Alcala, officially the Municipality of Alcala, is a municipality in the province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2024 census, it has a population of 41,468 people.
Alcala is the birthplace of Senator Melecio Arranz, who represented the 1st Senatorial District of the Philippines. The municipality is also home to the Saint Philomene Church, noted as the widest church in the Cagayan Valley.
The Ibanag people, an indigenous group, were the first settlers of what is now Alcala. They originally called the area Fulay, meaning âÂÂred,â in reference to the distinctive color of its soil. After two centuries of Spanish rule, Fulay was formally established as a township on 20 July 1789. It was later renamed Alcala in 1843 in honor of Governor General Francisco Paula de Alcala.
Alcala is located 39.01 kilometers (24.24 miles) from the provincial capital, Tuguegarao, and 524.16 kilometers (325.70 miles) from the national capital, Manila.
Alcala is politically subdivided into 25 barangays. Each barangay is composed of puroks, and some also include sitios.
According to the 2024 census, Alcala had a population of 41,468, with a population density of 220 inhabitants per square kilometer (570 per square mile).
Alcala Milk Candy is a famous product of this municipality.
Alcala is part of the first legislative district of Cagayan. In accordance with the Local Government Code of the Philippines, the municipality is governed by a mayor, who serves as the local chief executive, and a municipal council, which acts as its legislative body. The mayor, vice mayor, and municipal councilors are elected directly by the people in elections held every three years.
The Schools Division of Cagayan oversees the public education system in Alcala. Its office functions as a field office of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Cagayan Valley region. Within the municipality, the Alcala Schools East District Office administers both public and private elementary and high schools.