Solana, Cagayan

Solana, officially the Municipality of Solana (Ibanag: Ili nat Solana; Itawit: Ili/Babalay yo Solana; Ilocano: Ili ti Solana; Tagalog: Bayan ng Solana), is a municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 88,445 people.^[5]

Solana Marague
Municipality
Municipality of Solana
Solana Municipal Hall
Flag Seal
Map of Cagayan with Solana highlighted
OpenStreetMap
Solana Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°39′08″N 121°41′29″E
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley
Province	Cagayan
District	3rd district
Named after	The Marquis of La Solana (as Solana) Francisco Marague (as Marague)
Barangays	38 (see Barangays)
Government  [1]
• Type	Sangguniang Bayan
• Mayor	Meynard Z. Carag, CPA
• Vice Mayor	Jennalyn P. Carag
• Representative	Joseph L. Lara
• Municipal Council	Members Francsica F. de Asis Carlo Paolo G. Lasam Amelia P. Carag James C. Mallillin Ronald C. Cristobal Edilberto A. Edillo Angelina L. Fernandez Domingo A. Lagundi Jr.
• Electorate	51,787 voters (2025)
Area [2]
• Total	234.60 km2 (90.58 sq mi)
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Highest elevation	153 m (502 ft)
Lowest elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (2024 census)[3]
• Total	89,840
• Density	380/km2 (990/sq mi)
• Households	21,407
Economy
• Income class	1st municipal income class
• Poverty incidence	12.23 % (2021)[4]
• Revenue	₱ 428 million (2022)
• Assets	₱ 1,094 million (2022)
• Expenditure	₱ 324.6 million (2022)
• Liabilities	₱ 274.8 million (2022)
Service provider
• Electricity	Cagayan 1 Electric Cooperative (CAGELCO 1)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
ZIP code	3503
PSGC	0201527000
IDD : area code	+63 (0)78
Native languages	Ibanag Ilocano Itawis Tagalog
Website	www.solana-cagayan.gov.ph

The Awidon Mesa Formationa Paleolithic Sites of the municipality, along with the Callao Limestone Formation Paleolithic Sites in neighboring Penablanca, are included in the tentative list of the Philippines for future UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription under the name of Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in Cagayan Valley. The Awidon Mesa Formation has at least 68 Paleolithic sites in which stone tools and fossils of extinct animals that include stegodons, elephants, rhinoceros, and large tortoise were discovered.

History

Formerly part of Tuguegarao, Solana was formally made an independent town on 18 August 1852. It was named after Governor General Juan Antonio de Urbiztondo, Marquis of La Solana.^[6] Prior to that it was called Marague, after a rich widower named Francisco Marague who settled in the area and built a stone house. During the Second World War, the barrio of Andarayan was bombed by American planes on 13 June 1945, killing 50 people.^[7]

Geography

The Municipality of Solana is surrounded by the following: to the east by the Cagayan River, to the north by Amulung, to the south by Enrile, to the southwest by Kalinga province, and to the northwest by Piat and Tuao.

Solana is situated 10.85 kilometres (6.74 mi) from the provincial capital Tuguegarao, and 485.85 kilometres (301.89 mi) north of the country's capital city of Manila.

Topography

Solana is mostly flat with mountainous terrain on the central area from Barangay Madarallug going north to Barangay Iraga due to the Barung Anticline and Liwan Syncline.

The municipality is bounded by the Cagayan River to the East, Amulung to the North, Enrile to the South and Municipality of Tuao and Piat to the West.

With its proximity in the Cagayan River, it is usually flooded during typhoon season where the river is usually swollen thus providing a fluvial soil good for farming.

Barangays

Solana is politically subdivided into 38 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

• Andarayan North
• Andarayan South
• Bangag
• Bantay
• Basi East
• Basi West
• Bauan East
• Bauan West
• Cadaanan
• Calamagui
• Calillauan
• Carilucud
• Cattaran
• Centro Northeast (Poblacion)
• Centro Northwest (Poblacion)
• Centro Southeast (Poblacion)
• Centro Southwest (Poblacion)
• Dassun
• Furagui
• Gadu
• Gen. Eulogio Balao
• Iraga
• Lanna
• Lannig
• Lingu
• Maddarulug (Santo Domingo)
• Maguirig
• Malalam-Malacabibi
• Nabbotuan
• Nangalisan
• Natappian East
• Natappian West
• Padul
• Palao
• Parug-parug
• Pataya
• Sampaguita
• Ubong

Climate

Just like the general climatic conditions of the Philippines, the municipality of Solana's climate is tropical and maritime. It is characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity and abundant rainfall.

^[8] Based from the Climate Map of PAGASA, the municipality belongs to the Type III Climate with no very pronounced maximum rain period with a dry season lasting only from one to three monthse either from December to February or from March to May.

Climate data for Solana, Cagayan
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)	32 (90)	31 (88)	31 (88)	30 (86)	30 (86)	28 (82)	27 (81)	25 (77)	29 (84)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	21 (70)	21 (70)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	25 (77)	24 (75)	25 (77)	24 (75)	23 (73)	23 (73)	22 (72)	23 (74)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	155 (6.1)	113 (4.4)	89 (3.5)	58 (2.3)	127 (5.0)	131 (5.2)	154 (6.1)	184 (7.2)	151 (5.9)	247 (9.7)	221 (8.7)	292 (11.5)	1,922 (75.6)
Average rainy days	19.6	14.8	13.4	12.0	19.4	19.8	23.0	25.0	23.0	19.4	19.1	21.6	230.1
Source: Meteoblue[9]

Demographics

Population census of Solana

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1903 8,064 —     1918 11,760 +2.55% 1939 17,166 +1.82% 1948 18,758 +0.99% 1960 27,631 +3.28% 1970 34,172 +2.14% 1975 40,553 +3.49% 1980 46,064 +2.58%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1990 56,366 +2.04% 1995 60,346 +1.29% 2000 67,512 +2.43% 2007 71,475 +0.79% 2010 76,596 +2.55% 2015 82,502 +1.42% 2020 88,445 +1.47% 2024 89,840 +0.38%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[10][11][12][13][14]

In the 2020 census, the population of Solana, Cagayan, was 88,445 people,^[15] with a density of 380 inhabitants per square kilometre or 980 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Solana

10 20 30 40 50 2000 49.76 2003 46.74 2006 32.80 2009 22.52 2012 22.72 2015 11.91 2018 10.72 2021 12.23 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

Government

Local government

Main article: Sangguniang Bayan

Solana 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 Sangguniang Bayan is composed of the (Municipality) Vice Mayor as Presiding Officer, regular Sanggunian members (Councilors), the President of the Association of Barangay Captains and the President of the Sangguniang Kabataan. They shall exercise and perform the legislative powers and duties as provided for under Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991. Shall consider and conduct thorough study all matters brought to their attention and consequently pass resolutions, enact ordinances and to introduce recommendations.^[24]

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2019–2022)^[25]

Position	Name
Congressman	Joseph L. Lara
Mayor	Jennalyn P. Carag
Vice-Mayor	Meynard Z. Carag, CPA
Councilors	Francsica F. de Asis
	Atty. Carlo Paolo G. Lasam
	Amelia P. Carag
	James C. Mallillin
	Ronald C. Cristobal
	Edilberto A. Edillo
	Angelina L. Fernandez
	Atty. Domingo A. Lagundi Jr.

Elected officials

Members of the Municipal Council
(2022-2025)

Position	Name
Congressman	Joseph L. Lara
Mayor	Jennalyn P. Carag
Vice-Mayor	Meynard Z. Carag, CPA
Councilors	Ronald C. Cristobal
	Edilberto A. Edillo
	James C. Mallillin
	Francisca F. De Asis
	Atty. Carlo Paolo G. Lasam
	Angelina L. Fernandez
	All B. Ubina
	Amelia P. Carag

Education

San Vicente Institute

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.^[26][27]

The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Cagayan was relocated to Solana following a fire that destroyed its original building near the Boy Scouts of the Philippines – Cagayan Chapter Office and Cagayan National High School on August 10, 2012. The following day, the division office was temporarily transferred to the former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) building in Lingu, Solana, Cagayan, where it operated until November 15, 2017.^[28]

There are two schools district offices which govern the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality. These are Solana North District, and Solana South District.^[29]

The only Catholic School that serves the area is Saint Vincent Ferrer Institute (SVI) under Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish which offers basic education from elementary to senior high school.

Primary and elementary schools

• Andarayan Elementary School
• Bangag Elementary School
• Basi Elementary School
• Bauan Elementary School
• Cagayan Valley Dynamic Christian Global School
• Cadaanan Elementary School
• Casa Dei Bambini School
• Cattaran Elementary School
• Dassun Elementary School
• Door of Faith Christian Learning School
• Iraga Elementary School
• Lanna Elementary School
• Lannig Elementary School
• Lingu Elementary School
• Little Jesus Christian Academy Cadaanan Branch
• Little Jesus Christian Academy Dassun Branch
• Maddarulug Elementary School
• Malacabibi Elementary School
• Masin-San Pablo Elementary School
• Maguirig Elementary School
• Nangalisan Elementary School
• Natappian Elementary School
• Saint Vincent Ferrer Institute (Primary to Elementary)
• Solana North Central School
• Solana South Central School
• The Natappian United Methodist Mission School
• Turod Elementary School

Secondary schools

• Andarayan National High School
• Dassun National High School
• Gadu National High School- Nangalisan Extension
• Saint Vincent Ferrer Institute
• Solana Academy
• Solana Fresh Water Fishery School

Higher educational institution

There is a state university which is an extension campus of Cagayan State University which offer academic programs in Teacher Education, Agriculture, Fisheries, Information and Computing Sciences, and Criminology.

• Cagayan State University

Gallery

• 
  Old Solana Church
• 
  New Solana Church
• 
  Solana Public Market
• 
  Solana Junction