Tuguegarao

There are several legends about the origin of the name. One is a species of palm tree called taraw in the area and another is garao in reference to the "swift river current."[10]

The most accepted version is the Ibanags' reply to the Spaniards when the latter asked for the name of the place — Tuggi gari yaw ("this was cleared by fire").[10]

On the other hand, historical evidence that might provide clues to the origin of the city's name comes from the fact that in 1591, the place was listed as a Spanish encomienda, which was originally a pre-colonial settlement called Tubigarao.[11]

An old map of Cagayan used in the 1918 census. Tuguegarao, the provincial capital, is located at the bottom right of the map.

Tuguegarao was founded on May 9, 1604 as a "mission-pueblo" with the new vicar Fray Tomas Villa, O.P. initiating the construction of a temporary church housing Sts. Peter and Paul as patron saints. In the 1720s, Father Antonio Lobato, O.P. developed a layout of street network together with the construction of the cathedral. In 1839, the provincial capital was transferred to Tuguegarao from Lal-lo as the Cagayan-Manila road opened which spurred socio-economic progress.[10]

The town was occupied by American troops on December 12, 1899. Drastic improvements in Tuguegarao were discerned over the course of provincial administrations—the first Provincial Capitol was completed in 1909, a town hall and public market were built, the provincial high school—Cagayan High School—was founded in a former private residence, and the Cagayan Valley College of Arts & Trades was founded by American educator Claude Andrews.[10]

During World War II, the city and its airfield of some significance was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army on December 12, 1941 as part of the Japanese invasion of Aparri. The General Headquarters of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, Philippine Constabulary and the USAFIP-NL units was activated on 1942 to 1946 and stationed in Tuguegarao.

Sitio Capatan was elevated into a barrio (or barangay) of Tuguegarao on April 3, 1959, by Republic Act No. 2107.[12]

In 1975, Tuguegarao was declared as the capital and seat of the regional government of Cagayan Valley (Region II) being the region's geographic center with adequate facilities and amenities needed by such. Multistory buildings were constructed in the poblacion greatly changing Tuguegarao's skyline in the 1980s and 1990s.

Tuguegarao's location is in the southern portion of the province. The city is bordered by Iguig to the north; to the west by the Cagayan River and Solana; Peñablanca to the east; and to the south by Enrile and San Pablo, Isabela. The river delta city is almost encapsulated by the Cagayan River in the western and southern side, which explains for its northward expansion, and the Pinacanauan River, a tributary of Cagayan River, in the eastern part. Small bodies of waters are found in the city, such as the Balzain Creek which spans the barangays of Caritan Sur and Balzain. Currently, the creek is continuously drying up due to eutrophication and the uncontrollable growth of water lilies.

Historically, the town was inhabited by Irayas and Itawes who lived and mainly relied on fishing, farming, hunting and livestock raising. In addition, ancient natives have ventured on weaving cloth and making of household and farm implements.[16]

Cagayan is divided into three congressional districts, wherein the city is included in the Third District together with the other 6 southern municipalities.[17]

The city is located 483 kilometres (300 mi) north of Manila, which is an hour by plane and ten hours of land travel.[17] It is also 77 kilometres (48 mi) from Ilagan, 127 kilometres (79 mi) from Santiago City, 164 kilometres (102 mi) from Cabarroguis, 188 kilometres (117 mi) from Bayombong and 318 kilometres (198 mi) from Basco.

In the 2015 census, the population of Tuguegarao was 153,502 people[3] with a density of 1,100 inhabitants per square kilometre or 2,800 inhabitants per square mile. It is the most populous and densest city in the Cagayan Valley region. Most of the inhabitants are Ilocanos, Ibanags and Itawes. Some are of Chinese and Indian descent.

Ricardo Baccay, the incumbent Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tuguegarao

Calle Commercio (now Bonifacio Street) in 2010

Central Business District at night

SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown

Within the past three decades, its economy gradually shifted from agriculture to trading, commerce and services. The shift was ushered by Tuguegarao's role as the Regional Government Center and Center of Commerce in Northern Luzon.[30] In early 2016, Tuguegarao City was named as one of the ten emerging cities in the 2015 Next Wave Cities report, conducted by Department of Science and Technology - Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO).[31]

Currently, Tuguegarao City has two major public markets, namely, the Don Domingo Public Market — located in the upper part of Poblacion serving as the convergence of agricultural and aquatic products from neighboring towns and provinces — and the Tuguegarao City Commercial Center — formerly known as Mall of the Valley and is located at the Central Business District, receiving the highest daily foot traffic.

Tuguegarao City Hall, the principal workplace of the city government officials

Tuguegarao City is governed by a city mayor, designated as local chief executive, and by a city council, composed of the vice mayor and the city councilors, as the legislative body, in accordance with the Local Government Code.[43] They are voted to office through an election, held every after three years. As a component city, the provincial government of Cagayan has political jurisdiction over local transactions of the city government.

On February 10, 2017, then City Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano stepped down from office following an order from the Ombudsman to dismiss him for grave misconduct. Soriano voluntarily called the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to facilitate the turn over of the mayoralty office to then Vice Mayor Bienvenido de Guzman II.[44] After about seven months, following the order of the Court of Appeals Fourth Division (CA) for "immediate" reinstatement of Mayor Jefferson P. Soriano, on September 6, 2017, Soriano took oath of office. The CA disagreed to the Ombudsman's dismissal order—stating that he committed grave misconduct—and that the mayor only committed simple misconduct. According to the decision, he should only be penalized with three months suspension instead of dismissal from service.[45]

Street dancing competition during the Afi festival at the Cagayan Provincial Capitol

The Afi Festival is an annual festival every August, celebrated in commemoration of the city's patron saint, San Jacinto de Polonia whose feast day falls on August 16.[47] It came from the Ybanag word afi, meaning fire.[48]

The concept of the "Afi" started in 2014, renaming the former Pav-vurulun Festival. It reiterates and reaffirms the origins of the city's name. Stories say the place where the city center now stands was once “a wilderness that was cleared by fire” through kaingin (slash and burn farming).[47] The main event of the celebration is its opening day, where thousands of students convene for a field demonstration at night as torchbearers. In 2017, 3500 students from Cagayan National High School and Cagayan State University - College of Human Kinetics danced with torches at the sports complex. The city is attempting to beat Indonesia's world record of 3,777 torchbearers in the festival's next edition.[49]

Other highlights of the weeklong celebration include the street dancing competition and drum and lyre competition, where various elementary and secondary schools participate, everyone clad in vibrant costumes and props. Both are usually held at the city's central business district on Bonifacio Street (Calle Commercio). Other events include the Bangkarera competition, a rowing competition in two categories which aims to promote sustainable fishing along the Pinacanauan River, which flows to the Cagayan River, a pansit festival featuring a pansit-eating contest, a Nuang Karera (Carabao race), a Kabayu Karera (horse race), among others.[50]

Before the additions and revisions to the native festival, there was Maskota Festival. Also called the Dance of Lovemaking, it features Maskota, a wedding dance prevalent in the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela, with movements described as "spontaneous, lively and extravagantly expressive." It was danced to the rhythm of the verso with the sincosinco accompaniment. Back then, indigenous materials were utilized for the costumes. Materials come from various local harvests such as coconut sprouts, betel nuts, corn leaves and atchuetes, which serves as natural coloring.[51]

Pancit Batil Potun, widely known as Pancit Batil Patung, is a popular local noodle dish which directly translates to "beaten egg on top." Several panciterias mushroom in all the city's corners, each with distinct styles of cooking and ingredients—miki, egg, minced carabao meat, vegetables and other specific toppings of choice.[52] The city is also known for its own version of longganisa characterized with its salty and garlicky taste with variations using either pork or carabao meat.[53]

Our Lady of Chartres Chapel in St. Paul University Philippines

The Cagayan Museum and Historical Research Center houses an extensive collection of various artifacts and antiques of the province. In addition to animal fossils found in the valley, it houses extensive data on the discovery of Callao Man by the National Museum. Formerly located in the Cagayan Provincial Capitol Complex, it has moved to the renovated historic provincial jail known as Tribunal de Tuguegarao.[54] In front of the provincial museum is the century-old Rizal Park which is also refurbished.[55]

Tuguegarao boasts elaborate Spanish-built churches such as the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto, known to locals as the San Jacinto Church which houses the city's patron saint. It is an elevated chapel built by Dominican friars in 1604 regarded as the oldest brick structure in the city. The St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral is the biggest Spanish colonial church in Cagayan Valley which was construction from 1761 to 1767 under the supervision of Fr. Antonio Lobato, OP. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. Both churches underwent reconstruction due to damages brought by World War II.

Located in Barangay Centro 09, often called Bagumbayan by locals, is the Horno ruins,[56] a Spanish-era brick kiln used to fire bricks for colonial structures including those in the Cathedral and San Jacinto Church.

St. Paul University Philippines was founded in 1907 as Colegio de San Pablo With the arrival of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres in Cagayan Valley. It served as a military garrison and hospital of the Japanese during the World War. Throughout the years, it has since become identified internationally having been the first private university in the Philippines to be ISO 9001 certified in 2000 by TÜV Rheinland.[57]

South of the city is the Buntun Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the country spanning 1.369 km (0.851 miles) across the Cagayan River, the longest and largest river in the Philippines. Construction began in 1960 and was opened to traffic in 1969, linking the city to the second and third district municipalities of Cagayan and Apayao.

While tourist spots are sparse in the city, it has become the usual jump-off point of tourists to other destinations in the province such as the Callao Cave and Calvary Hills in neighboring towns Peñablanca and Iguig respectively.[58]

Cagayan Sports Complex

The city hosts a number of event centers which allow the city to host many provincial and regional gatherings such as the Cagayan Sports Complex, Tuguegarao City Peoples' Gymnasium and the Cagayan Coliseum.

The water system of Tuguegarao is administered by the Metropolitan Tuguegarao Water District, which also serves the nearby municipalities such as Iguig and Solana. Meanwhile, electric services are provided by Cagayan Electric Cooperative which has its office in Solana, Cagayan. Telecommunication services are primarily offered by huge telephone companies such as PLDT and Bayantel, while mobile services are handled by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Sun Cellular, Touch Mobile, and Talk N' Text. High-speed DSL and optical Internet subscriptions are offered by RBC Cable, PLDT and Globe Telecom.

Tuguegarao City houses the headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Cagayan Valley in Camp Marcelo A. Adduru in Alimannao Hills. As the region's institutional center, it is home to the majority of regional government offices concentrated in the Regional Government Center, Barangay Carig Sur.

Transportation and infrastructure plays a major role in keeping the Tuguegarao's economy up and running and nearby towns in play. Due to continued growth, daytime population in the city has increased with primary reasons for commuting for commerce, work and notably education due to the city's being known for having several institutions. Over the years, Tuguegarao evolved, expanded and grew, so did its transportation network to keep up with the growing demands of people for ease of access to reliable methods and transit flexibility.

Public transport

The tricycle, Tuguegarao's primary public transit vehicle

A cultural icon of the Philippines with a unique design, Tuguegarao's tricycles offer shared vehicle for hire services for small groups of passengers on a common route over short distances.

Tuguegarao also serves as a vital hub for local, regional and national transportation. Buses operate regional routes from Tuguegarao to Baggao, Aparri, Santiago, and many neighboring cities, towns and municipalities. It also is an end-of-the-line stop for many coaches running inter-city and national routes mostly coming from Metro Manila such as GV Florida, Victory Liner, Dalin Bus Liner, Five Star, Pangasinan Solid North to name a few.

To the east side are vans that ply north and south Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Aparri, Santa Ana, Alcala, Lasam and Junction Luna, Abulug in Cagayan, Santiago, Roxas, Ilagan and Cauayan in Isabela, Luna and Kabugao in Apayao. There are also mini buses plying to Lasam, Allacapan, Claveria, Santiago and Roxas. Then to the west are jeepneys with routes to Iguig, Tuao, Enrile, Tabuk and Rizal in Kalinga and some mountainous barrios, all of which lie on the west side of the river.

Kalesas run within the city, mostly near popular points of interest, and are part of the city's tourism but most of these are limited within the downtown area.

Air

An Air Philippines A320 at the Tuguegarao Airport

The Tuguegarao Airport handles domestic flights within the Philippines and serves the general area of Tuguegarao and its surrounding municipalities, and is capable of handling Boeing-737-sized aircraft. It is one of the top 20 busiest airports in the country and classified by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines as a Principal Class 1 domestic airport. Cebu Pacific, Sky Pasada and PAL Express are the domestic airlines which operate routes to and from the city. As of 2017, the airport is undergoing rehabilitation and expansion consisting of terminal upgrades and widening of runway, for night landing capabilities, and taxiway.[60]

A proposed international airport, serving the Cagayan Valley Region, will be constructed at the eastern portion of the city—somewhere in barangays Dadda or Tagga—as suggested by City Mayor Bienvenido de Guzman II and former mayor Atty. Jefferson Soriano. Originally, as proposed by the Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, the airport was to be located at the tri-boundary area of Tuao, Piat and Solana towns but was later shelved after a forum.[61]

Cagayan Valley Medical Center

Being the regional center, Tuguegarao hosts major hospitals which serve people in the Cagayan Valley region. Cagayan Valley Medical Center, the largest medical facility in the Cagayan Valley with a bed capacity of 500, is situated in the city. The largest privately owned facility in the region is the 250-bed Dr. Ronald P. Guzman Medical Center, a tertiary level hospital.[62] St. Paul University Philippines has an affiliate hospital in Tuguegarao, the St. Paul Hospital. Cagayan's oldest existing private hospital, the Dr. Domingo S. De Leon General Hospital, formerly Clinica De Leon, is also situated in the city.

Other hospitals in the city are the government-owned and run Tuguegarao City People's General Hospital and the Holy Infant Hospital[62] as well as the privately owned Divine Mercy Wellness Center.[63]

Cagayan State University — Andrews Campus

Cagayan National High School

Due to its high incidence of universities, Tuguegarao has been dubbed as the Center of Education in Cagayan Valley. It is home to prestigious and internationally recognized schools such as St. Paul University Philippines — the main campus of the St. Paul University System — and the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao — one of the CICM schools. Ateneo de Tuguegarao, the country's fifth Ateneo ran by the Society of Jesus, was established in 1945 but eventually closed in 1962 with the Jesuit exodus.

Two of the top state universities are also in Tuguegarao City — the CSU Athena (Andrews Campus), and CSU Red Eagle (Carig Campus) — producing national topnotchers in board examinations. Both universities have their own administration and are separated from each other.

Other schools in the city include the University of Cagayan Valley, John Wesley College, Medical Colleges of Northern Philippines - International School of Asia and Pacific, F.L. Vargas College, Maila Rosario College, Credo Domine College, City Technological Institute, Cagayan Metropolitan Institute of Technology, STI College, AMA Computer College, and other educational institutions.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established through the enactment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994, which encourages the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labor, local government units, and technical-vocational institutions in the skills development of the country's human resource. The TESDA complex and facilities are located in Carig Norte. Numerous technological and vocational institutes can also be found in the city.

Tuguegarao has one Jesuit educational institution located along Bagay Road—the Global Reformed University.

Other notable schools in the city include Cagayan National High School, the oldest and biggest secondary school in the region in terms of student population, Tuguegarao City Science High School, a state-owned secondary institution, Ke Bing School, a private Chinese school, Methodist Christian School, a Christian school in Central Business District, and Saint Claire Montesorri, a catholic school in San Gabriel. The state-owned secondary institution of Tuguegarao City West High School started operations on June 4, 2012.

Students from different countries like China, Congo, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Korea come to study at the city's universities. Most of the students come to study undergraduate and graduate degrees in sciences.

• Rommel Adducul, former professional basketball player and coach
• Ricardo Baccay, Archbishop elect of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, former third bishop of the Diocese of Alaminos, and former auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.
• Eulogio Balao, former soldier and politician
• Philip Butel, Caloocan Supremos basketball player
• Rachelle Anne Cabral, archer in the 2012 Summer Olympics
• Noel A. Coballes, retired Lieutenant General and Commanding General of the Philippine Army (2013-2014)
• Ralph Guzman, broadcaster and journalist
• Benito Antonio T. de Leon, retired AFP military officer

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tuguegarao.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tuguegarao City.

• Tuguegarao Profile at PhilAtlas.com
• Official Website of Tuguegarao
• TuguegaWOW | Tuguegarao City