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Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan (; ; ; Isnag: ''Provinsia nga Cagayan''; Ivatan: ''Provinsiya nu Cagayan''; ; ), is a
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
located in the Cagayan Valley
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, covering the northeastern tip of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
. Its capital is
Tuguegarao Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao (; ; ; ), is a 2nd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 ...
, the largest city of that province as well as the regional center of Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). It is about northwest of
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, and 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 was one of the early provinces that existed during the Spanish colonial period. Called ''La Provincia de Cagayan'', its borders essentially covered the entire Cagayan Valley, which included the present provinces of Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Batanes and portions of Kalinga, Apayao, and
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
. The former capital was Nueva Segovia, which also served as the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia. Today, only remain of the former vastness of the province. The entire region, however, is still referred to as Cagayan Valley.


Etymology

A folk legend holds that the name was originally derived from the ''tagay'', a plant that grows abundantly in the northern part of the province. The term ''Catagayan'', "the place where the ''tagay'' grows" was shortened to ''Cagayan''. Linguists, however, hold that ''cagayan'' comes from an ancient, lost word that means "river". Variations of this word—''karayan'', ''kayan'', ''kahayan, kayayan'', ''kagayan'' and ''kalayan''—all mean ''river'', referring to
Cagayan River The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in ...
. It is said to have also shared etymology with
Cagayan de Oro Cagayan de Oro (abbreviated CDO and officially the City of Cagayan de Oro; ; Bukid language, Binukid: ''Ciudad ta Cagayan de Oro''; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Regions of the Philippi ...
in
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
with the similar reference, also called
Cagayan River The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in ...
.


History


Early history

Cagayan has a prehistoric civilization with rich and diverse culture. According to archaeologists, the earliest man in the Philippines probably lived in Cagayan thousands of years ago. In the classical era, Gattaran and Lal-lo was the home of hunter-gatherers who specialized in hunting mollusks. These hunter-gatherers have stockpiled their leftover mollusk shells in numerous sites in Gattaran and Lal-lo, until eventually, the shells formed into the largest stock of shell-midden sites in the entire Philippines. The ''Atta'' or
Negrito The term ''Negrito'' (; ) refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, th ...
s were the first people in valley. They were later moved to the uplands or variably assimilated by the Austronesians, from whom the Ibanags, Itawes, Yogads, Gaddangs, Irayas and Malawegs descended - who actually came from one ethnicity. These are the people found by the Spaniards in the different villages along the rivers all over Cagayan. The Spaniards rightly judged that these various villagers came from a single racial stock and decided to make the Ibanag language the ''lingua franca'', both civilly and ecclesiastically for the entire people of Cagayan which they called collectively as the ''Cagayanes'' which later was transliterated to become ''Cagayanos''. Cagayan was a major site for the Maritime Jade Road, one of the most extensive sea-based trade networks of a single geological material in the prehistoric world, operating for 3,000 years from 2000 BCE to 1000 CE. Even before the Spaniards came to Cagayan, the Cagayanos have already made contact with various civilizations like the Chinese,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese and even
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
ns, as evidenced by various artifacts and even the presence of minor to moderate foreign linguistic elements in the languages of the natives. Various other peoples, mainly the Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, Kapampangans and
Tagalogs The Tagalog people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, N ...
, as well as
Visayans Visayans ( Cebuano: ''mga Bisayà'' ) are a Philippine ethnolinguistic family group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, to the southernmost islands south of Luzon, and to a significant portion of Mindanao. They are composed of numerous d ...
, Moros, Ivatans, and even foreigners like the Chinese, Indians,
Arabs Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
, Spaniards and others were further infused to the native Cagayanes to become the modern ''Cagayano'' that we know today. The north coast was also the site of a
Wokou ''Wokou'' ( zh, c=, p=Wōkòu; ; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ; ; literal Chinese translation: "dwarf bandits"), which translates to "Japanese pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 17 ...
state when the Japanese pirate-lord Tay Fusa set up his stronghold there before its destruction during the 1582 Cagayan battles.


Spanish colonial era

In 1581, Captain Juan Pablo Carreon arrived in Cagayan with a hundred fully equipped soldiers and their families by order of Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñaloza, the fourth Spanish
Governor-General of the Philippines The governor-general of the Philippines (; ; ) was the title of the Executive (government), government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, first by History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the Spanish in Mexico City and l ...
. The expeditionary force was sent to explore the Cagayan Valley, to convert the natives to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, and to establish ecclesiastical missions and towns throughout the valley. On June 29, 1583, Spanish ''conquistador'' Juan de Salcedo traced the northern coastline of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
and set foot on the Massi (Pamplona), Tular, and
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
areas.


La Provincia de Cagayan

In 1583, through a Spanish Royal Decree, the entire northeastern portion of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
(specifically, all territories east of the Cordillera mountains and those north of the Caraballo mountains) including the islands in the Balintang Channel were organized into one large political unit called the ''La Provincia de Cagayán''. The ''provincias territorial delineation encompassed the present provinces of Batanes, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, including portions of Kalinga, Apayao, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and
Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...
. Its capital was ''Nueva Segovia'' (the present municipality of Lal-lo). It was sometimes called ''Cagayán de Luzón'' to distinguish from other places bearing the name Cagayan. The Spanish friars soon established mission posts in Camalaniugan and Lal-lo (''Nueva Segovia''), which became the seat of the
Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
established by
Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII (; ; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 January 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born in Fano, Papal States to a prominen ...
on August 14, 1595. A founding population of 200 Spanish citizens from Europe accompanied by 100 soldiers set up settlements across Cagayan Valley. These people were in turn supplemented by 155 Latin American soldiers recruited from Mexico By the end of the 1700s,
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales (; ; ; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Regions of the Philippines, region. Its capital is Iba, Zambales, Iba, which is located in t ...
had 9,888 native families.ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO PRIMERO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)
/ref>ESTADISMO DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS TOMO SEGUNDO By Joaquín Martínez de Zúñiga (Original Spanish)
/ref> The see was moved in 1758 to
Vigan Vigan, officially the City of Vigan (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
because of its relative distance. The Spanish influence can still be seen in the massive churches and other buildings. In 1839, Nueva Vizcaya was established as a politico-military province and was separated from Cagayan. Later, Isabela was founded as a separate province on May 1, 1856, its areas carved from southern Cagayan and eastern Nueva Vizcaya territories. During the late 18th century, the
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...
government encouraged the expansion of trade and development of commodity crops. Among these was
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
, and lands in Cagayan became the center of a vertically integrated monopoly: tobacco was grown there and shipped to Manila, where it was processed and made into cigarettes and cigars. The development of the related bureaucracy and accounting systems was done under the leadership of José de Gálvez, who as visitor-general to
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
from 1765 to 1772 developed the monopoly there and increased revenues to the Crown. He worked in the Philippines as Minister of the Indies from 1776 to 1787, constructing a similar monopoly there under
Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...
Basco y Vargas (1778–1787).Jane Baxter, Chris Poullaos, ''Practices, Profession and Pedagogy in Accounting: Essays in Honour of Bill Birkett''
Sydney University Press, 2009, pp.152-161
The Spanish development of this industry affected all their economic gains in the Philippines. The establishment of the civil government of Cagayan through the 1583 Spanish Royal Decree is commemorated in the annual Aggao Nac Cagayan celebrations of the Provincial Government of Cagayan and its people.


American era

When the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1898, ending the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, the United States took over the Philippines. It influenced the culture, most notably in agriculture and education, as well as in public works and communications. A naval base also increased interaction between local Filipinos and American sailors and administrators. At the close of the 18th century, there were 29 municipalities in the province of Cagayan. After the Philippines came under American sovereignty in 1902, more municipalities were founded. Since then, due to centralization and shifting of populations, the number of municipalities is back to 29. A new wave of immigration began in the late 19th and 20th centuries with the arrival of another group of the Ilocano settlers who came in large numbers. They now constitute the largest group in the province, and it was only in this large-scale Ilocano immigration & settlement that made Ilocano language replaced Ibanag as the ''lingua franca'' of the province.


Japanese occupation

During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, with air raids by Japanese fighters and bombers, the province of Cagayan suffered much destruction by bombing and later invasion. Japanese Imperial forces entered Cagayan in 1942. While under the Japanese Occupation, several pre-war
infantry division A division is a large military unit or Formation (military), formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 25,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades; in turn, several divisions typically mak ...
s and regular units of the Philippine Commonwealth Army were re-established during the period on January 3, 1942, to June 30, 1946. They established general headquarters, camps and garrisoned troops in the province of Cagayan, and began operations against the Japanese Occupation forces in the Cagayan Valley. This included sending troops to the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, and helping the local soldiers of the 11th and 14th Infantry Regiment of the USAFIP-NL, the local
guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
fighters and the U.S. liberation forces. They fought against the Japanese Imperial forces from 1942 to 1945. The
Battle off Cape Engaño The Battle of Leyte Gulf () 23–26 October 1944, was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. By late 1944, Japan possessed fewer capital sh ...
on October 26, 1944, was held off Cape Engaño. At that time American carrier forces attacked the Japanese Northern Force. This became the concluding action of the
Battle of Leyte Gulf The Battle of Leyte Gulf () 23–26 October 1944, was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. By late 1944, Japan possessed fewer capital sh ...
. The Japanese lost 4 carriers, 3 light cruisers and 9 destroyers. In 1945, the combined United States and Philippine troops, together with the recognized guerrillas, took Cagayan. Part of the action were the Filipino soldiers of the 11th and 14th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Commonwealth Army, USAFIP-NL liberated the province of Cagayan during the Second World War.


Postwar Era

After World War II Baldomero Perez of Tuguegarao was temporarily appointed as Governor of Cagayan by the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit, serving until he was replaced by Peregrino R. Quinto in 1946.


During the Marcos dictatorship

Beginning in the 1970s, Cagayan became known as a bailiwick of Juan Ponce Enrile of Gonzaga, who as Secretary and later Minister of National Defense became one of the most powerful figures during the Martial Law period under President
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
. His influence enabled the construction of Port Irene, a modernized international harbor facility in Santa Ana that was named after Marcos' daughter Irene, which later formed the basis for the creation of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport, whose enabling law was authored by Enrile as a Senator in 1995 and now includes Santa Ana and parts of
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
. Loan-funded government spending to promote Ferdinand Marcos’ 1969 reelection campaign caused the Philippine economy took a sudden downwards turn in the last months of the 1960s. Known as the 1969 Philippine balance of payments crisis, this led to social unrest throughout the country beginning with the First Quarter Storm protests of 1970, and incidents of violence like the Plaza Miranda bombing. Marcos responded by vilifying his critics as "communists" and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus through Proclamation No. 889 in August 1971, but this had the effect of pushing moderate student protesters towards the radical left, and causing many of them to go home to their home provinces like Cagayan. Marcos' actions thus lead the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines to gain a significant presence in many Cagayan municipalities, although not as much in Tuguegarao itself. With only a year left in his last constitutionally allowed term as president Ferdinand Marcos placed the Philippines under
Martial Law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in September 1972 and thus retained the position for fourteen more years. This period in Philippine history is remembered for the Marcos administration's record of
human rights abuses Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...
, particularly targeting political opponents, student activists, journalists, religious workers, farmers, and others who fought against the Marcos dictatorship. In Tuguegarao, Camp Marcelo Adduru became the province's main detention center for "political detainees", who were often never formally charged with a crime, and thus technically not counted by Marcos as "prisoners." Others disappeared without the trace for daring to speak against Marcos, such as Romeo Crismo, a teacher at Cagayan Teacher's College and St. Louis College in Tuguegarao, who criticized the 1973 Philippine constitutional plebiscite as a sham election. He disappeared without a trace in August 1980 after unknown men tried to capture him in front of his students the day before. He was later honored by having his name inscribed on the wall of remembrance of the Philippines' Bantayog ng mga Bayani, in recognition of his martyrdom while resisting authoritarianism. During that time, logging concessions were awarded in the province by the Marcoses to Enrile and other cronies, leading to the severe degradation of forest cover in the province that contributed to widespread flooding and other environmental issues that persist today.


During the People Power revolution

Cagayan saw incidents of political violence during the 1986 Philippine presidential election, including the fatal shooting by militiamen of opposition leader Euginio Coloma in the municipality of Buguey. A number of Cagayanon politicians played parts in the People Power Revolution two weeks after the election, and in the following one year in which the Philippines was under an interim provisional revolutionary government between 1986 and 1987. This included Enrile, whose failed attempt to lead a coup against Marcos was one of the precipitating events behind the revolution, and former Cagayan Governor Teresa J. Dupaya, who supported the opposition during the election and was re-appointed to her old post as Governor when the provisional government was established.


Contemporary


Hotel Delfino siege

Cagayan was also the site of the Hotel Delfino Siege in
Tuguegarao Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao (; ; ; ), is a 2nd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Cagayan, Philippines. According to the 2020 ...
, which took place on March 4, 1990, when efforts to arrest suspended governor Rodolfo Aguinaldo for supporting rebellions against the government of President
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
led to him storming the provincial capitol and taking hostages including his would-be arresting officer, Brigadier General Oscar Florendo of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Civil Relations Service. The stand-off deteriorated into a series of gun-battles throughout the town, with Florendo being killed presumably in a crossfire inside the hotel and Aguinaldo managing to escape and go into hiding before later surrendering and being cleared of legal charges by winning reelection in 1992. He was later elected congressman in 1998 but was assassinated by the New People's Army in 2001.


2020 Ulysses Flood

Cagayan has been heavily impacted by changing weather patterns resulting from climate change, with the 2020 Ulysses flood being noted as one of the most severe examples. In November 2020, Typhoon Vamco (locally known in the Philippines as Typhoon Ulysses) crossed the country, dams from all around Luzon neared their spilling points, forcing them to release large amounts of water into impounds, including Magat Dam. The dam opened all of its 7 gates at , releasing over 5,037 cubic metres (1,331,000 US gal) of water into the Cagayan River flooding numerous riverside towns. Waters under the Buntun Bridge went up as high as , flooding the nearby barangays up to the roofs of houses. Because there was very little media coverage of the flooding in the area in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown in Luzon and the Shutdown of ABS-CBN broadcasting earlier that year, residents resorted to social media to request the national government for rescue. As a result of the catastrophe, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) indicated that it would review its protocols regarding the release of water in Magat Dam and improve its watershed.


Geography

Situated within the Cagayan Valley region, the province is bounded by the
Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...
on the east; on the south by Isabela province; on the west by the Cordillera Mountains; and on the north by the Balintang Channel and the Babuyan Group of Islands. About 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 Babuyan Claro Volcano, also known as Mount Pangasun, is an active volcano, active volcano located on Babuyan Island, the northernmost of the Babuyan Islands, Babuyan group of islands in Luzon Strait, north of the main island of Luzon in the Phil ...
, is about north of
Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
mainland. The eastern coast forms the northern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range, while the western limits are generally hilly to low in elevation. The central area, dominated by a large valley, forms the lower basin of the country's longest river, the
Cagayan Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan (; ; ; isnag language, Isnag: ''Provinsia nga Cagayan''; ivatan language, Ivatan: ''Provinsiya nu Cagayan''; ; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Cag ...
. The
mouth A mouth also referred to as the oral is the body orifice through which many animals ingest food and animal communication#Auditory, vocalize. The body cavity immediately behind the mouth opening, known as the oral cavity (or in Latin), is also t ...
is located at the northern town of
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
. The province of Cagayan comprises an aggregate land area of which constitutes approximately three percent of the total land area of the country, making it the second largest province in the region.


Administrative divisions

Cagayan comprises 28
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
and one
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
divided into three congressional districts. It has 820
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s. Tuguegarao City (as of December 18, 1999) is the provincial capital, regional seat, and center of business, trade, and education and the only city in the province.


Barangays

The 28 municipalities and 1 city of the province comprise a total of 820
barangay The barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as ''barrio'', is the smallest Administrative divisions of the Philippines, administrative division in the Philippines. Named after the Precolonial barangay, precolonial po ...
s, with ''Ugac Sur'' in Tuguegarao City as the most populous in 2010, and ''Centro 15 (Poblacion)'' in
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
as the least. If cities are excluded, ''Maura'' in
Aparri Aparri (ibanag language, Ibanag: ''Ili nat Aparri''; ; ), officially the Municipality of Aparri, is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of , Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a ...
has the highest population.


Climate

Cagayan has a tropical savannah climate ( Aw) with hot days and warm nights that last year round.


Demographics

The population of Cagayan in the 2020 census was 1,268,603 people, with a density of . The majority of people living in Cagayan are of Ilocano descent, mostly from migrants coming from the Ilocos Region. Originally, the more numerous groups were the Ibanags, who were first sighted by the Spanish explorers and converted to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
by missionaries, the reason why the Ibanag language had spread throughout the valley region prior to the arrival of the migrating Ilocanos. Cagayan is predominantly
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
with 85% of the population affiliated and the Aglipayan Church has a very strong minority in the province. The Iglesia Ni Cristo has three ecclesiastical districts in the province with 4-5% of the population. Aside from Ilocanos and Ibanags, Malawegs, Itawits, Gaddangs, Isnags, groups of nomadic Aetas, as well as families of Ibatans who have assimilated into the Ibanag-Ilocano culture make Cagayan their home; Ibatans are native to Babuyan Island. More recently, a new group from the south, the Muslim Filipinos, have migrated to this province and have made a community for themselves. In addition to this, Tagalog-speaking peoples from Central Luzon and Southern Luzon have also settled in the area, as well as a few Pangasinans and Kapampangans from the central plains, and Cebuanos and Hiligaynons from
Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...
and
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
.


Languages

Major languages spoken are Ilocano followed by Ibanag, Yogad and Gaddang. Ilocanos and Ibanags speak Ilocano with an Ibanag accent, as descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Cagayan who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag; same situation with Ilocano tinged by Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, and Itawis accents when descendants of Ilocanos from first generation in Cagayan who lived within Gaddang, Paranan, Yogad, and Itawis populations learned their languages. People especially in the capital and commercial centers speak and understand English and Tagalog/ Filipino. Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and Ibanags speak Tagalog with an Ibanag accent, as descendants of Tagalogs from first generation in Cagayan who lived within Ibanag population learned Ibanag. Other languages native in the province are Isnag, Itawis, & Ivatan, the latter is native in Babuyan Island. Languages not native in the province are also spoken there such as Maranao, Maguindanaon, Tausug,
Pangasinan Pangasinan, officially the Province of Pangasinan (, ; ; ), is a coastal Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region of Luzon. Its capital is Lingayen, Pangasinan, Lingayen while San Carlos, Pangasi ...
, Kapampangan, Cebuano and Hiligaynon to varying degrees by their respective ethnic communities within the province. There are two endangered indigenous languages in Cagayan. These are the ''Dupaninan Agta'' language (with fewer than 1400 remaining speakers) and the ''Central Cagayan Agta'' language (with fewer than 799 remaining speakers); both of these are listed as ''Vulnerable'' according to the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
''Atlas of the World's Endangered Languages''. All remaining speakers of the languages are among the community's elders. Without a municipality-wide teaching mechanism of the two endangered languages for the youth where the languages are present, the languages may be extinct within 3-5 decades, making them languages in grave peril unless a teaching-mechanism is established by either the government or an educational institution in the municipalities of Gattaran and Baggao.


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, in Lal-lo, was built to support the Cagayan Special Economic Zone in northern Cagayan, which also serves seaborne traffic through Port Irene. The airport project involved the construction of a 2,200-meter runway, with a width of 45 meters, following the standards of the
International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
. Completed in October 2014, the international airport can accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A319-100 and
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
regional jets of comparable size.


Tourism

Since Cagayan faces the
Philippine Sea The Philippine Sea is a List of seas#Marginal seas by ocean, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, Western Pacific Ocean east of the list of islands of the Philippines, Philippine Archipelago (hence the name) and the List of seas#Largest seas ...
, an extensive shoreline sprawls along the northern coastal towns of Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Santa Praxedes, Claveria, Buguey, Aparri, Ballesteros, Abulug, and the islands of Palaui, Fuga, and island municipality of Calayan. Sanchez Mira, Claveria, and Santa Praxedes have facilities for excursion stays while Fuga Island is being developed as a world-class recreation and tourism center. Activities include whale watching at the Calayan Islands, and
scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...
, snorkeling and
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
in Palaui Island of Santa Ana. The airstrip at Claveria could be used as a jump-off point to Fuga Island. The Sambali Festival is celebrated throughout the province in commemoration of its founding. Hotels include the Governors Garden Hotel, Hotel Candice, Hotel Roma and Hotel Kimikarlai all in Tuguegarao City. The Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat in the Municipaliylty of Piat, is a major pilgrimage site in the province and houses the centuries-old image of Our Lady of Piat, known as the "Mother of Cagayan." Referred to as the "Pilgrimage Center of the North," it attracts thousands of devotees annually, particularly during its feast day in July. Claveria is host to several scenic attractions which include: the ''Lakay-Lakay Lagoon'', the rocky formation along the ''Camalaggaon Caves'', the ''Roadside Park'' overlooking the Claveria Bay, ''Macatel Falls'' with its clear waters that run in abundance throughout the year, the ''Pata Lighthouse'', and the Claveria Beach Resort along the white sand coasts., retrieved November 23, 2011.


Flag

The flag of the province of Cagayan is a horizontal triband of blue, gold and green, charged with the provincial coat-of-arms ringed by 29 white, five-pointed stars. It was adopted on March 11, 1970, by the virtue of Provincial Board Resolution No. 319. Cagayan is one of the few Philippine
provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
to have a distinctly-designed flag, deviating from the standard flag design of the provincial seal on a colored field. The flag has a proportion of 1:2, the same as the
flag of the Philippines The national flag of the Philippines () is a horizontal List of flags by design#Bicolour, bicolor flag with equal bands of royal blue and Crimson, crimson red, with a white, equilateral chevron at the Glossary of vexillology#Flag elements, hois ...
.


Symbolism

The colors of the flag has the following symbolisms: *Sky blue: signifies justice, honor, and nobility of the province's inhabitants, their sincerity and traditionally peaceful ways. Also represents the azure skies. *Gold: symbolizes the wealth of the province and represents the color of the bright sun. *Green: depicts the fertile soil of the province and also seeks to inspire hope among the people. It also represents the verdant mountains and plains of the province. The 29 white, five-pointed stars ringing the coat-of-arms represent the 29 component city and municipalities comprising the province. The coat-of-arms has the following symbolisms: *Yellow (or Gold) color: symbolizes the wealth of the province *Blue color: stands for justice, honor, nobility of the people, their sincerity and traditional peaceful ways; *Blue column dividing the shield: depicts the
Cagayan River The Cagayan River, also known as the Río Grande de Cagayán, is the longest river and the largest river by discharge volume of water in the Philippines. It has a total length of approximately and a drainage basin covering . It is located in ...
, which served as the border between the two original congressional districts of Cagayan; *Small islands at the top portion of the shield: represent the small islands on the northern part of the province; *Tobacco plants (left) and rice stalks (right): represent agriculture; rice and tobacco—along with corn and peanuts—are the province's main agricultural crops, and are major sources of income for its people.


Specifications

The length of the flag is twice its width, and the horizontal stripes are of equal size. The coat-of-arms (shield) is drawn in black outline, and placed off-centered towards the hoist of the flag. The shield's height is approximately 1 and 1/4 the width of any of the stripes (or 5/12 of the flag width). The shield's width is calculated to be at 5/14 of the flag width (or 5/28 of the flag length), given that the specification for the width-to-height ratio of the shield is set at 6:7. The position of the shield in the flag is determined by first measuring two shield widths (5/7 of the flag width, or 5/14 of the flag length) from the edge of the fly, and then centering the shield in the remainder of the field. The exact horizontal position of the center of the shield is therefore at the point measuring 9/28 of the flag length from the hoist. The shield abuts the blue stripe, straddles the gold stripe, and extends into the green stripe.


Notable personalities

* Danilo Ulep – Catholic Bishop From Tuguegarao City * Ramon Paul L. Hernando – Associate Justice of the Supreme Court From Tuguegarao City * Ricardo Baccay – Bishop Emeritus of Alaminos City and current Archbishop of Tuguegarao * Robert Empedrad – Former Chief, Philippine Navy from Tuguegarao City * Sofronio Aguirre Bancud – Bishop of Cabanatuan City From Tuguegarao City * Eulogio Balao - former Secretary of the Department of National Defense and former Senator from Tuguegarao. * Orestes Ojeda - film actor and an art enthusiast, who was born and raised in Tuguegarao. * Lucho Ayala - Filipino Actor from Tuguegarao City * Rommel Adducul - former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for both the Blackwater Elite of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Lyceum Pirates of the NCAA. From Tuguegarao City *Benito Antonio Templo de León - a retired military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). While a Roman Catholic, he was conferred the rare Muslim-Maranao honorary title of ''Sultan a Romapunut'' for his peace efforts. De León held the Army rank of Major General and was the commander of the Philippine Army 5th Infantry Division until his designation as Inspector General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. From Tuguegarao City Cagayan * Eulogio Balao - was a Filipino soldier and politician. From Tuguegarao City * Noel A. Coballes - a retired Filipino Lieutenant General and a two-time Distinguished Conduct Star recipient for combat actions in Maguindanao, and thrice recipient of Distinguished Service Star. He also was awarded five Gold Cross Medals, two Bronze Cross Medals, and more than one Military Merit Medals. He is the former Commanding General of the Philippine Army. From Tuguegarao City * Troy Rosario - professional basketball player for TNT Ka Tropa of the PBA from Abulug * Melecio Arranz – Former Senator From Alcala * Francisco Roman – Revolutionary leader From Alcala *Domingo Lim Siazon Jr. – Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs From Aparri * Maja Salvador – Actress, Singer and Model From Aparri * Kakai Bautista - actress and comedian from Aparri . *Shirley Agrupis – President, Mariano Marcos State University From Aparri * Cesar Adib Majul - historian 5best known for his work on the history of Islam in the Philippines 6and on the life of Apolinario Mabini. From Aparri *Domingo Lim Siazon Jr. - He served as the Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization from 1985 to 1992, the 18th Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 2001, and the Philippine Ambassador to Japan from 1993 to 1995 (1st term) and 2001 to 2010 (2nd term). From Aparri * Edgar B. Aglipay – Former PNP Chief From Calamaniugan *
Arthur Tugade Arthur "Art" Planta Tugade (born January 9, 1946) is a Filipino people, Filipino businessman and lawyer from Cagayan who served as the Secretary of Transportation (Philippines), Secretary of the Department of Transportation (Philippines), Depar ...
– Secretary, Department of Transportation From Claveria * Lincoln Cortez Velasquez - known as CongTV vlogger from Claveria. *Thelma Garcia Buchholdt - a Filipino American community activist, politician, historian, public speaker, cultural worker, and author. She was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives From Claveria * Juan Ponce Enrile - Former Defense Secretary, Former Senate President and Currently Chief Presidential Legal Counsel under the Marcos administration from Gonzaga. * Lilia Cuntapay - actress, also known as the "Queen of Philippine Horror Films", from Gonzaga. * Guillermo Capati - Retired Adjunct Professor from Tuguegarao. * Shirley Agrupis - Chairperson, Commission On Higher Education also A member of Board of regents in Cagayan State University from Aparri. * Atty. Francis Edralin Lim - Chairperson, Securities Exchange Commission from Penablanca.


See also

*
Callao Man ''Homo luzonensis'', also known as Callao Man and locally called "Ubag" after a mythical caveman, is an extinct, possibly pygmy peoples, pygmy, species of archaic human from the Late Pleistocene of Luzon, the Philippines. Their remains, teeth a ...
* Our Lady of Piat * Malaueg Church * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao * Lal-lo and Gattaran Shell Middens


References


External links

* * *
Official Website of the Provincial Government of Cagayan
{{Authority control Provinces of the Philippines Provinces of Cagayan Valley States and territories established in 1583 1583 establishments in the Philippines