Paracelis, officially the Municipality of Paracelis is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Mountain Province, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 31,168 people.

Paracelis' population distribution is 37 percent urban and 63 percent rural. Urban settlement is on the west side of the town, a basin of low-level hilly-to-flat lands surrounded by mountains.

Due to hilly terrain, Paracelis has numerous zigzag roads in most parts, including access roads that connect the municipality to other border towns. On both sides of its zigzag roads, travelers can view the vast cornfield plantations alongside.

History

Paracelis was first settled by the Ga'dang (Gaddang) ethnic group, who were migrants from Cagayan Valley. Through the years, Paracelis has become the main entry point to the rest of Mountain Province.

The name Paracelis came into existence as early as the 1900s as part of the territorial barangays of Natonin within the District of Kalao. Paracelis became a regular town named Paracales with the enactment of Republic Act 3488 on June 16, 1962. The town was renamed Paracelis on June 18, 1966 under Republic Act 4738. The first appointed mayor was Benito Rafael.

The first official site of the civil government was at Natta'longan, now currently within Barangay Bantay. The pre-World War II government was short-lived and administration lasted under three local managements from 1917 to 1921.

In 1962, the government center at Natta'longan was transferred to Anangka within the Rafael compound. The site was again transferred to a lot in Marat donated by the Gawwan family. In 1991, the officials of the municipal government transferred the government center to its current site in Poblacion. The government used to occupy a one-hectare lot that housed all the units.

On December 25, 2007, the town's mayor, Cesar Rafael, was killed in an ambush in sitio Sinigpit, Barangay Butigue.

Paracelis is currently a melting pot of migrants from different areas, such as the Gaddang, Balangao, Majukayong, Kalinga, and Ifugao tribes, including Ilokanos. This migration has been instrumental on the fast rising urbanization of Paracelis in the last two decades. The town's current administration is introducing an urbanization plan for the municipality.

Geography

Paracelis is a border town of Mountain Province where it shares borders with Kalinga, Isabela and Ifugao provinces. In the north, its borders with the city of Tabuk and the town of Tanudan. In the south, it is bordered by Alfonso Lista. In the north-east, it shares a border with Quezon, in the east with Mallig and Roxas in Isabela. In the west, it borders with Natonin.

Paracelis is 97 kilometres (60 mi) from Bontoc, 31 kilometres (19 mi) from Tabuk City, and 489 kilometres (304 mi) from Manila.

Barangays

Paracelis is politically subdivided into 9 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Population census of Paracelis

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1970 5,666 —     1975 7,679 +6.29% 1980 9,729 +4.84% 1990 13,027 +2.96%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1995 15,882 +3.78% 2000 18,985 +3.90% 2007 24,705 +3.70% 2010 26,476 +2.55%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 2015 28,121 +1.15% 2020 31,168 +2.04%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Language

The town of Paracelis is home to three indigenous languages, the Balangaw language and the Ga'dang language (similar to the Ga'dang language used in Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, and Aurora), and the Majukayong. Ilocano is the lingua franca of the municipality.

Economy

The municipality of Paracelis depends on agriculture as its main engine of growth with corn as the main product, and bananas coming second. Livestock farming is also a fast-rising business, and with the NGP and reforestation program of the DENR fruit tree growing is on the rise as is with vegetable growing. Trade activities include the commerce of basic consumer goods, handicrafts, food business, and others.

The municipal government is planning to pursue real estate development and tourism as its next engines of growth.

Its location at the crossroad makes Paracelis a future trading hub in the Eastern Cordillera Growth Corridor, a primary growth center of the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Government

Local government

Paracelis, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Mountain Province, 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):

• Congressman: Maximo Y. Dalog Jr.
• Mayor: Marcos G. Ayangwa
• Vice-Mayor: Lister M. Carlos
• Councilors:
  • Ruben T. Vicente
  • Lito B. Basungit
  • Marcelo T. Ambatali
  • Victorino S. Bannaue
  • John B. Banggolay
  • Ateneo B. Gusimat
  • Gaston G. Todco
  • Marciano O. Lappao Jr.

Transportation

The only mode of transportation to and from Paracelis are buses and jeepneys plying to Santiago, Baguio, Tabuk, Alfonso Lista and Natonin. Going south, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach Alfonso Lista and 3 hours to Santiago from Paracelis. Going north, it takes approximately 2 hours to reach Tabuk . Going west to Natonin town proper, it takes less than an hour. Currently, there is no road access from the town proper going to Mallig in the east but there is road from its border Barangay Buringal to Mallig.

As of 2017, there is concreting of the national highway from Butigue, Palitud, Anonat going to Roxas, Isabela

Education

Tertiary

Despite being mandated to host the College of Agriculture of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College in the northern Barangay Bacarri, the campus is still unrealized due to funding difficulties from the national government. The Paracelis campus of the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College was made through the conversion of Bacarri Agricultural High School, a rural high school in Barangay Bacarri.

Secondary education

8 out of 9 barangays in Paracelis have their respective secondary institution. Annex campuses of major high schools in different barangays were converted into a regular and independent high schools. The list of secondary schools are as follows:

1. Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School - Barangay Bacarri
2. Paracelis Technical and Vocational High School - Sitio Labay, Barangay Bantay
3. Anonat National Agricultural and Vocation High School( Formerly Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School- Anonat Annex) - Barangay Anonat
4. Buringal National High School - Barangay Buringal
5. Butigue National High School - Barangay Butigue
6. Palitod National High School - Barangay Palitod
7. San Rafael National High School - Sitio San Rafael, Barangay Bananao
8. Paracelis National High School - Barangay Poblacion
9. Bacarri National Trade and Agricultural School - Bunot Extension - Barangay Bunot

Health

A district hospital serves the people of Paracelis. Recently, the municipal mayor, Avelino C. Amangyen signed a memorandum of agreement at the Japanese Embassy in Manila with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) representatives for the construction of the rural health unit building.