Earlier centuries
Not yet documentedThe earlier centuries
The earlier centuries are not yet documented here; evidence collection is in progress.
The story of Maddela
From river valleys and early settlements to a municipality in Quirino: a story traced through 7 national laws and 6 chapters of reviewed local history.
- 7 national laws
- 6 story chapters
- 1950 → 1992 in national law
How to read this story
Maddela's civic story begins before the modern municipality, in a landscape shaped by Indigenous communities, river valleys, forests and later migration. A local compilation records settlement and road-building stories from 1919 and the 1920s; these are presented as local tradition, while laws and institutional sources anchor the documented milestones that followed.
- Documented law Anchored in inspected national legal texts.
- Institutional context Described by public institutional sources today.
- Local tradition A local historical account, attributed but not treated as controlling legal history.
Local tradition and documented legal fact are intentionally distinguished. No single unsupported founding or renaming date, current land area, visitor schedule or tourism safety claim is inferred.
Before 1950
Local traditionCommunities, migration and Pinappagan
A local historical compilation describes Ilongot or Bugkalot and Dumagat communities in the wider area, then an Ilocano settlement effort led by forester Vicente Velasco in 1919 at a place called Pinappagan. Because the compilation does not cite archival records for every name and date, BetterMaddela attributes this account rather than treating it as a controlling legal history.
Documented law The documented municipal reorganization
Executive Order No. 368 reorganized municipalities and municipal districts in Nueva Vizcaya, included Maddela among ten municipalities, defined its historical boundary and took effect immediately. The order is the clearest recovered legal milestone for Maddela's modern municipal status; it does not itself prove an exact Pinappagan renaming date.
The laws behind this chapter
Executive Order No. 368
- Legal instrument
REORGANIZING THE MUNICIPALITIES AND MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS IN THE PROVINCE OF NUEVA VIZCAYA INTO TEN MUNICIPALITIES, DEFINING THEIR BOUNDARIES, AND ABOLISHING THE MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS
The opening paragraph names Maddela among ten reorganized municipalities; item 9 defines its historical boundary and states an area of 225,972 hectares, more or less.
Effectivity stated in the text: The reorganization and abolition shall take effect immediately.
Interpretive limit: This is a reorganization instrument. It does not establish a Pinappagan renaming claim, definitive founding date, or current municipal area.
1966-1971
Documented lawMaddela becomes part of Quirino
Republic Act No. 4734 included Maddela in the Subprovince of Quirino in 1966. Republic Act No. 5554 amended that arrangement in 1969, and Republic Act No. 6394 provided for Quirino's separation from Nueva Vizcaya as a regular province in 1971. The laws' plebiscite conditions are preserved without inventing results not stated in the inspected texts.
The laws behind this chapter
Republic Act No. 4734
- Legal instrument
An Act Creating the Subprovince of Quirino in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya
Section 1 includes Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay, and Maddela in the Subprovince of Quirino.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 7 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: This is a province and subprovince history anchor, not a municipal founding instrument.
Republic Act No. 5554
- Legal instrument
AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED FOUR THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FOUR, ENTITLED, "AN ACT CREATING THE SUEPROVINCE OF QUIRINO IN THE PROVINCE OF NUEVA VIZCAYA," AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES.
The amended Section 1 lists Diffun, Saguday, Aglipay, Maddela, and Cabarroguis as municipalities of Quirino Subprovince.
Condition in the text: Section 3 submits specified administrative changes to a plebiscite.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 6 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: Source title spelling is preserved. The instrument does not supply the plebiscite result.
Republic Act No. 6394
- Legal instrument
AN ACT TO SEPARATE THE SUB-PROVINCE OF QUIRINO FROM THE PROVINCE OF NUEVA V1ZCAYA AND CONSTITUTE IT INTO A REGULAR PROVINCE TO BE KNOWN AS THE PROVINCE OF QUIRINO.
Section 1 provides for separation and constitution as the Province of Quirino.
Condition in the text: Section 11 states that corporate existence follows a favorable plebiscite.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 13 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: Source title spelling is preserved. The instrument does not supply the plebiscite result.
Documented law Territorial change and Nagtipunan
Batas Pambansa Blg. 345 provided for thirteen barangays then within Maddela to form the Municipality of Nagtipunan, subject to a plebiscite. This later territorial change is why Maddela's 1950 historical boundary and area are not presented as its current geography.
The laws behind this chapter
Batas Pambansa Blg. 345
- Legal instrument
An Act Creating the Municipality of Nagtipunan, in the Province of Quirino
The listed barangays, then within Maddela, are separated and constituted into the Municipality of Nagtipunan.
Condition in the text: Section 3 requires ratification by a majority of votes cast in the proposed municipality.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 5 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: The instrument does not supply the plebiscite result. Its area statement is not used to calculate current Maddela land area.
1983
Documented lawMaddela Municipal Hospital established
Provides for a ten-bed hospital known as the Maddela Municipal Hospital.
Instrument details
Batas Pambansa Blg. 533
- Legal instrument
An Act Providing for the Establishment, Operation and Maintenance of a Ten-Bed Municipal Hospital in the Municipality of Maddela, Province of Quirino, and Providing Funds Therefor
Section 1 provides for a ten-bed hospital known as the Maddela Municipal Hospital.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 4 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: This historical law does not establish a current facility name, licence, capacity, or emergency service.
1992
Documented lawHospital bed capacity raised to 25
Increases the stated bed capacity of Maddela Medicare Community Hospital from 10 to 25 beds.
Instrument details
Republic Act No. 7239
- Legal instrument
AN ACT INCREASING THE BED CAPACITY OF THE MADDELA MEDICARE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF MADDELA, PROVINCE OF QUIRINO, FROM TEN (10) TO TWENTY-FIVE (25) BEDS, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
Section 1 increases the stated bed capacity from 10 to 25.
Effectivity stated in the text: Section 3 states effect upon approval.
Interpretive limit: This historical law does not establish the present facility name, institutional continuity, licensed capacity, or emergency services.
Documented law A protected landscape
Proclamation No. 548 established the Quirino Protected Landscape across portions of Maddela and other municipalities. Its landscape-wide area is not a measure of Maddela's municipal land area.
Maddela today
Institutional contextA rural municipality shaped by farms, learning and nature
Maddela is a first-income-class municipality of 32 barangays with an official 2024 population of 41,867. Public institutions and sources connect its present identity with agriculture, Quirino State University's campus in Dipintin, the protected landscape and destinations such as Governor's Rapids and Maddela Waterfalls. These are source-scoped descriptions, not promotional rankings.
The community today
Maddela's strongest public-source community profile is in agriculture, higher education, protected landscapes and nature-based destinations. These are institutional descriptions, not a complete economic census, business registry or visitor guide.
Agriculture
The Provincial Government's profile associates Maddela with corn, rice, coffee, banana, pineapple and peanut. These are profile-listed crops, not current production shares, rankings or output totals.
Environment
Proclamation No. 548 includes portions of Maddela in the Quirino Protected Landscape. The proclamation's landscape-wide area is not Maddela's municipal land area.