Region II: Cagayan Valley

Provinces Capital
Batanes Basco
Cagayan Tuguegarao
Isabela Ilagan
Nueva Viscaya Bayombong
Quirino Cabarroguis

Ibanag Myths
Myths are prose narratives that explain the origin of the world, people, animals, places, and other
natural phenomena. Its characters are either humans or animals and deities with human attributes. The
actions and adventures of these characters are set in the remote past and in another world such as the
sky and the underworld.

Most of the recorded Ibanag myths deal with the origin of natural phenomena such as thunder,
lightning, earthquake, clouds, and rain (Eugenio, 1987).

What Causes Earthquakes

(Y Paggafuanan na Lunig)
Once upon a time, there was a very poor couple who had only one son. He’s name was Bernardo
Carpio. Since this family led only a hand to mouth existence, both husband and wife had to work for a
living. Whenever the mother went out to work, she would lock up the baby in the house. She would just
give him some things to play with. Upon coming home, she would find all the toys of the baby broken into
small pieces. This happened everyday until the mother could no longer give the baby anything to play
with. So the baby was left in the house without any toy. When she came home to feed him, the mother
 was surprised that the walls and studs of their house were either broken or destroyed. She remained
silent but observant. As soon as these parts of the house had been repaired, she again left Bernardo
Carpio alone. When she came home, she found the same in shambles. Next time, the mother deliberately
gave her son an iron rod to play with. Again he broke this rod into pieces. Now the parents were growing
alarmed over the extraordinary strength of Bernardo. News of it also spread in the neighborhood.

As the child grew up, he was recognized as the strongest boy in the village. He challenged to fight
those who dared him and defeated them all. As a man, his prowess was also acclaimed in the whole
country. This popularity made him very proud. He was so proud that he even dared challenged God. At
first, God gave him the upper hand. But on the third trial, when God asked him to stop the quarrel
between the two big mountains, Bernardo failed. In a conceited gesture, he impulsively went between the
warring mountains. He extended his arms to stop them but instead, he got caught between the two
mountains and was buried alive with only his head out.

Today, it was believed that whenever Bernardo Carpio struggles to free himself from the grip of the
mountains, the earth quakes. The old folks also say that when he finally frees himself, that will be the end
of the world.

Source: Edna Bangan, Ibanag Folk Literature, pp. 262- 263 Narrated by Mauricio Baggay,
43 years
old, Macubacubac, Penablanca, Cagayan, who heard it from his mother.

REGION 2 (CAGAYAN
VALLEY)
The most important event in the history of Cagayan Valley took place in 1572
when Spanish Conquistador Don Juan de Salcedo traced the northern coast and landed
at the mouth of the Pamplona River. Before his visit, early Cagayanos reveled in a
civilization of their own.

The Spanish occupation in Cagayan was recorded to have started in 1581 when
Gobernador Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penaloza sent Juan Pablo Carreon to the north to
drive away a Japanese fleet under the command of Taifusa. Carreon succeeded in his
mission and proceeded upriver to look for future pueblo sites and thus making a name
for himself in the process.

Lal-lo-c(old name of Lallo), one of the first four (4) cities in the
Philippines(others: Manila-I571;Cebu-1565; Naga-1575) was named Ciudad Nueva
Segovia in 1581 by Carreon. It was chosen as capital of Cagayan Valley Region because of
its favorable location and navigable river. It was also the seat of the Diocese created by
Pope Clement VII on August 15, 1595 until the seat was transferred to Vigan, Ilocos Sur
in 1755. Very famous among the missionaries at that time was Bishop Miguel de
Benavidez, OP, the first bishop elected to the Diocesan home in Ciudad Nueva Segovia.
He later founded the University of Sto. Tomas.
 It was from Lallo that authorities governed the province and was the capital of
Cagayan up to 1839 when Cagayan Valley Region was subdivided. On May 24, 1839 the
province of lsabela was created comprising the towns of Cordon to Ilagan, including the
sitio of Palanan. Nueva Vizcaya comprised the region from Aritao to Bayombong and
later to Diadi. Cagayan comprised that part of the valley from Tuguegarao to Aparri and
the Babuyanes. And the provincial government was moved to Tuguegarao from Lal-lo.

Cagayan Valley abounds with natural resources and exudes with development
potentials that consist of rich agricultural areas, forestland and grasslands, inland and
marine resources.

Geographically, the valley is located at the northeastern part of mainland Luzon

covering an area of about 26,858.79 square kilometers making it the 2nd largest region
in the country. Bounded with the Pacific Ocean in the east and the protective mountain
range of Cordillera on the west and Caraballo Mountain, the provinces of Nueva Ecija
and Aurora on the south. 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 flow into the Babuyan Channel in Aparri. The Pacific
Ocean on the east cost and the Babuyan Channel on the north also skirt the
mainland.The Batanes group of island is located at the northernmost tip of the
Philippine Archipelago surrounded by Bashi Channel on the north, Pacific Ocean on the
east, Balintang Channel on the south and China Sea on the west.

It has more than 890 kilometers of coastline and rich fishing grounds,
particularly with the Babuyan and Balintang Channels on the north and the Palanan and
Divilacan Bays on the east including its territorial seas within the 200 kilometer
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The region has four (4) minor volcanoes with several
inactive fault lines, which include the Digdig Fault. The climate in the valley falls under
Type 3 characterized by not very pronounced seasons - relatively dry from November to
June and wet during the rest of the year.

Cagayan Valley Region is composed of five provinces - Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela,

Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino and three cities - Cauayan, Santiago and Tuguegarao. The
region's population based on the year 2000 census of the population was 2,813,159.
IMPORTANT LITERARY
PIECES
NU NUNUK DU TUKUN
Nu Nunuk Du Tukun
Nu Nunuk Du Tukun, minuhung as kadisi na;
Ichapungpung diya am yaken u nilangan na.
Kapatalamaran ava su avang di idaud
Ta miyan du inayebngan na, ta miyan du inayebngan na.

Nu itanis ko an nu an didien ko;

Ta nu taw aya u suminbang diyaken;
Na maliliyak a pahung as maheheyet a riyes.
U minahey niya diyaken.

( Note: informant : Catalina Faranilo Hontamin)

English Translation
(The Nunuk on the Hill)
(Translated by Florentino H. Hornedo)

The Nunuk on the hill short forth the leaves and twigs;
Then suddenly all its branches fell and I under it.
On what is left I cannot watch the boats on the sea
For I stand on the side from the sea.

I weep in my grief?
It was the sea that made me an orphan;
The sad news came to me in the roar of the breakers,
From the voice of the mighty sea currents.
 WHAT CAUSES EARTHQUAKES
(Y Paggafuanan na Lunig)
Once upon a time, there was a very poor couple who had only one son. His name
was Bernard Carpio. Since this family led only a hand to mouth existence, both husband
and wife had to work for living. Whenever the mother went out to work, she would lock
up the baby in the house. She would just give him something to play with. Upon coming
home, she would find all the toys of the baby broken into small pieces. This happened
everyday until the mother could no longer give the baby anything to play with. So the
baby was lest in the house without any toy, when she came home to feed him, the
mother was surprised that the walls and studs of their house were either destroy or
broken. She remains silent but observant. As soon as these parts of the house had been
repaired, she again left Bernardo Carpio alone. When she came home, she found the
same in shambles. Next time, the mother deliberately gave her son an iron rod to play
with. Again he broke rod into pieces. Now the parents were growing alarmed over the
extraordinary strength of Bernardo. News of it also spread in the neighborhood.

As a child grew up, he was recognized as the strongest boy in the village. He
challenged to fight those who dared him and defeated them all. As man, hid prowess
was also acclaimed in the whole country. This popularity made him very proud. He was
so proud that even he dared challenged God. At first, God gave him the upper hand. But
on the third trial, when God asked him to stop the quarrel between the two big
mountains, Bernardo failed. In a conceited gesture, he impulsively went between the
warring mountains. He extended his arms to stop them but instead, he got between the
two mountains and was buried alive with his head out.

Today, it was believed that whenever Bernardo Carpio struggles to free himself
from the grip of the mountains, the earth quakes. The old folks also say that when he
finally frees himself, that will be the end of the world.