Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya

Bambang, officially the Municipality of Bambang (Ili na Bambang; Ili ti Bambang; Bayan ng Bambang), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. According to the 2020 censusus, it has a population of 55,789 people.

The municipality is known for its salt springs at the Salinas Natural Monument.

Bambang is 15 km from Bayombong and 250 km from Manila.

Etymology
The name "Bambang" is an Isinay word meaning "to dig".

History
Bambang was originally inhabited by the Igorot and Panuypuyes (Aritao), the Ilongots (Dupax and Bambang), and the lgorot in the area west from the present native population of Dupax, Aritao, and Bambang came about by the inter-marriages of the tribes mentioned above and the merging of settlements by the Spanish. Bambang itself was officially recognized as a town by the Spanish on July 5, 1747. Located initially in the present-day village of San Fernando, it was moved to its present location in 1777.

In 1988, the town's mayor, Benjamin Cuaresma, was abducted and assassinated by the New People's Army on the eve of local elections. He was then succeed by his widow, Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, who went on to become governor and representative of Nueva Vizcaya.

Barangays
Bambang is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.


 * Abian
 * Abinganan
 * Aliaga
 * Almaguer North
 * Almaguer South
 * Banggot (Urban)
 * Barat
 * Buag (Urban)
 * Calaocan (Urban)
 * Dullao
 * Homestead (Urban)
 * Indiana
 * Mabuslo
 * Macate
 * Magsaysay Hill (Urban)
 * Manamtam
 * Mauan
 * Pallas
 * Salinas
 * San Antonio North
 * San Antonio South
 * San Fernando
 * San Leonardo
 * Santo Domingo Proper (Tabangan)
 * Santo Domingo West

Culture
Panggayjaya festival, which is celebrated from late April to May yearly. Part of its celebration is the annual Miss Panggayjaya (Bambang) and the counterpart Mister Bambang which started in 2016. Along with the celebration of its patron, Saint Catherine of Siena.

Tourism
On April 23, 2000, then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada issued a proclamation that declared Salinas Forest Reserve and Deer Refuge in the Municipality of Bambang, including two municipalities in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya, as a protected area pursuant to Republic Act No. 7589 and shall be known as Salinas Natural Monument. As of now, Salinas Natural Monument has yet to be developed as a tourist destination.

The Municipality of Bambang has a lot of tourist spots like the Salinas Salt Spring, Manamtam Salt Spring, Manamtam River, Laguerta Falls, Abian Falls, Pallas Cave, the Bambang Cross, and the Bambang Agri Tourism Learning Site.

Recently, the Municipality of Bambang successfully launched "Paskuhan sa Bambang."

Local government
Bambang, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, 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 councilors are elected directly by the people through an election that is held every three years.

Former Mayors of Bambang

 * Luisa Lloren Cuaresma: 1989–1998
 * Dr. Pepito D. Balgos M.d.: 1998–2007
 * Benjamin L.Cuaresma III: 2007–2010
 * Atty. Flaviano D. Balgos, Jr.: 2010–2019
 * Dr. Pepito D. Balgos M.d.: 2019–2022
 * Benjamin L.Cuaresma III: 2022–Present

Education
The Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya 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.

Primary and Elementary Schools

 * Abinganan Elementary School
 * Abian Elementary School
 * Aliaga Elementary School
 * Aliaga Annex Primary School
 * Almaguer North Elementary School
 * Almaguer South Elementary School
 * Bambang West Elementary School
 * Bambang Central School
 * Bambang North Central School
 * Bambang East Elementary School
 * Barat Elementary School
 * Dullao Elementary School
 * Indiana Elementary School
 * Labni Elementary School
 * Mabuslo Elementary School
 * Macate Elementary School
 * Mauan Elementary School
 * Nangcalapan Primary School
 * Pallas Elementary School
 * Salinas Elementary School
 * Salicpan Elementary School
 * San Antonio South Elementary School
 * San Antonio North Elementary School
 * San Fernando Elementary School
 * San Leonardo Elementary School
 * Sto. Nino Primary School
 * Kiddie Kingdom International School
 * Saint Catherine's School
 * California Academy
 * Aurora Christian School Foundation
 * Camella SNV Montessori School

High Schools and Senior High Schools

 * King's College of the Philippines (formerly: Eastern Luzon Colleges)
 * Saint Catherine's School
 * Bambang National High School
 * Salinas High School
 * Sto. Domingo Integrated School

Colleges and Universities

 * King's College of the Philippines (formerly: Eastern Luzon Colleges)
 * Nueva Vizcaya State University
 * Advocates College

Notable people

 * Xyza Cruz Bacani, international street photographer, one of the BBC's 100 Women of the World 2015 and one of the Magnum Foundation's Human Rights Fellows
 * Marina Summers, drag performer, competitor on Drag Race Philippines season 1 and RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World series 2
 * Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, current Nueva Vizcaya's district representative at House of Representatives of the Philippines.