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Annak ti Abra


This year marks the 100th anniversary of Abra's foundation. On this centennial, we pride ourselves on the fact that Abra has produced a lot of notable sons and daughters - people who were born or raised here or strongly associated with our beautiful province and made exemplary accomplishments that have contributed to our province's colorful history. We thought this list would make you a proud Abrenio!

  • Atty. Ignacio Villamor - Supreme Court Justice and first Filipino President of the Univeristy of the Philippines.

  • Col. Blas Villamor- first Governor of the Mountain Provinces and Colonel of the Katipunan Army.

  • Maria Josefa Gabriela Cariño Silang - First Filipina General and martyr. Her mother was a Tingguian from Pidigan, Abra.

  • Juan Villamor - Author of Abra's Separation from Ilocos Sur.

  • Jess Paredes - Radio Announcer/Public Official during Magsaysay Administration.

  • Don Quintin Paredes - First Filipino Fiscal of Manila/Philippine Resident Commissioner in the US Congress.

  • Emil P. Jurado - Veteran Columnist. Her mom is from Bangued. Emil himself grew up in Bangued.

  • Jesus Villamor - Famous Filipino Pilot in the US Army, later became a consultant in the Pentagon, the Defense Planning Committee in the US. Villamor Air Base was named in his honor.

  • Isidro Paredes - a member of the Royal Air Force of Queen Elizabeth II. Died in a dogfight with Nazi jet fighters during a Nazi bombing run in London.

  • Lucas Bersamin - Supreme Court Justice.

  • Bong Lazo - Fashion designer from Bangued, Abra.

  • Emmanuel Valera or Manny Valera - Manager/Producer

  • Joy Viado - Singer/Stand-Up Comedienne/Actress. During her past guesting in Abra, she mentioned that she has relatives from Lalaud, Bangued.

  • Atty. Samson S. Alcantara - Labor Lawyer/Labor Law Book Author.

  • Don Ramon Valera - Dean of Philippine Haute Couture. His father was from Abra.

  • Conrado Balweg - Revolutionary Marxist priest who fought for Cordillera's tribal rights. The Philippine government then created CAR or Cordillera Administrative Region after negotiating a peace accord with Balweg's group in 1987.

  • Tetchie Agbayani - Actress/Mutya ng Pilipinas Tourism/International model - Born in 1961 in Mudeng, La Paz, Abra as Visitacion Parado.

  • Jericho Rosales - Actor/Lead Vocalist of Jeans. His father hails from Bucay, Abra. RIP Santiago Rosales, Jr.

  • Pedro Bayle - Bangued-born and raised Structural Engineer and father of International Fashion Model, Anna Bayle. He designed San Juanico Bridge, Mandawe-Opon Bridge and the electrical steel posts we see today.

  • Normandie B. Pizarro - Court of Appeals Justice. He was born in Bangued, Abra.

  • Federico T. Lazo - Co-founder of Modern Arnis. He was born in Ananaao, Tayum, Abra.

  • Fay L. Dumagat - Author of "Ways of the Itneg" /Writer. He is from Peñarrubia, Abra.

  • Mike Bigornia - Poet/Editor/Fictionist/Translator. Born in Bangued, he was once a chairman of the Unyon ng Mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (UMPIL) and a recipient of several Palanca Awards. He penned "Prosang Itim" (Anvil) and "Punta-Blanko."

  • Bernardino C. Alzate - Author of the short novel, Alsa Masa 1763.

  • Leonidas Benesa - Writer/Teacher. He was one of the founders of the International Association of Art Critics and received the first prize in art criticism from the Art Association of the Philippines.

  • Linda Alcid - Singer. Tagalog Wikipedia describes her as "Maliit at may magandang tinig." She was born in 1955 and became famous in 1970s.

  • Rosario V. Cariño - Ambassador to Burma. He's from Tayum, Abra.

  • Jose Ma. Cariño - Consul, Philippine Embassy in Spain. Son of retired Ambassador Rosario V. Cariño.

  • Hortencio J. Brillantes - Ambassador.

  • Cornelio Balmaceda - Professor of Economics/Cabinet Member, Diosdado Macapagal Administration. He was born in September 1896 and considered as the "Father of the Department of Commerce and Industry," now known as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). He "developed the policy of sending commercial attachés abroad to promote Philippine products and expand the market for our exports."

  • Liceria Brillantes Soriano - Director of Public Schools, Marcos Administration.

  • Carmelo Barbero - Deputy Defense Minister, Marcos Administration.

  • Florentino T. Timbreza - From Tayum, Abra. First Filipino to author the first book on Filipino Philosophy (Pilosopiyang Filipino). Co-author of the first and only Encyclopedia of Philosophy in the Philippines (Ensayklopidiya ng Pilosopiya). First Filipino to present and defend a dissertation paper in Filipino for a doctorate degree in Philosophy. First Filipino author to translate the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu in Filipino language (Ang Tao Te Ching ni Lao Tzu sa Filipino). "Father of Filipino Philosophy.

  • Catalino Ramos - originally from Rosales, Pangasinan but married and settled in Pilar, Abra. A World War II captain and a hero.

  • General Melchor Rosales - from Dolores, Abra. Former PMA Superintendent, former Philippine Air Force Chief and former secretary of NDCC.

  • BGen Sergio V. Belleza - a member of PMA Class 1966, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations, J7, AFP during the time of President Ramos, former Executive Director and Consultant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

  • Spanky Rigor - from Dolores, Abra. Singer/composer/entertainer.

  • Alice Colet Villadolid - former New York Times correspondent. She wrote for Newsweek International and Asiaweek. She has served on the editorial boards of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, Philippine Graphic Forum and Interface news magazines. She is the author of three books: "A Journal of Faith" published in 1996; "Filipinos - a Century Back and Forward" published in 2000; and "Mills of Justice Grind On" published in 2002. She has co-authored with Dr. Crispin Maslog "A Manual of Ethnic Reporting" and "Science Writing." In 2001, after the EDSA II change of government, she co-authored "The Impeachment of a President" with her husband Ret. Ambassador Oscar S. Villadolid. She also served the Philippine Government, having joined the Aquino Administration in 1986 as spokesperson and chief of the Presidential Press Staff. Later she worked with the GRP Negotiating Panel for Peace. She helped re-engineer the Presidential Press Staff into what is now the Office of the Press Secretary.

  • Antonio L. Villamor - Court of Appeals Justice.

  • Paul "Bong" Alvarez (PBA Player) He's from Angad, Bangued and he attended Sinalang Pilot Elementary School until second grade.

  • General Claro B. Lizardo - Military General. He led the Division of US and Philippine Army in Bataan during World War II.

  • Dr. Raymundo Acosta Favila - mathematician. He had his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley from 1939 under the supervision of Pauline Sperry, and had his career at the University of the Philippines in Manila. He was elected as Academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology in 1979. He was one of those who initiated mathematics in the Philippines. He contributed extensively to the progression of mathematics and the mathematics learning in the country. He made fundamental studies such as on stratifiable congruences and geometric inequalities. He also co-authored textbooks in algebra and trigonometry.

  • Miles Ocampo a.k.a. Camille Tan Hojilla - Actress. Her dad, Joji Hojilla is from Bangued, Abra.

  • Nerio Paculdo - Entrepreneur/Businessman. Owner of Nepa Q-mart, now Mega Q-Mart in Cubao, QC. He hails from Lagayan, Abra.

  • Anna Colet Villadolid - Ballerina. Her mother, Alice is from Bangued, Abra.

  • Gail Nicolas - Actress/Model. Her mom is from Bangued.

  • John Carlo "JC" Barreras Tiuseco - Actor/Model. First Filipino Sole Survivor held recently in Kotarotao, Thailand by GMA 7. He is the son of Pinky Barreras (daughter of the late Judge Inton Barreras & Mrs. Conchita Barros Barreras, a retired Principal of Bangued East Central School).

  • Boobay - GMA-7 Actor/Host. He is the son of Mr. Norie Balbuena of Dolores, Abra.

  • President Carlos P. Garcia - though he was born in Talibon, Bohol, his parents Policronio Garcia and Ambrosia Polistico were both natives from Bangued.

And there's more out there...so please e-mail us at banguedenio@yahoo.com if we missed anyone that should be added to this list. Agbiag ti Abra, agbiag ti Abrenio!

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2020-2021

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY 24
La Paz's Abel Festival
FEBRUARY
Bangued Town Fiesta

MARCH 1-11

Abra Foundation Anniversary Celebration

 

MARCH 10

Commemoration of the bombing of Bangued

APRIL 5-12

Semana Santa

MAY

Santacruzan of Bangued's urban barangays

JUNE

Back to school

JULY 25

Saint James day (Bangued)

JULY - OCTOBER

Kaparkan falls season

OCTOBER 27

La Naval

NOVEMBER

Cristo Rei

DECEMBER

Christmas Season

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