NUEVA VIZCAYA

People and culture

The province of Nueva Vizcaya used to be a territory of the vast Cagayan Valley which was once an integral political unit with one governor. In 1839, then-Governor Luis Lardizabal issued an order transforming Nueva Vizcaya into a politico-militar province upon the advice of the alcalde mayor of Cagayan. The order was approved by a Royal Decree on April 10, 1841. The province had its first taste of civil governance in 1902 when it was organized by the Philippine Commission. In 1942, Japanese troops occupied Nueva Vizcaya. Filipino and American troops liberated the province in 1945.

Since Nueva Vizcaya's birth as a province, traces of the culture and customs of its early settlers&endasg;the Ilongots (Bugkalot), Igorots, Ifugaos, Isinays, and the Gaddangs-can still be seen. The influx of civilization and the infusion of modern technology to the life stream of the province induced many immigrants from adjacent provinces to migrate to this province.

The history of organized religion in the province of Nueva Vizcaya dates back to the year 1607 when the Dominican Order arrived at the hinterlands of the province to preach their beliefs. It was not until 1609, however, that the first settlement of a religious order was established in the southern half of the province. In 1702, a covenant was erected in Burubur at the foot of the Caraballo mountains in Santa Clara, which is now a barangay of the town of Aritao. It was on this site that the first mass in Nueva Vizcaya was celebrated and the first baptism of a Christian convert was held. Every last week of May, Nueva Vizcaya celebrates the Panagyaman festival, a week-long affair culminating on May 24, the province's foundation day.

Political Subdivision

The province has 35 municipalities and 1,055 barangays and is divided into four congressional districts. Santiago is an independent-component city while Cauayan is a component city. Ilagan is the capital town while Cauayan is the industrial center.

Population

Based on the year 2000 census of population, the province has a population of 1,287,575 with a population density of approximately 120.73 persons per square kilometer.

Language/Dialect

The major 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.

Climate

Generally, the province has two types of climate. The eastern and coastal areas experience moderate rainfall more or less distributed throughout the year while western Isabela has more pronounced wet and dry seasons. The average temperature is recorded at 27.1 degrees Celsius.

Industries

Agriculture is the major industry of the people of Isabela. Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated. With the presence of the Isabela State University, joint ventures and other foreign assisted projects are viable while the Magat Dam Tourism Complex contributes to the high productivity in agriculture. Isabela is acknowledged as the hub of trade and commercial activities in the region due to its central location in the region. Furniture making using narra and other indigenous forest materials/products like Gmelina continue to exist. Potential investments are in fisheries and tourism. The reservoir of the Magat Dam is utilized for fishcage operations, particularly tilapia production. Tourism is relatively a new industry being developed in the province especially in the coastal areas. Support services and accommodation facilities are likewise being developed.

History

It is believed that the history of the province dates back to over 25,999 years ago with the Stone Age race of dark-skinned, kinky-haired pigmies whose descendants, the nomadic Aetas (Negritos), can still be found roaming the mountains and forest of eastern Isabela today. The Indonesians arrived 5,000 years ago, followed by three waves of Malays between 200 BC and 1500 AD.

These pagan ancestors of the Ibanags, Gaddangs, Yogads, Kalingas, and other original tribes of the valley built a civilization based on corn agriculture and organized around the fundamental political unit, the barangay. The Spaniards arrived in the late 16th and 17th centuries and introduced Christianity, the encomienda (forerunner of the municipality) system, and the tobacco monopoly. Spanish rule was extremely oppressive so the natives rose in revolt on several occasions, most notably in the 18th century under the leadership of Dabo and Marayag.

According to Fr. Ambrocio Manaligod, STD, from 1851, the Spanish conquistadors established the "Ciudad de Nueva Segovia" in what is called Lallo today. Up to 1839, the entire Cagayan Valley was one large province which the Spaniards called "La Provincia del Valle de Cagayan." Out of this vast territory, two new provinces were created in 1839. One retained the old name "Cagayan" which comprised all towns from Aparri to Tumauini. Its capital transferred from Lallo to Tuguegarao.

The one bearing the name "Nueva Vizcaya" was composed of all towns from Ilagan to the Caraballo del Sur including Catalangan and Palanan, with Camarag (now Echague) as its capital. A Royal Decree was created in May 1, 1856 creating "Isabela de Luzon" to distinguish it from other Isabelas in the Philippines.

It comprised the town of Carig (now Santiago City), Camarag (now Echague), Angadanan (now Alicia), Cauayan, Calanusian (now Reina Mercedes), Gamu, and Ilagan, all detached from Nueva Vizcaya; while Tumauini and Cabagan were taken from the province of Cagayan. It was placed under the jurisdiction of a governor with the capital seat at Ilagan, where it remains at the present. A new wave of immigration began in the late 19th and 20th centuries with the arrival of the Ilocanos who came in large numbers. They now constitute the largest group in the province.

Other ethnic groups followed and Isabela became the "melting pot of the north." Although the province did not play a major role in the revolt against Spain, it was in Palanan where the final pages of the Philippine revolution were written when the American forces led by General Frederick Funston captured General Emilio Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901.