Dolores, Province of Abra, Cordillera Region, Philippines

🇵🇭 Dolores, officially the Municipality of Dolores ( Ili ti Dolores; Bayan ng Dolores), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Abra, Philippines.

Etymology Formerly named as Bucao but in 1885, it was renamed Dolores in honor of the town's patron saint Dolores.

History The place was called Bucao, named after the first Tingguian (Itneg) chieftain who settled in the place long before Spanish colonization. It used to be part of the Municipality of Tayum. In 1882, upon the recommendation of the parish priest of Tayum, Fr. Pío Mercado, and the Teniente Bazar of Bucao, Don Ignacio Eduarte, Bucao was created as a separate pueblo. In 1885, Bucao was renamed Dolores, to honor its patron saint, Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady Of Sorrows). The first gobernadorcillo of the town was Don Rosalio Eduarte.

Geography According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the municipality has a land area of 47.45 square km (18.32 sq mi)  constituting 1.14% of the 4,165.25-square-kilometre- (1,608.21 sq mi) total area of Abra.

Geography: Barangays Dolores is politically subdivided into 15 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios: • Bayaan; • Cabaroan; • Calumbaya; • Cardona; • Isit; • Kimmalaba; • Libtec; • Lub-lubba; • Mudiit; • Namit-ingan; • Pacac; • Poblacion; • Salucag; • Talogtog; • Taping.

Demographics In the 2020 census, Dolores had a population of 11,512. The population density was 240 inhabitants per square kilometre (620/sq mi).

Local government Dolores, belonging to the lone congressional district of the province of Abra, 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 the councilors are elected directly by the people through an election which is being held every three years.