Cagayan: The Land of Smiling Beauty

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❖ GENERAL INFORMATION o Cagayan

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.

❖ 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 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.

❖ CULTURE

Due to the influx of Ilokano migrants in the last century, majority of the people of Cagayan speak Iloko as their primary tongue. Aside from the Ilokanos, there are several smaller ethnic groups that live in the province. The Ibanags are the dominant ethnic group in the vicinity of the provincial capital of Cagayan-—Tuguegarao, now a city. The closely related Itawits inhabit the Pinacanauan River valley as well as areas of Amulung and Tuao. The Malawegs are found mainly in the municipality of Rizal. In the foothills and the mountains of the Sierra Madre Range, several Negrito groups called the Agtas forage and hunt for food. The established lingua franca of the province is Ibanag.
The Ibanags, Itawits and Malawegs are mainly lowland farmers whose agricultural practices are similar to those of the Ilokanos. The Ibanags used to inhabit the area along the Cagayan coast but migrated further inland. They conducted trade with neighboring areas using distinctive seacrafts, and their commercial interests made their language the medium of commerce throughout the region before the influx of Ilokano migrants. They are also excellent blacksmiths and continue to make good bolos. The Ibanags are reputed to be the tallest of all the ethno-linguistic groups in the Philippines.
The Itawits are almost indistinguishable from the Ibanags. They build their houses with separate kitchens, connected by a narrow walkway that is used as washing area for hands and feet. The Itawits are noted for their pottery and basket-weaving traditions.
The culture of Cagayan is showcased in museums, historical buildings and archeological sites spread across the province. In Solana, the Neolithic archeological sites in Lanna have yielded stone tools used as early as 20,000 years back. The Cabarruan jar burial site, also in the town, features ancient Filipino traditions of taking care of their dead. The Cagayan Museum is a repository of the province´s cultural heritage. Iron Age pottery, Chinese Ming and Sung dynasty porcelain pieces as well as Church paraphernalia are on display together with Paleolithic fossils. The oldest bell in the country, cast in 1592, still peals from the tower of the church in Camalaniugan. The old brick works in Tuguegarao lie inside the city and speak of a time when bricks were extensively used to build the beautiful churches of the Cagayan Valley.

❖ TOURIST SPOTS

• CALLAO CAVE

➢ Callao Cave is a cave with seven chambers located on the Province of Cagayan, in the Philippines. It is one of the best known tourist attractions of the province. It is located in Barangays Magdalo and Quibal, Peñablanca, near Tuguegarao City, the capital city of the Province of Cagayan.

• BASILICA MINORE DE PIAT

➢ The patroness of Cagayan Valley housed at the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat, has become the religious fulcrum of people wanting 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.

• MAGAPIT SUSPENSION BRIDGE

➢ "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.

• SIERRA CAVE

➢ The Sierra Cave is a living cave found in Cagayan Valley in the Philippines. It is located in the town of Peñablanca, one of the over 300 known caves that have been documented by the National Museum of the Philippines in this part of the province of Cagayan, which has been dubbed the Caving Capital of the Philippines. It is especially known for its many interesting and beautiful geological living formations. Fossils of prehistoric species can also be seen embedded in the ceiling of the cave. Among these fossilized specimens are the remains of marine creatures such as shells, which may be taken as proof that the cave was once under the sea.

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