Tuguegarao

Tuguegarao
Component City
Seal
Nickname(s): Tugue
Location in the province of Cagayan
Tuguegarao Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 17°37′N 121°43′E / 17.617°N 121.717°E / 17.617; 121.717Coordinates: 17°37′N 121°43′E / 17.617°N 121.717°E / 17.617; 121.717
Country	Philippines
Region	Cagayan Valley (Region II)
Province	Cagayan
Congr. district	3rd District of Cagayan
Township	May 9, 1604
Cityhood	December 18, 1999
Barangays	49
Government[1]
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Jefferson Soriano
• Vice-Mayor	Englebert Caronan
• City Council	Councilors Bienvenido De Guzman II Rosauro G. Resuello Ronaldo Boyet Salazar Ortiz Perla Cabalza Tumaliuan Maila Ting Que Noel A. Mora Jude Tuliao Bayona Kendrick Calubaquib Estelita Ulep Dayag Eto Valdepenas Anthony Chua Tuddao Auring Ave
Area[2]
• Total	144.80 km2 (55.91 sq mi)
Population (May 1, 2010)[3]
• Total	138,865
• Density	960/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Tuguegaraoeños
Time zone	PST (UTC+8)
ZIP code	3500
Dialing code	78
Income class	3rd class[2]
Website	www.tuguegaraocity.gov.ph

Tuguegarao is a 3rd-class city and capital of the province of Cagayan in the Philippines.^[2] It is the regional and institutional center of Cagayan Valley region.

The city, on the southern border of the province, is located where the Pinacanauan River empties into the Cagayan River and is surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains to the east, Cordillera Mountains to the west, and the Caraballo Mountains to the south.

The population of the city as of the May 1, 2010 census is 138,865 people.^[3] Most inhabitants are Ilokano, Ibanag, Tagalog, and Itawes. Some are of Chinese and Indian descent.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the Philippines -- 42.2 °C (108.0 °F)—was recorded in Tuguegarao on April 29, 1912 and again on May 11, 1969.^[4] Average temperature during March and April is 38 °C (100 °F), one of the highest in the country.

Barangays

The city is politically subdivided into 49 barangays.^[2]

Etymology

There are several versions of legends looming about the origin of the name of the city of Tuguegarao. One is the abundance of "tarrao" trees in the area. Another is from the word "tuggi" meaning fire. Another recorded version is, the town was formerly called Tuerao by the people of the northern towns. Still another is that the name Tuguegarao comes from two Ibanag words "tuggi" (fire) and "aggao" (day), possibly referring to a daytime fire that happened in the town. The most accepted version of the legend is the Ibanags' reply to the Spaniards when the latter asked for the name of the place - "Tuggi gari yaw", meaning "This used to be fire", or the town was carved out of the wilderness by clearing and burning. On the other hand, a historical evidence that might provide clues to the origin of the city's name comes from the fact that in 1591, the place was listed as a Spanish encomienda (land grant), which was originally a pre-colonial settlement called Tubigarao.^[5]

History

The Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto (Stone Chapel of Saint Hyacinth) established in 1604.

The community was governed as a barangay established by the Dominicans as a mission until the Spaniards gave it the status of pueblo (municipality) on May 9, 1604, making it one of the political units of the province of Cagayan. The settlement was a small in terms of population but was big in territory, which then included what would later become the provinces of Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino till the 1850s. As a mission pueblo and with assigned encomendero (landlord) to Tuguegarao, the inhabitants (as tenants) were made to pay taxes in the form of poultry products and other food products. Resentments later flared and the people of Tuguegarao revolted in 1605, killing the encomendero. Again, the people of Tuguegarao revolted in 1718 and then 1761 under a leader named Rivera.

The first parochial building of Tugugarao was constructed in 1604, a chapel that became the foundation of what is now the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto (Stone Chapel of Saint Hyacinth) dedicated to Saint Hyacinth, the patron saint of Tuguegarao. The present chapel is the latest in a process of rebuilding that started in 1724 when it was rebuilt by Fr. Bernabe de la Magdalena, O.P..

Tuguegarao became the capital of Cagayan province in 1839 when the provincial seat of power was relocated from Lal-lo. The decline of Lal-lo became the transformation of Tuguegarao as the most important town in Cagayan.

Tuguegarao was occupied by American troops on December 12, 1899. During World War II, the city and its airfield of some significance was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army on December 12, 1941 as part of the Japanese invasion of Aparri. The General Headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary and the USAFIP-NL units was actived on 1942 to 1946 and stationed in Tuguegarao. The city and airfield were bombed by the US and Philippine regularly between January and May 1945, and attacked by Donald Blackburn's guerrilla forces in June 1945.^{[6]:299–302} The local recognized guerrillas helped by entering the town, Philippine Commonwealth troops under the Philippine Army and Constabulary units and USAFIP-NL military units came in early June; the town was officially liberated on June 25, 1945.

Sitio Capatan was elevated into a barrio (or barangay) Capatan of Tuguegarao on April 3, 1959 by Republic Act no. 2107.^[7]

Tuguegarao was once the only first class municipality in the province of Cagayan. It has served as the provincial capital of Cagayan since 1839 because of the notable socio-economic progress of the town. In 1975, Tuguegarao was declared as the capital and seat of the regional government of Cagayan Valley (Region II) being the region's geographic center with adequate facilities and amenities needed by such.

New barangays were formed in the 1970s that by 1981, Tuguegarao had 49 barangays, 12 of which were urban. The late 1980s saw the gradual expansion of the urban core of Tuguegarao to the outlying barangays of Ugac, Caritan and Atulayan. With the fast rising prices of real estate in the poblacion (city center), residents found it profitable to sell their properties in the poblacion and buy lots in the surrounding barangay neighborhoods, but still close to avail the amenities of the city.

By 1980, Tuguegarao had a population of 73,507. The increase in population could be attributed to various factors. One is the increasing peace and order problems in the other towns in the region driving the people to Tuguegarao, which is relatively free of the insurgency problem with the visible presence of the military and its geographic location. Another factor is the presence of the schools, whose quality of education is highly comparable to that of Metropolitan Manila. Others come because of the increase in trade and industry. The completion of the Maharlika Highway made Region II more accessible to people from other areas.

The year 1983 marked the quadricentennial celebration of the establishment of the civil government of the Province of Cagayan. In the week-long celebration held in Tuguegarao, several Philippine cabinet ministers visited the town and province.

Of very great consideration is the town's tremendous improvement in social services and infrastructure facilities since 1975. In the 1980s and 1990s, multistory buildings were constructed in the poblacion greatly changing Tuguegarao's skyline. Other changes included landscaped schools and homes, cable television, air-conditioned buses, jet flights, telegraph and telex services, door-to-door delivery services, domestic and overseas long-distance calls, luxurious social amenities and other trappings of a highly urbanized town.

Tuguegarao became a component city after it was affirmed in a plebiscite held on December 18, 1999. Randolph Sera Ting is the first mayor of the new city. On July 2, 2007, Delfin Telan Ting (who was then a municipal mayor from 1988 to 1998) was elected to become the second mayor of the city.

Hotel Delfino siege

The Hotel Delfino siege was a bloody coup attempt that happened on March 4, 1990, when suspended Cagayan governor Rodolfo "Agi" Aguinaldo and his armed men of 200 seized Hotel Delfino in Tuguegarao. Brigader General Oscar Florendo, his driver and four members of the civilian staff, and several other people were held hostage for several hours. A gunfight was launched to kill Aguinaldo and his men but one of the suspended governor's men was found dead in a checkpoint shootout, Brig. Gen. Florendo and 12 others were also dead and 10 more wounded. Aguinaldo was slightly wounded in a car gunfight but eventually escaped and hid into the mountains.

Demographics

Climate

Tuguegarao experiences a topical climate, with only a slight difference between summer and iwinter temperatures, and high year-round humidity

Economy

Tuguegarao City's Calle Commercio (commercial street) in 2010.

Within the past three decades, its economy gradually shifted from agriculture to secondary/tertiary economic activities such as trading, commerce and services. The shift was ushered by Tuguegarao's role as the provincial and regional government center and one of the centers of commerce in Northern Luzon. Banking, educational, commercial, industrial and tourism-related activities proliferate in the area.

As of 2013, there were 4,210 registered business establishments for which more than half are located in the Poblacion and less than one-third (1/3) are in the urban barangays. Of these registered establishments, 53.48% are wholesale and retail trade establishments. Financing, insurance and real estate firms contributed 8.54%, and the remaining 37.98% consist of service enterprises and social amenities to include business, recreational, personal, utility and other services. At present, there are 31 banks operating in the city.

Festivals

• Pav-vurulun Festival is a week-long celebration that usually ends on August 16 annually. Pav-vurulun is an Ibanag word which means get-together or a sense of belonging. It is in this context that the city annually celebrates its patronal fiesta in honor of St. Hyacinth, the patron saint of the city. It gathers Tuguegaraoeños to a week-long festivities culminating with a mass and procession of the patron saint on August 16. The week-long celebration is a festival of activities marked by parades, beauty contests, Pancit Batil-Patung eating contest, street dancing competition, music festival, sports fest, and trade fairs among others.

In 2014, a new edition of the festival is introduced. It is named as the Pavvurulun Afi Festival, a fire-themed festival. Afi is an Ibanag word which means fire, signifying the city's etymology. A highlight of the celebration was the lighting of bamboo torches by more than 3,000 college students from Cagayan State University as part of the kick-off activities. The organizers used citronella oil instead of kerosene, as a safety precaution, to ignite the torches.^[10]

Places of interest

Buntun Bridge

Saint Peter Metropolitan Church

Horno used to prepare bricks

• Buntun Bridge is one of the longest bridges in the country at 1.124 kilometers (0.698 mi). It is 2.5 kilometers (1.6 mi) from the city proper and offers an unobstructed view of the Cagayan River.
• Sts. Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. The Diocese of Tuguegarao was erected on April 10, 1910.^[11] Pope Paul VI elevated the Diocese of Tuguegarao into an Archdiocese on September 21, 1974. The church with the belfry is the biggest Spanish colonial church in Cagayan Valley built by the Dominicans who came to evangelize Cagayan Valley. It was constructed from January 17, 1761 to 1767 under the supervision of Fr. Antonio Lobato, O.P.. The cathedral suffered massive destruction in World War II losing its pipe organ, three wooden retablos, pulpit, wooden choir loft and the painted wooden ceiling all of which were from the early 18th century. The old convent adjacent to the cathedral church was also razed to the ground during the war and was demolished to make way for a new one. The complex was rebuilt by Msgr. Bishop Constance Jurgens who is now entombed inside the church. The Cathedral is also said to be one of the beautiful structures that stood in the land and because of that impression, its portrait can also be seen in Vatican City. The traditional ringing of the cathedral bells for the Angelus and during Mass is still being practiced today.
• St. Hyacinth Church (San Jacinto Church) or the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto (Stone Chapel of San Jacinto) is an elevated historic chapel established in 1604, 100 years older than the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral. American soldiers during the Philippine-American War used it as headquarters in 1899. St Hyacinth is the patron saint of the city whose feast is celebrated every August 15 coinciding with the Pav-vurulun Festival. The oldest brick structure in the city is the first parochial building built by the Dominican fathers in Tuguegarao. The current structure is the latest in a process of rebuilding beginning in 1724, in 1892 after it was destroyed by an earthquake and reconstruction after World War II. The chapel was not heavily damaged during the war and as a result retains its original wooden retablo which dates back to the 18th century.
• Cagayan Provincial Museum and Historical Research Center is located at the provincial capitol complex. It was conceived by the Provincial Board in 1971 and became operational on its inauguration on August 15, 1973 during the traditional Aggao na Cagayan. It is a general museum that houses an extensive collection of artifacts, antiques, ethnography, trade wares, heirloom pieces and liturgical works of the province and fossils of animals that once roamed the valley. The museum houses extensive data on the discovery of Callao Man by the National Museum of the Philippines. The center is only 5 km (3.1 mi) from Tuguegarao.
• St. Paul University Philippines is located along Mabini Street. It was founded by the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in 1907, who came to Cagayan upon the invitation of Bishop Dennis Dougherty. The school had its operation in a Spanish Convento, adjoining the Cathedral of Tuguegarao. The institution transferred to its present location in 1934 after it was acquired from the Dominican Order. The entire building complex became hospital and garrison of the Japanese forces during World War II and was bombed by the Americans during the liberation in 1945. The institution became the first Catholic University in Region II in 1982 and the first Private Catholic University in Asia and the Philippines to be granted ISO 9001 Certification by TUV Rheinland in 2000.
• Horno or kiln is a Spanish-era brick kiln located at Barangay Bagumbayan. This was used to fire bricks to be used for various structures during the Spanish colonial era in Tuguegarao such as the Tuguegarao Cathedral and the San Jacinto chapel.^[12]

Local government

Current city officials (2013-2016):

• Cagayan 3rd District Representative: Randolph Sera Ting
• City Mayor: Atty. Jefferson P. Soriano
• City Vice-Mayor: Atty. Engelbert Caronan
• City Councilors:
  • Bienvenido "Ben-Ben" Chua de Guzman
  • Rosauro Rodrigo Ganzon Resuello
  • Ronaldo Salazar Ortiz
  • Perla Cabalza Tumaliuan
  • Maila Rosario Ting Que
  • Noel Albacena Mora
  • Jude Tuliao Bayona
  • Loreto Bunuan Valdepeñas
  • Kendrick Siazon Calubaquib
  • Estelita Ulep Dayag
  • Aurora Allayban Ave
  • Anthony Chua Tuddao

Transportation

Tuguegarao City's main transportation vehicle is the tricycle

Tuguegarao serves as a vital transportation and communication hub. It can be reached using buses with en route to Tuguegarao, Baggao, Aparri, and also Santiago. Bus services that operate in Tuguegarao include Victory Liner, GV Florida Transport, Five Star Bus Company, Dalin Liner, Northern Luzon Bus Line, Everlasting Transport Inc., Universal Guiding Star Bus Line, Northstar Transport Inc., EMC Transportation Inc. and many smaller feeder minibuses which offers services like Sleeper, Super Deluxe, Deluxe, Air conditioned, and Ordinary Fare.

There are also some vans that plies to Claveria, Sta.Praxedes, Aparri, Sta.Ana, Alcala, Lasam and Junction Luna, Abulug in Cagayan, Santiago City, Roxas, Ilagan City and Cauayan City in Isabela, Luna and Kabugao in Apayao. There are also mini buses plying to Lasam, Allacapan, Claveria, Santiago City and Roxas. There are jeeps with routes to Iguig, Tuao, Enrile, Tabuk and Rizal in Kalinga and some mountainous barrios in Cagayan. The tricycle and calesa are common modes of public transport in the city.

The Tuguegarao City Domestic Airport is a facility located 21.036 meters or 69 feet above sea level and is capable of handling Boeing-737-sized aircraft. Small aircraft, helicopters and army cargo aircraft also utilize the airport. Cebu Pacific, Sky Pasada and PAL Express are the available domestic airline companies which provide daily flights to and from the city.

Medical institutions

Education

Universities and colleges

There are several universities and colleges that are situated in the city. Majority of the universities and colleges of the Province of Cagayan are in Tuguegarao. Hence, the city is considered as the University Capital of Region 02. Also, numerous technological and vocational institutes are located in the city. The Philippine Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) offers short-term courses to all Cagayanos. The following schools offer tertiary education for the citizens of the region:

High schools

There are many public and private schools here in Tuguegarao.

Elementary

Daycare centers

The city has 63 barangay daycare centers. Currently, there are about 3,000 daycare pupils that are on the program. Moreover, there are also several privately operated daycare centers that are scattered in the city.

Specialized education

Far East Christian Deaf Academy provides education from pre-school to middle school operated and funded by the Church of the Living God at Sharon Village, Barangay Cataggaman Nuevo. The University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao also has an elementary school program for the hearing impaired.^[13]

Media

Radio

Television

News programs

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tuguegarao City.

• Official Website of Tuguegarao City
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• TuguegaWOW | Tuguegarao City

	Solana / Cagayan River	Iguig
			Peñablanca
		Tuguegarao
	Enrile / Cagayan River	San Pablo, Isabela

Province of Cagayan Tuguegarao (capital) 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 Solana Tuao Component city Tuguegarao Barangays See: List of barangays in Cagayan

Cagayan Valley (Region II) Regional Center Tuguegarao Provinces Batanes Cagayan Isabela Nueva Vizcaya Quirino Independent Component City Santiago Component Cities Cauayan Ilagan Tuguegarao Provincial capitals Basco Bayombong Cabarroguis Ilagan Tuguegarao Municipalities Abulug Aglipay Alcala Alfonso Castañeda Alicia Allacapan Ambaguio Angadanan Aparri Aritao Aurora Bagabag Baggao Ballesteros Bambang Basco Bayombong Benito Soliven Buguey Burgos Cabagan Cabarroguis Cabatuan Calayan Camalaniugan Claveria Cordon Delfin Albano Diadi Diffun Dinapigue Divilacan Dupax del Norte Dupax del Sur Echague Enrile Gamu Gattaran Gonzaga Iguig Itbayat Ivana Jones Kasibu Kayapa Lal-Lo Lasam Luna Maconacon Maddela Mahatao Mallig Nagtipunan Naguilian Palanan Pamplona Peñablanca Piat Quezon (Isabela) Quezon (Nueva Vizcaya) Quirino Ramon Reina Mercedes Rizal Roxas Sabtang Saguday San Agustin San Guillermo San Isidro San Manuel San Mariano San Mateo San Pablo Sanchez-Mira Santa Ana Santa Fe Santa Maria Santa Praxedes Santa Teresita Santo Niño Santo Tomas Solana Solano Tuao Tumauini Uyugan Villaverde Luzon, Philippines

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