CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY

LAL-LO CAMPUS

HISTORY OF
CAGAYAN
(THE LAND OF SMILING BEAUTY)

2012

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LAL-LO, CAGAYAN
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CAGAYAN

Cagayan (/kɑːɡəˈjɑːn/kah-gə-YAHN), the "Land of Smiling Beauty", 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. Cagayan province is distinct from the city in Mindanao named Cagayan de Oro, and is

far away from Cagayancillo of Palawan or Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi Island in the Sulu Sea.

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.

History
In 1581, Captain Juan Pablo Carreon came to Cagayan with one hundred fully equipped

soldiers with their families by order of Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñaloza, the fourth Spanish

Governor-General of the Philippines, to explore the Cagayan Valley and to force the conversion

of the natives to Catholicism as well as to establish ecclesiastical missions and towns throughout

the valley. This was the first batch of Spanish settlers in the Cagayan Valley who introduced

Spanish culture and Latin civilization, subverting native culture, customs, and tradition.

On June 29, 1583, Juan de Salcedo traced the northern coastline of Luzon and set foot on

the Massi (Pamplona), Tular, and Aparri areas. The Spanish friars soon established mission posts

in Camalaniugan and Lal-lo(Nueva Segovia), which became the seat of the Diocese established
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by Pope Clement VIII on August 14, 1595. The Spanish influence can still be seen in the

massive churches and other buildings that the Spaniards built for the spiritual and social welfare

of the people.

With the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1898, ending the Spanish-American War, America

took over the Philippines and influenced the culture, most notably in agriculture and education as

well as in public works and communications. At the close of the 18th century, there were 29

municipalities in the province of Cagayan. When the Philippines came under American

sovereignty in 1902, 35 municipalities have been founded. Since then, however, on account of

the tendency at centralization and shifting of population as a result of the opening of roads and

public agricultural lands, only 29 municipalities now remain.

Beginning the Second World War, the air raid of the Japanese fighters and bomber planes

was invaded, bombed and destroyed around the province of Cagayan and founded in 1942, the

Japanese Imperial forces entered in Cagayan.

During the Second World War under the Japanese Occupation, over several pre-war

infantry divisions and regular units of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was re-established

from 1942 to 1946 at the general headquarters, camps and garrisoned here the province of

Cagayan and begins the battles and invasions for the Anti-Japanese Operations in Cagayan

Valley included to sending the province of Cagayan and Isabela and helping the local soldiers of

the 11th and 14th Infantry Regiment of the USAFIP-NL, the local guerrilla fighters and the U.S.

liberation forces was defeated and fought against the Japanese Imperial forces from 1942 to

1945.
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The Battle of Cape Engaño on October 26, 1944, is held off Cape Engaño. At the time,

when American carrier forces attacked the Japanese Northern Force to end and became the

conclusion of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Japanese lost 4 carriers, 3 light cruisers and 9

destroyers.

In 1945, the combined United States and Philippine Commonwealth ground troops

together with the recognized guerrillas took in Cagayan by the attack from the Japanese troops

during the liberated in Cagayan province was under the Filipino soldiers of the 1st, 2nd, 11th,

12th, 13th, 15th and 16th Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, 1st Infantry

Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary and the 11th and 14th Infantry Regiment of the United

States Armed Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon or USAFIP-NL from the Battle of

Cagayan Valley during the Second World War.

The Hotel Delfino siege is a bloody coup attempt happened on March 4, 1990, when

suspended Cagayan governor Rodolfo 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 is also slightly wounded in a car gunfight until eventually escaped and hid into the

mountains.

Geography
The province is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east; on the south by Isabela

province; on the west by the Cordillera Mountains; and on the north by the Balintang Channel
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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 (110 km) 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.

Cagayan has 28 municipalities and one city divided into three congressional districts. It

has 820 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.

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A color-coded division of the province is according to District. The symbols are indicated in the
picture.

City

 Tuguegarao City

Municipalities

 Abulug  Iguig
 Alcala  Lal-Lo
 Allacapan  Lasam
 Amulung  Pamplona
 Aparri  Peñablanca
 Baggao  Piat
 Ballesteros  Rizal
 Buguey  Sanchez-Mira
 Calayan  Santa Ana
 Camalaniugan  Santa Praxedes
 Claveria  Santa Teresita
 Enrile  Santo Niño (Faire)
 Gattaran  Solana
 Gonzaga  Tuao

Demographics
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 converted to Christianity by missionaries. This is

why the Ibanag language spread throughout the area prior to the arrival of Ilocanos.

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
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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.

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. The Northern Cagayan International Airport is a

planned airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan. The airport will be built to support the Cagayan Special

Economic Zone in northern Cagayan, which also serves seaborne traffic through Port Irene. The

airport project will involve the construction of a 2,200-meter runway, with a width of 45 meters,

following the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Once completed, the

planned international airport can accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A319-100 and

Boeing regional jets of comparable size. SM City Aparri will soon be built once the towns of

Aparri, Santa Ana and Lal-lo attained its cityhood.

Tourism
 Duba Cave (Baggao) - is not only a wet river cave but a swimming cave. Almost all

passages with water, which is about 70% of the way to the Skylight Falls, have large

breakdowns or walls without handholds along the side so the only way through is to

swim. Because of this, it is highly recommended that personal floatation devices (PFDs)
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are used by all entering the cave. This will ensure a safe return trip especially after the

long swims in.

 Rio Grande de Cagayan (Cagayan River) - the Philippines’ mightiest watercourse – the

longest and widest river in the country. Small streams originating from Balete Pass,

Cordillera, Caraballo and Sierra Madre Mountains meet other streams. It passes from

Aparri traversing Isabela as far as Aurora Province.

 Claveria Coast - "The Coastal Paradise of the Cagayan North"

 Callao Cave (Penablanca) - a cave with seven chambers. It is one of the best known

tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Parabba and Quibal,

Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan. It has a natural

cathedral located at the first chamber, which was turned into a chapel by the local people.

The conditions inside the cave cause stalactites and stalagmites, particularly in the deeper

chambers. Every chamber has natural crevices, which let light get into the cave, serving

as illumination for the otherwise dark areas of the place.

 Magapit Bridge (Lal-lo) - "The golden gate of Cagayan". It is Asia's first suspension

bridge, built in 1978. It spans the Cagayan River at Lallo and is 0.76 kilometers long. The

hanging bridge links the first and second districts of Cagayan going towards the Ilocos

Region via the scenic Patapat Road.

 Calvary Hills (Iguig) - consist of 11 hectares of rolling hills. It features larger-than-life

concrete statues in tableau settings of the 14 Stations of the Cross, depicting Jesus

Christ’s suffering and death on Mount Calvary.

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 Basilica Minore Nuestra Senora de Piat (Piat) - "Primary Pilgrimage Center of the

North". The patroness of Cagayan Valley housed at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of

Piat, has become the religious fulcrum of people wanting for favors of any kind. Visitors

may view her history at the Basilica Museum which houses an extensive collection of

religious items and Our Lady’s vestments and accessories.

 Bukal ng Buhay (Piat) - "Spring of Life". Said to be miraculous water that can heal

diseases of any kind. It is located below the hill where the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat

stood.

 Sta. Ana Beaches - from pristine blue waters and fine sand, to rolling hills and enchanting

colonial structures, to mystical caves and endearing people. It is dubbed as “Untouched

Paradise”, “Gateway to the Pacific”, “Game Fishing Mecca”, “Luzon’s Last Frontier”

and “Marine Sanctuary”.

 Kalesa (horse-drawn carrier) - In Cagayan, kalesas are common, especially in Tuao and

many other municipalities. In Tuguegarao City, they are mixed in traffic with private

cars, motorcycles, sidecar motorcycles, jeepneys, trucks, and bicycles.

 Calayan Island (Calayan) - The island-town which is only a two-hour boat ride from

Aparri. It is rich in natural attractions like excellent beaches, archeological sites, endemic

flora and fauna, virgin forest, crystal clear blue waters, plus the hospitable and gentle

people with colorful history.

 Ar-Aro Cave (Gattaran) - Nobody from among the old-timers of Barangay Naddungan,

with a population of not more than 800, remembers how this cave got its name as the Ar-
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aro cave. Only a few locals, particularly fishermen, know the place. And it was

discovered by some of their old folks only as a fishing ground for eels and Araro, a

freshwater fish.

 Kalamudinan Falls (Baggao) - located 26 kilometers from the center of Santa Margarita,

Baggao, Cagayan. More than 100 meters high and rich of shrimps (locally called udang)

and fishes.

 The Malaueg Church (Rizal) - located at the Poblacion of the town. The church was

preserved completely by UNESCO which undergoes restorations. The church is made

entirely by stones that were designed originally by Spaniards.

Others: Since Cagayan faces the Pacific Ocean an extensive shoreline sprawls along the

coastal towns of Sanchez Mira, Sta. Praxedes, Claveria, Buguey, Buguey, Aparri, Ballesteros,

Abulug, and the Islands of Palaui, Fuga, and Island Municipality of Calayan. Sanchez Mira,

Claveria, and Sta. Praxedes have facilities for excursion stays while Fuga Island is being

developed as a world class recreation and tourism center. Whale watching at the Calayan Islands

are the most sought after and scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing are the most famous in Palaui

Island in Sta. Ana. The airstrip at Claveria could be used as a jump-off point to Fuga Island.

There are a lot of recreation and things to do in Cagayan for tourist and locals alike with its

famous Sambali Festival celebrated throughout and in commemoration of its founding. Activities

in the province are unlimited with its green surroundings, floras and faunas, caves and historical

churches. Also there are lots of nice places to stay such as the Governors Garden Hotel, Hotel

Candice, Hotel Roma and Hotel Kimikarlai all in Tuguegarao City.

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Claveria is also blessed with a wealth of scenic attractions which include the following: the

Lakay-Lakay Lagoon, the rocky formation along the Camalaggaon Caves, the Roadside Park

overlooking the Claveria Bay, Macatel Falls with its crystal waters that run in abundance

throughout the year, the Pata Lighthouse that offers a breathtaking experience, and the Claveria

Beach Resort along the serene white sand coasts.

Notable Residents
 Juan Ponce Enrile - he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the

Marcos regime. He later became one of the leaders (along with General Fidel V. Ramos)

of the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power. Enrile has

continued to be a prominent politician since then; he has been President of the Senate of

the Philippines since November 2008.