SANTIAGO CITY, a first class city covers an area of 274.06 square kilometers with 37 barangays. The city is strategically located in Isabela, one of the country’s main food granaries and the second largest province.
On May 5, 1994, by virtue of R.A. 7720, the municipality was converted to an independent component Santiago City. Today Santiago City stands as the major showcase and effective catalyst for change in Region 02.
The City population as of National Census of 2000 is 110,000, 123,445 in 2005 and 126,244 in 2007 and 132,804 in 2010 with an annual estimated growth rate of 1.65%. Its growth is attributed to inter-town migration, whose main purpose is the search for business opportunities.
The presence of educational institutions and the entry of multi-national corporations have among others, contributed greatly in magnetizing a dynamic and aggressive young population. So much that a favorable business climate energizes Santiago City’s economy and gives credence to the popular belief that it is indeed the commercial hub and trading center of Region 02. For the past years now, the city’s commanding location has been serving as an advantageous means towards the attainment of religious, governmental, commercial and settlement goal.
The city’s quest for further development had been tedious and challenging. The rapid growth and progress gained by the city was coupled with problems on traffic congestion and Solid Waste Generation.
It is the long belief and practice of the City of Santiago that further development and urbanization should always be coupled with environmental protection and sustainability. Thus, the City of Santiago had managed to implement a comprehensive program on Solid Waste Management.
The City of Santiago, as the most recent addition to the TAGGED LGUs in Region 02 for CY 2012 to promote 3R’s has outstanding programs, projects and several activities geared towards the implementation of R.A. 9003 otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” to include the operation of Material Recovery Facility (MRF), implementation of segregation at source and segregated collection, and the organization of junkshops.
