Region II: Cagayan Valley Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino

Cagayan Valley (Lambak ng Cagayan) is the vast mass of land in the northeastern region of Luzon. It is bounded to the west by the Cordillera Mountain Range, to the east by the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, and bounded by the Babuyan Island, where the waters of the Pacific Ocean in the east and the South China Sea in the west meet. It is composed of five provinces, namely: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. It has four cities: industrial center Cauayan City, its regional center Tuguegarao, its commercial center Santiago City. 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.

Geography and Economy Cagayan's area is 9,003 km². Its population was 952,000 (by the 2000 census) in 29 towns, of which Tuguegarao is the capital. 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, food-gatherers who roam the forests without fixed abodes contains two landlocked provinces, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. Both are relatively small in size (3057 km2 for Quirino, 4081 km2 for Nueva Vizcaya) and population (147,000 and 365,000, respectively, by the 2000 census). They are ruggedly mountainous and heavily forested.

Let’s go to the 5 provinces of Cagayan Valley:  Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.

BATANES (Land Of The True Insulars) The province is home to the famous Ivatans who are nationally acclaimed as the “True Insulares.” Batanes lies at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea. It is composed of three major/largest islands, namely: Batan which contains the capital town of Basco, Sabtang, and Itbayat. Batanes has been identified as the country’s potential gateway to East China. Its total land area is 209 sq.km which makes it the smallest province in the country.

Geography "The island-province is strewn on a 4,500 square kilometer expanse of territorial waters, the Luzon Strait and Balintang Channel, where the Pacific Ocean merges with the South China Sea, a sealane between the Philippines and the southern parts ofJapan, China, Hongkong, and Taiwan. It is bounded on the north by the Bashi Channel, on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by the South China Sea, and on the south by the Balintang Channel. It is characterized by gently rolling hills, cliffs, and black and white sand beaches. LANGUAGE: mother tongue of Batanes is Ivatan, spoken by 93.94 percent of all households. The Ilocano dialect is also spoken

Livelihood: Major Industries The province has a total agricultural land area of 5,438 hectares and has a wide area open for agricultural expansion. Due to its terrain, it is a major livestock producer with cattle as its main stock. Carabaos and goats are also popularly raised. Another major industry is fishing which reaches its peak during the summer months, from March to June, when the seawater is relatively calm.

Cagayan - A True Spelunker's Paradise the name was derived from the word “tagay,” a kind of plant that grows abundantly in the northern part of the province. Thus, “Catagayan” which means a place where the tagay grows abundantly was shortened to “Cagayan,” the present name of the province. GEOGRAPHY The province comprises an aggregate land area of 9,002.70 square kilometers, which constitutes three percent of the total land area of the country, making it the second largest province in the region. CITY: Tuguegarao CitY Language: are Ybanag, Ytawit, Malaweg, and Ilocano. Other ethnic groups that migrated to the province speak their own dialects.

Livelihood: 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.

Isabela - Rice Granary Of The North  Isabela, the biggest province in the Cagayan Valley Region, It is also home to the famous Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, a protected seascape and landscape of exceptional biodiversity.  Santiago City, the commercial center of Region 2, has been declared an independent-component city through a plebiscite on July 3, 1994 under Republic Act 7720.  Cauayan City, the trading center in Isabela, is also a component city ratified in a majority vote on March 30, 2001. Isabela is the biggest (10,665 sq.km.) and most populous (1,277,000) province in the Cagayan Valley comprises one city Santiago, and thirty-six towns, of which Ilagan is the capital

Geography: The area is popularly known as the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. Isabela comprises an aggregate land area of 10,665 square kilometers, representing almost 40 percent of the regional territory. It is the largest province in the region and the second largest province in the country in terms of land area. Cities: Cauayan City and Santiago city dialect in Isabela: is Ilocano followed by Ibanag, Yogad, and Gaddang. People, especially in the capital and commercial centers, speak and understand English and Pilipino. Livelihood: Agriculture is the major industry of the people of Isabela. Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated. AS well as furniture making.

Nueva Vizcaya Watershed Haven Of The Valley Considered a watershed haven, it is 70 percent forestland. It is also the gateway to the Cagayan Valley Region and the Banaue Rice Terraces, eighth Wonder of the World. Nueva Vizcaya comprises fifteen towns; Bayombong is the capital.

Livelihood and It’s Natural Resources: Both also produce logs, and are trying to manage their forest resources so that production can be sustained indefinitely. They have deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron. Nueva Vizcaya has sand and clay. Nueva Vizcaya was probably named after Vizcaya (English 'Biscay', Basque 'Bizkaia') province in northern Spain.

Livelihood: Geography O The province has several principal rivers: Magat, Matuno, Marang, Sta. Fe, and Sta. Cruz. All these rivers are tributaries of the Magat River which flows into the Cagayan River. The province is bounded on the north and northeast by the province of Ifugao and Isabela, on the east and southeast by Qurino and Aurora, on the south by Nueva Ecija, and on the west by Benguet and Pangasinan. Language :The majority of the people speak Ilocano, comprising 66.9 percent of households Livelihood: The province has basically an agricultural economy with commerce, trade, and industry contributing to its growth and development. Among other major economic activities are farming and cattle and swine raising. Primary crops are palay and corn. Minor crops are rootcrops, vegetables, and fruits. The province produces quality onions and vegetables often sold in Metro Manila.

Quirino(Forest Heartland of Cagayan) Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. Both are relatively small in size (3057 sq.km. for Quirino, 4081 sq.km. for Nueva Vizcaya) and population (147,000 and 365,000, respectively, by Geography: The Sierra Madre Mountain Range provides a natural barrier on the eastern and southern border of the province and the Mamparang Range on the western part. Language: The major dialect is Ilocano, spoken by 71.46 percent of the total populace. Other dialects are Ifugao, Bugkalot, Pangasinense, and Kankanai.

Livelihood and It’s Natural Resources: They have deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron, and, in Quirino, marble, limestone, and guano. Livelihood: Agriculture is the main industry with rice and corn as major crops. These supply the demand of neighboring provinces and the metropolis. Banana as well as banana chips are major products

Pattaraday Festival May 1-5 Santiago City Pav-vurulun Festival August 10-17 Tuguegrao City Bambanti Festival May 1-11 Isabela Kankanen Festival Pinilisa Festival

Famous People from Region 2: Senator Juan Ponce Enrile (senator and general), Freddie Aguilar (musician), and Jejomar Binay (vice-presidential candidate and mayor of Makati).