the Ga'dang language used in Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, and Aurora), and the Majukayong. Ilocano is the lingua franca of the municipality.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Paracelis

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 2000 70.26 2003 59.91 2006 43.10 2009 46.72 2012 40.56 2015 30.55 2018 30.63 2021 9.30 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

The municipality of Paracelis depends on agriculture as its main engine of growth with corn as the main product, and bananas coming second. Livestock farming is also a fast-rising business, and with the NGP and reforestation program of the DENR fruit tree growing is on the rise as is with vegetable growing. Trade activities include the commerce of basic consumer goods, handicrafts, food business, and others.

The municipal government is planning to pursue real estate development and tourism as its next engines of growth.

Its location at the crossroad makes Paracelis a future trading hub in the Eastern Cordillera Growth Corridor, a primary growth center of the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Paracelis, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Mountain Province, 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

Members of the Municipal Council (2019–2022):^[21]

• Congressman: Maximo Y. Dalog Jr.
• Mayor: Marcos G. Ayangwa
• Vice-Mayor: Lister M. Carlos
• Councilors:
  • Ruben T. Vicente
  • Lito B. Basungit
  • Marcelo T. Ambatali
  • Victorino S. Bannaue
  • John B. Banggolay
  • Ateneo B. Gusimat
  • Gaston G. Todco
  • Marciano O. Lappao Jr.

Transportation

The only mode of transportation to and from Paracelis are buses and jeepneys plying to Santiago, Baguio, Tabuk, Alfonso Lista and Natonin. Going south, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach Alfonso Lista and 3 hours to Santiago from Paracelis. Going north, it takes approximately 2 hours to reach Tabuk . Going west to Natonin town proper, it takes less than an hour. Currently, there is no road access from the town proper going to Mallig in the east but there is road from its border Barangay Buringal to Mallig.

As of 2017, there is concreting of the national highway from Butigue, Palitud, Anonat going to Roxas, Isabela

Education

The Paracelis Schools District Office governs all educational institutions within the municipality. It oversees the management and operations of all private and public, from primary to secondary schools.^[22]

Primary and elementary schools

• Addang Elementary School
• Amolong Elementary School
• Anonat Elementary School
• Apalis Elementary School
• Bacarri Elementary School
• Bagabag Elementary School
• Balindan Elementary School
• Bananao Elementary School
• Burayoc Elementary School
• Butigue Alliance Learning Center
• Butigue Elementary School
• Cabuaan Elementary School
• Camparadi Elementary School
• Canabo Elementary School
• Cassag Elementary School
• Catao Elementary School
• Catubangan Primary School
• Dalanao Elementary School
• Damsite Elementary School
• Dannal Elementary School
• Gassilang Primary School
• Kabulalaan Elementary School
• Kalao Elementary School
• Labay Elementary School
• Maab-abnot Elementary School
• Makilo Elementary School
• Marallag Elementary School
• Minoli Elementary School
• Mulliang Elementary School
• Natta'longan Elementary School
• Pacak Elementary School
• Palitod Elementary School
• Paracelis Central School
• San Emilio Elementary School
• San Rafael Elementary School

Secondary schools

Eight out of nine barangays in Paracelis have their respective secondary institution. Annex campuses of major high schools in different barangays were converted into a regular and independent high schools. The list of secondary schools are as follows:

• Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School - Barangay Bacarri
• Paracelis Technical and Vocational High School - Sitio Labay, Barangay Bantay
• Anonat National Agricultural and Vocation High School (Formerly Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School- Anonat Annex)^[23] - Barangay Anonat
• Buringal National High School - Barangay Buringal
• Butigue National High School - Barangay Butigue
• Palitod National High School^[24] - Barangay Palitod
• San Rafael National High School^[25] - Sitio San Rafael, Barangay Bananao
• Paracelis National High School - Barangay Poblacion
• Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School - Bunot Extension - Barangay Bunot

Higher educational institution

• Mountain Province State Polytechnic College

Health

A district hospital serves the people of Paracelis. Recently,^[when?] the municipal mayor, Avelino C. Amangyen signed a memorandum of agreement at the Japanese Embassy in Manila with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) representatives for the construction of the rural health unit building.