Cagayan Province

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Cagayan is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte and Apayao to the west, and Kalinga and Isabela to the south. Cagayán province is distinct from the city in Mindanao named Cagayán de Oro, and is far away from Cagayan Islands of Palawan Province.

Known as the spelunker’s, trekker’s, and gamefisher’s paradise rolled into one, Cagayan provides a never-ending adventure with ecotourism in the forefront of its offering. Both foreign and local tourists continue to explore its caves, engage in gamefishing expeditions, trek its mighty mountains and retreat to its centuries-old churches.

Present day chroniclers say that the name was derived from the word “tagay,” a kind of plant that grows abundantly in the northern part of the province. Thus, “Catagayan” which means a place where the tagay grows abundantly was shortened to “Cagayan,” the present name of the province.

People and culture

The majority of people living in Cagayan are of Ilocano descent, mostly from migrants coming from the Ilocos Region. Originally the more numerous group were the Ibanags, who were first sighted by the Spanish explorers and were soon Christianized by missionaries. This is why the Ibanag language (prior to the arrival of Ilocanos) spread throughout the area. Aside from Ilocanos and Ibanags, Malauegs, Itawits, Gaddangs, groups of nomadic Aetas, as well as families of Ibatans who have assimilated into the Ibanag-Ilocano culture make Cagayan their home. More recently, a new group from the south, the Muslim Filipinos, have migrated to this province and have made a community for themselves. In addition to this, Tagalog-speaking people from the Southern Luzon have also settled in the area. Because of this influence from other majority groups like the Ilocano from the West and the Tagalog from the South, the smaller ethnic groups living in the valley could potentially go extinct. With no support from government of raising awareness and preserving each minorities' culture, the future of these groups is next to dim and perhaps in the future, Cagayan will no longer be Cagayan, but a mere province filled with Ilocano/Tagalog speakers with no former knowledge of the previous cultures that lived there beforehand.

Economy

Agricultural products are rice, corn, peanut, beans, and fruits. Livestock products include cattle, hogs, carabaos, and poultry. Fishing various species of fish from the coastal towns is also undertaken. Woodcraft furniture made of hardwood, rattan, bamboo, and other indigenous materials are also available in the province.

Geography

The province is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east, on the south is Isabela province, on the west is the Cordillera Mountain, and on the north by the Balintang Channel and the Babuyan Group of Islands. About two kilometers from the northeastern tip of the province is the island of Palaui, a few kilometers to the west is Fuga Island. The Babuyan Group of Islands, which includes Calayan, Dalupiri, Camiguin, and Babuyan Claro, is about 60 nautical miles north of Luzon mainland.

The province comprises an aggregate land area of 9,002.70 square kilometers, which constitutes three percent of the total land area of the country, making it the second largest province in the region.

Political

Cagayan has 28 municipalities and one city divided into three congressional districts. It has 816 barangays. Tuguegarao City (as of December 18, 1999) is the provincial capital, regional seat, and center of business, trade, and education. It has a land area of 144.80 square kilometers and a population of 120,645 as of 2000 The current governor is Ed Lara.

City

• Tuguegarao City

Municipalities

Abulug Alcala Allacapan Amulung Aparri Baggao Ballesteros Buguey Calayan Camalaniugan Claveria Enrile Gattaran Gonzaga

Iguig Lal-Lo Lasam Pamplona Peñablanca Piat Rizal Sanchez-Mira Santa Ana Santa Praxedes Santa Teresita Santo Niño (Faire) Solana Tuao

Physical

History

External links

 

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