Santa Ana, Cagayan

"The raging fire from the North, Bridging the Country from the Northern Tip to the Rest of The PacificSanta Ana is a 3rd class municipality (income class equivalent to 30 to 40million pesos based on Department of Finance Department Order No.20-05 Effective July 29, 2005 - www.nscb.gov.ph)in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,612 people in 4,101 households.

Situated at the northeastern tip of the province bordering its eastern shore is the Pacific Ocean and its northwestern shoreline touching the South China Sea . Formerly barrio Palawig of Gonzaga, the town was created by an Executive Order No. 289 of then President Elpidio Quirino, dated October 21, 1949 . The town was not named after any saint but the word "ANA" came from the first letter of the family names of then three provincial officials, namely: the late Governor Nicasio Arranz, for the first letter "A", the late Federico Navarro, for letter "N" and Roberto Avena for the last letter "A", both members of the provincial board.Recolizado family one of the first settlers in palawig other member of the family settled in casambalangan sta ana cagayan.

The first inhabitants were the Negritos and "hatcheros" (woodcutters) under Don Julian Astigarraga of Aparri. Then, some fishermen from Minanga, a barrio of Gonzaga came and resided in Palawig. In 1891 Felipe Aragpao with some settlers organized a "gimong" (society) called "Inanama." The purpose of the organization was to acquire and occupy lands around the place. That same year, Briccio Campañano of Lapog, Ilocos Sur, together with some others for Ilocos came to Palawig to apply for homesteads in the sitio of Marede. These settlers organized another "gimong" called "Dagupan."among the first setlers are the Recolizado family,and Repaso family.Viray festival was the most important parade in Casambalangan sta.Ana Cagayan this is done in honor and belief carrying their patron saint in the boat, believing that it help with bountiful catch.Among those fisherman owners that started the Viray festival was Juanito Recolizado Family ,Manera family,and others are among those primary people who dedicated themselves that this festival was being carried during barrio fiesta in Casambalangan Sta Ana cagayan.

In 1935, the gimongs "Inanama and Dagupan" fused into one called "Da Inanama," headed by Navarro, they began to work for the separation of Palawig as a municipality independent from Gonzaga. Their application was held in obeyance because their population did not meet the needed number required by law. The move was suspended in 1941 and unluckily, the war broke out and the move was not carried out. It was in 1949 that Palawig and its barrios were separated from Gonzaga.

Some of its agricultural and aquatic products are rice, corn, peanut, fish, lumber, shells, etc. Among its natural resources are limestone deposits at Bawac Mountain , coal at Carbon Mountain at Sta. Clara and guano deposit at Kapannikian Cave .

Scenic spots/historical landmarks are Cape Engaño Lighthouse Punta Verde point, white beaches like Anguib Beach, Mapurao Beach, Gotan mangroove Forest and waterfalls.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Sta. Ana is host to the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. It is the new home of surplus/used cars from japan and korea.

CASINO AND CHINESE IMMIGRANTS As part of the development package, the opening of the two casinos in the area has attracted gamblers borh locally and internationally (mainly chinese). The sudden influx of chinese immigrants has made the locals uneasy. Prices of local goods, meat, poultry, and fish went up. But their presence also created jobs. With lots of infrastructures going on, the local economy is fast gaining, and this little town is fast establishing itself as a major economic and development hub in the northeastern most tip of the country.

TOURISM Tourists, both local and international, have increased in number recently. With the unspoiled white beach of Anguib, comparable to that of Boracay and El Nido Palawan, and the fine black sands all over the coast. Sta. Ana is the Game Fishing Mecca of the Philippines. It has hosted for two consecutive years the international decathlon, where athletes run through the rugged terrain of Punta Verde to Cape Engaño, then dipped in the crystal clear water of the Philippine Sea.

Beach Resorts as well as hotels have mushroomed as a result of the increase number of tourists.

Business Warms Up (philippine bussiness.com.ph)A new economic zone will soon sizzle in Cagayan. Tuguegarao in Cagayan Valley recently made news as the hottest place in the country, with temperatures going past Metro Manila's 38 degrees Celsius. But it is not only the climate that's hot in Cagayan Valley. Even the business climate is warming up in this area of the country, especially with the establishment of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport - or simply the Cagayan Freeport Zone.

The brainchild of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, a native of Cagayan Province, the Cagayan Freeport Zone came into being through Republic Act No. 7922 signed by President Ramos on 24 February 1995. The Act tasks the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) to convert an area of 54,000 hectares in the municipality of Santa Ana and the neighboring islands in the municipality of Aparri into a self-sustaining industrial, commercial, investment, and tourism center nd freeport.

The law contains investment incentives including a flat five percent tax on gross profits in lieu of the usual grab bag of local and national taxes. Not satisfied with this incentive, proponents are working its way through Congress to change this to eight percent of net to make the levy competitive with the tax regimes of other freeports like Labuan (Malaysia), Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Since the first half of 1997, Rodolfo Reyes, administrator and CEO of CEZA has been aggressively promoting the Cagayan Freeport Zone as the Phlippine's northernmost gateway to Asia and the U.S. Late last year, the design of the area's master plan was awarded to a consortium composed of several local and foreign specialists including Landseaire Resources and Management Corporation, The Lead Corporation, The Services Group, Hok International, Ltd., Woodward Clyde, Filipinas Dravo, and Pacific Asia Capital Corporation. The plan, which is the first phase of an overall development master plan, includes the development of a port, upgrading the region's agricultural production, rehabilitation of the airstrip, resort development, and creation of an industrial zone while sustaining environmental protection for the entire area.

The area's assets include its strategic location - a mere 45-minute flight from Kaohsiung, Taiwan's largest industrial and shipping center, and much the same distance from Hong Kong. It takes less than a day for a ship to travel from Hong Kong and a few hours more from Guangzhou and Kaohsiung to reach the Cagayan Freeport Zone. Thus, the opportunities for CEZA to develop as an alternative transshipment site are obvious.

"Hong Kong and Kaohsiung have become expensive and they lack space," says Reyes. "We offer an alternative right in the middle of the shipping lanes between China and North America, two of the biggest markets in the world. After all, the ports in Hong Kong and Kaohsiung are primarily transshipment points for China." The project will complete the breakwater and related infrastructure for which Reyes estimates the cost at US$50 million.

The creation of a transshipment industry is just the beginning, and the port is a key piece of the development jigsaw. Once full export facilities are in place, the local agricultural sector will be in an excellent position to grow. "Japan imports most of its foodstuffs from Southeast Asia and the Philippines contributes only about 12 percent of this," says Reyes. The Cagayan Valley now accounts for one or two percent of this total, but several Japanese businessmen have expressed interest in buying a lot more from the region if it were serviced by a port.

"Once the port begins functioning, we can also drum up interest from Japanese and Taiwanese businesses to enter into joint ventures with local farmers and bring advanced agricultural technology to the Philippines," Reyes continues. The next main project of phase one is an 800-hectare industrial park that will be marketed to clean industries in keeping with the area's tourism and food production activities. The aim is to get the right type of investment, rather than any industry at any cost.

Locally, Subic Bay is a perfect example of how that can be done. It just takes political will, education, and community participation," Reyes declares. Reyes cut his teeth in new area development as the deputy administrator and chief-of-staff to Chairman Richard Gordon at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority which transformed the former American naval base into what it is today - a world-class progressive commercial and industrial center. He worked with Chairman Gordon from the beginning and says he learned invaluable lessons there. Support in the highest levels also helps, and Reyes' enthusiasm and obvious commitment to CEZA are reinforced by a clear shift in attitude at the Presidential level. "The last time a president visited Santa Ana, Cagayan was in the 1960s, when the late President Diosdado Macapagal had to make an emergency landing there," Reyes says ruefully. "President Ramos visited the area in July 1997 and is really supporting this project all the way."

Necessary Support It is anticipated that the industrial park will cost US$100 million to set up and the total cost for all three basic projects will be at least US$200 million. To provide the financing, Reyes is looking at a blend of private investment, government funding, and loans from agencies such as the World Bank and Japan's Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF).

The deadline for completing the port, resort and industrial park is only five years away, but once the basic infrastructure is in place, Reyes is confident that the investors will emerge in time for the vision to become a reality.

' Viva Viray!'

"By Dindo A. Danao (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife1_july26_2007)"

What comes into your mind when you think of Cagayan in the north? Chances are you would think of Callao Caves, Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat, and Palaui Island where you can find the Spanish-era Cape Engano Lighthouse.

But apart from these renowned natural attractions, Cagayan has more to offer to its visitors.

On May 26 to 28 this year, the coastal town of Santa Ana played host to the third Viray Festival, an annual fluvial parade of colorful boats, organized by the local government with the support of the regional tourism office and the private sector.

The first day started with a grand parade featuring 38 virays all garbed with colorful and indigenous materials.

Launched in June 2005, the Viray Festival was conceptualized to dramatize the significance of the viray, which played a key role in the lives and history of the town, according to Santa Ana Mayor Norberto Vic Rodriguez.

A viray is a large wooden flat boat which, before the use of gasoline-fed engines in the early 1950s, was propelled by sails. Comerciantes (traders) used large virays measuring 18 meters long, 5 meters wide and 3.5 meters high.

Fishermen, on the other hand, used smaller ones, usually 11 meters long, 5 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. Equipped with oars to reach nearby fishing grounds, these types sailed for longer distances.

Due to its capacity to carry great quantities of cargo, viray was the only means of transport used by the first settlers of Santa Ana. In 1900, the woodcutters from Aparri led by Don Julian Astigarraga arrived by the first boat. Thus, began the clearing of settlements.

From 1919 to 1935 several group of settlers from Ilocos region came to claim lands aboard virays. The once forested areas were accessible only through rivers and the sea. Before reaching the settlements in the northern and eastern portions, they had to navigate through Palawig River.

The name Palawig was coined from the local term pasawig, meaning mouth of the river. Soon after, Palawig became the center of political and social activities and the first seat of the municipal government of Santa Ana.

Leaders and well-off families derived income from the services of the viray ranging from fishing operation, commerce and trade to means of transport during the years when Santa Ana was at its prime. Used for daklis (trawl net), sapiao (net) and sirut (ring net) fishing, viray could carry the fishing gears, provisions, supplies, and manpower. It is assisted by small bancas during the fishing operation.

The creation of the new town, Santa Ana, necessitated public facilities like schools, municipal buildings, roads, bridges, etc. With the absence of transportation system, the virays once again played key roles in development. These big boats were used to transport construction materials to Santa Ana while leaders commuted to the provincial offices through those wooden boats.

“The viray is very significant both in history and socio-economic metamorphosis of the town and people of Santa Ana,” said Rodriguez.

The second day of the festival featured a grand carabao parade where each of the 16 barangays composing the municipality had their turn to show off their artistic talents.

On the third day, we woke up with the reverberating sounds of drums. Local folks and visitors alike lined up along the main street to watch colorful bodies participating in the street dancing competition.

“We would like to institutionalize the Viray Festival as a showcase of our cultural heritage and promote this annual event to draw interest among visitors and boost tourism in this once sleepy town,” said Rodriguez.

Bong Lorenzo, general manager of First Cagayan Leisure and Resort Corp., a big investment firm in the place, said with the rapid growth and development going on in Santa Ana, this town at the northern tip of Cagayan province can be transformed into a world-class tourism destination as it bills itself as “the raging fire from the North.”

Santa Ana, which is 630 kilometers away from Manila, boasts natural tourists attractions.

The picturesque Palaui Island is the site of the Spanish-era Cape Engano Lighthouse surrounded with crystal-clear waters with breathtaking views of rolling mountains and white sand beaches. A government-protected place where one can see nature at its finest.

The scenic Anguib beach is known for its powdery white sand and marvelous cove.

San Vicente, a coastal village in Santa Ana, is the site of the annual national game fishing competition, while its waters teem with delectable seafoods: crabs, lobsters and deep-sea fishes.

Santa Ana also hosts the famous Cagayan Export Zone Authority.

Ceza and its anchor locator First Cagayan Leisure and Resort are committed to pump in P6 billion worth of investments to develop the area as part of a five-year development plan.

On Dec. 8, 2006, Ceza administrator Jose Mari Ponce briefed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the 2006 to 2010 plan that covers 40,700 hectares and involves the construction of Ceza administration complex, agribusiness and industrial parks, telecommunications, amusement and recreation areas, a golf course, a power plant and widening of an existing airstrip in San Vicente, which will carry visitors to the Cagayan Freeport.

On even date the President led the groundbreaking ceremony for a 300-room hotel which houses the first online casino in this town operated by Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. on a 17-hectare property. The gaming firm now brings in thousands of tourists from Hong Kong and China.

A cutting-edge technology center is being developed by First Cagayan Leisure and Resort on a 10-hectare property also in the free port. This will house an Internet data center, an interactive gaming hub, and several software developments and call center facilities. This technology center will serve as the communication link of the Ceza facilities to the rest of the world.

Barangays

Santa Ana is politically subdivided into 16 barangays.

* Casagan * Casambalangan (Port Irene) * Centro (Pob.) * Diora-Zinungan * Dungeg * Kapanikian * Marede * Palawig

* Batu-Parada * Patunungan * Rapuli (Punti) * San Vicente (Fort) * Santa Clara * Santa Cruz * Visitacion (Pob.) * Tangatan

External links

* [http://elgu2.ncc.gov.ph/staana-cagayan/ Municipality of Santa Ana]
* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]