QUIRINO:FOREST HEARTLAND OF CAGAYAN
Long before its formal creation as an independent province, Quirino was the forest region of the province of Nueva Vizcaya, inhabited by tribal groups known as the Negritos. They roamed the hinterlands and built their huts at the heart of the jungle.
Quirino lies in the southeastern portion of Cagayan Valley. It is situated within the upper portion of the Cagayan River basin and bounded by Isabela on the north, Aurora on the east and southeast, and Nueva Vizcaya on the west and southwest.
The Ilocano dialect is used widely in the lowlands of the province’s various municipalities while Ifugao is predominant in the uplands.
History
Quirino province acquired its juridical personality as a result of the division of the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela on June 18, 1966 under RA 4734. It was named in honor of the late President Elpidio A. Quirino.
On June 21, 1969, RA 5554 was enacted, amending RA 4734 and creating the municipality of Cabarroguis, now the capital town of Quirino, which was taken from portions of Diffun, Saguday, and Aglipay.
RA 6394 was passed on September 10, 1971 further amending RA 5554 and separating the sub-province of Quirino from its mother province, Nueva Vizcaya, constituting it into a regular province. Hon. Leonardo B. Perez authored RA 6394.
The province of Quirino was formally established on February 10, 1972 upon the assumption to office of the first elected provincial and municipal officials headed by Dionisio A. Sarandi as Provincial Governor.
On February 25, 1983, Batas Pambansa Blg. 345 was enacted, creating within Quirino the municipality of Nagtipunan, a division of the municipality of Maddela.
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. The province is generally mountainous, with about 80 percent of the total land area covered by mountains and highlands. A part of the province’s comparative advantage is its accessibility to the town of Aurora.
Political Subdivision
Quirino has six municipalities, one congressional district and 110 barangays.
- Cabarroguis (Capital)
- Saguday
- Diffun
- Maddela
- Nagtipunan
- Aglipay
Language/ Dialect
The major dialect is Ilocano, spoken by 71.46 percent of the total populace. Other dialects are Ifugao, Bugkalot, Pangasinense, and Kankanai.
Industries
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 sold in Metro Manila and Pampanga. Small scale industries like furniture making, basketry, rattan craft, and dried flower production are prevalent.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
Nagtipunan Town – Home to virgin forests and perfect as an adventure and ecotourism destination, it is being developed as a gateway to Quezon province. Also found in Nagtipunan is the famous “Bimmapor,” a rock formation similar to a sunken ship, of which only the upper decks are protruding from the ground. Nagtipunan is about 54 kilometers from Cabarroguis.
Aglipay Town – A history-laden town that got its name from Fr. Gregorio Aglipay, a priest belonging to the Philippine Independent Church who rebelled against the Spanish colonizers and settled at the banks of the town’s Addalam River
Nagbukel Caves – A dome-shaped mountain frequented by local tourists for picnics during the Holy Week. It is currently being developed by the Lamplighter, a religious sect. Located along the national highway at Diffun, it is four kilometers from Cabarroguis.
Aglipay Caves – A series of 38 caves, seven of which have been developed as tourist spots. Located in the midst of rolling hills and verdant forests, the caves boast of an underground river and well preserved stalagmites and stalactites. They interlink with each other and run to a depth of 20 meters. Cottages, dorm-type buildings, and picnic huts for overnight tourists are available. The caves are ten kilometers from Cabarroguis.
Governor Rapids – Famous for gigantic perpendicular walls of limestone jutting out from one side of the Cagayan River and framing the Sierra Madre Mountain as well as swift turbulent deep blue waters perfect for white river rafting, swimming, and fishing. The riverside offers a suitable picnic ground with a magnificent view of the CagayanRiver. Accessible via Barrio Bisangal, Divisoria Sur, Maddela, some 34 kilometers from Cabarroguis.
Bisangal Waterfalls (Maddela) – It rests on a virgin forestland and serves as a sanctuary for endangered species of wildlife. Located within 35 kilometers from Cabarroguis town.
FOODS AND DELICACIES
Since the “inandila” does not have any sweeteners cooked into it, it is generally served with something sweet on the side. Served with a caramel like sauce made from coconut milk with latik.
Preparation of Latik or Fried Coconut Milk Curd
- Heat a saucepan and pour-in the coconut milk.
- Bring the coconut milk to a boil.
- Continuously stir until most of the liquid evaporate. This will take about 12 to 15 minutes per cup of coconut milk.
- When the texture turns gelatinous, lower the heat and continue stirring. Oils should be separating from the milk at this stage.
- Continue stirring until brownish residues are formed. Turn off the heat and place the latik in a container leaving the oil on the pan.
Preparation of Caramel Sauce
- Again, Heat a saucepan and pour-in the coconut milk.
- Add the Tagapulot or Brown Sugar Cubes on the boiling coconut milk.
- Continuously stir until it become a thick caramel like sauce.
Put the Latik and sauce together, then served.
Pancit Batil Patung
It took a few minutes for us to figure out how to eat this. The pancit itself is served on a plate, but with a bowl of soup on the side. We experimented, and you can either pour the soup over the noodles like a sauce, or scoop a spoonful after chewing on the pancit to “relax” your palate and get rid of the saltiness. It is called as such because it is served with egg (batil) cooked sunny side up, put on top (patung).The egg in the photo is hidden underneath that heap of crunchy chicharon,
FESTIVALS
ALIWAN FESTIVAL
The booth of San Agustin
Each booth also had its own giant bambanti (scarecrow) attraction that went with the overall concept of the booth. The City of Cauayan, for instance, put together aSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs concept for its booth, with members of the organizing team really dressed in Snow White and dwarf costumes, and itsbambanti taking the form of a giant dwarf. Palanan was another attention-getter with its mermaid bambanti. There was also a superhero bambanti and policemanbambanti, aside from all the beautiful bambantis made of natural materials such as corn husk and corn cob.
At the end of the four-day festival, the best agri-tourism booths were selected, with the City of Cauayan taking first place, Palanan landing second, and San Isidro making it in third place.
REGION 2 