Peñarrubia, Abra

Peñarrubia, officially the Municipality of Peñarrubia (Ilocano: Ili ti Peñarrubia; Tagalog: Bayan ng Peñarrubia), is a municipality in the province of Abra, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 6,951 people.^[5]

Peñarrubia Patoc
Municipality
Municipality of Peñarrubia
Flag Seal
Map of Abra with Peñarrubia highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Peñarrubia Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°34′N 120°39′E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cordillera Administrative Region
Province	Abra
District	Lone district
Founded	1917
Named after	Peñarrubia, Málaga, Spain
Barangays	9 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Jane M. Cecilia
• Vice Mayor	Geraldine M. Balbuena
• Representative	Menchie B. Bernos
• Municipal Council	Members Zaldy S. Bataguen Laura M. Ramirez Daxjur F. Damasen Arturo L. Ferrandis Jr. Josefino F. Valencia Yolee L. Sembrano Jezza S. Benabese Joel R. Blanca
• Electorate	5,145 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	38.29 km2 (14.78 sq mi)
Elevation	129 m (423 ft)
Highest elevation	567 m (1,860 ft)
Lowest elevation	30 m (100 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	7,003
• Density	180/km2 (470/sq mi)
• Households	1,672
Economy
• Income class	6th municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	23.43 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 182.3 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 467.5 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 80.4 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 37.77 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	2804
PSGC	1400117000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)74
Native languages	Itneg Ilocano Tagalog

Geography

The Municipality of Peñarrubia is located at 17°34′N 120°39′E. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 39.19 square kilometres (15.13 sq mi) ^[6] constituting 0.92% of the 4,165.25-square-kilometre- (1,608.21 sq mi) total area of Abra.

Peñarrubia is situated 7.22 kilometres (4.49 mi) from the provincial capital Bangued, and 408.19 kilometres (253.64 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

Peñarrubia is politically subdivided into 9 barangays.^[7] Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

PSGC	Barangay	Population			±% p.a.
		2024[8]		2010[9]
140117001	Dumayco	16.8%	1,179	1,102	▴	0.47%
140117002	Lusuac	16.0%	1,121	1,053	▴	0.44%
140117005	Malamsit (Pau-Malamsit)	9.6%	675	640	▴	0.37%
140117003	Namarabar	9.6%	675	548	▴	1.47%
140117004	Patiao	10.5%	738	608	▴	1.36%
140117006	Poblacion	13.2%	924	994	▾	−0.51%
140117007	Riang (Tiang)	11.3%	793	810	▾	−0.15%
140117008	Santa Rosa	5.4%	375	382	▾	−0.13%
140117009	Tattawa	6.7%	471	407	▴	1.02%
	Total		7,003	6,544	▴	0.47%

Climate

Climate data for Peñarrubia, Abra
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29 (84)	30 (86)	32 (90)	33 (91)	32 (90)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	29 (84)	31 (87)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	18 (64)	19 (66)	20 (68)	22 (72)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	21 (70)	19 (66)	22 (71)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	9 (0.4)	11 (0.4)	13 (0.5)	23 (0.9)	92 (3.6)	122 (4.8)	153 (6.0)	137 (5.4)	139 (5.5)	141 (5.6)	42 (1.7)	14 (0.6)	896 (35.4)
Average rainy days	4.6	4.0	6.2	9.1	19.5	23.2	24.0	22.5	21.5	15.2	10.5	6.0	166.3
Source: Meteoblue[10]

Demographics

Population census of Peñarrubia

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1918	3,456	—
1939	2,295	−1.93%
1948	2,262	−0.16%
1960	3,117	+2.71%
1970	3,955	+2.41%
1975	3,737	−1.13%
1980	4,096	+1.85%
1990	4,893	+1.79%
1995	5,048	+0.59%
2000	5,515	+1.91%
2007	6,443	+2.17%
2010	6,544	+0.57%
2015	6,640	+0.28%
2020	6,951	+0.97%
2024	7,003	+0.18%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[11][12][9][13][14]

In the 2020 census, Peñarrubia had a population of 6,951.^[15] The population density was 180 inhabitants per square kilometre (470/sq mi).

Economy

Poverty incidence of Peñarrubia

10 20 30 40 50 2000 43.45 2003 35.89 2006 29.60 2009 35.68 2012 30.96 2015 18.32 2018 16.17 2021 23.43 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Peñarrubia, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Abra, 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)^[24]

Position	Name
Congressman	Joseph Santo Niño B. Bernos
Mayor	Jane M. Cecilia
Vice-Mayor	Geraldine M. Balbuena
Councilors	Yolee L. Sambrano
	Joel R. Blanca
	Zaldy S. Bataguen
	Valeriano V. Damasen Jr.
	Rommel D. Omli
	Jezza S. Benabese
	Arturo L. Ferrandiz Jr.
	Josefino F. Valencia

Antonio Amasi Domes-ag was OIC Mayor of the town in 1989–1992, then elected as mayor in 1992–1995, and again for the term 1995–1998. He was replaced by his wife Lovelyn Domes-ag in 1998-2001 and 2001–2004. The election of 2004 became controversial in the whole nation when both husband and wife ran for mayoralty candidate. Antonio Domes-ag was proclaimed as the winner. In the May 2007 election, incumbent Vice Mayor Geraldine Mamsaang-Balbuena won in a matter of one vote against Antonio A. Domes-ag.

The present municipal mayor is still Jane Mamsaang-Cecilia.

Education

The Peñarrubia 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.^[25]

Primary and elementary schools

• Dumayco Primary School
• Lusuac Elementary School
• Malamsit Elementary School
• Namarabar Elementary School
• Sta. Rosa Elementary School
• Tattawa Primary School

Secondary school

• Peñarrubia Integrated School