San Mateo (pronounced locally as /sænˈmäCHō/ not /sæn mə-tay-oh/ , Spanish for St. Matthew), officially the Municipality of San Mateo (; ), is a municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the , it has a population of people.
The town is one of the cleanest town in the region. The administrators encourage the people of the municipality to use paper bags instead of plastic bags in line with its claim as an "Agro-Ecological Town".
Etymology The town was first named as Marasat. It was a former barangay of Cauayan, then Santiago. It was called the Municipality of Yoshisawa under the government of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. After the liberation, it was finally created and named San Mateo by virtue of Presidential Executive Order No. 97 on March 17, 1946, by then President Sergio Osmeña. It was named for its founder, the late Don Mateo A. Cadeliña.
History On March 17, 1946, President Sergio Osmeña issued Executive Order No. 97, which established San Mateo as a formal municipality. According to the provisions of Executive Order No. 249 of the Office of the President of the Philippines, and based on the municipality's annual average income for CY 2004–2007 as certified by the Commission on Audit, and as implemented by Department of Finance Order No. 23–08 dated July 29, 2008, the municipality was reclassified from a second class municipality to first class municipality.
On December 1, 2008, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo designated the Municipality as an Agro-Ecological Destination in Cagayan Valley Region as recommended by the Department of Agriculture due to its vast ecological and agricultural production areas, as well as being the recipient of the Galing Pook Award 2007 for the best local governance programs. On January 27, 2012, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala designated the municipality as the Munggo Capital of the Philippines. This is in acknowledgment of local leaders' valuable efforts to promote munggo production, which is a high-value commercial commodity.'
According to Republic Act No. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, the municipality is responsible for coordinating and providing basic, regular, and direct services to its residents in order to promote social and economic development. As proof, the municipality of San Mateo received the Seal of Good Local Governance from 2015 to 2019 and again in 2022, the Department of the Interior and Local Government's highest accreditation for performing local governments.
Geography San Mateo is situated in the southwestern part of Isabela. It is bounded on the north by Aurora, on the northeast by Cabatuan, on the east by Cauayan, on the east-southeast by Alicia, on the south by Ramon and on the west Alfonso Lista in the Province of Ifugao.
San Mateo is situated from the provincial capital Ilagan, and from the country's capital city of Manila.
Barangays San Mateo is politically subdivided into 33 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.
Bacarreña Bagong Sikat Daramuangan Norte Daramuangan Sur Estrella Gaddanan Malasin Mapuroc Marasat Grande Marasat Pequeño Old Centro I Old Centro Proper Barangay I (Poblacion) Barangay II (Poblacion) Barangay III (Poblacion) Barangay IV (Poblacion) Salinungan East Salinungan West San Andres San Antonio San Ignacio San Manuel San Marcos San Roque Sinamar Norte Sinamar Sur Victoria Villafuerte Villa Cruz Villa Magat Villa Gamiao (Buyon)
Climate
The climate of San Mateo falls under third type. This type of climate is characterized by no pronounced maximum rain period with a short dry season lasting from one to three months. Rainfall starts in July and continues through December with either October or November as the peak of the rainy season.
Per data gathered from the ISU PAG-ASA PCARRD AGROMET Station, Echague, Isabela, the average monthly rainfall for 2011 was 238.20mm with the highest recorded at 558.20mm in September and at least in March with 32.6mm. The highest recorded temperature was its peak in May at 34.40C during the summer season and the lowest at 26.10C in January. However the average temperature for the same period was 30.70C.
Land Classification and Uses
The soil type of San Mateo is 49.89% Santa Rita Clay Loam which is suited for lowland crops like rice, tobacco and mungo. Other soil types are Bago Series (26.04%), San Manuel Series (9.87%), Peñaranda (2.31%), Agustin Series (7.95%) and River Wash Gravel (3.95%).
The existing land uses of the municipality are as follows:
The long and mighty Magat River, the biggest tributary of the Cagayan River lies in the vast plains devoted to agriculture in the area.
The Tao-Tao River and the four (4) creeks found in the municipality named Porvida, Gaddanan, Macañao and Balaobao are likewise tapped to supply water to elevated portions of agricultural lands through the use of water pumps.
Topography
The terrain of the municipality is basically plain with 98% of the total land area under 0-2 percent slope category and only 2% of the total area is under the 2.3-5 percent slope category. The excellent topography of the municipality has made irrigation by gravity method applicable in flooding of rice paddies.
Demographics
In the 2024 census, the population of San Mateo was 67,433 people, with a density of .
Language The population is a combination of different ethnic group dominated by Ilocano speaking people which make Ilocano the common language used in the municipality.
Economy
According to the 2020 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index conducted by the National Competitiveness Council, San Mateo took the 141st spot among the first class and second class municipalities in the Philippines. 2015 44th 2016 99th 2017 123rd 2018 92nd 2019 72nd 2020 141st 2021 292nd 2022 242nd 2023 160th
Culture The San Mateo Town Fiesta is an annual cultural and civic celebration held every March 17 in the municipality of San Mateo. The event commemorates the town's founding anniversary and serves as a major highlight in the local calendar, attracting residents, visitors, and dignitaries from neighboring areas.
The Munggo Festival, also locally known as the Balatong Festival, is an annual cultural celebration held in the first week of May in the town. The festival is dedicated to honoring and giving thanks to God for the abundance and blessings of the munggo (mung bean) harvest—one of the municipality's primary agricultural products.
Government
Local government
As a municipality in the Province of Isabela, government officials at the provincial and municipal levels are voted by the town. The provincial government has political jurisdiction over most local transactions of the municipal government.
The municipality of San Mateo 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 in polls held every three years.
Barangays are also headed by elected officials: Barangay Captain, Barangay Council, whose members are called Barangay Councilors. The barangays have SK federation which represents the barangay, headed by SK chairperson and whose members are called SK councilors. All officials are also elected every three years.
Elected Officials
+ Members of the San Mateo Municipal Council(2025–2028) Position Name District Representative Ian Paul L. Dy Municipal Mayor Gregorio A. Pua Municipal Vice-Mayor Alan L. Cabacungan Municipal Councilors Jennifer G. Ramones Lailo Paulo R. Palomares Atty. Eric P. Subia Sherwin R. Cadeliña Geo Niko R. Villarta Roberto C. Agcaoili Aristoteles M. Visaya Jonathan M. Barangan IPMR Valerie P. Galamay LMB President Edilberto B. De Leon SK Federation President Angelo A. Corpuz
Punong Barangay
+ Members of the Liga ng mga Barangay(2022–2025) Barangay Name Bacarreña Ronaldo P. Cabacungan, Sr. Bagong Sikat Wilson Salvador Barangay 1 Aristoteles Visaya Barangay 2 Arnelyn Daynos Barangay 3 Rogelio Dumgca Barangay 4 Leo Umipig Bella Luz Julie Pua Dagupan Rizalito Manglal-lanDaramuangan NorteMarcelo LamogDaramuangan SurGeorge Saguibo Estrella Ronnie Constantino Gaddanan Robert Barboza Malasin Edilberto De Leon Marasat Grande Jomar AntonioMarasat PequeñoManuelito Baris Old Centro Proper Elizabeth Trinidad Old Centro 1 Noel Visitacion Salinungan West Genaro ReynoSalinungan EastRanny Fabros San Andres Juan Baniaga Jr. San AntonioAndres Cristobal San Ignacio Deogracias CabilesSan ManuelFerdinand ValdezSan MarcosRuperto De Guzman San Roque Marino YahinSinamar NorteYsmael SableSinamar SurMamer Antonio Victoria Joseph Lorenzo Villa Cruz Quirino CardenasVilla GamiaoSonny BaysaVilla MagatEdrey MatiasVilla FuerteRolando Tamayo
Sangguniang Kabataan Chairpersons + Members of the Pambayang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan (2023–2025) Barangay Name Bacarreña Alexis Galiza Bagong Sikat Jayrald Subia Barangay 1 Eliza Mina Barangay 2 Mike Porillo Barangay 3 Liwelyn Patricio Barangay 4 AJ LaderasBella LuzLovelie TomasDagupanJhan Jhan IlardeDaramuangan NorteMariella CalingasanDaramuangan SurJau Walter BaniagaEstrellaKlein Robert ArieteGaddananMa. Arabella HimoldangMalasinMenci Mamaspas IIIMarasat GrandeKatreena DañoMarasat PequeñoEian SinutoOld Centro IDarel CastilloOld Centro IIKyla UcolSalinungan EastJoe Ana Marie CadizSalinungan WestPaul Angelo CastroverdeSan AndresJohn Mark DonatoSan AntonioAngelo CorpuzSan IgnacioEdward SalvadorSan ManuelMarlyn ValenzuelaSan MarcosChristian RemigioSan RoqueMike MarianoSinamar NorteRollie AguinaldoSinamar SurJhonny DomingoVictoriaErnesto Astrero Jr.Villa CruzWilliam TalvoVilla GamiaoReymon PatricioVilla MagatAristotle BombardaVillafuerteCeles Joy Llavore
Congress representation San Mateo, belonging to the third legislative district of the province of Isabela, currently represented by Hon. Ian Paul L. Dy.
MAYORS OF SAN MATEO, ISABELA
+ Barangay Name 1942 Doroteo Barbero 1943 Estanislao Bueno 1946 Don Mateo Cadeliña 1947 - 1951 Cornelio Alipio 1951 - 1955 Don Mateo Cadeliña 1955 - 1959 Marcelo Santiago 1959 - 1962 Hermogenes Ramil 1962 - 1963 Braulio Lucas 1963 - 1986 Severo Lachica 1986 - 1998 Dr. Venancio O. Villarta 1998 - 2001 Feliciano Palomares 2001 - 2010 Roberto C. Agcaoili 2010 - 2019 Dra. Crispina R. Agcaoili 2019–Present Atty. Gregorio A. Pua (Ret. Col.)
Provincial Leaders from San Mateo San Mateo also produced provincial leaders which include Governor Gabriel Visaya, Third District Board Members which include Severo Lachica and Dr. Venancio O. Villarta, and appointed Agricultural Representative to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Napoleon Hernandez II.
Healthcare BBCSS Pediatric Medical And Surgical Clinic Bumagat Maternity and Medical Clinic Juvelo Family Clinic New Samaritan Medical And Pediatric Clinic Piedad Medical Clinic Ricafort's Medical and Surgical Clinic San Mateo Integrated Community Hospital San Mateo Kidney Care and Dialysis Center San Mateo Multicare Hospital San Mateo Rural Health Unit Sevilleja Medical Clinic
Education The Schools Division of Isabela governs the town's public education system. The division office is a field office of the DepEd in Cagayan Valley region. There are two schools district offices that govern the public and private elementary and high schools throughout the municipality, namely: San Mateo North District, and San Mateo South District.
Primary and elementary schools
Secondary schools
Eveland Christian College La Salette of San Mateo Salinungan National High School Salinungan Stand Alone Senior High School San Mateo General Comprehensive High School San Mateo National High School San Mateo Vocational Industrial High School The Rainbow learning Center Victoria Integrated School
Higher educational institutions Isabela State University
References
External links