[5] It is formerly known as Carig during the time of the Spanish, it is located between the southwestern part of Isabela and the northwestern boundary of Quirino in northeastern Luzon island of the Philippines.

In the early 1950s, the Municipal President Vicente Carreon changed the name to simply Santiago.

Carig was initially established in 1743 at the foothills of mount Dalayag between present-day Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya.

Carig was also the site of a military garrison established by the Spaniards as a base for expeditions against unconquered tribes in present-day Ifugao and Quirino and to guard the mountain pass to Nueva Vizcaya.

The settlers acquired most of their merchandise and other provisions from Chinese traders in Echague, the landing zone for products intended for Santiago and other towns, owing to its proximity to the Cagayan River.

It facilitated the entry of immigrants from various provinces in Luzon to the Cagayan Valley and Santiago absorbed a sizable share of these travelers.

The new route served as an impetus for growth and introduced new technologies and business opportunities, and made Santiago a melting pot of different cultures.

Santiago survived through the war, although badly damaged, and from then on developed to become the leading trading and commercial city in Cagayan Valley.

On December 17, 1993, the bill converting Santiago into an independent component city was approved by the House of Representatives spearheaded by the then Mayor Jose "Pempe" Miranda.

In the following year, the Senate Committee on Local Government approved another public hearing dated February 23, 1994.

[11] On December 29, 1999, the Supreme Court struck down the law and restored Santiago's independent cityhood.

The city sits on a vast area of predominantly flat and fertile land in the Cagayan Valley, surrounded by the Namamparang Mountains to the south, the Sierra Madre to the east and the Cordillera Mountain Range to the west alongside the Magat River.

Being a district full of different cultures, such as Indians, Muslims, and Chinese, several religious groups have also opened their places of worship to the public, such as the Chinese Temple, the Muslim Mosque and the Gurudwara Jagat Sudhar Indian Sikh Temple.

Home of several business enterprises, banking institutions, educational entities, as well as manufacturing companies, Santiago is considered the Commercial and Trading Center of Cagayan Valley and tagged as the Investment Hub of the North.

Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. built its first horizontal subdivision in the Valley with Camella Isabela Communities, Inc.

San Miguel Corp., Pepsi Cola, Purefoods, Digitel and PLDT also operate in the city.

In addition to the city's product is muscovado sugar which the local government has been promoting for export.

Nicoline Shane A. Miranda Santiago is represented in the Philippine Congress as part of Isabela's 4th legislative district.

English is the medium of instruction in schools and is generally understood and spoken especially in the business community.

The Integrated Transport Terminal and Commercial Complex has also been established to cater for all public utility jeepneys, buses, and vans that operate from nearby provinces and localities to the city.

The Southern Isabela College of Arts and Trades is the biggest vocational school operating in the city.