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LESSON MODULE
Lesson Number 3

Lesson Title Region 2 – CAGAYAN VALLEY REGION

Introduction/Discussion of Content

I. Introduction
Cagayan Valley (Lambak ng Cagayan in Filipino) is a region of the Philippines, also designated as Region II
or Region 02. It is composed of five provinces, namely: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. It
has three cities; Cauayan City, its regional center-Tuguegarao, and its commercial center-Santiago City.
Most of the region lies in a large valley in northeastern Luzon, between the Cordilleras and the Sierra Madre
mountain ranges. The Cagayan River, the country's longest river runs through its center and flows out to Luzon
Strait in the north, in the town of Aparri, Cagayan. The Babuyan and Batanes island groups that lie in the Luzon Strait
also belong to the region.
Administrative Divisions
Provinces Cities

Batanes

Cagayan Tuguegarao City

Isabela Cauayan, Santiago, Ilagan

Nueva Vizcaya

Quirino

The Cagayan Valley Region comprises of 5 provinces, 4 cities, 89 municipalities, and 2,311 barangays.

II. History
Archaeology indicates that the Cagayan Valley has been inhabited for half a million years, though no human remains
of any such antiquity have yet appeared. The earliest inhabitants are the Agta, or
Atta (Figure1), food-gatherers who roam the forest without fixed abodes. A large
track of land has lately been returned to them. The bulk of population are of Malay
origin. For centuries before the coming of the Spanish,
the inhabitants traded with Indians, Malays, Chinese and Japanese. In the nineteenth
century the prosperity found in tobacco cultivation (Figure 2) caused many Ilokano to
settle here. Tobacco is still a major factor in the economy of Cagayan, though a special
economic zone and free port has been created to strengthen and diversity in the
provincial economy.
According to researches, the most important event in the history of Cagayan Valley took
place in 1572 when Spanish Conquistador Don Juan de Salcedo (Figure 3) traced the
northern coast and landed at the mouth of the Pamplona River. Before his visit, early
Cagayanos reveled in civilization of their own. He was the grandson of Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi and one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish Colonization of the
Philippines in 1565. In 1567, Salcedo led an army of about 300 Spanish and Mexican
soldiers and 600 Visayan allies along with Martin de Goiti for their conquest of Islamic Manila (then under
occupation by the sultanate of Brunei). There they fought a number of battles against the Muslim Leaders. The
Spanish officers, Mexican recruits and Filipino warriors coalesced in 1570 and 1571 to attack the islamised areas of
Luzon, for control of lands and settlement.
In May 1572, Salcedo led an exploration of 45 spaniards northward. Leaving 30 of his men at Vigan, Salcedo
proceeded to sail around the northern coast, and down the eastern shore, with 15 men in 2 open boats. He returned
to Manila 3 months later with 50 pounds of gold.
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III. Physical Geography
a. Size of the region
Located at the Northern part of mainland Luzon, Cagayan Valley Region has a land area of 28,228.83 sq. km.

Province Land Area (sq.km.)

Batanes 219.0 sq.km.

Cagayan 9,295.8 sq.km.

Isabela 12,414.9 sq.km.

Nueva Vizcaya 3,975.7 sq.km.

Quirino 2,323.5 sq.km.

Total Land Area 28,228.8 sq.km.

b. Territory
Cagayan Valley is the 4 th largest region in the Philippines and has rugged terrain along its boundaries,
with the Pacific Ocean bounding it on the east, the Provinces of Nueva Ecija on the South, Quezon on the southeast
and protective mountain ranges of Caraballo and Cordillera ranges on the west. 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 in turn flow into the Balintang Channel. The mainland is also skirted by the Pacific

Ocean on the east coast and the Bashi Channel

on the North.
c. Map

d. Topography
Region 2 is located in the northeastern portion
of the main island of Luzon and includes the
scattered Island of Batanes-Babuyan Groups,
which occupy the northern most tip of the archipelago.
It is bounded by three (3) mountain ranges, Sierra Madre Mountain on the east; Caraballo Mountain on the south
and Cordillera Mountain, and north of Caraballo Mountain.

III. Famous People

Juan Furagganan Ponce Enrile
Born February 14, 1924, is a Filipino politician and lawyer. He was a protégé of president Ferdinand
Marcos, and served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Minister under the Marcos Regime. He
later became one of the leaders of the 1986 People Power Revolution that drove Marcos from power
and into exile.

a. Ethnic Groups
Ilocano was the most prominent ethnic group in Cagayan. Of the total household
population, 68.57 percent classified themselves as Ilocanos. The next three prominent
ethnic groups were the itawit, ibanag, and itawis.

The people of Batanes are called Ivatan and share prehistoric cultural and linguistic
communalities with the Babuyan on Babuyan Island and the Tao people of Orchid Island.

The Ibanag (also Ybanag and Ybanak or Ibanak) are an ethnolinguistic minority
numbering a little more than half a million people, who inhabit the provinces of Cagayan,
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Isabela, and Nueva Vizcaya. They are one of the largest ethnolinguistic minorities in the Philippines.

One of the ethnic groups of Cagayan Valley is Itawes which they got their name from
the combination of the prefix “I” and word “tawid” which means “people across the
river”. Some people may know them as “itawit”, “tawish”, “itaves”, “itawiq” and so on.

V. ECONOMY
Cagayan Valley is composed of five Provinces and four cities. The region is hailed as the “Tilapia Capital of the
Philippines”. Fishing is prevalent in the coast of Cagayan, Isabela, Batanes and Magat Dam in Isabel. According to
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources or (BFAR), Tilapia production in Cagayan Valley is surging, reaching in
all-time high.

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. Agricultural products are rice, corn, peanut, beans, tobacco, and fruits.
The fertile soil of Cagayan Valley, nourished by the mighty Cagayan River, resulted in the production of quality
burley tobacco that is now sought after by cigarette manufacturers worldwide.

VI. TRANSPORTATION
Many of the provinces in Region II can be reached by provincial buses from Manila. The only province that
requires air travel is Batanes. One can get there via small planes from either Tuguegarao or Laoag in Ilocos Norte.

VI. FESTIVALS
Payuhwan Festival (June 26. Batanes)
This is the annual Foundation Anniversary of the Province of Batanes. The event will be opened by a mass and a
street parade showcasing the culture and historical arts of Batanes.
Bambanti Festival (May 1-11. Isabela)
The festival derives its name from the Ilocano word for “scarecrow” and the Bambanti have become the iconic
symbol for the farming communities of Isabela.
Grand Ammungan Festival (May 19-24. Nueva Vizcaya)
It was a colorful convergence of indigenous cultures as Nueva Vizcaya celebrated the Grand Ammungan Festival.
Ammungan is the Gaddang word for ‘gathering”, while its Ilocano counterpart is ummungan, which also has the
same meaning.
Panagdadapun Festival
September 8-10. Quirino
Quirino Province celebrates its annual Festivity, dub as “Panagdadapun festival” an Ilocano word which means
assembly or the gathering of every Quirinian.

X. PRODUCTS
a. Delicacies and Sampling
Delicacies mostly served in the Cagayan Region include Rice Cakes, Pinakbet, Pansit
Cabagan, Tapang baka, Ginisa nga Agurong, Tuguegarao Longganisa, Pancit Batil Patung,and
the Guinataang Alimasag (crab in coconut milk) of Batanes.
Pancit Batil Patung is a popular noodle dish in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. It is composed of
two parts: the noodles with toppings, and the sauce which looks like an egg drop soup.
Poached egg along with sautéed meats and vegetables are topped over the fresh miki noodles, while a piece of egg is
cracked and stirred-in simmering beef stock and poured in a bowl.
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Pancit Cabagan is a pansit version from the town of Cabagan in Isabela, Philippines. It can
be considered as one of the most popular food in the province. This pansit version makes use
of miki noodles, lechon carajay and eggs similar to that of Pancit Batil Patung. However, the
eggs are boiled and not poached. Quail eggs are commonly used to make this dish.
Longganisang Tuguegarao is somewhat similar to Vigan longganisa. It is tangy, salty,
garlicky, and cooked on its own rendered fat. While, locals would even call Tuguegarao as
the city of garlic longganisa.

Ginisa nga Agurong is an exotic dish that you will find surprisingly delicious. Snails cooked
in coconut milk that you will enjoy the richness flavor together with vegetables. You can try
this dish if your looking for a mouth-watering recipe that will surely agree to your taste.

a. Crafts and Pasalubong

Crafts
Bakwat
The Gaddangs of Nueva Vizcaya are known for their crafts and textiles. Gaddang
weavers are known for their bakwat, a belt used by mothers after giving birth. This
cloth unlike the ikat of the ifugaos, is usually made of white with beads as accents
and patterns of rivers and mountains with beadworks on the control portion of the
cloth.

Vakul
Vakul of Batanes is a headgear designed to protect the wearer from sun and rain. It is
made from abaca fiber of the vuyavuy palm.

Dried Arayu (Dorado fish) – Batanes

The arayu fishing season or “mataw”, which ends this May, starts with a sacred ritual
called kapayvanuvanuwa in early March. A kilo of sun dried arayu, a food staple for
most indigenous ivatans during the rainy days, sells for 600-800 pesos.

Moriecos – Isabela
Moriecos is a huge cylindrical suman made with ground bongkitan sticky rice and sugar
stuffed with a latik mixture made by stirring coconut milk.
Inatata – Isabela
Wrapped in banana leaves, inatata is a sweet delicacy made from sticky rice, coconut, and sugar. This delicacy, a
known pasalubong to those coming from Ilagan, is sweet, delectable, and sticky.

XI. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

a. Natural
Sabtang Island

(Batanes) Chosen as one of the 12 Best Destinations

in the Philippines by the Department of
Tourism in 1994, this island southwest of
Batan Island remains undisturbed and
unspoiled. Intermittent white sand beaches,
steep mountains, and deep canyons with
small level areas sporadically found along
the coastline.
Figure 61. Sabtang Islands
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Jackpot Cave Located at SitioTumallo, Barangay Quibal in
Peñ ablanca. At 115 meters, it is the second
(Cagayan) deepest cave in the Philippines. The cave
has a walking-size passage, shafts and
drops of varying depths that provide for a
lot of rope works. Meandering streams and
gour pools of varying size abound. A sump
of undetermined depth backs up on wet
season flooding the lower aection of the
cave to the roof as evidenced by large logs
jammed in the roof of the caves.
Figure 12. Jackpot Cave
Northern Sierra Madre
Natural Park
The Largest protected area in the country
(Isabela) with more than 300,000 hectares of
rainforest, and the lowest at 800 feet above
sea level. Declared number one in
biodiversity and also one of the top 10
biodiversity “hotspots” in the world.

Figure 63. Northern Sierra

Madre Natural Park
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Mt. Pulag National Park The gateway to Mt. Pulag, the country’s 2 nd
highest peak at 2,922 feet above sea level.
(Nueva Vizcaya) Accessible by foot from the capital town of
Bayombong and located west towards the
boundary of Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet.
The trail in Ambaguio town 20 km. from
Bayombong, promises a different kind of
terrain from gradual ascent to rugged path
amid mossy forests and cold temperature.
Before the peak lies an area of Bonzai
Forests followed by grasslands with dwarf Figure 64. Mt. Pulag national
bamboos. The park is home to rare plants Park
like the giant pitcher plant and rare cloud
rat and whiskered pitta.

Aglipay Caves A series of 38 caves, seven of which have

been developed as tourist spots. Located in
(Quirino) the midst of rolling hills and verdant
forests, the caves boast of an underground
river and well preserved stalagmites and
stalactites. They interlink with each other
and run to a depth of 20 meters.

Figure 65. Aglipay Caves

b. Man Made
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Limestone Houses and Are traditionally two-storey with meter
Churches Buildings thick cogon roofs believed to last 60 years.
These houses were built around 1795 with
(Batanes) the help of imported masons, stone cutters
and carpenters from the Province of
Cagayan. These stone houses, found all over
Batanes, are worthy subjects for
photography.

Figure 66. Limestone Houses

and Churches
Buntun Bridge Situated 2.5 kilometers from Tuguegarao
City proper. Its length of 1.1124 kilometers
(Cagayan) makes it the longest river bridge in the
country. It offers an unobstructed view of
the Cagayan River.

Figure 67. Buntun Bridge

Magat Dam Tourism Asia’s biggest dam project at the time of its
Complex construction. It serves as the primary
function of power generation and
(Isabela) irrigation. Its reservoir area of 4,450
hectares has a great potential for water-
based recreation like fishing, boating and
water skiing, among others. The plant is
accessible by passenger jeepney and bus
from Santiago City.

Figure 68. Magat Dam Tourist

Complex

c. Historical

Aguinaldo Shrine

(Isabela) In Palanan, Isabela is the historical place

where General Emilio Aguinaldo was
captured by the American forces, thus
ending the Philippine Revolution in 1901.

Figure 72. Aguinaldo

Shrine
Dalton Pass

(Nueva Vizcaya) Rugged piece of terrain where Caraballo

Sur reaches sounth and Joins with the
Sierra Madre. Being the only access
between Pampanga at Cagayan Valley, the
Pass became the scene of much bloody
fighting during the final stages of WW II
and bore witness to the death of almost
17,000 Japanese, American, and Filipino
soldiers. The Dalton Pass National Shrine
commemorates the death of General Dalton
Figure 73. Dalton Pass
by a sniper’s bullet during WW II.
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d. Cultural

The Ivatans The friendly Ivatans of Batanes, considered

as “True Insulares”, can be found greeting
(Batanes) visitors and tourists walking along the
streets of the island-province.

Figure 75. The Ivatans

e. Special Interests

Batanes Trekking- Popular activity at Marlboro Hills and

Naidi Hills.

Surfing- Popular activity at Madiwedved, Mahatao.

Bird Watching at Cuyab- Observe the Migratory birds

from China that flock the islands in search of a
warmer climate every October
urfing and Bird Watching

Cagayan Scuba diving, snorkeling and Game Fishing- at Palaui

Island in Sta. Ana.

Surfing- at Claveria and Sanchez Mira.

Mountaineering & Trekking- Town of Peñ ablanca and

Baggao.

Bird Watching and Bonsai Exploration- at

Peñ ablanca.

Whale Watching- at Calayan Islands

Figure 81-82. Bonsai exploration and Whale
watching
Isabela Trekking, mountaineering, camping and exploration-
at Palanan, Dinapigue, Maconacon and Divilacan
forest area.

Diving and Snorkeling- at Dicotcotan Beach

River Cruise- at Palanan River

Crocodile Watching- at San Mariano at night.

Figure 83-84. Snorkeling and Crocodile watching

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Nueva Vizcaya Trekking/Spelunking- at Alayan Caves and Malabing
Rainforest

Citrus Farms- at Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.

Figure 85-86. Trekking and Citrus Farms

Quirino Spelunking- at the Aglipay Caves and Nagbukel

Caves Trekking- the towns of Nagtipunan.

Maddela white river rafting and kayaking- at the

Governor Rapids (famous for gigantic perpendicular
walls of limestone jutting out from one side of the
Cagayan River and framing the Sierra Madre
mountain as well as swift blue turbulent deep blue
waters).

Figure 87-88. Caves Trekking and Kayaking