Calanasan

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 1,256.15 square kilometres (485.00 sq mi) [2] constituting 28.46% of the 4,413.35-square-kilometre- (1,704.00 sq mi) total area of Apayao.

Calanasan is 607 kilometres (377 mi) north from Manila and located in the north-western section of Apayao bordering Santa Praxedes and Claveria in the north, Adams and Carasi in the west, Solsona in the south-west, Kabugao on the south, and Luna and some parts of Kabugao on the east.

The town's topography or slope is predominantly rugged and mountainous with sporadic flood plains and plateaus. The municipality cradles the larger part of the Apayao-Abulog watershed area as the main source of streams that fills the mighty river which originates from the municipality.

Calanasan has two pronounced seasons, the dry and the wet seasons. The dry season starts in the latest part of December and ends in the middle part of June. The wet season starts in July and ends in the middle part of December. The hottest month is May and rainfall is heaviest in August while strong typhoons usually occur within the period of August to October and the December used to be the coolest month.

In the 2015 census, Calanasan had a population of 12,604. [3] The population density was 10 inhabitants per square kilometre (26/sq mi).

Calanasan is dominated by Isnag Tribe, living with them are the Ilocanos, Igorots and Kalingas. The main dialects of the people are the Isnag and the Ilocano.

Economic activity in the municipality is based on agricultural production like farming and fishing and livelihood activities like basketry, soft broom making and furniture making.

The municipality has no level lands for extensive rice production except in the northern part of the municipality. The total land area devoted to agriculture is 45.316 hectares (111.98 acres) in which total land area irrigated is 2,347.49 hectares (5,800.8 acres). Its produce include coffee, corn, root crops, peanuts and other legumes, banana, pineapple and some vegetables.

The town has vast variety of wild flora and fauna which contributes to its eco-tourism potential. The town is surrounded with virgin forests, cascading waterfalls, and clear rivers.

Potential tourist attractions include:

• Sinandila/Sinursor Festival and Pippiru' Festival (Boat Racing) — celebrated every third week of March
• Calanasan Town Fiesta — celebrated every March which is coming together of the people of Calanasan, The month-long activities highlights the Agro-Industrial and trade fair which showcase the different products of Calanasan and Highlights also the Sports fest, Calanasan got Talent and the Street Dance Competition together with most awaited part the "Search for Miss Dam-ag naya Calanasan".
• Say-Am Festival — is a feast featuring and ushering the traditional way of Isnag's thanksgiving to the Higher Supreme unseen being called "Alawagan" executed and commence through rituals spiced with pep songs, native chants and dances called the "Talip" and "Tad-do". The holding and celebration of Say-am in the older days connotes status - that the family is respectable and well-to-do. It is Celebrated every third week of March.

A Philippine eagle nestling

The Philippine Eagle Foundation began its search of eagles in Apayao in 2011 after reports of huge eagles were roaming the area for centuries.[11] On March 22, 2013 scientists discovered the stronghold of critically endangered Philippine eagles, the country's national bird, in Luzon island within the vicinity of the Calanasan Lowland Forest.[12] In January 2015, the town of Calanasan initiated a program which protected 3,000 hectares of forests under its jurisdiction.[13] Additionally, the province of Apayao is one of the very few in the country which has an approved forest land use plan (FLUP).[14] The first active Philippine eagle nest in Apayao was discovered in July 2015.[15]

On 9 July 2018,[16] the provincial government of Apayao announced their intent for the province to be a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The province, which possesses more than 286,000 hectares of virgin forests, also noted that they have sent four of their personnel to train in the United States under the US Foreign Service to hasten the declaration of the site.[17] On January 16, 2019, the provincial government announced that they are at the 'legwork for the inscription'.[18]

• List of renamed cities and municipalities in the Philippines

Media related to Calanasan, Apayao at Wikimedia Commons

• Calanasan Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code