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Lieterature of Region II (Cagayan Valley)

The most important event in the history of Cagayan Valley took place in 1572 when Spanish
Conquistador Don Juan de Salcedo traced the northern coast and landed at the mouth of the
Pamplona River. Before his visit, early Cagayanos reveled in a civilization of their own.
The Spanish occupation in Cagayan was recorded to have started in 1581 when
Gobernador Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penaloza sent Juan Pablo Carreon to the north to drive
away a Japanese fleet under the command of Taifusa. Carreon succeeded in his mission and
proceeded upriver to look for future pueblo sites and thus making a name for himself in the
process.
Lal-lo-c(old name of Lallo), one of the first four (4) cities in the Philippines(others:
Manila-I571;Cebu-1565; Naga-1575) was named Ciudad Nueva Segovia in 1581 by Carreon.
It was chosen as capital of Cagayan Valley Region because of its favorable location and
navigable river. It was also the seat of the Diocese created by Pope Clement VII on August 15,
1595 until the seat was transferred to Vigan, Ilocos Sur in 1755. Very famous among the
missionaries at that time was Bishop Miguel de Benavidez, OP, the first bishop elected to the
Diocesan home in Ciudad Nueva Segovia. He later founded the University of Sto. Tomas.
It was from Lallo that authorities governed the province and was the capital of
Cagayan up to 1839 when Cagayan Valley Region was subdivided. On May 24, 1839 the
province of lsabela was created comprising the towns of Cordon to Ilagan, including the sitio
of Palanan. Nueva Vizcaya comprised the region from Aritao to Bayombong and later to
Diadi. Cagayan comprised that part of the valley from Tuguegarao to Aparri and the
Babuyanes. And the provincial government was moved to Tuguegarao from Lal-lo.
Cagayan Valley abounds with natural resources and exudes with development
potentials that consist of rich agricultural areas, forestland and grasslands, inland and marine
resources.
Geographically, the valley is located at the northeastern part of mainland Luzon
covering an area of about 26,858.79 square kilometers making it the 2nd largest region in the
country. Bounded with the Pacific Ocean in the east and the protective mountain range of
Cordillera on the west and Caraballo Mountain, the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora on
the south. Between the ranges is the valley where most of the population live and is
criss-crossed by the mighty Cagayan River, the longest and widest in the country and its
tributaries, which flow into the Babuyan Channel in Aparri. The Pacific Ocean on the east cost
and the Babuyan Channel on the north also skirt the mainland.The Batanes group of island is
located at the northernmost tip of the Philippine Archipelago surrounded by Bashi Channel on
the north, Pacific Ocean on the east, Balintang Channel on the south and China Sea on the
west.
It has more than 890 kilometers of coastline and rich fishing grounds, particularly
with the Babuyan and Balintang Channels on the north and the Palanan and Divilacan Bays on
the east including its territorial seas within the 200 kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ). The region has four (4) minor volcanoes with several inactive fault lines, which
include the Digdig Fault. The climate in the valley falls under Type 3 characterized by not
very pronounced seasons - relatively dry from November to June and wet during the rest of
the year.

Cagayan Valley Region is composed of five provinces - Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela,

Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino and three cities - Cauayan, Santiago and Tuguegarao. The
region's population based on the year 2000 census of the population was 2,813,159.
IMPORTANT LITERARY PIECES
NU NUNUK DU TUKUN
Nu Nunuk Du Tukun

Nu Nunuk Du Tukun, minuhung as kadisi na;

Ichapungpung diya am yaken u nilangan na.
Kapatalamaran ava su avang di idaud
Ta miyan du inayebngan na, ta miyan du inayebngan na.

Nu itanis ko an nu an didien ko;

Ta nu taw aya u suminbang diyaken;
Na maliliyak a pahung as maheheyet a riyes.
U minahey niya diyaken.

( Note: informant : Catalina Faranilo Hontamin)

English Translation
(The Nunuk on the Hill)

(Translated by Florentino H. Hornedo)

The Nunuk on the hill short forth the leaves and twigs;
Then suddenly all its branches fell and I under it.
On what is left I cannot watch the boats on the sea
For I stand on the side from the sea.

I weep in my grief?
It was the sea that made me an orphan;
The sad news came to me in the roar of the breakers,
From the voice of the mighty sea currents.

WHAT CAUSES EARTHQUAKES

(Y Paggafuanan na Lunig)
Once upon a time, there was a very poor couple who had only one son. His name was
Bernard Carpio. Since this family led only a hand to mouth existence, both husband and wife
had to work for living. Whenever the mother went out to work, she would lock up the baby in
the house. She would just give him something to play with. Upon coming home, she would
find all the toys of the baby broken into small pieces. This happened everyday until the mother
could no longer give the baby anything to play with. So the baby was lest in the house without
any toy, when she came home to feed him, the mother was surprised that the walls and studs of
their house were either destroy or broken. She remains silent but observant. As soon as these
parts of the house had been repaired, she again left Bernardo Carpio alone. When she came
home, she found the same in shambles. Next time, the mother deliberately gave her son an
iron rod to play with. Again he broke rod into pieces. Now the parents were growing alarmed
over the extraordinary strength of Bernardo. News of it also spread in the neighborhood.
As a child grew up, he was recognized as the strongest boy in the village. He
challenged to fight those who dared him and defeated them all. As man, hid prowess was also
acclaimed in the whole country. This popularity made him very proud. He was so proud that
even he dared challenged God. At first, God gave him the upper hand. But on the third trial,
when God asked him to stop the quarrel between the two big mountains, Bernardo failed. In a
conceited gesture, he impulsively went between the warring mountains. He extended his arms
to stop them but instead, he got between the two mountains and was buried alive with his head
out.
Today, it was believed that whenever Bernardo Carpio struggles to free himself
from the grip of the mountains, the earth quakes. The old folks also say that when he finally
frees himself, that will be the end of the world.

1. Cagayan