Peñablanca, officially the Municipality of Peñablanca (Ibanag: Ili nat Peñablanca; Ilocano: Ili ti Peñablanca; Tagalog: Bayan ng Peñablanca), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,300 people.

Situated 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of the provincial capital Tuguegarao and 475 kilometres (295 mi) north of Manila, the municipality is home to the Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape which contains the Callao Cave (part of the Callao Limestone Formation Paleolithic Archaeological Site), one of the province's well-known landmarks and tourist spots.

It is also home to the charcoal-drawn Peñablanca petrographs. Both the Peñablanca petrographs and the Callao Limestone Formation are included as tentative sites of the Philippines for future inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Callao Limestone Formation has at least 93 archaeological sites that yielded stone tools of Paleolithic industry and bones and shells of animals still living in the vicinity.

History

Named after its prominent white rock formations, Peñablanca was formerly a barrio of Tuguegarao named Bubug. However, it also went by other names such as Alimannao, which was said to have been derived from a German rancher named Otto Weber, who, when one of his servants was asked who owned the cows in the area, responded in Itawis: cua na Aliman yao (they belong to the German). Another name for the place was camasi, from the native word for tomato, which abounded in the area. Both Alimannao and Camasi are now names of barrios in the municipality.

Peñablanca was made a separate municipality by the Spaniards on 20 November 1886. Its first inhabitants were Kalingas (unbaptized Irrayas) and Negritos.

Geography

Barangays

Peñablanca is divided into 24 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks while some have sitios.

Climate

Demographics

Population census of Peñablanca

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1903	4,969	—
1918	6,478	+1.78%
1939	8,864	+1.50%
1948	8,799	−0.08%
1960	13,119	+3.38%
1970	18,218	+3.33%
1975	21,638	+3.51%
1980	24,888	+2.84%
1990	30,527	+2.06%
1995	33,190	+1.58%
2000	37,872	+2.87%
2007	40,336	+0.87%
2010	42,736	+2.13%
2015	48,584	+2.47%
2020	50,300	+0.68%
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

In the 2020 census, the population of Peñablanca, Cagayan, was 50,300 people, with a density of 42 inhabitants per square kilometre or 110 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy

Poverty incidence of Peñablanca

5 10 15 20 25 30 2006 24.50 2009 18.17 2012 20.06 2015 12.62 2018 27.72 2021 10.18 Source: Philippine Statistics Authority

Government

Local government

Peñablanca, belonging to the third legislative district of the province of Cagayan, 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)

Position	Name
Congressman	Joseph L. Lara
Mayor	Washington M. Taguinod
Vice-Mayor	Marilyn J. Taguinod
Councilors	Ma. Katrina T. Carag
	Rodney D. Mora
	Janice L. Tungcul-Beleno
	Pauline Tatiana C. Dela Cruz
	Elisa C. Arugay
	Pedro Q. Alan
	Juan H. Lingan Jr.
	Eutiguio A. Calagui

Education

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. The office governs the public and private elementary and public and private high schools throughout the municipality.

Media

• 94.9 MHz FMR Cagayan (Philippine Collective Media Corporation)