Philippines: REGION II — CAGAYAN VALLEY
Philippines: REGION II — CAGAYANVALLEY
Cagayan Valley includes the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino and Batanes. The two cities in the region, Santiago and Ilagan are in Isabela. Its total land area is 26,837 square kilometers. The provinces in Region II with the exception of Batanes surrounded by mountains. The Cordillera Mountain Range is in the West and Sierra Madre Mountain Range is in the East. These mountain ranges protect the region from destructive typhoons. They also prevent much rain from falling upon the region when the winds blow over the IlocosCoast and the PacificCoast. Batanes is an archipelago far North. It lies in the path of typhoons that pass across Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.
Rivers in CagayanValley
Cagayan River, the longest and largest in the country, is in Region 11. It flows toward the north and its mouth is in the Babuyan Channel. Its main branches are ChicoRiver, MagatRiver and llaganRiver. CagayanRiver is very important to the region. It connects the northern part of the valley to the sea. It serves as a means of transporting people and products to and from the valley. When CagayanRiver and its branches overflow, they make the soil of the valley fertile.
Products and Industries
Cagayan Valley is highly agricultural. It is rich in alluvial soil. Alluvial soil is made up of materials deposited by floodwaters to plains and low-lying areas. This enables the region to have large production of tobacco. The region is called the "TobaccoLand of the Philippines" because it is the leading producer of tobacco in the country. Other crops raised in CagayanValley are rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, legumes, coconut and sugarcane.
Logging is another industry in CagayanValley. The region produces more logs than any other region in Luzon.
In spite of its rich resources, the development of the region is too slow. Lack of transportation facilities is a great problem. Farmers have difficulties in bringing their products to the markets. In effect, they are hesitant in raising more agricultural products to cultivate large tracts of arable lands.
Cultural Groups
The original people of Isabela, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino are the Ibanags and Gaddangs. Many Ilocanos arrived and settled in the region. Now, the people of this region are mostly Ibanags, Gaddangs and Ilocanos. Ilocano is spoken throughout the region.
