CAGAYAN CULTURES

In the Ilongot society, the man is an absolute king. The women cook and farm. The men fish and hunt,
bring firewood, build fences and take care of the kaingin. They can have as many as six wives as long as
they treat each one fairly and build a house for each wife.

Childbirth among the Ilongots is simple. The pregnant mother goes to a spot near a tree a bed of ashes
has been prepared. When the time to deliver comes, the pregnant woman holds on to the tree trunk
allowing the baby to fall on the bed of ashes. She cuts the umbilical cord with a sharp objects washes
herself in a nearby river, and gives the baby to the father. Having done these, she returns to the field to
continue working.

History

Cagayan has a prehistoric civilization with rich and diverse culture. According to archeologists, the
earliest man in the Philippines probably lived in Cagayan thousands of years ago. Evidences to this effect
are now convincing beyond scientific doubt to consider it as an incontestable fact. From available
evidences, the Atta or Negrito - a short dark-skinned nomad - was the first man in Cagayan. They were
later moved to the uplands by the Indo-Malays who eventually became the Ybanag, Ytawit, Yogad,
Gaddang, Yraya and Malaweg - the natives of Cagayan - 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 single racial stock and decided to make
the Ybanag Tongue 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.

Even before the Spaniards came to Cagayan, the Cagayanos have already made contact with various
civilizations like the Chinese, Japanese and even Indians, as evidenced by various artifacts and even the
presence of foreign linguistic elements in the languages of the natives. Various other racial strains, like
the Ilocanos, Tagalogs, Visayans, Muslims, Pangasinenses, Kapampangans, and even foreigners like the
Chinese, Japanese, Spaniards and others were further infused to the native Cagayanes to become the
modern Cagayano that we know today. It was only in 1583 that Cagayan began to be called a Province
through a Spanish Royal Decree which originally comprises the whole of northeastern Luzon plus the
islands in the Balintang Channel. This means that the present Provinces of Batanes, Isabela, Quirino,
Nueva Vizcaya, and even portions of the Province of Kalinga and Apayao were part of the original
territorial delineation of the Province of Cagayan. It was called La Provincia de Cagayan. It is protected on
its eastern side by the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, on its western side by the Cordillera, and on its
southern side by the Caraballo Range - making it a large Valley Province. The establishment of the civil
government of Cagayan through the 1583 Spanish Royal Decree is commemorated in the yearly Aggao
Nac Cagayan celebrations of the Provincial Government of Cagayan and its people.

The Province of Cagayan is no longer the sole owner of this original vast territory - that was the La
Provincia de Cagayan. Its daughter-provinces Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and even Batanes, Kalinga
and Apayao have already claimed their rightful parcels. Today, only 9,002.70 square kilometers remain of
the former vastness of Cagayan. The Province of Cagayan is currently comprised of 28 municipalities and
one component city, which is also its capital, that is Tuguegarao City. The entire region however is still
referred to as Cagayan Valley Region.

CAGAYAN INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS After delving into his setting, his community, his kinship and.
life cycle, we are now ready to discuss the religious beliefs as the Ibanag experiences them. In the
introduction, it has been propounded that the term religious refers to the totality of human experiences,
an encounter or relationship with God or a Supreme Being, with the invisible or deities, with fellowmen,
with things, and the cosmos. It means that man does not live alone. He co-exists with other beings and
things. His relationships with these beings, with these things are religious experience for him. Mircea
Eliade says "Every act has a definite meaning, hunting, fishing, agriculture, games, conflict,' sexuality, - in
some way participates in the sacred,"l or as Berger puts it: "By sacred is meant here a quality of
mysterious and awesome power, other than man and yet related to him, which is believed to reside in
certain objects of experience. The quality may be attributed to natural or artificial objects, to animals or
to man, or to the objectivations of human culture."2; In this chapter therefore we speak of beliefs as the
Ibanag experiences them indigenously i.e. as only an Ibanag can experience them. There is no Ibanag
word for religious or sacred. fhe nearest word that we can put forward is massippo (righteous, pious,
good, virtuous, wellbehaved). All these adjectives point to the idea of virtue rather than the idea of holy.
Although the Ibanag oftentimes borrow the Spanish santo (from the Latin word sanctus), there is really
no Ibanag word to convey the idea of holy, sacred, or religious. This points to a very important aspect of
the Ibanag way of life, that he does not really distinguish what is sacred from wht is profane in his life.
For him these two concepts coexists and are integrated in life. The Ibanag does not believe in the
dualism of the sacred and the profane. Religion is so integrated in the Ibanag life that peering into it, one
would find no distinction between 1Mircea Eliade, Cosmos and History, The Myth of the Eternal Return,
Trans. from the French by Willard R. Task (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1954), pp. 27-28. 2Peter L.
Berger, The Social Reality of ReligioA (Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1967), p. 34. Also F. Landa
Jocano, "Conversion and the Patterning of Christian Experience in Malitbog, Central Panay, Philippines,"
Acculturation in the Philippines, edited by Peter C. Gowing and William Henry Scott (Quezon City,: New
Day Publishers, 1971), p. 47.

a) a pair of cabibi- fresh water shell, which symbolizes impregnable strength against flood waters. Also
the house must be cool. b) a piece of horn of a deer (taggud na utta) - something hard - a symbol of
strength. c) dalaya - lemon (something sour-preservative). d) silver coin with the image of the whole
man. e) a stalk of rice (munao) and rice cake (deko)- stand for food and abundance. f) 12 grains of corn
from the same cub of corn. g) pelatang - Palm Sunday leaves in cross form. h) leaves of a plant known as
baston ni San Jose considered a "lucky" plant. i) coconut oil - stands for health. j) wine to be poured in
form of a cross for the invisible beings. Maggabbao implies that if a house is constructed without the
accustomed break, either the house or the owner of the house would be destroyed. This belief,
magabbao, is framed in an agrarian economy. That is, it may not be possible for a young man to be
economically independent before the age of thirty and to build his own house. This is likely, specially
noting the close kinship system of the Ibanags. This discourages the division of family property until both
parents shall have passed away. And considering again the fact that the only source of construction costs
would be the bountiful harvest, it would be too much on the Ibanag budget to accomplish a house on a
single season. Thus the possible reason for the staggered pacing of the Ibanag house. In short, therefore,
the maggabbao belief does not encourage the Ibanag to own property suddenly ahead of the
established order. This belief has a moral implication. An Ibanag, therefore, who comes into wealth
ahead of his time is suspect of having done so through immoral means. Related to this concept is that of
makka-aba. While maggabbao threatens with destruction either the house or the house owner, makka-
aba would mean the destruction either of father or son. An example would make this clearer. A son
contrary to previous ways suddenly develops a habit of sleeping with open eyes. This would be an
indication of the makka-aba, that something would happen either to his father or 28The ritual of a pagali
or transferring to a new house takes place usually anytime after midnight but before day dreak. The idea
is that those transferring would not meet people specially those in mourn (naka mantu) and to avoid
people who might sneeze. The minister of the ritual is called Mangipollu usually a couple (not widows or
widower). Mangipollu means the leader, which implies that the mangipollu precedes the entourage.
After them are the members of the pattataman. The first thing to be brought in the house is the image of
the Infant of Prague. Things to be transferred during this ritual are 1) rice, 2) water, 3) a hwgge of clothes
with siver money, not to be spent, 4) food, especially deko - rice cakes. Only coffee is to be cooked in the
new house during the ritual. No chicken is to be butchered, nor meat eaten. Fish is the advisable viand. It
seems that the preference for fish is because of the symbolism of its silver scales and also because fish
would be easier to cook in a pagali. No one is supposed to be invited for fear that they bring undesirable
insects. After the first day, the blood of white chicken is sprinkled on the post.

to him. It may cause the father to get sick, or even to die. The antidote to this is the concept of matulao,
in which one tries to neutralize or deflect the spell connected with the makka-aba.. Or to get rid of this
habit by the ritual on a magawawang. The phenomenon of sleeping with open eyes-could also happen to
a father. Any other sudden change in the lifestyle of the father which is significant is likewise deemed a
makka-aba. f) Mangurug nga-k literally means I believe - the first words of the Apostle's Creed. Actually,
when one speaks of the mangurugnga-k, he refers to. the Apostle's Creed in Jbanag verse and music.
Among the Ibanags, this song is considered to possess extraordinary powers, and to have brought a
thousand and one "miracles" in troubled times. In times of distress, as when a beloved one is sick, one
can hear this song in the middle of the night, sung by the members of the pattataman. In times of crisis,
for example during the Japanese occupation, our informants claim, this song could be heard entoned by
one family, and joined in by every household in the community. The same experience is expressed by
other old folks, this time during famine. Everyone believes in the power behind the song. They believe in
its power to liberate them from stress and strain. Most of the natives of the barrio know this song by
heart. Our research in this barrio and related areas revealed to us that once upon a time Mangurug was
a religious culture song sung by the early Ibanags always for the same purpose. The Dominican friars
who Christianized this valley, must have noticed the faith which the early Ibanags attached to the song.
Using it as an effective instrument, the friars put,the Apostles' Creed in verse, and made fit this culture
song. Thus the Ibanags did not only receive a Christianized culture song; with it they also received their
first lessons in Christianity. The Mangurug comes in three tunes. The names of these tunes are
reminiscent of their cultural setting. The tunes are known as a) Talli,b) Mainakatrug, and c) Kaggaggao.
Talli litarally means lightning which would include thunder, typhoons or floods. This is the tune they sing
during such situations. The tune is known to the old folks also as yunung coming from the word
vulungun or rainbow. Although the rainbow is a sign of good weather for the Ibanags, it also means the
lull before the storm which can cause floods and similar disasters. Mamakatrug means to put to sleep.
This is what the early Ibanags sang when enemies were preparing to attack them at night time. The
power of this song drives the enemies to a very heavy sleep. When they wake up, it would already be
morning and the prepared attack becomes f'utile. Kaggaggao means daily.

Kay @Shaira Viloria" Top Tourist Spots in Cagayan"

When you find yourself on a trip toward the northern part of the Philippines, Cagayan Valley is one of
the best places you can visit. It has stunning views that will make you want to stay longer than planned.
There are places where you can relax and find serenity. The place has untouched areas where the
adventurer inside you will definitely revel in. Here are the top tourist spots in Cagayan Valley that you
should travel to.

Palaui Island

There are a lot of activities to enjoy once you get to Palaui Island in Santa Ana, Cagayan Valley. They have
water activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and game fishing. If you want to stay dry, you can opt
for mountain-related activities like forest exploration and mountain climbing. The island is rich with
marine resources and provides a home for many different kinds of animals like monkeys, wild pigs, deer,
birds and sea turtles.

Anguib Beach

Be brave and head to Anguib Beach. You will not be disappointed once you reach its famous white sand
beach and crystal clear water. The scenic views of this beach can be found in the eastern part of San
Vicente in Santa Ana, Cagayan Valley.

Callao Cave

Located in the town of Peñablanca, Callao Cave is one of the top tourist spots in Cagayan that you must
visit. The cave has seven chambers of enormous limestone formations. Like many caves, there are a lot
of bats that you can watch as they leave the cave during dusk. You can also find and observe red-billed
Philippine Hornbill (Kalaw) in the area. One of the cave chambers gives off a bizarre atmosphere because
of a stone altar that is naturally illuminated when the sun is up.

Cape Engaño Lighthouse

Built during the Spanish Colonial period, the lighthouse served as a guide for any incoming ship. Once
you reach the top, the spectacular view of Babuyan Island and the Pacific Ocean will amaze you. The
Cape Engaño Lighthouse is located on top of a summit hill in the beautiful island of Palaui.

Tuguegarao Cathedral

The Saint Peter Metropolitan Cathedral, commonly known as the Tuguegarao Cathedral, is a Roman
Catholic Church that was originally constructed by Dominican friars during the 18th century. It stands
along Rizal Street, Barangay Centro 10 in Tuguegarao and it was built with the Baroque-style in mind.

Sto. Domingo de Guzman Church in Nueva Segovia

This is a colossal church built with red bricks was built back in the late 1500s. Among the three churches
that were built in Lal-lo during that time, the Santo Domingo de Guzman Church is the last one. The
church really stands out from the national highway, making it really easy for tourists to spot it.

San Jacinto de Polonia Church, Camalaniugan

It was in 1596 when the plans for the church were first drawn up. The church has weathered a lot of
challenges because of the fire in 1719 and typhoon in 1845. With persistence, the church was rebuilt
again and again by the devotees. Beside the church is the well-known Santa Maria Bell. The bell is often
referred to as the Camalaniugan Bell or the Bell of Antiquity. It was forged during the 16th century,
making it the oldest bell in Southeast Asia.

Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Piat

Known as the “Pilgrimage Center of the North”, the basilica receives a large number of tourists because
of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Piat. The image originated from Macao, then was brought to Lal-
lo. It was then later transported into Piat by the Dominicans to spread Christianity in the Itawes region.

How to get to Cagayan Valley

To get to the province of Cagayan Valley, you can ride a plane from Manila heading to Tuguegarao, the
capital city. It can be a challenging trip but the places you will visit are definitely worth the hardship.
Alternatively, you can also take a 12-hour bus ride from Manila to Tuguegarao. Plan accordingly and have
fun in your visit to these tourist spots in Cagayan Valley!