Cagayan Valley

Region II
Cagayan Valley; Valley of Cagayan; Lambak ng Cagayan
Region
Nickname(s): The Caving Adventure Capital of the Philippines; Tilapia Capital of the Philippines

Location in the Philippines
Country Philippines
Island group Luzon
Regional center Tuguegarao City
Area
 • Total 31,159 km2 (12,031 sq mi)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Total 3,229,163
 • Density 100/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC+8)
ISO 3166 code PH-02
Provinces 5
Cities 4
Municipalities 89
Barangays 2,311
Cong. districts 10
Languages Ilokano, Ibanag, Irraya, Ivatan, Itawis, Gaddang, Yogad, Isinay, Ilongot, Tagalog, English, others

Cagayan Valley (Filipino: Lambak ng Cagayan, Ibanag: Tana' nak Cagayan, Ilokano: Tanap ti Cagayan, Itawis: Tanap yo Cagayan, Malaueg: Ga-dang yo Cagayan) is a region of the Philippines (also designated as Region II or Region 02). It is composed of five provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. It has four cities: industrial center Cauayan City, its regional center Tuguegarao, its primary growth center and investment hub Ilagan City and its Premier City Santiago City.

Most of the region lies in a large valley in northeastern Luzon, between the Cordilleras and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The eponymous Cagayan River, the country's longest, runs through its center and flows out from its source in the Caraballo Mountains in the south to the Luzon Strait in the north, in the town of Aparri, Cagayan. The Babuyan and Batanes island groups that lie in the Luzon Strait belong to the region.

Cagayan Valley is the second largest region of the Philippines in terms of land area.[2]

Geography

Cagayan Valley is the large mass of land in the northeastern region of Luzon, comprising today the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and the Batanes group of islands. It is bounded to the west by the Cordillera Mountain Range, to the east by the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, to the south by the Caraballo Mountains, and to the north by the Luzon Strait, where the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the east and the South China Sea in the west, meet.

Cagayan Valley, contains two landlocked provinces, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. The two provinces are relatively small in size (3057 km2 for Quirino, 4081 km2 for Nueva Vizcaya) and population (147,000 and 365,000, respectively, by the 2000 census). They are ruggedly mountainous and heavily forested. Nueva Vizcaya is the remnant of the southern province created when Cagayan Province was divided in two in 1839. They are ethnically and linguistically diverse, with a substrate of Agtas, Negritos who are food-gatherers with no fixed abodes, overlaid by Ilongots and others in a number of tribes, some of whom were fierce head-hunters (they have given up the practice), with the latest but largest element of the population being Ilokano.

Nueva Vizcaya comprises 15 towns; Bayombong is the capital. Agriculture in both has until recently consisted of slash-and-burn cultivation of corn and maize, though more stable cultivation of vegetables and fruits is becoming established. They produce logs and are trying to manage their forest resources so that production can be sustained indefinitely. They have deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron. Nueva Vizcaya has sand and clay.

History

Archaeology indicates that the Cagayan museum has been inhabited for half a million years, though no human remains of any such antiquity have yet appeared. The earliest inhabitants are the Agta, or Atta, food-gatherers who roam the forests without fixed abodes. A large tract of land has lately been returned to them. The bulk of the population are of Malay origin. For centuries before the coming of the Spanish, the inhabitants traded with Indians, Malays, Chinese, and Japanese. In the nineteenth century the prosperity found in tobacco cultivation caused many Ilokano to settle here. Tobacco is still a major factor in the economy of Cagayan, though a special economic zone and free port has been created to strengthen and diversify the provincial economy.

During Spanish times Cagayan Valley had a larger territory than what it has today. It included the territories of the above-mentioned provinces and the eastern parts of the Cordillera provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao and Benguet. As the historian and missionary Jose Burgues, said, "The old Cagayan Valley comprises the province of Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya as well as the military Districts of Apayao, Itaves, Quiangan, Cayapa and Bintangan, plus the area of the Sierra Madre to the Pacific Ocean in the said trajectory."[3]

At Balete Pass in Nueva Vizcaya the retreating Japanese under General Tomoyuki Yamashita dug in and held on for three months against the American and Filipino forces who eventually drove them out; the pass is now called Dalton Pass in honor of General Dalton, USA, who was killed in the fighting.

Demographics

Population census of Cagayan Valley
YearPop.±% p.a.
1990 2,340,545—    
2000 2,813,159+1.86%
2010 3,229,163+1.39%
Source: National Statistics Office[1]

Economy

The province of Isabela and the city of Santiago are the richest province and city respectively in Cagayan Valley. Isabela was the Top 10 Richest Province in the Philippines in 2011, being the only province of Northern Luzon to be included in the list.[4] The second biggest mall operator in the country, Robinsons Land opened their first mall in the region which is the Robinsons Place Santiago in Santiago City. The company is also set to construct their second mall in the valley which will be located in Cauayan City. Recently, the largest mall operator in the country, SM Prime opened its first SM Supermall in the region, the SM City Cauayan.

Cagayan has much to offer visitors: beaches, swimming, snorkeling, skin-diving, fishing in the river and the sea, hiking in primeval forest, mountain-climbing, archaeological sites, the remarkable collection of the provincial museum, the Callao Caves, and many fine churches. Even here there are fortifications built to protect the inhabitants from raids by the Mara.

The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

Tilapia capital of the Philippines

On January 11, 2008, the Cagayan Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) stated that tilapia (species of cichlid fishes from the tilapiine cichlid tribe) production grew and Cagayan Valley is now the Philippines’ tilapia capital (Saint Peter’s fish). Production supply grew 37.25% since 2003, with 14,000 metric tons (MT) in 2007. The recent aquaculture congress found that the growth of tilapia production was due to government interventions: provision of fast-growing species, accreditation of private hatcheries to ensure supply of quality fingerlings, establishment of demonstration farms, providing free fingerlings to newly constructed fishponds, and the dissemination of tilapia to Nueva Vizcaya (in Diadi town). Former cycling champion Lupo Alava is a multi-awarded tilapia raiser in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. Chairman Thompson Lantion of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, a retired two-star police general, has fishponds in La Torre, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Nueva Vizcaya Governor Luisa Lloren Cuaresma entered into similar aquaculture endeavors in addition to tilapia production.[5] Isabela province is the richest in harvest among the other provinces in Region 2.

Political divisions

Political map of Cagayan Valley

Region II is composed of five provinces, one independent city, three component cities, 89 municipalities, and 2,311 barangays.[6]

Provinces

Province Capital Population
(2010)[7]		 Area
(km²) 		Pop. density
(per km²)		 Governor
Batanes Basco 16,604 209.3 79.3 Vicente De Sagon Gato
Cagayan Tuguegarao City 1,124,773 9,002.0 124.9 Alvaro Trinidad Antonio
Isabela Ilagan City 1,489,645 10,409.6 143.1 Faustino De Guzman Dy III
Nueva Vizcaya Bayombong 421,355 3,903.9 107.9 Ruth Raña Padilla
Quirino Cabarroguis 176,786 3,057.2 57.8 Junie Evangelista Cua

Cities

City Province City Class Income Class Population
(2010)[7]		 Area
(km2)		 Mayor
Cauayan Isabela Component 3rd Class 122,355 336.40 Bernard Faustino M. Dy
Ilagan Isabela Component 3rd Class 135,174 1,166.26 Josemarie L. Diaz, DMD
Tuguegarao Cagayan Component 1st Class 138,865 144.80 Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan
Santiago N/A Independent
component		 1st Class 132,804 255.50 Engr. Joseph S. Tan

Education

Universities and Colleges

Name of the Institution Town/City Province
Isabela State University - Cauayan Campus Cauayan City Isabela
University of Perpetual Help System - Isabela Campus Cauayan City Isabela
Our Lady of the Pillar College -Cauayan Cauayan City Isabela
Isabela Colleges Foundation Cauayan City Isabela
Isabela College of Arts and Technology (Marine School) Cauayan City Isabela
System Technology Institute (STI) College Cauayan City Isabela
National Police College Regional Training School Cauayan City Isabela
Saint Clare College of Region 2 Cauayan City Isabela
College of Business Education Science and Technology Cauayan City Isabela
East Asia International System College Cauayan City Isabela
Chronicles Institute of Isabela Ilagan City Isabela
Colegio de Ilagan Ilagan City Isabela
International Technological Institute of Arts and Tourism Ilagan City Isabela
Isabela Polytechnic Cooperative College Ilagan City Isabela
Isabela State University -Ilagan Campus Ilagan City Isabela
STI Ilagan Campus Ilagan City Isabela
Saint Ferdinand College -Main Campus Ilagan City Isabela
San Jose Reyes Learning Center Ilagan City Isabela
TESDA-ISAT Ilagan City Isabela
Northeast Luzon Adventist College Alicia Isabela
Philippine Normal University- Isabela Campus Alicia Isabela
La Salette of Aurora Aurora Isabela
Isabela State University -Cabagan Campus Cabagan Isabela
Saint Ferdinand College -Cabagan Campus Cabagan Isabela
La Salette of Cabatuan Cabatuan Isabela
La Salette of Cordon Cordon Isabela
Isabela State University (Main Campus) Echague Isabela
La Salette of Jones Jones Isabela
La Salette of Quezon Quezon Isabela
La Salette of Ramon Ramon Isabela
Isabela Colleges of Science & Technology Roxas Isabela
Isabela State University -Roxas Campus Roxas Isabela
La Sallete of Roxas College Roxas Isabela
La Salette of San Mateo San Mateo Isabela
Mallig Plains Colleges Mallig Isabela
HGB College Tumauini Isabela
University of La Salette Santiago City N/A
Northeastern College Santiago City N/A
AMA Computer College - Santiago City Santiago City N/A
Isabela State University Annex - Santiago City Santiago City N/A
Patria Sable Corpus College Santiago City N/A
Southern Isabela Colleges of Arts and Trades (TESDA) Santiago City N/A
STI College Santiago City Santiago City N/A
Infant Jesus Montessori School College Department Santiago City N/A
Cagayan Valley Computer and Information Technology College (CVCITC) Santiago City N/A
Superior Institute of Science and Technology Santiago City N/A
Metropolitan School of Science and Technology Santiago City N/A
Santiago City Colleges Santiago City N/A
AMA Computer College (Tuguegarao Campus) Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Credo Domine College Tuguegarao City Cagayan
John Wesley College Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Cagayan State University (Andrews Campus and Carig Campus) Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Cagayan Technical Institute School of Automotive Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Central Colleges of the North Tuguegarao City Cagayan
City Technological Institute Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Five Star Technical Institute Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Florencio L. Vargas College (Main Campus, Bagay Road Campus, and Pengue Campus) Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Global Reformed University Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Maila Rosario College Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Metropolitan Institute of Technology Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Medical Colleges of Northern Philippines Tuguegarao City Cagayan
International School of Asia and the Pacific Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Philippine Law Enforcement College Tuguegarao City Cagayan
St. Paul University Philippines Tuguegarao City Cagayan
STI College Tuguegarao Tuguegarao City Cagayan
University of Cagayan Valley (Main Campus and New Site Campus) Tuguegarao City Cagayan
University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao Tuguegarao City Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Aparri Campus Aparri Cagayan
Lyceum of Aparri Aparri Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Lasam Campus Lasam Cagayan
Quezon Colleges of the North Ballesteros Cagayan
Northern Cagayan Colleges Foundation Ballesteros Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Gonzaga Campus Gonzaga Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Lallo Campus Lallo Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Piat Campus Piat Cagayan
Cagayan State University -Sanchez Mira Campus Sanchez Mira Cagayan
Saint Mary's University Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya State University -Main Campus Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya
Eastern Luzon Colleges Bambang Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya State University -Bambang Campus Bambang Nueva Vizcaya
Aldersgate College Solano Nueva Vizcaya
Quirino State College Cabarroguis Quirino
Quirino State College Diffun Quirino
Batanes State College Basco Batanes

Festival

Festival Place Date
Pattaradday Festival Santiago City May 1–5
Pav-vurulun Festival Tuguegarao City, Cagayan August 10–16
Gawagaway-yan Festival Cauayan City, Isabela March 30-April 13
Kankanen Festival Cabatuan, Isabela November 5
Mangi Festival Tumauini, Isabela February 23–24
Pansi Festival Cabagan, Isabela January 19–25
Pinilisa Festival Jones, Isabela
Tinupig Festival Lasam, Cagayan
Sinabalu Fiestival Rizal, Cagayan April 29
Binnadangan Festival Roxas, Isabela July 4
Mammangui festival Ilagan City, Isabela May 30
Binallay festival Ilagan City, Isabela
Bambanti Festival Isabela February
Munggo Festival San Mateo, Isabela
Pato Festival San Mateo, Isabela
Panagsangal Festival Baggao, Cagayan May 1
Aramang Festival Aparri, Cagayan May 1–12
Sambali Festival Piat, Cagayan July 2
Sarakat Festival Santa Praxedes, Cagayan May 14–16
Pagay Festival Alicia, Isabela September 28
Cabibi Festival Lal-lo, Cagayan August 1–4
Ammungan Festival Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya May 19-24

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Population and Annual Growth Rates for The Philippines and Its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities" (PDF). 2010 Census and Housing Population. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Cagayan Valley, Department of Tourism - Region 2, retrieved 06-21-2012
  3. ↑ Descripcion del Valle de Cagayan, 1897, Jose Burgues
  4. ↑ Top 10 Highest earning Philippine province, Nobert Bermosa website, retrieved 06-17-2012.
  5. ↑ Abs-Cbn Interactive, Cagayan Valley country’s tilapia capital
  6. ↑ "List of Regions". National Statistical Coordination Board. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.census.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/Cagayan%20Valley.pdf

External links

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Coordinates: 17°37′N 121°43′E / 17.617°N 121.717°E