Sanchez-Mira

Sanchez Mira, officially the Municipality of Sanchez Mira (Ibanag: Ili nat Sanchez Mira; Ilocano: Ili ti Sanchez Mira; Tagalog: Bayan ng Sanchez Mira), is a municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 26,164 people.^[5]

Municipality of Sanchez Mira Malolokit
Municipality
A private elementary school in Sanchez Mira
Flag Seal
Motto:  Dur-as Sanchez Mira!
Anthem: Sanchez Mira Hymn
Map of Cagayan with Sanchez-Mira highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Municipality of Sanchez Mira Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 18°33′40″N 121°14′04″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley
Province	Cagayan
District	2nd district
Founded	1887
Barangays	18 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Abraham B. Bagasin
• Vice Mayor	Asela Bagasin-Sacramed
• Representative	Baby Aline V. Alfonso
• Electorate	17,173 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	198.80 km2 (76.76 sq mi)
Elevation	61 m (200 ft)
Highest elevation	1,261 m (4,137 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	26,292
• Density	130/km2 (340/sq mi)
• Households	6,645
Economy
• Income class	3rd municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	8.13 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 195.4 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 517.9 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 165.9 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 78.39 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Cagayan 2 Electric Cooperative (CAGELCO 2)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3518
PSGC	0201522000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)78
Native languages	Ibanag Ilocano Tagalog
Major religions	Pentecost, IAFB, AFB, Assembly of the first born, Catholic, IFI, Methodist
Feast date	August 16
Patron saint	St. Roche
Website	www.sanchezmira-cagayan.gov.ph

History

Formerly called Malukkit or Naluqui, meaning "a place of conflict/destruction", the name "Sanchez Mira" was given in honor of Manuel Sanchez Mira, a Spanish Brigadier General assigned in the Cagayan Valley who served as the alcalde mayor of Cagayan. It was formally established as a town in 1894, with majority of its first inhabitants being Ilocanos from Paoay, Ilocos Norte.^[6] They came from notable families such as the Negre, Mackay, Cacatian, Marzan, and Paclibon.

Third Republic

On November 15, 1967, Vice Mayor P. Frafcon was assassinated by unidentified men.^[7]

Geography

Lying on a latitude of 18 degrees, 34 minutes north and a longitude of 121 degrees, 14 minutes east, the municipality is bounded on the north by the Babuyan Channel; on the south by the municipality of Luna; on the east by the municipality of Pamplona; and on the west by the municipality of Claveria.

Sanchez Mira is 158.38 kilometres (98.41 mi) from the provincial capital Tuguegarao, and 629.86 kilometres (391.38 mi) from the country's capital city of Manila.

Barangays

Sanchez Mira is politically subdivided into 18 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Bangan
• Callungan
• Centro I
• Centro II
• Dacal
• Dagueray
• Dammang
• Kittag
• Langagan
• Magacan
• Marzan
• Masisit
• Nagrangtayan
• Namuac
• San Andres
• Santiago
• Santor
• Tokitok

Climate

Climate data for Sanchez Mira, Cagayan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	25 (77)	26 (79)	29 (84)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	30 (86)	28 (82)	27 (81)	25 (77)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	20 (68)	20 (68)	21 (70)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	25 (77)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	21 (70)	23 (73)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	120 (4.7)	77 (3.0)	62 (2.4)	40 (1.6)	118 (4.6)	138 (5.4)	162 (6.4)	173 (6.8)	143 (5.6)	198 (7.8)	185 (7.3)	248 (9.8)	1,664 (65.4)
Average rainy days	16.9	12.2	11.5	10.6	18.7	20.1	21.2	23.3	20.8	16.9	16.5	20.0	208.7
Source: Meteoblue[8]

Demographics

Population census of Sanchez Mira

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 4,329 —     1918 6,221 +2.45% 1939 9,066 +1.81% 1948 10,611 +1.76% 1960 12,315 +1.25% 1970 16,182 +2.77% 1975 17,696 +1.81% 1980 18,185 +0.55%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 17,873 −0.17% 1995 18,904 +1.06% 2000 21,475 +2.77% 2007 23,044 +0.98% 2010 23,257 +0.34% 2015 24,541 +1.03% 2020 26,164 +1.36% 2024 26,292 +0.12%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[9][10][11][12][13]

In the 2020 census, the population of Sanchez Mira was 26,164 people,^[14] with a density of 130 inhabitants per square kilometre or 340 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Sanchez Mira

5 10 15 20 25 30 2000 27.91 2003 18.08 2006 12.80 2009 13.44 2012 17.23 2015 9.89 2018 8.27 2021 8.13 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Sanchez Mira is part of the second 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 municipal councilors are elected directly by the people through an election held every three years.

Town hall

The current Sanchez Mira Municipal Hall was built during the tenure of Mayor Napoleon Cabuyadao Sacramed.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2022-2025)^[23]

Position	Name
Congressman	Aline Vargas-Alfonso
Mayor	Abraham B Bagasin
Vice-Mayor	Asela B Sacramed
Councilors	Chel Monje
	Melbina Mangosing
	Kap Mama Agabin
	John Langgaman
	Jay-Ar Cabulisan
	Benjamin Oroceo
	Napoleon Malto
	Mario De Castro

Education

The Schools Division of Cagayan governs the town's public education system.^[24] The division office is a field office of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Cagayan Valley region.^[25] The Sanchez Mira Schools District Office oversees both public and private elementary and high schools across the municipality.^[26]

The first Methodist high school in the Philippines, Thoburn Memorial Academy, was established in 1945, right after World War II, by Juan Agcaoili Aragones and his wife, Serapia Perdido Negre.

Primary and elementary schools

• Bangan Elementary School
• Benlippen Christian Learning School
• C. Marzan Elementary School
• Centro United Methodist Church Kiddie School
• Callungan Elementary School
• Dacal-Pukel Elementary School
• Dagueray Elementary School
• Dammang Elementary School
• Kittag Elementary School
• Iglesia Filipina Independiente Learning Center
• Langagan Elementary School
• Masisit Elementary School
• Minanga Elementary School
• Nagrangtayan-Macagan Elementary School
• Namuac Adventist Multigrade School
• Namuac-San AndrElementary School Elementary School
• Pureg Elementary School
• San Roque Pre-school of Sanchez Mira
• Sanchez Mira WElementary Schoolt Central Elementary School
• Sanchez Mira Central Elementary School
• Sanchez Mira Institute for Lifelong Education (Elementary)
• Santiago Elementary School
• Santor Elementary School
• Shining Light Academy (Elementary School)
• Starkid Christian Learning Center
• Taguiporo Elementary School
• Tokitok Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Divine Word High School
• Namuac Academy
• Sanchez Mira Institute for Lifelong Education (High School)
• Sanchez Mira NHS
• Sanchez Mira SAT
• Shining Light Academy (High School)
• Thoburn Memorial Academy